This document provides a learner's guide for Big Lots customer service representatives on how to handle customer returns. It contains instructions over determining merchandise eligibility, completing a refund voucher, processing a refund on the cash register, and labeling original sales receipts. The guide includes sample forms, checklists of required information, and objectives for skill checks to test representatives' understanding of the return process.

1. BIG LOTS INCORPORATED
LEARNER’S GUIDE
CUSTOMER RETURNS
FOR
CUSTOMER SERVICE
REPRESENTATIVES (CSR)

2. Table of Contents
Introduction……………………………………………………………………… 3
Determining Merchandise Eligibility…………………………………………….. 4
How to Complete a Refund Voucher…………………………………………….. 5
How to Key in a Refund…………………………………………………………. 8
How to Label a Sales Receipt……………………………………………………. 9
Skill Checks……………………………………………………………………… 10
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3. Introduction to Customer Returns
Overview
Refund transactions are “hassle free” for merchandise purchased at any Big Lots store
and accompanied by a valid register receipt. This lesson will provide you with all the
information you need to:
• Greet customer with return merchandise
• Inspect merchandise and original sales receipt
• Complete refund voucher
• Enter transaction into cash register
• Provide customer with proper documentation
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4. How to Determine if Merchandise is Eligible for a Refund
Introduction
Any type of merchandise a customer returns to Big Lots is eligible to be returned. The
CSR must inspect every piece of merchandise before proceeding with the refund
procedure.
Importance
It is important to understand that if merchandise is accepted at Big Lots and it does not
meet our “return standards” Big Lots could loose money.
Greeting Customer with Return
It’s important to greet the customer properly and to explain our refund policy to them if
necessary.
Please greet each of our customers in the following manner:
“Welcome to Big Lots, May I help you?”
If the customer would like a refund for merchandise and has a valid cash register receipt,
say the following:
“I would be happy to process your refund (Sir/Madam). May I have the sales receipt?”
If the customer would like a refund for merchandise, but does not have a valid sales
receipt, say the following:
“I would be happy to process your refund (Sir/Madam) but without a valid register
receipt, I cannot accept the merchandise for a refund. I can offer you an even exchange
for merchandise of the same value.”
What to look for when inspecting the customer’s merchandise return
Use the table below to help you determine if you can accept the customer’s merchandise
return.
Accept if . . . Do NOT accept if . . .
good condition and could be re-stocked Broken, chipped, tampered with or stained
Big Lots store merchandise—as indicated
by the price tag affixed on the merchandise
Defective—You must test merchandise
when practical to verify if it is defective.
Has original adhesive price ticket or price
tag attached to merchandise
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5. How to Complete a Refund Voucher
Introduction
After merchandise has been inspected and determined as acceptable, the refund voucher
needs to be completed.
Policy
A refund voucher must be completed for every refund transaction in numerical sequence.
A CSR must perform all refund transactions.
What you need
You will need
• the original receipt,
• a blank refund voucher, and
• information that the customer will provide to complete the refund voucher
About Refund Vouchers
Every Customer Service Desk has refund voucher books located in the drawer. All
refund vouchers are numbered and must be used in order.
If a mistake was made while completing a refund voucher, the VOID box must be
checked off on the voucher book entry and it must be signed the store manager on duty.
Continued on the next page
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6. How to Complete a Refund Voucher, continued
Sample Voucher
Below is a sample voucher. Compare the areas of the voucher with the table on the next
page.
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Consolidated Stores
Big Lots Incorporated
39696101
VOID REFUND
PAIDOUT
- PLEASE PRINT –
STORE # __________
DATE __________
Register # __________ Non-Taxable $
_________
Transaction # ___________
Re-rung Sale # ___________ Sales Tax $
____________
Re-rung Amount $ __________ Total $
_______________
Cashier’s Signature _______________
Amount Written __________________________________
Dollars
Description of Merchandise
________________________________
______________________________________________________
__
______________________________________________________
__
Reason
_________________________________________________

7. How to Complete a Refund Voucher, continued
Information Required for Refund Voucher
Information Field on
Voucher
Where to find the information
Store # (number)
Located on the cash register sales receipt. The store #
that the merchandise was purchased should be listed.
Date Today’s date
Register # (number) The cash register that the merchandise was rung on.
Located on the sales receipt.
transaction # (number) Located on the sales receipt.
re-rung sale # Used when performing an Even Exchange procedure.
re-rung amount from the sales
receipt
Used when performing an Even Exchange procedure.
Cashier’s Signature Only the CSR performing the Refund can sign the
refund voucher book.
Amount Written Write out the total amount of the refund in this filed.
Description of returned
merchandise
A detailed written description of the merchandise
being returned must be completed.
Reason A detailed written explanation for the return of the
merchandise must be written.
Non-Taxable $ If the returned item was not taxable at the time of
purchase, write the amount for return in this area.
Sales Tax $ Indicate the sales tax applied to the merchandise.
Total $ Indicate the total amount of the returned merchandise.
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8. How to Key in the Refund
Introduction
This lesson will cover how to key in the refund and produce a refund receipt.
Process
The table below explains how the cash register produces a refund receipt.
Action
Press the Refund key
Press the Mgr # key
CSR will enter their 6 digit manager number
Press the Mgr# key
Key in the item(s) being refunded
Enter the information from the voucher book and press the Zipcode key after each entry
• Enter the 6 digit date
• Enter the store #
• Enter the register #
• Enter the transaction #
• Enter the voucher #
Press the Subtotal key
Enter the amount to be tendered
Press the appropriate currency key (cash, check or charge card) used in the original
transaction.
Cash register will produce a refund receipt. Give cash refund (if necessary) and refund
receipt to the customer.
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9. How to Label Sales Receipt
Background
The original sales receipt may contain more merchandise than the customer wishes to
return, therefore, the original receipt is very important to the customer as well as the CSR
handling the refund.
After the refund transaction, the CSR must always give the customer back the original
sales receipt.
Procedure
Follow the steps below to label the original sales receipt.
1. Request a sales receipt and reason for the return.
2. Inspect the returned merchandise and locate the price ticket.
3. Inspect the sales receipt and the returned merchandise.
4. Locate the SKU number (a 9 to 13 digit number given to each item that identified
specific characteristics such as price and description) on the price ticket.
• If SKU numbers match on price ticket and receipt, proceed to Step 5.
• If the SKU numbers do not match, a refund cannot be given. Inform the customer
that the sales receipt and the refunded merchandise do not match. Ask the
customer if they had another receipt that did match the refunded merchandise
a. If yes, then ask the customer to present the proper sales receipt to
match the merchandise to be refunded. If SKU number on the
merchandise matches on the price ticket, proceed to step 5.
b. If no, inform the customer that a refund for this merchandise cannot be
completed.
5. Circle the item and price eligible for refund on the sales receipt
6. Write your initials next to the circled item.
7. Retain the original sales receipt until transaction is completed.
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10. Skill Checks
Introduction
Skill Checks will be needed at every phase of the lesson in order that students will master
the objective.
Objective: How to Determine if Merchandise is Eligible for a Refund
The skill check required in this objective will be a test provided by the instructor in which
participants will be provided with two tables of merchandise.
The participants will be paired in teams of two. Each team must sort through the items
listed on the table and identify those items that will be considered refundable.
The teams will be asked to present their findings to the class and justify why those items
were chosen as eligible for a refund.
The instructor will be available to provided guidance and answer any discrepancies.
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11. Skill Checks Required
Introduction
Skill Checks will be needed at every phase of the lesson in order that students will master
the objectives.
Objective: How to Complete a Refund Voucher
The skill check required for this objective will require that participants complete blank
refund vouchers with information provided by the instructor.
This skill check will be repeated until the instructor feels confident that the learners have
mastered the objective.
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12. Skill Checks Required
Introduction
Skill Checks will be needed at every phase of the lesson in order that students will master
the objectives.
Objective: How to Key in the Refund
This skill check will require the learner to use the cash register in order to properly key in
the refund. The instructor will be available to provide assistance when needed and to
trouble shoot any errors with the cash registers.
Each time the participant successfully keys in the refund, it will produce a refund receipt.
This receipt is considered proof of the objective mastery.
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13. Skill Checks Required
Introduction
Skill Checks will be needed at every phase of the lesson in order that students will master
the objectives.
Objective: How to Label Sales Receipt
This skill check will require the learner to become comfortable with viewing a cash
register sales receipt from any of the Big Lots stores and correctly labeling the items that
will be needed to complete the refund voucher.
The participant will be asked to view multiple sales receipts from the BL stores (furniture
department stores included) and correctly identify SKU numbers for matching purposes.
The learner will be asked to view a variety of sales receipts and correctly label those
receipts to proved objective knowledge.
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