Inspecting a rental return: quantities, damage and release
3 min readUpdated on
An item can be returned and still be unfit for the next customer. Treat return, inspection and release as separate actions. With several identical items, also record the quantities that actually came back. The rest stays visibly handed out. This is part of the Rental panel (+ Business panel, €40 per panel per month). See the panels.
Check the order before handing out
Open the order with the right customer, items, period and quantities. Use a unique item for one separate object, or a stock pool for several identical items. Confirming checks capacity, including the preparation and return buffer you set.
Save the agreed price version and the terms reference. A recorded price is not a received payment. Record a received amount with evidence; a deposit record is not a temporary card authorisation. The rental route shows what changes at each step.
Record the packing list and handout
Check items, accessories and the starting condition before you tick off the packing list. Record the actual handout to the right customer with a recognisable evidence reference. Agree on the return and on what happens in case of damage.
Use the same order for a follow-up question. Contact and earlier agreements can be found in the customer history. A loose note saying ‘three bikes out’ misses the link to the agreed period and price.
Record what actually comes back
Count the items that came back and record that quantity. If two of the three bikes are back, you record two. The missing bike stays handed out. The app does not let you record more returns than the quantity handed out.
A passed end time does not make an item that hasn’t come back available. With a late return, look at the next orders and agree on the change. A new rental period checks capacity again. Also save the financial agreement with that change.
Inspect before you release
Check the returned quantities for condition and accessories. Record which quantity is approved and which is damaged. You can also inspect an order that has only partly come back. Use concrete remarks: what is broken and which test is needed?
The approved quantity can become available again under the capacity rules. Damaged quantities stay blocked. Record the repair and a successful check before you release that quantity. Just clicking the return button is not enough for that.
| Record | What still needs attention |
|---|---|
| Two returned | One stays handed out |
| One fine, one damaged | Damaged quantity stays blocked |
| Repair and test done | Checked quantity can be released |
Fix an error at the source
If a colleague has changed the order in the meantime, load the latest version first. Check the real quantities and the existing inspection. Don’t create a second order to get around an earlier return. After a temporary connection error, check the saved result and repeat the same action.
The current inspection uses checks and text or evidence references; uploading photos is not part of this route. Keep photos according to your own filing procedure and add a reference to the work that can be found again. A damage amount is not collected or refunded automatically. That financial consequence has to be handled separately.
Frequently asked
Another question?
Your question goes to Laurens himself. On weekdays from 08:30 to 19:00.
Ask LaurensRecord the quantities that actually came back. The rest stays handed out, and the return inspection decides which quantity is available again.
Damaged quantities stay blocked until a repair and a check have been recorded. Check the next order and only reserve capacity that is really available.
A recorded deposit is an amount with evidence. The current route does not carry out an automatic card authorisation or refund.
Read next
- 3 min read
Picking up a caravan from storage: contract and handover
Plan the pick-up, check the keys and record the handover. Keep contract and presence apart; an empty space can still be reserved.
- 5 min read
Plan and complete a work order: from appointment to report
Schedule the right work order, record the work and finish report and job together. With checks for overlap, customer messages and recovery.