Who Takes the Return?

My employees are compensated with an hourly wage plus commission—and no one likes to take returns. Unfortunately, we did have a few items returned after Christmas and out of those returns—some sales associates sold up, some couldn’t get a new sale out of the return, and one customer picked out a less expensive item and took store credit for the difference.

Who then, takes the return? Employees new to the industry thought the return was given to the original sales associate who sold the item and this new item being sold was taken by them. Unfortunately, I hadn’t thought much about this issue and went along with an idea from one of my sales associates:

1. If you sell the item and help the customer with any type of new purchase (more expensive or less expensive)—it is obvious—you take the return and the new sale.
2. The situation above is also the same if another associate (meaning not the original one who made the sale) helps your customer, then this new associate would take the return and the new sale.
3. If the customer would just like to return then the return is given back to the original sales associate.
4. If the customer purchases an item for less expensive the return and the new item that is less expensive go to the original sales associate.
5. If the customer purchases the same item in a different length and the sale is still more—then the original sales associate is given the return and the new sale.

Is this how it works in your store? Does your store have a more efficient method of taking returns?