How do I return equipment to an office?

When returning equipment to an office location, you can choose between two methods depending on your employee's location and convenience. This guide will walk you through both options.

Choosing Your Return Method

When you select "Return to Office" as your return destination, you'll be asked to choose how the equipment will be returned:

Method 1: Ship to an Office

• Firstbase sends a return kit to the employee
• Employee ships equipment to your office location
• Creates a return order with tracking

Method 2: Drop Off at an Office

• Employee physically brings equipment to the office
• No return kit needed
• Equipment is immediately reassigned (no return order created)

Method 1: Ship to an Office

Use this method when your employee will ship equipment to an office location. Firstbase will send a return kit to the employee, and they will ship the items to your selected office.

Step 1: Select Return Method

1. Select Ship to an office and choose an office location from the dropdown.
2. Click Continue.

Step 2: Select Equipment to Return

1. You'll see a list of all Eligible equipment assigned to the selected employee. There is also a separate tab for Ineligible equipment that cannot be returned. You can review it if needed.
2. Select the equipment the employee needs to return.
   • Indicate the return reason for each item.
   • Add any additional information if necessary.
3. Click Continue when all equipment is selected.
4. If the employee has additional eligible equipment not currently in the system, you can add it at this stage. Click on the top right "Add equipment to return"

Step 3: Verify Employee Information

Here you can review and update the employee's info.

Address Confirmation: At this stage, you can choose whether the employee needs to confirm their address before the return kit is sent. Toggle "I need [employee name] to confirm their address" if you want the employee to review and confirm their information. You'll also see when the employee last confirmed their details.

If you enable this toggle:

The employee will receive an email with a link to confirm their information. Until the employee submits their details, the request will remain in status Submitted. Once confirmed, the order status will update to Confirmed, and the employee's profile will be updated with the new information.

Click Continue to proceed.

Step 4: Review & Submit

1. Review your selections, including:
   • Equipment being returned
   • Office destination
   • Employee details
2. Click Submit to create a return order.

What happens next:

• A return order is created in the system
• Firstbase will send automatic emails to the employee with return kit details
• Once the return kit arrives, the employee packs and ships the equipment to your office
• You'll receive tracking updates as the shipment progresses

Method 2: Drop Off at an Office

Use this method when your employee will physically bring equipment to an office location.

Step 1: Select Drop Off Method

1. Select Drop off at an office, choose an office location and click Continue.

Step 2: Select Equipment to Drop Off

1. You'll see a list of all eligible equipment assigned to the employee. There is also a separate tab for Ineligible equipment that cannot be returned. You can review it if needed.
2. Select the equipment the employee needs to return and click Continue.
3. If the employee has additional eligible equipment not currently in the system, you can add it at this stage. Click on the top right "Add equipment to return"

Step 3: Review & Submit

1. Review all details and click Submit.

Note: This option does not generate a return order but reassigns the selected equipment from the employee to the chosen office location.

Processing Returns to an Office

Once equipment has been shipped to your office location, you'll need to process the return in the Firstbase platform to complete the return workflow.

When to Process a Return

Process the return order after the equipment has been delivered to your office location. You can track the shipment status in the return order details.

How to Process a Return to Office

1. Navigate to Orders & Returns section
2. Locate and open the return order (you can filter by office location to find office returns quickly)
3. Once the equipment has been delivered to your office, click Actions → Process return
4. Mark each item as:
   • Returned - The item was successfully returned to the office
   • Not returned - The item was not included in the shipment
5. For items marked Not returned, choose whether to:
   • Archive the item - Remove it from active tracking
   • Keep it deployed - Leave it assigned to the employee
6. Click Submit to complete the processing

Return Order Status

After processing, your return order will be marked as:

• Completed - All items were successfully returned
• Partially completed - Some items were returned, others were not

Finding Your Office Returns

In the Orders & Returns → Returns section, you can easily identify and filter office returns:

• Delivery location column: Shows whether returns are going to "Office" or "Firstbase"
• Office column: Displays the destination office name for office returns
• Use these fields as filters to quickly find specific office returns

What Happens to Equipment at Your Office?

Once equipment is processed and marked as returned to your office:

• It appears in your office's inventory as Available
• You can reassign it to another employee
• You can transfer it to another office location

What if the Wrong Item is Returned?

If an employee returns equipment that doesn't match the return order:

1. Mark the expected item as Not returned → Keep deployed in the return order
2. Locate the item that was actually returned (it will still be assigned to the employee in the system)
3. Manually reassign that item to your office location

If you need assistance with this situation, contact Firstbase Support.

For Drop Off at Office Returns

Note: Drop Off at Office immediately reassigns equipment to the office location when submitted. No return kit is sent and no processing step is required, as the equipment transfer happens instantly in the system.

FAQs

Which return method should I choose?

• Choose Ship to an Office if your employee is remote or if it's more convenient to ship equipment.
• Choose Drop Off at an Office if your employee works near an office and can physically bring the equipment.

What's the difference between the two methods?

Ship to Office:

• Creates a return order with tracking
• Firstbase sends a return kit to the employee
• Full visibility with status updates and email notifications
• Employee ships equipment to your office

Drop Off at Office:

• No return order is created
• No return kit sent
• Equipment is immediately reassigned to the office location
• You should coordinate directly with your employee about when and where to drop off equipment

Will I need to let my employee know the return is processing?

For Ship to Office: Let us take care of this for you! Firstbase will send automatic emails and follow-ups with our Support team to facilitate the rest of the process. We will only seek your assistance if an issue, question, or employee becomes unresponsive.

For Drop Off at Office: You should coordinate with your employee about when and where to drop off the equipment, as this is an immediate reassignment and no return kit is involved.

Can I edit or cancel a return request to an office location?

Editing: Once a return request is submitted, it cannot be edited. If you need to make changes, you'll need to cancel the existing request and submit a new one.

Canceling: You can cancel a return to an office when it's in Submitted or Confirmed status. Once the return order status progresses to In Progress or beyond, you are unable to cancel. If you need to cancel an eligible return, contact Firstbase Support.

What happens if an employee has eligible equipment not currently listed in the system?

You can manually add eligible equipment to the request by clicking "Add equipment to return" during the workflow.

Is Ship to Office available for all office locations?

Ship to Office is currently available in the United States only. We're planning to expand availability to the EU, Canada, and the UK in early Q2 2026.

If you're interested in enabling this feature for your US office locations, please contact your Customer Success Manager.

How can I track a Ship to Office return?

Navigate to the Orders & Returns section and use the filters to find your return order. You can search in the Returns tab and track progress through the various status updates.

Can I initiate a return to office for multiple employees at once?

No, at this time, requests must be submitted individually for each employee.