How We Reach Out During the Off-boarding Process

Last Updated: Jul 24 
Author: CX

When an employee is off-boarded, we want to make the equipment return process as smooth and stress-free as possible — for both the employee and the admin. This article walks through how we communicate with employees during that journey, from the first email they receive all the way through to our team reaching out.

The Off-boarding Communication Journey

Step 1 — The First Email

Sender: noreply@firstbase.com Recipient: Employee's primary and secondary email address on file. 

This is where it all begins! The employee receives their first off-boarding email with everything they need to know about returning their equipment.

• If the off-boarding was triggered automatically, this email goes out the day after their end date.
• If it was triggered manually by the admin or team, it goes out the same day.

Step 2 — First Friendly Reminder (48 hours later)

Sender: noreply@firstbase.com 

Recipient: Employee's primary email address on file 

Message: See Automated Reminder Template below.

If the employee hasn't responded yet, we send a gentle nudge to check their inbox and follow the return instructions.

💡 A note on work emails vs. personal emails:

• Newer Firstbase accounts: If the primary email is a work email, our system won't automatically swap it to a personal one — this may need a manual fix (see the Special Handling section below).
• Older Firstbase accounts: The system can often detect and update this to a personal email automatically if one is on file.

Step 3 — Second Reminder (48 business hours after Step 2)

Sender: Firstbase ticketing system 

Recipient: Employee's primary email address on file 

Message: See Automated Reminder Template below.

If there is no response, our ticketing system follows up again to make sure the message gets through.

Step 4 — Final Automated Reminder (72 business hours after Step 3)

Sender: Firstbase ticketing system 

Recipient: Employee's primary email address on file 

Message: See Automated Reminder Template below.

This is the last automated touchpoint before our Support team steps in. 

Step 5 — Personal Outreach from Our Support Team

Sender: Firstbase Support Agent 

Recipient: Employee's personal email + Admin

If we still haven't heard back after all of the above, our Support team reaches out directly to both the employee and the account admin. We keep the ticket open for 2 weeks to give everyone a reasonable window to respond. If we don't hear anything within that time, the ticket will be closed and the inventory will be noted as "not returned" and archived.

Special Handling: When a Personal Email Isn't on File

Sometimes we run into situations where the only email we have is a work address — and for newer Firstbase accounts, our system can't automatically find a personal one. When that happens, our Support team will reach out to the admin as soon as possible to get things moving in the right direction. 

Email Templates

📧 Automated Reminder Template (Used for Steps 2, 3 & 4)

Subject: Offboarding request for User Name in Country Update Requested

It's the Firstbase Team, following up on a recent message sent to you regarding the return of your remote work equipment. You should have received an email with instructions from Firstbase with the subject line, "We're waiting for your Organization Name equipment return," which includes steps you need to take to complete the equipment return process.

Please check your email for that message, and follow the instructions provided.

If you have not received this email, please let us know.

Please confirm receipt of this message.

📧 Template 1 — Admin Outreach: No Response Received

Hi Organization Name Team, 

The Firstbase Team has attempted to contact User Name several times over the last two weeks regarding their equipment retrieval but we have not received a response.

We have cc'd them on this message.

If you have updated contact information for them, please let us know so we can resume our outreach.

Important Timeline & Policy Details:

Ticket Status: We will keep this ticket open for two weeks. If we do not hear back, the ticket will be closed and the inventory will be marked as "not returned" and archived.

Subscription Buyouts: If any of the listed items are on a subscription, your account will be charged a buyout fee.

Late Returns: If the employee returns the equipment after the buyout occurs, Firstbase cannot reverse or credit the charge. However, if the items are unlocked and in redeployable condition, we will add them back to your inventory for future use.

Please let us know if you have any questions or if there is any other way we can assist.

📧 Template 2 — Admin Escalation: Personal Email Not on File

Hi Organization Name Team,

We have received the offboarding request for User Name, but we are currently unable to proceed with the equipment retrieval. We do not have a personal email address on file, and the user has not yet confirmed their details.

📍 Next Steps

Update the Profile: Add a personal email address to the employee's Firstbase profile. You can follow the instructions HERE.

Resend Invitation: Once updated, resend the offboarding invitation.

Employee Notification: Next, the employee will receive an email from Firstbase with the subject line, "We're waiting for your Organization Name equipment return," which includes the specific steps they need to take to complete the process.

⚠️ Important Policy Notice

We will keep this ticket open for two weeks. If a personal email is not provided within this timeframe:

Ticket Status: The ticket will be closed, and the inventory will be marked as "not returned."

Buyout Charges: For any items on subscription, a buyout charge will be triggered.

No Refunds: Please note that if the individual returns the equipment after a buyout has been processed, Firstbase will not reverse or credit the charges. The items will be treated as purchased; they may be added back to your available inventory provided they are in re-deployable condition and not locked.

We want to help you avoid these unnecessary costs, so please update the profile at your earliest convenience.

If you have any questions or need further assistance, please let us know.