PPB September 2015

22 / 124

local rep with a sample you can order the
sample and include the cost with this
order or with the next one.
Paul Throndsen
Owner
Throndsen Lettering
Janesville, Wisconson
UPIC: T338112
Try to always get a sample, especially
for something you have never worked
with before. If it is a good customer, we
will eat the cost of the sample. If it is
someone we have never worked with, we
charge them for the sample. If they do
not want to wait or pay for a sample, you
need to tell them up front it is special
order and cannot be returned. We had a
customer who did not like any of the
hats we carried and wanted a hat he had
gotten somewhere else. I told him I had
never ordered that hat before and I
would get them in but they would be
special order, would need to be prepaid,
and, like them or not, he would have to
take them. The first time he and his
crew wore them it rained and the [color]
bled. He said I had to take them back.
We did not.
It is your customer, not the suppli-
er’s. You need to make sure you are not
getting bad product. You also need to
look the product over when it comes in.
I don’t know how many times we get
garments from customers, and the box
has never been opened and the packing
slip is still on the box. They are always
surprised when we tell them the supplier
shorted them.
Glen D. Eley
Owner
Eley Imprinted Products
Lima, Ohio
UPIC: ELEYP001
You and the client made a poor busi-
ness decision by not getting a sample.
But she really has no ground to stand on
since she simply wanted that product and
asked you to order it. Gently explain that
your hands are tied and you both have
equal responsibility for this problem. If
she is a new client, you might lose her.
But, if this is a repeat customer, she
should understand and you could suggest
a discounted deal on the next item as a
make-good offer.
Mary DeWald
Co-Owner
Ink Nutz
Monroe, Washington
UPIC: NUTZ
We tell our customers to browse our
web page for product ideas and let us
know when they find an item they like so
we can do some research, using SAGE
grading to assess the quality of the product
and supplier. We are happy to order a sam-
ple so they can try it for themselves and we
try to choose a nearby supplier to reduce
shipping costs. If their expectation is a lit-
tle high for their budget, we may make a
different product suggestion. I feel it is our
responsibility as promotional product con-
sultants to inform our customers to the
best of our ability regarding the quality of
the items they want to purchase.
As for addressing the current situa-
tion of the unhappy customer, that’s a
tough one. You could offer a 10-percent
discount or free setup on her next pur-
chase. I would not expect any compensa-
tion from the supplier unless they mis-
represented the product they sold.
Bob Kreuzburg
VP of Sales
Harvey-Daco
Waco, Texas
UPIC: H456129
Can’t pass the blame along to the
supplier or expect them to assist you
after the fact. They provided the correct
product (their product) you referenced in
placing your order. To prevent this from
happening in the future, you need to
order a random sample to show the
client in advance. To solve the current
problem, I would suggest you discuss
further with your client about what is
fair and see if you can come to an agree-
ment by offering the client a slight dis-
count. You don’t want to set a precedent
where the client takes advantage of you
in the future but a “good faith discount”
may help you in the long run. Chalk it
up to a lesson well learned.
DO YOU HAVE THE ANSWER?
QA Distributor Asks:
Walking into a large business cold is one of the most difficult
tasks for our sales people. What are some effective ways to
approach front desk staff and successfully connect with the right
decision maker?
What’s your answer? Email answers along with your name, title
and company name to by September 30 for
possible inclusion in an upcoming issue of PPB magazine.
20 • PPB • SEPTEMBER 2015 INNOVATE