PPB November 2019

color did not equate to an embroidery thread color match, or even the same brand of embroidery thread. Our hat supplier chose one thread color to match a specific blue, and our sock supplier chose another. We wound up redoing the socks with the same thread color used on the hats, and although we didn’t lose money, we didn’t make much either. Soon after, we got a Robison-Anton thread swatch card and never made that mistake again. What’s something you wish you’d known and what did you learn from it? I did an order for chocolate in the early summertime. I didn’t know that you needed to tell suppliers to use dry ice. The chocolates arrived slightly melted. We had to have them redone and I believe we shipped to the location of the event—and now we know! I also think the chocolate companies are better now at pointing this out to distributors or just adding it to the bill. MELINDA MANN BOWDEN Owner PromoHits! Ltd. Findlay, Ohio On white, glow-in-the-dark, debossed silicone bands, I did not advise the client to pay extra for the color fill. The bracelets might as well have been blank. Now, light colors always get a color fill. LAUREN CHOINIERE Promotional Product Manager Millennium Marketing Solutions, Inc. Annapolis Junction, Maryland My biggest uh-oh was not looking closely enough at an order confirmation. The order was for journals that were supposed to be black with a red tip on the pages. I glanced at the confirmation and thought the red was designating the tip, because we had sent artwork on black paper. The proof was a deboss, so it didn’t show the color. Four-hundred journals hurt a lot, but the supplier met me halfway because they agreed it was confusing. Now, I thoroughly look at all my order confirmations. KRISTINA FLEMING Project Coordinator The J. Paul Company Lewisville, Texas I placed an order without a proof and got the wrong item because I put the wrong item number in the purchase order. I learned that you can’t check everything too many times, and don’t assume anything. ERIN EBERHARDT Owner/President West Shore Associates West Haven, Connecticut Do You Have An Answer? A Distributor Asks: Has anyone else had a supplier call your customer directly to talk to them about an order that’s in-house? After 20 years in this business, I just experienced this on an order with a big supplier in the industry. If you have had this happen, how did you handle it? I contacted the vice president of sales, who was very apologetic, but I still can’t believe this happened and I’m not sure how they found the client’s contact information. What’s Your Answer? Email answers along with your name, title and company name by November 15 to Question@ppai.org for possible inclusion in an upcoming issue of PPB magazine. Danielle Renda is associate editor of PPB. | NOVEMBER 2019 | 13 INNOVATE