PPB January 2021

The customer pays, but sometimes, I write it on the receipt separately. Other times, I’ve already figured it into their total (for their convenience). ANGELA WOJCIK Owner Chaffee Chick Design Chaffee, New York PPAI 743737, D1 Delivered price. Freight included. It’s never free. ERIN EBERHARDT President and Owner West Shore Associates West Haven, Connecticut PPAI 287403, D2 Customer always pays. If this one didn’t, it’s one of three things: 1 Liar, liar, pants on fire. 2 The shipping was already rolled into the per-piece price. 3 Some distributor was picking up the cost of shipping and may no longer be in business as a result. RAMA BEERFAS, MAS Owner Lev Promotions San Diego, California PPAI 218331, D1 All your quotes should read something like “does not include shipping and any applicable state taxes.” That may give you some protection. The client always pays shipping, whether it’s baked in or as a separate line item. BRUCE KORN President ZakBack, Inc. Exton, Pennsylvania PPAI 176289, D2 A DISTRIBUTOR ASKS: Does anyone hold product for customers and ship it out to them when they need it, basically acting as a mini-fulfillment facility as space allows? If so, I’m curious to learn how you price this additional store-and-ship service for your customer. Do you build this into product pricing or as an add-on service fee in addition to the product price? We do it for some clients. Sometimes it’s in concert with suppliers, sometimes it’s just stored here. I usually charge the outgoing freight plus tack on [a small cost] for a box if needed and for release fees. ED HAMNER, CAS Founder, Top Dog and Print Geek Howling Print & Promo Chardon, Ohio PPAI 593535, D1 compiled by Danielle Renda Managing Freight Charges I’ve always passed freight charges on to my clients, but I have a client who’s saying their experience is otherwise. How are you handling freight charges? Q A DISTRIBUTOR ASKS: I have been in this industry for over 10 years, and I’ve always passed freight charges on to my clients. I have other friends in the industry who do the same. Recently, I sent a quote to a potential client and he said that in all his years of buying promotional products, he has never been charged freight, and the seller has always paid it. I’m curious to hear how others handle freight charges. Milkovasa / Studio concept / Shutterstock.com. 12 | JANUARY 2021 | INNOVATE