So today's Blog is about an all too common issue we have to deal with in the Custom Printed T-Shirt Industry. We've been in business for over 20 years and this issue is still no easier to resolve now than when we first opened our doors in 1990.  Today, we receive a call from a client who claims they are short a single t-shirt from their order and needs it for their client. 

This call begins the process of reviewing the print logs to find out if indeed they order was shipped short, which after the review was found to be accurate.  Was was ordered was shipped complete and verified by 3 separate individuals in the printing process. 

We begin with the shirts arriving at the shop and being counted in, making sure that all product is accounted for and there are no defects.  The Next Count comes immediately prior to beginning printing , when the printer counts the inventory for accuracy.  Followed by the Final Count as they come off drying belts shirts are counted and boxed.  It's our job to make sure what was ordered is what is shipped.  We've made this process fool proof, yet we get a few calls every year claiming shortage issues and it's very frustrating especially when we know the order is accurate.  The Hardest Part of this scenario is figuring out How do we tell the client that they are incorrect and their order was filled with precision???   Especially when the only thing the client wants to hear is they'll get a replacement.

Deep down we want to simply give the client what they need, but the rub is simply we are a custom oriented shop.  The time it takes to set up a six color screen print twice, one for each side of the shirt, is very time consuming and just not feasible. Ergo, the reason we take painstaking efforts to make sure orders are filled accurately.  In fact we often include extras of each size just to be safe.  Its always cheaper to do extras than do reorders.

The long story short of this scenario is - we have to explain to the client that their order was filled accurately and then deal with the consequences of the client being disgruntled and swearing 'they'll never use us again etc. etc.'  The whole time, thinking of the saying "No Good Deed Goes Unpunished."  This is the thanks we get for doing our jobs to the best of our ability. 

I would love to hear from some of you out there as to how this issue could be better addressed.  Any Ideas?   Email Me.

Published by Steve Farrow : Owner of Crazy Native Graphic Arts, Inc. Douglasville Georgia - a Custom & Contract Screen Printing Shop.

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