covert ops

We went undercover to test the ordering process with three industry suppliers.

What did we find out? Suppliers hold the power in their hands to dramatically improve the

procedure for distributors and make end-buyers into promotional product believers.

By Sara Lavenduski

SECRET SHOPPER

We at Supplier Global Resource make it our job to analyze the promotional marketplace and

provide our readers with professional insight and entrepreneurial strategies to benefit their businesses. But what’s it really like in the trenches, when there’s an actual end-buyer with an urgent need for an imprinted promotional product in a quick time frame, and distributors turn to suppliers to help them make it happen?

To find out, the magazine staff spent two weeks placing orders with industry suppliers under a fake distributorship name and number. We randomly chose three well-known vendors in the busi-ness: a Top 40 hard goods supplier, a mid-sized sports apparel company and a mid-sized awards company.

Two weeks before our in-hands date, we initiated orders with each of the three suppliers for “Elevate Fitness and Yoga,” a fictitious client company, by sending order inquiries through the gen-eral email addresses provided in ASI’s

ESP product database. While the sup-pliers’ customer service departments were very helpful, knowledgeable and understanding overall, it became clear that placing orders with multiple suppli-ers for a variety of different client needs and in-hand dates can be confusing and time-consuming for distributors, all the more so when the end-buyer needs the item delivered quickly. But suppli-ers that are on their game and willing to work with distributors from initial email to delivery can make the process more pleasant and efficient for all parties.

There really wasn’t a point where we felt the company was interested in fostering a relationship past this one order.

This glass performance trophy showed off the personalization capabilities of the awards supplier. They spelled all words correctly, including, most importantly, the recipient’s first and last name.

The Top 4o Hard Goods SupplierWe initiated contact with this supplier with an emailed request to place an order, with a three-day lead time, for 100 power banks, including the item name and style number, and a request for a contact back on the phone or through email. Literally a minute later, we received confirmation that our email had been received, with assurance that a response was forthcoming.

They weren’t kidding. Fewer than 10 minutes later, a personal email arrived from a customer service representa-tive, identified by first and last name, with a personal email address and even a phone extension, reiterating that we would be contacted further by customer service. We received a call an hour later, though we happened to be on another call and missed it, and no voicemail was left. Undeterred, and presumably realiz-ing that we were busy and that an email would yield a quicker response at that moment, the representative emailed us immediately afterward with all the details we needed to move forward with the order, including specifications, avail-able colors and production times, as well as relevant rush details since this order came in with a short leadtime. They also signed off with a first and last name, and personal email address.

After we asked a few more clari-fying questions, all of which were answered over the course of just one hour, we sent our order details and art-work to the relevant email addresses

and received confirmation emails that they had been received. About 24 hours later, we received an email from a credit department representative, also with a personal name and number, asking for a credit application to be filled out. Because of the time constraints, and because it took a day for them to send the request, we asked if we could forgo the form considering our excellent credit rating in ASI’s Connect financial information database. We received no answer, but the next day we did receive an order acknowledgement and less than a half hour later, an artwork proof to approve. The art department represen-tative made the approval process clear, and confirmed colors for the printed logo. We then received a shipment con-firmation email and tracking number before it arrived on our agreed-upon in-hands date. The logos were crisp and

clean, and the power bank and logo col-ors were accurate.

We were generally satisfied with the order process and the resulting power banks that arrived at our offices. While it would be appreciated if emails indi-cated that an attachment was included, so a distributor moving quickly through numerous emails wouldn’t miss them, the customer service representatives were responsive, instructions were clear, details were readily provided and, most appreciated, each person who contacted us provided a first and last name, email and personal greeting.

However, we did note, upon the order’s arrival, that device compatibil-ity was never mentioned in the product description, either on ESP or the suppli-er’s website. Fortunately, we were able to use our smartphone charging cables with the power bank to charge our devices.

While the apparel company was responsive, we would have appreciated complete contact information – personal names, titles, email addresses and perhaps phone extensions – from the beginning.

This power bank served as our sample

technology accessory. It arrived on time, in

the correct colors, with a crisp, clean

imprint, in the accurate quantity.

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But if this had been a real order, that “tweaking” would have needed to be relayed to the end-buyer, and there’s still no guarantee it would work with a range of devices. Compatibility information should be readily available in the product description, or a customer service repre-sentative should mention compatibility when handling a tech accessories order. It would be unfortunate, to say the least, if 100 powerbanks proved useless to an end-buyer because they weren’t compat-ible with the latest smartphone models.

Supplier: Lanco; Grade: A-

The Sportswear Apparel CompanyWe began the order process with this mid-sized apparel company that also provides decorating services, asking through email about the availability of a screen-printed tank top with a 5-day lead time. Less than an hour later, we received a personalized email – though without a contact name – stating that the lead time on this particular item with a 2-color screen print would be lon-ger than the in-hands date we had pro-vided. An informational email followed with estimated shipping dates. After letting them know that we wanted to move forward since the client had some flexibility, we received a confirmation email that they would be in contact and then a form email with order instruc-tions a few minutes later. We sent an order email and artwork file to one email, with the relevant specifications, preferred embellishment method and in-hands date.

The next day, we received a con-firmation email, with a first and last name in the signature, that the order had been received, but that our account number wasn’t in the system. When we responded that we were a new customer and provided a bill-to address, we were told that we had to fill out new account forms. Since the “client” was running out of lead time, we cancelled the order.

While the company was responsive and clear from the get-go, we would have

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Take Our Advice

In our brief experience posing as a distributor company, we came up with a list of general suggestions for suppliers that we think will benefit everyone, from supplier to end-buyer.

Provide distributor clients with direct contact information for CSRs and in-house sales reps, including first and last name, title, email address and, if pos-sible, a phone number with personal extension. It expedites the order process and, in an age when clients move at warp speed, it’s the best way to forge a relationship.

Respond to inquiries quickly, especially since many clients will be inquiring with rush order requests. Make sure responses are forthcoming within minutes, not hours. Indeed, a distributor should feel that a supplier is more concerned about an in-hands date than they are.

Answer customers’ questions with enthusiasm, confidence and reas-surance. Clients work hard to please their customers, and they want to know suppliers appreciate them for their patronage. Suppliers might get the order one time, but if there’s a communication breakdown or uncertainty along the way, they shouldn’t count on repeat orders.

Use a pleasant tone. If email is the preferred method of communica-tion, make sure messages are overly pleasant. In written messages, the tone of voice can be misconstrued for impatience or curtness. Be clear, provide all relevant information as quickly as possible, and remember opening greetings and appreciative signoffs at the end of each message. Although the order process moves quickly and furiously in this day and age, common courtesies will never go out of style.

Follow up frequently with order statuses. Distributors have to contend with numerous clients asking for order updates. They can save precious time – and become faithful clients themselves – when suppliers provide order statuses regularly, without being prompted. By doing so, suppliers will allay distributors’ fears that an order has been lost or neglected, and that they’ll have to break the bad news to their end-buyer, risking losing a client themselves.

appreciated personal names, titles, email addresses and perhaps phone extensions from the beginning. Also, a warning that new account information would need to be provided would have been better sooner than 24 hours after the initial email. But throughout the process, they were patient and courteous.

Supplier: Holloway Sportswear Inc.; Grade: B

The Mid-Sized Awards CompanyFinally, we contacted a mid-sized awards company for one award laser-etched with the elevate logo, short message and personalization. We sent the email twice, with 48 hours in between, with no response.

We had to move on to another simi-larly sized awards company, with an email indicating our intent to order an award and its style number, and a week until the in-hands date. We received an email two minutes later, to their credit, with a first and last name, but without a personal email, extension, spec details, or even basic niceties such as “Thank you for your interest.” The impersonal email indicated that the order and art would need to go to two different emails that same day to meet the in-hands date. We sent the full request, along with the award message and recipient’s first and last name, to orders@ and art to art@, and received a short, to-the-point email, again without niceties, from the same representative, indicating that the order had been received.

The next day, we received an order acknowledgement email from another representative, this time with a mark-

edly more polite tone, with a first and last name and extension number. How-ever, no email proof was forthcoming and, 48 hours after receiving the order acknowledgement, on a Friday, we felt compelled to remind the representative about the artwork proof. To the sup-plier’s credit, an email came through from the same contact about ten min-utes later, indicating that we would see the proof on Monday. Monday came and went, with no art proof sent. When it appeared first thing Tuesday morning, we viewed the proof, approved the art and received an email confirming the ship date two days from then, in time for our original in-hands date.

The next day we received a general email, without personal contact infor-mation, confirming that production had begun and that it would be shipping the next day. However, when the ship date arrived and we received no tracking information, we again felt compelled to reach out to the supplier, this time asking for a tracking number. Ten min-utes later, the original customer service representative (confused yet?) emailed back stating that tracking wouldn’t be available until the following day, the second day of the shipment process. But true to their word, tracking came in the next day and the award arrived on the promised in-hands date, in good shape, with all text spelled correctly. However, we would have preferred if the item had arrived in packaging other than a pile of irritating packing peanuts which, aside from being less than eco-friendly, stick to virtually everything and make a mess. Fortunately, only one box had to be unpacked.

With this supplier, we would have appreciated more status updates as to our order, considering our quick responses to emails. A distributor with multiple orders, multiple pieces and in-hands dates won’t appreciate feeling compelled to follow up. We also felt that shipment information should have been immediately available starting the day that the company stated the item would ship. Furthermore, basic niceties at the beginning would have been reassuring, indicating that the supplier appreci-ated our business and was cognizant of the deadline. There really wasn’t a point where we felt the company was inter-ested in fostering a relationship past this one order. Don’t underestimate com-mon courtesies – they make customers, especially new ones, feel valued and do wonders for establishing rapport that can lead to repeat business.

Supplier: J. Charles Crystalworks; Grade: B+

Apart from the initial awards sup-plier who never responded to our emails, each company with which we dealt was patient, clear and reassuring overall. From our brief foray into the dynam-ics between suppliers and distributors, we would conclude with this: Suppli-ers should work to make the process as painless and as fast as possible for dis-tributors, because, let’s face it, comfort-able lead times are nice to wish for, but often unrealistic. Those suppliers who are responsive and clear, especially with rush jobs, will receive the business, be hailed as heroes by their clients … and most likely enjoy larger, repeat orders.

Sara Lavenduski is assistant editor of SGR, and its sister publications, Counselor, Advantages, Stitches and Wearables.

When the ship date arrived and we received no tracking information, we again felt compelled to reach out to the awards supplier…

SECRET SHOPPER