Off the Cuff: External Quality-Control Mechanisms — 3 Quick Fixes

SHOP MANAGEMENT

Off the Cuff: External Quality-Control Mechanisms — 3 Quick Fixes

August 16, 2010
By Mark L. Venit, MBA, Contributing Writer

Maintaining quality control usually is thought of as being a concern that’s addressed internally. And it should be. But in-house oversight of quality isn’t bulletproof, nor is it as comprehensive as most companies would like it to be.

That’s why it’s important to rely on the input of salespeople — who often catch things that production personnel don’t and who communicate more often with customers — as well as the customers themselves. Salespeople usually are on top of things that don’t go as well as planned and are quick to tell management what’s not up to snuff. Customers, though, may not express their concerns and/or dissatisfaction directly to you and, as often as not, simply vote with their feet — taking their business elsewhere when they’re unhappy with your results or your people.

That’s where external quality control comes in, and it is most easily and directly accommodated by three techniques: quality-control calls, in-pack quality control and re-order reply cards, and a packer’s personal assurance.

Quality-Control Calls
When was the last time an owner or CEO of a company called you to inquire about whether you’re getting treated well by her staff, if your orders are handled well and on time, and if the product lives up to what was promised at the time of sale? Chances are that it’s been a long time or, more likely, never.

In seeking quality-control input from customers, the boss, a salesperson or customer service coordinator calls each customer a day or two after decorated merchandise has been delivered to make sure he is satisfied. Most of the time, everything is fine and you’ll usually hear a “Thank You” and/or receive a bevy of compliments.

Such expressions are great and we like to hear them. But if, for any reason, the client isn’t happy, you can take action immediately to remedy the situation and save an account in the process. The call is appreciated by the customer and the company gains respect and credibility. These are the calls that, if not made, can cost you customers that could have been saved.

My recommendation always is that the boss makes the first quality control call; subsequent calls can be made by other personnel and the boss can do an occasional follow-up just to let him know the boss cares about the account and cares enough to call personally.

Quality Control and Re-Order Reminder Card
The Quality Control and Re-Order Reminder Card is a short form (usually 8.5“ x 11” on index card stock or heavier) that’s inserted with the order, taped inside a carton flap or laid on top of the finished goods so it is seen as soon as the box is opened. Differing from a general survey periodically sent to customers, this mechanism focuses on an order that has just been shipped or delivered.

The top half of the card is a vehicle for enabling your customer to tell you whether the order was delivered on time and done satisfactorily or what issues, if any, need to be resolved. The bottom half, separated from the top by a perforation, is a quick recap of the order.

The device serves two purposes. First, the customer is given three easy ways to get in touch with your company if he wants to do so. It gives him an easy way to communicate with you by A.) putting the reply card in the mail (the reverse side of this half is imprinted with a business reply permit number), B.) contacting your via the e-mail address on the card, or C.) calling you at the telephone number on the card.

It puts all the contact information in one place without the respondent having to look for an invoice, packing list, or check for the phone number or e-mail address elsewhere. The second function is to give your customer a tool for determining what, how many, and when to re-order.

The quality-control card asks four simple questions:

Your opinion matters to us. Please tell us how we did and, if necessary, how we can improve our service and quality. –– (your name, your title)

1. Was this order completed to your satisfaction?
- Very much so - Overall, yes - It was “OK” - We’re disappointed - We’re not happy at all

Comment:_____________________________________________________

2. Did the items and imprint/embroidery performed on the items meet your expectations?
- Very much so - Overall, yes - It was “OK” - We’re disappointed - We’re not happy at all

Comment:_____________________________________________________

3. Did you receive good value for the price you paid?
- Very much so - Overall, yes - Not quite - We’re not happy at all
Comment:____________________________________________________

4. Would you be likely to favor us with future orders?
- Absolutely, count on it! - Probably - Maybe - Probably Not - Never again

Comment:______________________________________________________

Statistically you can expect 10% to 20% of recipients to respond, and most responses will be quite positive.

On the bottom half of the card – the recap shows:

• Your Purchase Order was > No. _______
• Your Work Order (or Invoice) is > No. __________
• Your order was shipped on (date) ________ /20XX and included (total count) ____ (shirts, shorts, jackets, etc.).

The customer now can easily reference how long it took to distribute or sell the items, helping him better plan the quantity for a re-order. He also can easily reference order numbers when calling in or e-mailing a re-order. The re-order reply card includes a friendly note which states, “We’ll confirm your re-order with you to update the quantity, sizes, pricing and any other details or necessary changes to your original order prior to our production of your re-order.”

Because the bulk of customers store their garments in the carton or bag in which they were delivered, advise them to leave the card in the carton or bag. As inventory dwindles, if the item remains viable, a re-order is virtually assured without the customer having to look for any other paperwork. Customers like the convenience and thoughtfulness of a re-order card and are impressed by your professionalism and courtesy.

Packer’s Personal Assurance
The Packer’s Personal Assurance is a 4.25” x 5.5” note (for printing them 4-up), a 2” x 3.5” label affixed to a carton flap or outside a bag, or printed on the back of a business card that tells the recipient who counted the items in the carton and confirms the count. It’s neatly and legibly signed by the person who counted the items. Its function is to inform the recipient that a real human being counted the items in the order before the carton or bag was sealed.

It reads “I personally counted the items in this order twice and am responsible for any discrepancies.” You’ll be pleasantly surprised how quickly the number of customers calling you to tell you there was an under-count will be reduced to near zero; that’s because the note is personal and subtly obliges the customer to re-count the number of items before alleging a shortage — and jeopardizing an employee’s job. At the bottom of the note is your office telephone number.

For more quality-control questions you may consider asking your own clientele, look at a “customer satisfaction” service card (such as those you see at franchise restaurants) and “borrow” whatever ideas you glean from it about what management wants to learn from their patrons.

Mark L. Venit, MBA, is president of Apparel Graphics Institute Ltd., Ocean Pines, Md., which provides management and marketing consulting and proprietary research to apparel graphics companies throughout the Americas and Europe. He also is the chairman of ShopWorks Software LLC, a provider of industry-specific business software. Venit teaches pricing, strategic marketing, salesmanship and other business management topics at the Imprinted Sportswear Shows. You can contact him at markvenit@cs.com.

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