Client cancels order when already complete

Robert Young · May 23rd, 2012, 05:09 PM

Hi, what do you do if your client orders 24 shirts then calls the next day to tell you to cancel but you have already finished them? what if you had only run 12? would the answer be different?

What about digitizing? If you order an 18,000 stitch logo this afternoon and then call 9 minutes before the sample is complete to cancel? meaning the digitizing is done it was just being verified. Would you refund the fee?

Edward Richter · May 23rd, 2012, 08:45 PM

Well, being new to this, I might have a different view than someone more experienced. I am not sure at what point you would have collected a deposit, but I think that I would keep it. You can't lose your shirt because you will not survive that way. I am not sure about how you would work the digitizing, but you should still be able to recoup something for your time and effort. Just my thoughts.

nmiller1023 · May 23rd, 2012, 08:59 PM

I agree

powerstitch · May 24th, 2012, 11:13 AM

If the order had not been started then I'd refund.
Otherwise its chargeable.

gnizitigid · May 24th, 2012, 12:17 PM

For digitizing, i give it Free as i already digitized it

screenprintguy · May 24th, 2012, 12:44 PM

Make it a policy from the get go!! 50% deposit, all digitizing paid for up front, and no refund on a digitizing order after the customer has approved for digitizing. If you have it on your approval sheets and keep everything documented, it's already known up front and not up for debate. If they have you order goods and then cancel before decorated, they need to know up front that they are liable for a re-stocking fee as your distributor will more than likely charge you. We have a pretty extesive set of order approval information on the customer approval sheet, they read and sign and assume the liability. Now if it's someone you have worked with before, maybe give them an in-house credit for future orders. You have to be careful of the fact that some competitors may get ahold of your client and then tell them they can beat your offer by so much and make the customer want to cancel and switch, but in our industry, we end up taking steps that cost our business money just to get the ball rolling on an order, not like a retail store who sells a pre-packaged item, has it returned and can put it back on the shelf. Write down everything you would want to have happen in a transaction, then go back trough it and find a way that it fits your business and create your own customer acceptance section of your approval or order form, make it mandatory that they read and sign before you will move forward.

gnizitigid · May 24th, 2012, 01:00 PM

For digitizing nobody pays 50% advance, they even not ready to pay for every order and ask for monthly payments

Edward Richter · May 24th, 2012, 03:47 PM

I really like your ideas. They are worth noting. I think that I will use them in my business when I get totally up and running, thanks.

Quote:

Originally Posted by screenprintguy

Make it a policy from the get go!! 50% deposit, all digitizing paid for up front, and no refund on a digitizing order after the customer has approved for digitizing. If you have it on your approval sheets and keep everything documented, it's already known up front and not up for debate. If they have you order goods and then cancel before decorated, they need to know up front that they are liable for a re-stocking fee as your distributor will more than likely charge you. We have a pretty extesive set of order approval information on the customer approval sheet, they read and sign and assume the liability. Now if it's someone you have worked with before, maybe give them an in-house credit for future orders. You have to be careful of the fact that some competitors may get ahold of your client and then tell them they can beat your offer by so much and make the customer want to cancel and switch, but in our industry, we end up taking steps that cost our business money just to get the ball rolling on an order, not like a retail store who sells a pre-packaged item, has it returned and can put it back on the shelf. Write down everything you would want to have happen in a transaction, then go back trough it and find a way that it fits your business and create your own customer acceptance section of your approval or order form, make it mandatory that they read and sign before you will move forward.

screenprintguy · May 24th, 2012, 05:41 PM

@----gnizitigid--- I don't understand what you mean exactly. We make sure in an embroidery job, the deposit of 50% contains the, Non-refundable digitizing fee, and covers the cost of blanks as well as the time it takes to pre-process the order. We get this from several long standing successful decorating companies around the country. Maybe check out a Greg Kitson class at an ISS or SGIA show. This is pretty standard. Putting your business in a quote unquote desperate position, such as offering terms, or "floating", order payments is, bad, bad bad, it will bite you, and this guy's situation is a prime example. Think of it this way, you are not a bank, if a customer can't pay the deposit, or have a credit card to pay in advance, or deposit, they more than likely are not going to pay your bill, or they take so long and so much time to hunt down, you could have done another 100 orders by the time they pay. It's what works for us, and we took this advice from many shops that made it through the tough times over the past 5 years. I'd rather be cleaning my shop, than doing free work!

God bless!

screenprintguy · May 24th, 2012, 05:41 PM

@---Edward, anytime bud, we learn from our experiences, and lots of mistakes =)