Digitizer mistake.. pays what?

Robert Young · October 23rd, 2012, 03:28 PM

If your digitizer spells a word wrong and you sew product.... what do you expect your digitizer to do?

They got 35 bucks.. you ran 1000.00 in product that is now bad... what culpability do you place on the digitizer? Do you expect them to reimburse you 1000 or more since production time and expenses are also lost on their 35.00 service?

Do you expect your own staff to notice? either through the runsheet or after your sample sewout?

What if your operator runs the 1000.00 worth of product but sews the design on the wrong sleeve... same issue, a third party has cost you..the owner.... what do you do?

Alan_Hepburn · October 23rd, 2012, 09:33 PM

I would like to preface this by saying I'm not a business owner; merely a hobbyist. Let's see - there's two scenarios here:

1. Digitizer makes a mistake - it's up to you to run a sample to make sure that what the digitizer gives you is what the customer wants. That should include color choice, overall design, and of course spelling. I would never commit 1000 pieces of product to a design I wasn't 100% sure was correct. In this case the digitizer is responsible for correcting the design, but I don't think holding him responsible for the 1000 pieces is acceptable.

2. Operator makes a mistake - again, I would expect the operator to examine the first piece and compare it with the customer's requirements before committing 1000 pieces. In the end it's your job as the owner to make sure you're doing what the customer wants.

In both cases it looks to me that the shop needs to address their QA practices...

powerstitch · October 24th, 2012, 03:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alan_Hepburn

I would like to preface this by saying I'm not a business owner; merely a hobbyist. Let's see - there's two scenarios here:

1. Digitizer makes a mistake - it's up to you to run a sample to make sure that what the digitizer gives you is what the customer wants. That should include color choice, overall design, and of course spelling. I would never commit 1000 pieces of product to a design I wasn't 100% sure was correct. In this case the digitizer is responsible for correcting the design, but I don't think holding him responsible for the 1000 pieces is acceptable.

2. Operator makes a mistake - again, I would expect the operator to examine the first piece and compare it with the customer's requirements before committing 1000 pieces. In the end it's your job as the owner to make sure you're doing what the customer wants.

In both cases it looks to me that the shop needs to address their QA practices...

Agree.

When you print your business cards, you will be sent a proof. If you dont proof check it and ask the printer to print them, how can you blame the printer???

BJ24 · October 24th, 2012, 07:58 PM

I have been digitizing for 17 years and always email a .jpg of the final design so they can see the design along with the embroidery file. My customers are the production company so they get approval from their customer on the design before running production. Some do their own sewouts or forward the .jpg I send them to their customer. So, any issues get caught before production.
Also, 99.9% of the artwork was provided by my customer so if their is a spelling issue it was on their end to begin with. I don't use any programmed text but I digitize everything so they get in return what they send me for artwork.

nametags · October 25th, 2012, 07:57 AM

First, any embroiderer that doesn't proof the digitizers design, test sew, they deserve what they get. This is where the "big houses" come in,,,,too big for their britches to pay attention to detail. The embroider has the work order; text, colors, size, etc. Again, a downfall of the "big houses", and for me,,,I hope they all fail and go bankrupt.

Second, if the embroider runs an order and it's wrong,,,,again without proofing it, how can you blame the digitizer.

Third: see "first and second" above.

Sure a digitizer can make a mistake,,,as we all can, but, again, if YOU don't proof it and test sew it,,,,live with it. And don't dare tell me you haven't the time or effort or caring to do so. If you don't, get out of the business.

IF a design is wrong, due to the digitizer making a mistake, I of course expect the digiziter to fix it, free of course. And, as this has happenend a few times, the digitizer has given me a free design because of their error, realizing it delayed the order being processed. A very noble, and customer conscious offer. That builds customer loyalty with a digitizer.

And to further elaborate on the "big house" issue, they can all go bankrupt as far as I care. Many actually offer free embroidery when you consider the prices you pay for items, and that ticks me off. Customers seem to look less and less at small business owners for services like these. Same with screen printing.

And, if anyone here is a "'larger" business, and don't get involved in each order they process,,,,and something happens as described, and it's not caught,,,tough cookies to you. You're now too big for yourself.

And another thing I'll throw in. A local competitor here, would take the "mistake" shirts and such, including embroidery, screening, transfers, etc, and put them on a "discount" rack and sell them for a buck or two. People bought them, and wore them. Then, guess what, people saw the mistakes and started wondering, "Wow,,,this guy screws up a lot". You're better off to use them as rags, or print a huge solid patch over it.

Robert Young · October 25th, 2012, 11:25 AM

so Nametags.. what do you REALLY feel?? lol hit a nerve did we?

it is not Just the "big houses" though... we have been hurt as well from the person with a machine in their living-room that also undercuts all pricing models... cause to them making 10 bucks is better than making NO bucks... even if that actually means they are only making 3 dollars an hour or something... cash in hand is worth more to them than their time apparently.