Issue link: https://docs.hic.us/i/403552
25 Roadblocks Between You and A Finished Order Now its time to take a look at twenty-five embroidery production snafus. If you are a small shop, don't get turned-off by the word "production". For some reason this term seems to be synonymous with large shops, yet it's not unique to large shops. If you create embroidery, you are producing. If you are filling orders, then you are producing. But producing goes beyond sewing. You'll never get a chance to do the embroidery, if you don't go through a process that starts with taking the order. So, production encompasses the whole process necessary to fulfill the requirements of a given job. But it can be tedious and there are plenty of roadblocks to slow or stop the process. So lets take a look at twenty-five pieces of the puzzle that are lying in wait, ready to rear their ugly head. The Customer Doesn't Speak English. Being a master of all languages is not a common trait among Embroiderers. If the customer doesn't speak your language then it will be next to impossible to get the order details right. However, it's rare that someone who doesn't speak English would even attempt to place an order. The real question is what "brand" of English do they speak. There are many different accents in this country, and sometimes understanding someone's accent is almost as difficult as understanding a foreign language. Thus, you have to pay careful attention to key pronunciations, such as "b", "c", "d", "e", "g", "p", "t", "v", "z". They all sound very much alike, but of course they are all different. And then there's the customer that talks a mile a minute. You're lucky to catch every third word. The best solution is to write down the order details and have the customer review and approve. If the order is taken over the phone, then fax or email the order for review. The Customer Can't Make A Decision. I'm sure you know whom I'm talking about. He wastes endless amounts of your time asking the same useless questions over and over again. Nothing quite works, since he doesn't really know what he wants to begin with. It's a never- ending cycle of asking for more samples, different catalogs, alternate logo placements, etc, etc, etc. And then once he makes a decision, he calls to make another change, after you are in the middle of sewing his order. How do you prevent this? (A baseball bat will do nicely). Flexibility is a wonderful trait, especially when it comes to good customer service. But it can be taken too far. At some point you must be willing to put your foot down and say no. But saying no is hard. One thing that will help is to set parameters for what you are willing to do, then try to keep the customer within these limitations. When he starts to stray, it's time to take a long hard look at the situation and decide whether you www.hsi.us care@hsi.us 156