Production Procedures?

[Logoman]

I am a Contract Printer so I don't buy a lot of shirts. I have some customers that send me multiple orders in one shipment from Shirt Vendor. Some of the time it takes a very long time to separate and count all of the shirts. Does anyone else have this problem and how do you address it with your customers. Do you charge for this service or what?
Thanks,
Pete

[jsheridan]

It's one of those things you can charge for if you mentioned it up front., tack it on the bill at the end and stand tall with your reasoning for the fee's.
I'd track the time it takes to sort and then just add it to your 2012 price sheet.

At companies past,  If we had to touch it, we charged for it in the form of handling fees.

[mk162]

I do the same for unbagging.  I hate unbagging.  I will eat it if we are buying the goods, but if it's customer supplied, it's $.10 each.  Not a lot, but it pays somebody to stand there and do it.

[jsheridan]

I do the same for unbagging.  I hate unbagging.  I will eat it if we are buying the goods, but if it's customer supplied, it's $.10 each.  Not a lot, but it pays somebody to stand there and do it.

We got in 65k blanks once.. every single one was bagged and then bagged in 6's and then bagged in 12's. To make it worse, every pallet and box on them was mixed colors and sizes. They basically sent us 5 yrs worth of closeouts and discontinued blanks. It took a week just to unpack and sort it all. We also had a mountain of plastic bags and trash we had to dispose of. We charged an extra .25 per garment and the bill went to court as they didn't want to pay for it. After that it was put in writing in the customer supplied requirement forms to cover their asses.

[mk162]

Actually, I charge more than that.  We are usually around $.15-$.25 each, depending on quantities.

[blue moon]

I am a Contract Printer so I don't buy a lot of shirts. I have some customers that send me multiple orders in one shipment from Shirt Vendor. Some of the time it takes a very long time to separate and count all of the shirts. Does anyone else have this problem and how do you address it with your customers. Do you charge for this service or what?
Thanks,
Pete

we are strictly contract and have it listed on our price sheet, but have not been charging for it (with few exceptions). Most of the customers that receive mixed boxes end up rearranging them at their place and then bring them over sorted. We have a couple that sort at our location!

It is a touchy subject, we should charge for everything we touch, but there is also the value added argument that you keep customers with better service. Handling the goods for them is one of those services. . .

this might be one of those things that it depends on the customer and relationship you have with them and it is probably different from one shop to another.

how's that for contributing absolutely nothing in four paragraphs?????

pierre

[mk162]

actually pierre, that is the best way of handling it.  good customers should be rewarded and pitas should pay a little more.

[tonypep]

Every Summer we take an order for 80k. Kind of a fufillment project. The blanks come in individually bagged with tissue paper inside. We rent a trailer and have it dropped to handle the waste due to the fact they must go out in fresh cartons. I'd be hard pressed to say it is a profit center but we do charge for all the nonsense.
tp

[Gilligan]

My contract guy... granted just a small time local printer.  Doesn't count anything.  Takes your word for it and you better make sure it's right if you want it right.

I like the hands off approach.  I did have an order that ended up light.  I called and asked if they had any misprints and they said no.  Guess I should have counted my order first, my fault.

I pay less than retail customers and I don't expect the same service, I just expect the same quality.

[RICK STEFANICK]

my 5 year old and 7 year old do it after they finish pulling tape and washing squeegies ; 8 .... We dont charge for debagging.Probably should.

[Fluid]

Yup, you need to charge for the additional handling of the goods. If you cannot just open the box and print the garments you are spending more time on the job thus loosing money.  Figuring out what to charge is the tough part yet you need to be charging for everything you do unless you want to loose money.

Guarantee you are not figuring out that extra 30-45 min of separating the jobs into the overall price of the job and how you are figuring out how much you made for the entire job on a hourly rate.

Think of it like this. how often do you see surcharges and handling fees for shipping on tv ad's, or anything you buy and it has to ship. Unless shipping is free you will see these charges. 

Or you can just offer this service for free in hopes it makes your clients happy. 

[RICK STEFANICK]

yea, i agree. I base everything off my current overhead and try to bill at least 2.5 times that per hour as a average above COG. I look at it as as a service to my customers. thanks for the response and advice..