The fun of working with brokers

[inkman996]

Below will illustrate the importance of choosing the broker worth working with or  not. In this case we are done with this group, they had all supposed contracts massive orders for us etc. After a year of literally not one embroidery job over 12 pcs we are done, this email below is the last straw. We only want to work with brokers that understand this business, have everything finallized and ready for us etc. This custy is an offset shop that decided they want to be a Pro-Forma franchise. They have zero clue on apparel decorating sourcing etc, even art work is a joke.

> From: xxx
> Date: January 8, 2013, 3:37:29 PM EST
> To: xxxxxx
> Subject: Fw: donkey polo
>
> First, this is not a joke! see attachment. This was sent my our customer xxxxx
> 
> they are requesting (4) shirts to match this one but in light blue with a white stripe, with their logo either silk-screened or embroidered on front. Each shirt will get a specific number on the right sleeve (large, as shown in picture). On the left sleeve it will say "Kickin Ass & Takin Names
> 
> I can not find a shirt with this color scheme. Would it be possible for you to adhere the white stripe to a solid shirt? and do all the other things?
> 
> I have so far spent hours looking for this shirt. Any suggestions would be helpful. thanks
> 
>
> 

[mk162]

I would send them a quote that is outrageous.  I mean, like $1400 for 12 polos.  If they bit on it, then figure out how to do it.

[balloonguy]

I would look at an all over sublimation.
and I hear you. People have no idea what it takes...

[royster13]

Makes a broker like me look like are as "dumb as a bag of nails"......I get lots of impractical requests but as soon as I start asking for a budget I can shut them down pretty quick.....My clients have no idea what is possible and if it is possible how much it will cost....I try to educate them before I waste too much time spinning my wheels....

[inkman996]

Roy don't get me wrong I am not slamming brokers, we work with quite a few that know their stuff and no how it is supposed to be handled. But what I have noticed the past decade is m ore and more people getting into the game, almost none have any clue on what they are doing, they think all they have to do is sell and leave the details up to us. It's not what we want, we want you to order your apparel, you to submit a proper work order/PO and you to provide the art ready to print or to be digitized. We want you to have the other aggravating things figured out such as placement, size, colors etc. some of our contract guys are dead on with everything some need hand holding so bad that it literally makes it not worth it.

This same broker firm above brought in a whopping 3 piece job last week with the worst logo ever for embroidering, had all kinds of anal demands and peeves, and threatened us that if we could not do a good enough embroidery job on these whopping three pools the end customer will go back to lands end. WTF is all I can say. So yea this firm is gone we had enough of it and let the next sucker down the road deal with them.

Besides what is Pro Forma, these clowns are the first I ever heard of Pro Forma, are they like impact or something?

[Socalfmf]

Mike

I love the guys who want to be brokers then ask...can you source that for me...what?  aren't you contract...that means stuff shows up...we print and you pick up or we ship...didn't know I had to buy your stuff too....

proforma?  yeah...they are on the push for all the smaller distributors from what I am seeing..

sam

[Dottonedan]

Nothing close to your situation, but dumb things pop up from all areas.  I once worked with a group that was being told to use Grass Green pms 3425 and she complained, (to put it nicely) that she needs to know exactly what color to use.  The "grass" green in question indicated with a PMS 3425 # with it, is a bit dark, but it's a green.


It's like saying use Titty pink pms 182 and YOU don't think 182 is a titty pink.  Who cares?  You can call that green Snot Green pms 3425 but you've got hard numbers there that spell out what color they want. Sheesh. Some people intentionally make things hard I think.

[royster13]

Sam I do it both ways.....Some contract printers I use want to supply garments so they can aggregate the volume of contract customers with their own to get better pricing from their vendors.....

[JBLUE]

Sam I do it both ways.....Some contract printers I use want to supply garments so they can aggregate the volume of contract customers with their own to get better pricing from their vendors.....

I do this a lot with the brokers that use us especially on items that they do not buy all the time.

[Socalfmf]

do you guys mark them up or have them marked up on you?  or is it a passthrough cost?

sam

[Sbrem]

Proforma is not new, nor small. I've had a few of their "distributors" for customers. However, a number of them go independent once they figure out what's going on. Others like to not have to worry about all the business stuff, and just sell, while the parent company does the collections and pays them. They do pay on time at least I've found. A lot of folks really don't know what goes into what we all do, and once they get the feel, they either get in the groove and start moving product, or they get out because it's "too hard".

Steve

[JBLUE]

do you guys mark them up or have them marked up on you?  or is it a passthrough cost?

sam

Depends on the broker and their PIA factor....... Most of our good ones know what it cost and are ok with a little markup to cover cost of locating certain items.

[inkman996]

We have one that we purchase the blanks for. Strictly printing and if her than average volume. We pass the cost through because his orders are always large and often. He is more of a promo guy and very successful so dealing with the blanks is not what he wants to b involved with, it's a win win for both of us this way.

Others tho are not trustful enough, one guy always has boxes come in cod and he asks us every time while the ups guy is standing there to cut them a check, we never ever do he can call and pay it cc which he does everytime.

Steve you are right the pro Forma group pays right on time never a hassle I just wish they had better standards on who can use them first.