Help Topics NWCA

Sample Policy

Samples are necessary to provide customers a premier custom apparel experience. Customers come in different shapes and sizes with different tastes in fabrics and garment colors.  Sampling is the perfect way to enhance their custom apparel experience.

Sampling can be expensive and time consuming. Our sample policy will help reduce costs, alleviate sales rep stress and enhance the customer's buying experience.

Do not allow your customers to abuse you and get carried away. 

  • The strongest negotiating position is the ability to walk away and mean it. 

  • We have a showroom, if you can’t find it there you can pay.


Risk vs. Reward
  • Cost vs. Reward: Think... If I order in these samples, how big of an order will this generate?
  • Outside Sales: Delivering, Ordering and Picking Up Samples is very time consuming.  
  • Rule of Thumb: Cost vs. Reward.  *Worst Case Scenario*  If the customer gives me a $1,000 order and I make $50.00 commission. Is it worth my time to get these samples, deliver, pickup and return to the vendor.   
Suggestions from the Facebook Group
  • We have a showroom, if you can’t find it there you can pay. 
  • Risk vs reward my friend. Position of power. Do not allow your customers to abuse you and get carried away. The strongest negotiating position is the ability to walk away and mean it. 
  • Limit what you print on.Think about what Apple computer does. They offer a handful of things and that’s it.
    Does it fit every type of potential customers?
    No, but they offer a few great things and excel at them, which makes the customers that they do work for happy.
    So carry x number of items. Keep samples on hand. That’s it.

  1. 1

    Sell our best sellers - we have samples in our showrom

    • Show customers items we have in our showroom. They can try the items on here and sampling won't be an issue.
      • Most customer's requests can be satisfied with items we sell in our showroom. 
  2. 2

    Explain our Sample Policy to our Customer


    • Samples need to be returned within 7 days.
    • Customers are allowed to check out 3 samples at a time without a credit card. 
    • We allow customers to have more than 3 samples with a credit card.
      • The sales rep will run their credit card for the total price of the samples. Use first column pricing for the samples. 
    • Write a SAMPLE order in Shopworks, so we can apply the credit card payment.  You can do that after running the card, so the customer doesn't have to wait. 
    • Once the customer brings back the samples, we will credit their card.
    • 3 or less samples and we aren't charging their credit card, please record in the sample book on the front counter.
    • Record in your Outlook Calendar the date you need the samples back, so the sales rep can follow-up
  3. 3

    Shipping Sample Policy


    • Credit card is required when we ship samples to a customer.
    • It is the customer's responsibility to ship the samples back within 7 days of receiving them.
    • We need their credit card number and we will run their card on authorize.net before shipping the samples. We use authorize.net, so we have all their info recorded. It will be easier to issue a refund to their card when the samples are returned.
    • They can have more the 3 samples, since we have their credit card #.
    • Write this up as a SAMPLE order in Shopworks
    • The customer is responsible to arrange shipping and freight costs when sending back to us.
  4. 4

    44 Sample Account

    Sanmar provides us with sample funds to help offset the costs of customer samples.  The 44 account is to be used when we are not going to send the samples back to Sanmar.
    • Use for low cost items that we don't need returned from a customer. 
      • T-Shirts, Hats, Sweatshirts. 
      • If the cost (Sanmar Price) is less than $30.00, the customer can keep them.
      • If the sales rep feels good about an account and needs to ship more than $30.00 please ask Jim or Erik.
  5. 5

    Returning Samples back to Sanmar/Vendor

    • We have 30 days to return the samples to that were purchased on our Net 30 account with Sanmar.
    • Ship the sample order back Complete to Sanmar. Please don't pull samples and place into an order. This causes an accounting fiasco.
    • The Purchasing Agent will coordinate the shipping back to the vendor.
  6. 6

    Sample Check Out Form Download

    Sample Checkout Form Sharepoint
    Attachments