Promotional Merchandise - Managing a Client Reorder

Log the reorder request and open the previous order record to retrieve the product code, PMS colour reference, decoration method, imprint position, supplier, and original quantity.

Contact the supplier and confirm whether they still hold the decoration file - the embroidery digitization, screen, or print-ready digital template. Artwork on file eliminates or reduces setup fees.

Ask the customer in writing to confirm the specification is unchanged - product code, PMS colour reference, decoration method, and imprint position. Do not proceed to ordering without this confirmation.

Request updated pricing from the supplier. Product costs, run charges, and freight rates may have changed since the original order. Confirm current pricing before quoting the customer.

Confirm the supplier's current production lead time against the customer's required delivery date. Seasonal demand can extend reorder lead times as much as new orders.

Issue an updated quote or written order confirmation referencing the original order number for specification traceability. Include confirmed spec, price, and delivery date.

Raise the purchase order against the job, referencing the confirmed specification and the original job number. Include the supplier's artwork file reference if one exists.

On delivery, check a sample from the production run against the confirmed specification, record the delivery note, and invoice the customer on confirmed receipt.

We assumed the same spec from the previous order without asking the customer - they had updated their logo and we had to reprint 200 units at our cost.

We raised a PO without checking if the supplier still had the artwork on file - we got charged for re-digitizing a logo we had used across 15 previous orders.

The customer confirmed the reorder verbally, we placed the order, then they said they wanted a different colour - we absorbed a 20% restocking fee because we had nothing in writing.

Can we skip the quoting step on a reorder to save time?

You can skip building a new quote from scratch if the specification is confirmed unchanged and supplier pricing is verified. But you still need to send the customer a written order confirmation referencing the agreed spec, price, and delivery date. Sending a confirmation takes minutes - undoing a specification dispute takes days.

What if the customer wants a small quantity change on the reorder?

Check whether the new quantity crosses a supplier MOQ threshold or changes the unit price band. Also confirm whether the supplier can run a partial reorder without a minimum quantity surcharge. If the quantity drops below the original MOQ, you may face a low-minimum surcharge that needs to be passed through or absorbed - confirm before quoting.