08/22/2026
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I want to hear how other apparel decorators handle this because I think there’s a BIG difference between good customer service and paying for somebody else’s mistake.
If WE screw something up, there’s no question. We fix it. Wrong shirt, bad print, misspelled name that WE typed wrong…that’s on us. Eat the cost, remake it and take care of the customer. But what happens when THEY made the mistake and you produced exactly what they approved?
Customer sends you a list of 30 names for the backs of shirts. You send the proof. They approve it. You print everything. Then they pick them up and realize they spelled three names wrong on the list they sent you. Are you remaking those three shirts for free? What if they approved a proof with the wrong date? What if they ordered a Medium and after trying it on decide they really needed a Large? What if they told you they needed 24 shirts, approved and paid for 24, and then realize they forgot three people?
I can see arguments for handling every one of those situations differently, especially when it’s a great repeat customer. Maybe you remake it at cost. Maybe you split the cost. Maybe you just eat it because keeping a great customer happy is worth more than the $15 shirt. Or maybe your policy is simple: once you approve it, it’s yours.
So where do you draw the line? When do you say, “Don’t worry about it, I’ll take care of you,” and when do you say, “I’m happy to remake it, but you’re going to have to pay for it”? And has that answer changed the longer you’ve been in business?
