Timeliness vs. Quality

As a printer, if you found a mistake on a piece and knew that fixing it would make the job late, what would you do? Even though it can be an uncomfortable conversation, these are our thoughts ….

Contact the customer, share the issue, and let him or her make the decision.

A recent example: A large, new client has a quarterly catalog they brought to us to produce. We saddle-stitched the books incorrectly and went into panic mode to correct the problem and still deliver the product on time. There was no way we could meet the deadline if we fixed all of the books. We called the clients, tail between legs, and told them the books did not look good. They kindly agreed to give us the time to fix the catalogs. In return for their understanding, we added a complimentary varnish that enhanced the look of the catalog and reduced smudging.

In the end, everyone was thrilled with the outcome. We were lucky they had a little time to give and they were very pleased with the high-quality product we provided. There are definitely situations when meeting a deadline may reduce the level of quality able to be provided, but we have found that keeping clients in the loop is vital in empowering them to make the final call that best suits their needs. Just like mom always said, honesty is the best policy.

What have you done in a sticky situation like this one? Would you admit the mistake? Let us know; we always want to learn from others’ experiences!