Is it Time to Change Your Work Uniform Supplier?
When sourcing and providing uniforms for your staff, you need to choose garments that are smart and professional and you need a uniform supplier you can rely on. Your staff are the face of your business and what they wear represents your company values.
If your supplier has been providing you with uniforms that fluctuate in quality, price, and customer service, you might look elsewhere.
It is important to put a dress code in place because they help your employees work better as a team and boost morale, safety, and productivity.
But for all of that to happen, you need a custom work uniform supplier who provides you with high quality uniforms at reasonable prices and excellent service. If you spot any of the signs below, then perhaps reconsider your contract with them.
Here are the signs you need to change your uniform supplier:
- The Quality has Changed
- The Service is Not Efficient
- They are Not Versatile
- They have a Limited Range
- They are Not Experts in Garment Decoration
- They are Not Ethically Sourced or Eco-Friendly
1. The Uniform Quality has Changed
If your supplier provides you with low quality garments and/or the quality fluctuates, it can be hard to trust them to do their job. Work clothing that is made from high quality materials is more durable and lasts a lot longer, which creates better cost efficiency. And higher quality doesn't necessarily make for higher prices.
Of course, all uniform needs replacing after a while due to normal wear and tear. However, high quality uniform means you need not replace them as often as the materials used are more durable.
This is cost-effective if the quality is consistent.
2. The Service is Not Efficient
If the uniforms you ordered arrive and are not what you expected them to be, this can lead to disappointment and lost-time for your company. This is sometimes because of the customer not double checking their PO, but also down to the supplier too.
A responsible service provider should ask the right questions to make sure your order is right.
Personnel managers are generally busy role and do not order work clothing daily. They may not always understand what questions to ask in order to ensure they get the products that match their needs.
Suppliers help their customers order work uniforms each and every day. They should ask the right questions which cover a range of topics. This could include asking about your industry, your preferred styles and how many employees are in your business in order to deliver what you want, at a price you can agree with.
If this level of organised efficiency is not met, you might find that your uniform orders arrive with errors you could have avoided. This can be a wrong style and/or size. You then need to reorder and your employees have to wait, which can affect productivity.
3. Your Uniform Supplier is Not Versatile
Your work uniform supplier may be good in every aspect except for one - they are not versatile in the options they offer to you.
For example, you and the managing directors want to incorporate a softshell jacket because you think it will best suit your company’s image and values.
However, when you go to order the jackets you find a lack of choice, and are advised to compromise with a fleece jacket instead.
Not ideal. 2 very different garments for 2 very different sets of needs... and the directors will not be happy.
With company image, your employees’ appearance needs to be professional and smart. You do not want a mismatched image that communicates your company values to your customers. If you have a brand image in mind, your uniform supplier should work to fulfil that to the letter.
Besides this, unless they work in the same department, not all of your employees will need to wear the same uniform. For example, should your Head Office team be wearing the same uniform as those working on a construction site?
The best suppliers should be versatile, offering a wide range of work uniform clothing to suit a variety of workplaces and cover your varied required needs. They should not use a one size fits all approach.
4. They have a Limited Range
The ideal supplier is versatile between stock. For example, they can offer you polo shirts, office trousers, and sweatshirts.
It is also important that you can have multiple options of the same uniform garment types. Having five types of polo shirts to choose from instead of just one ensures you can find the correct image for your company. Suppliers should have back-up styles in case you dislike the first option that you see.
5. Your Supplier is Not Expert in Garment Decoration
Many companies require their employees to wear uniforms with their logos printed or embroidered on them. This helps to foster a good team spirit, making people feel like they belong. It also advertises your company to your customers and portrays your brand in a professional manner. Your supplier might print logos onto your uniform, but maybe embroidery would work better.
Can your supplier give you the option and explain the differences and benefits of each?
6. They are not Ethically Sourced or Eco-Friendly
An estimate in 2012 found that 24.9 million people were forced to work across the world who are underpaid and abused, often in third world countries.
The environment pays the price for mass-production of clothing. It should be a part of any company’s corporate social responsibility to purchase uniform that is sourced ethically and eco-friendly.
There are many uniform suppliers who do not specify this in their trading policies. Make sure that you do your research before you place your orders and know whether or not they have ethical sourcing and manufacturing processes.
Conclusion
You should change your work uniform supplier if the quality of clothing is low or it changes drastically with each order you place. They may not ask the right questions and are therefore not efficient.
Also, there may not be a wide range of options for you to choose from or cover your required needs. They are limited in what they can do in terms of garment decorations and do not ethically source or are eco-friendly.