There is inexpensive and then there is cheap. While inexpensive embroidered polos can lower your costs and make you a corporate branding hero, cheap embroidered shirts can actually raise your costs and lower your revenue!
If you don’t believe that, consider: when was the last time you dressed in your cheapest clothes for a job interview? You have never done that because you wanted to win the job offer!
Your company representatives are trying to win the next job for your business, and every time a prospect views a member of your team, that team member’s logo wear is making the first statement about your company. You can train your marketing and sales staff to say the right things, but if you have outfitted them in dilapidated apparel, the prospect will be wondering how well his needs will be satisfied when your company could not even be bothered to outfit its own staff in quality shirts.
So here are the top four ways to spot poor quality sport shirts:
- Number 4: Buttons — Look at the buttons on your favorite shirts. Compare those to the buttons on the cheapest shirt you have. What do you suppose is the wholesale pricing for buttons? How would you compare that sum with the value of your time trying to replace a broken or lost button?
- Number 3: Plackets — If you are unaware, the placket is the part of a sport shirt that extends down from the collar to hold the buttons and the button holes. Plackets should be straight. End of story.
- Number 2: Loose threads — We are sure that you have purchased shirts that have not had any loose threads. We are also sure that you have purchased shirts and been annoyed at having to cut loose threads along the inside seams of the shirts. That is frustrating because you know from personal experience that it’s possible to make a shirt with no loose threads. Yet this manufacturer either does not have the equipment or does not have the management to ensure that you have a good experience.
- Number 1: Collars — Collars are the number one dead give away of poor quality shirts. The problem is, it’s not always easy to identify this problem at the outset of the shirt’s life. The collars of poorly manufactured shirts will not hold up to repeated washings. The same collar that laid perfectly flat when you pulled it out of the box now seems to require a flat iron to straighten it before every wear.
If you want to outfit your team in quality embroidered polos that will last, there are two simple steps. First, do a little research when selecting an embroidery shop. We suggest you select one that seems less interested in the immediate sale than in having a long-term relationship with a client that will recommend the vendor to others. Second, talk with your embroidery vendor about your needs and concerns, and then listen to their recommendations.