Color Variation Reported- FAQ- NS

Modified on Thu, 22 May at 4:07 PM

Frequently Asked Natural Shade Questions:
Last revised: 11.27.2023

A customer calls in and states that their fabric color is different than reported. What do I do?
This SOP will guide you through how to handle an issue of color variation reported by a customer.

1. Ask if the customer requested a sample swatch prior to ordering.

2. If they did, request a photo of the sample swatch on the shade to show the variation. Let them know this will assist us in helping determine the problem and resolve it. Often with woven woods, the difference is due to the fact these are natural products, and the color/texture may vary. This is due to changes in rainfall, temperature, amount of sunlight and other environmental factors that differ from season to season.

a. Ask how old the sample swatch is. If it is outdated, the customer will need to place an order for new samples. This will help determine if the color variation is normal or if it’s because the swatch is out of date.

3. Ask the factory to send PD two samples from the current roll of material. One is for PD and one is to send to the customer. This should be the first step so we can get the swatches as soon as possible.

4. In the meanwhile, if the customer did not request a sample, please ask them to take a photo of the shade/pattern in good, natural lighting. Artificial / fluorescent lighting can affect the color. Let them know we will also be sending them a cutting from the current roll of material for them to compare to their shade. You are requesting a photo to rule out obvious errors like the wrong pattern was used to make the order.

5. Once you receive the photo from the customer, compare this to a swatch in the warehouse/sample book. You can also look at the Blinds.com website (if applicable) and look at the scans there.

6. If the photo matches the scan then send the customer one of the two swatches you requested from the factory.

7. If the sample looks different from the shade, contact the China Team and include the SO, PO and SM and ask if the factory used the correct roll goods or if there was an error.

8. If there was a factory error, ask the customer to submit a remake.

9. If the factory says there was no error, then ask our customer to have their customer confirm they received the sample you sent them from the current cutting from the factory. You will need the customer to approve the cutting to process their n/c remake to ensure they will be happy with the remake.