“Some pieces are damaged” gives a supplier very little to investigate. It does not identify the order, distinguish one repeated issue from several different problems or show whether the affected products are being held. A useful damage record answers those questions before the first follow-up exchange.
The aim is a clear resolution, not a dramatic complaint. Describe what the shop received, preserve the relevant evidence and ask what happens next under the arrangements for that order. Keep the record factual even when the discovery is frustrating.
At a glance
- Record the visible problem without guessing its cause.
- Link photographs, quantities and references to one case.
- Track the agreed resolution separately from the original receipt.
In this guide
- Give the issue a single identity
- Describe what you can observe
- Build a short photographic sequence
- A hypothetical report that answers the basics
- Follow the agreed process and preserve the item
- Use the record to improve the next intake
Give the issue a single identity
Create a case reference linked to the original order and receiving date. Include the supplier reference, variant, unit of sale, affected quantity and the person handling the follow-up. If several products have different problems, give each line its own description within the case. This prevents one resolved line from making the entire issue appear closed.
Retain the original received quantity. A held item still physically exists in the shop even when it is unavailable for sale. Show the hold separately, using the stock fields or a linked register your team understands. Removing the item from every record makes it harder to reconcile a later replacement, return or other agreed outcome.
Describe what you can observe
Use a precise location and visible condition: an edge is split, a fitting is bent, a surface has a mark or a component is missing. Avoid asserting when or how the problem happened unless you have evidence. “The clasp was loose when the package was opened” is an observation. “The courier broke the clasp” is a conclusion that may not be supported.
Compare the item with the agreed specification and documented variation where relevant. If you are unsure whether a feature falls within expected handmade variation, phrase it as a question and provide a clear image. The supplier can respond to a specific feature more easily than a broad judgement about quality.
Build a short photographic sequence
Start with the whole item so the reference is recognisable. Add a close view of the issue and, if useful, a second angle that explains its position or extent. Include relevant packaging condition and identifying labels separately. Keep the original files, and do not apply filters that alter the appearance of the surface.
| Record element | Useful detail | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Product identity | Exact reference and variant | Only a general collection name |
| Quantity | Affected units out of units received | An unclear phrase such as “a few” |
| Condition | Visible issue and location | Unsupported blame or cause |
| Images | Whole item, detail and relevant packaging | A close-up with no identifiable context |
| Requested next step | Review and proposed resolution | An assumption that terms are already agreed |
A hypothetical report that answers the basics
Imagine a shop receives twelve decorative pieces under one order. Two have split edges. Its record states that twelve were received, ten were accepted into sellable stock and two are held. Each affected piece has a whole-item photograph and a detail photograph. The report asks the supplier to review the evidence and confirm the next step.
Those numbers are illustrative. They do not establish a defect allowance, return policy or Toodobem guarantee. The useful feature is the separation between physical receipt, sellable quantity and the unresolved case. Another colleague can now understand the situation without reopening every carton.
Follow the agreed process and preserve the item
Use the reporting channel and timing applicable to your order. Keep the item and relevant packaging available while instructions are pending. Do not repair, discard or return it on an assumption that doing so is required or authorised. Ask for a clear response if the next action is ambiguous.
When a resolution is agreed, record the exact affected references, quantities and action. A replacement, a return, a credit or acceptance of the item each creates different work for the shop. Assign that work and note when it has been completed. An encouraging email is not the same as a finished inventory adjustment.
Use the record to improve the next intake
Review recurring issues by product and type without drawing conclusions from one isolated case. Perhaps identification photographs need improvement, a packing detail needs discussion or receiving staff need a clearer comparison sample. Take a specific observation to Toodobem’s trade contact rather than a general complaint about the whole collection.
A damage case is closed when the agreed action, stock position and supporting record all match. That discipline protects the practical relationship with the supplier and frees the sales team to concentrate on the pieces ready for customers.
