Five Mistakes When Taking Customer Orders

A customer places an order by phone; a measurement is given, the color is discussed, and delivery is set for "towards the weekend". A few days later it turns out that the finished item is not what the customer had in mind.

Order mix-ups can often start in the few minutes when the order is taken. This article looks at five mistakes that can be seen in small businesses taking orders by phone, at the counter or by message, the result each one can lead to and what can be done instead.

Where Order Mix-Ups Can Start

A mix-up in an order can often start not when the work is done but when the order is taken. During a rushed phone call or at a busy counter, a few details can be left out; the gap may only be noticed once the work is finished.

The table below summarizes the five mistakes, the result each can lead to and what can be done instead.

1. Keeping the Order in Your Head

Keeping an order taken at a busy moment in your head to write down later can lead to details getting mixed up. When several similar orders come in on the same day, it can become unclear which measurement belongs to which customer.

Writing the order in one place as soon as it is taken can also reduce the need to copy it somewhere else later. We described the problems that writing the same information in several places can cause in our article on why I enter the same information twice.

2. Closing the Order with Missing Details

A missing detail such as size, quantity, color or model can cause the work to be redone. The customer may forget to mention some details, and the person taking the order may not ask the same questions each time.

Setting a few fixed questions to ask for every order can reduce gaps. Whether the item is on the shelf or will arrive with the order can be one of these questions; we covered the difference between the two paths in our article on the difference between keeping stock and working to order.

3. Giving the Delivery Day by Guesswork

When the customer asks when the order will be ready, a day given without looking at the state of the work may not hold later. Separate confusion can also arise when the way of delivery, that is, whether the order will be picked up or sent, is not discussed.

It is sensible to give the delivery day by looking at the jobs waiting in line and the state of the materials. If materials come from a supplier, we described delays on that side in our article on what to do when a supplier delivers late; the topic here is the day given when taking an order from the customer.

4. Not Confirming the Order with the Customer

After the order is taken, briefly reading it back to the customer or sending it in writing can help misunderstandings be noticed before the work begins.

Three points can stand out in the confirmation.

1. What, how many and with which features

Going over details such as the item name, quantity, size and color together with the customer can bring out details that were understood differently.

2. When and how it will be delivered

Repeating the delivery day and whether the order will be picked up or sent can help both sides share the same expectation.

3. Whom to tell if something changes

If the customer wants a change later, knowing whom to contact can help keep the change from getting lost.

5. Each Employee Taking Orders Differently

When each person taking orders keeps notes in their own way, it can be harder for the person doing the work to understand the note. While one writes on paper and another on a phone, part of the order may not reach the person doing the work.

Turning the order-taking steps into a short guide and having everyone follow it the same way can narrow this difference. We looked at ways of passing on a task through a written guide or by showing it in our article on writing a task down or showing it in person.

Setting Up an Order-Taking Routine

To set up the routine, a simple order note with a few fields can be enough to start. The same note can be passed from the person taking the order to the person doing the work.

An order taken incompletely or wrongly can later turn into a customer complaint. We covered how such cases can be recorded and followed up in our article on getting ready to track customer complaints.

Summary

Confusion in customer orders can arise when the order is kept in someone's head, closed with missing details, given a delivery day by guesswork, not confirmed with the customer, or noted differently by each employee. Writing the order down as it is taken, completing it with set questions, reading it back to the customer and having everyone use the same note can help reduce this confusion. The routine can be built with a simple order note.