Once an amenity program is running, changing supplier is expensive — specifications have to be re-approved, artwork re-checked and the guest experience re-validated. The cost of a poor first choice is mostly paid later, which is why the assessment before the first order matters so much.
1. Range versus focus
Ask whether the supplier actually supplies each item, or sources it onward. Both models are workable, but the answer changes your quality control: with an onward-sourced item, the supplier's inspection is your only inspection.
A good sign is a supplier that will decline an item, or propose a better specification, rather than accepting every line on your list.
2. Ability to answer specification questions
Send the same detailed question to each candidate and compare the answers. Suppliers worth shortlisting will respond with figures, options and trade-offs. A reply that only promises "best quality and best price" is not an answer, and almost always predicts the support you will receive after the order is placed.
3. Sample process
A structured sample stage tells you more than any catalogue:
- Are samples charged, and is the cost credited against the order?
- How long do samples take, and can they be revised?
- Does the sample match the specification sheet exactly?
- Is packaging sampled as well as the product?
Insist on a physical sample whenever packaging is custom. Rendering and specification sheets hide a great deal.
4. Communication
Look for clear, direct answers on the commercial points:
- Named contact, with a predictable response time
- Written confirmation of specification, quantity and delivery date on every order
- Advance notice when something changes, before you discover it yourself
- Incoterms and documentation handled without repeated chasing
5. Customization depth
Customization ranges from printing a logo on existing packaging up to developing a private-label product. Establish which level the supplier genuinely works at before you commit, and confirm lead times for each: artwork approval, sample, production.
6. Consistency on reorder
The real test is the second and third order. Ask how specifications are recorded, and request the written spec sheet with your first order. Suppliers who maintain a fixed specification sheet consistently deliver a stable program; others drift.
Red flags
- Prices far below the market without a stated reason
- No written specification, only an invoice description
- Reluctance to provide samples
- Delivery dates revised after the order is confirmed
- Vague answers about inspection and defect handling
A short evaluation grid
Score each candidate on range, specification knowledge, sample process, communication, customization depth and reorder consistency. Weighing those six areas will separate the plausible options faster than comparing unit prices alone.
Our own factory and supply capability and quality control process are described here — useful as a benchmark even if you buy elsewhere.