April 2nd, 2007

As someone that’s been actively involved, if not an owner, of CD and DVD duplication companies since early 2001, I feel I have quite a lot of experience, hindsight, and knowledge to pass along to newer companies that think they’re going to hit the ground running.

Here’s a harsh and brutally honest news flash for you: you’re not going to be successful in the beginning, due to several reasons that are beyond your control.

The first of which is longevity. You just can’t offer customers the same level of comfort and/or service that a well-established and reputable duplication company can offer. That’s just the facts, plain and simple. When a an advertising agency, software developer, musician, or other client has a tight deadline to hit, there’s no substitute for going with a duplication company that has already earned a solid reputation of delivering quality discs on-time. You can reduce your prices to gain new clients, but it’s hard to put a price on reliability.

The second most important factor is experience, so let me attempt to assist the starry-eyed duplication company owner in their journey before realizing a few crucial points for success in the industry.

In order to offer guidance and assistance, here’s a list (in no particular order) of the 7 deadly sins that a CD DVD duplication company can commit, based upon my own experiences over the years:

1. Inadequate QA Procedures

Sometimes it’s hard for clients (and even duplication companies) to understand that just because a CD or DVD plays in their system doesn’t mean it will play in every other system out there. In fact, compatibility is a major issue. Many times a master disc is marginal and not a good source disc for duplication. Having the right tools to test the master and verify the quality is very important. Be sure to ask if the duplication service company has the tools to test media and check for Block Error Rates.

Also, a lot of duplication companies don’t take quality assurance seriously when it comes to double checking your duplication order before it ships out. So many mistakes can be prevented by simply assigning one person from a production team to QC every outgoing order and give it their “seal of approval”. It saves tremendously on rush shipping costs from corrective orders and just might save your company’s reputation in the process.

2. Miscommunication with Clients by Poorly Trained Reps

It’s easy to take an order. It’s hard to get it right. Having an experienced sales person ask the right questions to make sure all the details are covered is a good sign that your job will be done right. If all you hear is yes, yes, yes and the order process was just too easy, be tough on yourself and start asking questions. As they say, there are no stupid questions. Especially when it’s your money and your project on the line.

Make sure every person that takes a duplication order is intimately familiar with the entire process, from beginning to end. If they don’t know exactly what to ask and how to accurately quote out projects, wait until they’re ready before letting them loose on the sales floor.

3. Lack of Follow-up and Follow-through

We are all busy. Follow-up will often get lost in the shuffle. The best method to guard against a lack of follow-up is to set standards up front when ordering. Establish a time when you expect an update or when you will call for an update. This way both parties know what needs to be reported and when.

Better duplication companies empower their staff with automated project tracking software that takes the errors out of following up. With these sophisticated enterprise software tools, every department involved in the project is able to communicate and update the client (as well as each other) with real-time project status information.

4. Setting Unrealistic Deadlines (Overpromise and Underdeliver)

Having unrealistic deadlines could be just as much the customers fault as it is the duplicators fault. Don’t leave a project until the last moment, prepare your team to have the content you need to create the master disc. When speaking with the duplication service company use common sense - just because the sales person says “yes” to your order doesn’t necessarily mean it will be done on time. I can tell you from experience that even the smallest duplication job is rarely done in two days (from first phone call taking the order to the last box shipped to a customer). Also keep in mind that timeframes are given in business days, not calendar days.

A few sketchy duplication companies will simply role play clients and tell them whatever they want to hear to close the deal. If you’re inquiring about a rush job and the rep doesn’t mention extra fees, they’re simply not being honest. Rush jobs must be placed in front of existing orders, thus a premium must be charged.

5. Quoting Unrealistic Project Pricing and/or Shipping Costs

Always be specific with pricing information. This includes other items such as jewel case or sleeve, shipping costs and additional charges such as shrink-wrap and handling fees. The more you cover on how the service company came up with the price the better off you will be. Again, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

6. Added Fees or Charges Upon Completion

This one is tough as many times you wont know about additional charges until the bill comes. This is why it’s important to ask questions about the pricing of the project. Be specific in your questions, “Are charges ever added after a quote is submitted?” “What is company policy if the terms cannont be met by the service company?” A little bit of due diligence on your part up front will lead to decreased stress levels once you review your invoice.

7. Not Offering Up Front Pricing On Website

Building customer relationships is a sure fire way to build business. The primary way of building business is getting the customer to contact you so a sales person can dive into the specific needs of the customer. However, being too vague and not listing any pricing at all does more harm than good. Letting the customer know you are confident about your services and pricing builds trust in your ability to perform a job. Posting general pricing for a certain range of duplication services will establish a basic expectation for both parties. It also reduces the amount of wasted time for both parties as far as coming to an agreement.

Putting It All Together
Now, as you can easily see, this is not an all-inclusive look at the mistakes businesses can make. Those are far too numerous to mention here and I’ll leave that for another author. The point is if you’re running a duplication company and the above examples seem extremely familiar to you, it’s time to make some changes or face certain failure.