Playbook
Quality disputes: when a customer complains and you cannot prove what left.
Without a photo, a measurement or a name attached to the piece that shipped, every complaint becomes your word against theirs.
The problem
A customer says a piece arrived the wrong size or with the wrong label. The brand has a QC sign-off for the lot, but nothing about this piece: who measured it, what it measured, or which truck carried it.
The playbook
- Make every piece traceable. One barcode per piece, from the purchase order to the truck.
- Capture evidence at the line. Measurement photos and a label photo, with the barcode in frame.
- Record the decision. Who reviewed it, when, and what they decided.
- Record the dispatch. Scan each piece onto its truck.
- Keep one evidence page per piece. PO, SKU, OEM unit, photographer, reviewer, truck and photos.
- Answer complaints with the barcode. Ask the customer for it, find the page, and share the evidence.
What the evidence tells you
| Evidence shows | Likely cause | Next step |
|---|---|---|
| Piece was within spec when it left | Transit damage or handling | Check the carrier and packing |
| Piece was outside spec but passed | Review error | Retrain or tighten the review rule |
| Label did not match the piece | Packing mix-up | Fix the label check at packing |
See the pre-dispatch inspection checklist for the checks that create this evidence.
How AutoQC does it
AutoQC gives every piece one barcode, printed in bulk from the purchase order and stitched or fixed to the piece at the OEM unit. A QC photographer then takes four photos in a locked order (length, width, height at the barcode, and the MRP label on the pack) with the tape readable and the barcode in frame, guided in Hindi and English. Each measurement is checked against the spec and its tolerance. Brand QA reviews the evidence from anywhere and passes, sends back for redo with a reason, or holds the piece. Only a piece in the “QC passed” state can be packed, labelled or scanned onto the truck; anything else is refused at loading. Every photo is stamped with barcode, user, location and time, and each piece has a one-page evidence PDF with the PO, SKU, OEM unit, photographer, reviewer and dispatch truck.
Questions
How do I prove the quality of a product that has already shipped?
Keep, for each piece, its measurement and label photos, the reviewer’s decision and the truck it went on, all findable by its barcode.
What should I ask a customer who complains about size?
The piece’s barcode, so you can pull its evidence page and compare it with their measurement.
See it on your own data. AutoQC — Every piece proves itself. Book a 30-minute working session with an engineer.