Who Makes The Best Lapel Pins?

The answer isn’t as simple as you might think.  Most pin companies produce the same quality of pins, the difference really comes in the service and competence of the pin company you choose.  So here is some information about pin companies that will help you understand and give you some things to consider when determining who makes the best lapel pins.

Pins are made in China.  
Yes, most pins are made in China just like everything else.  Check the clothing you are wearing, the pen you are writing with, the computer you are working on, the garbage can under your desk all made in China or imported from some other country.  There are very few USA pin manufacturers due to the high cost of labor to produce them.  But the good news is that you will pay less.

Pin companies on the Internet.
So, if pins are made in China, who are all the pin companies found online?  Typically, these are companies, located in the USA, that specialize in designing and selling pins.  Most of the companies are reputable and have spent years developing relationships with China factories to produce the pins they sell.  They buy in bulk, ship in bulk, and know how to communicate effectively with the factories to produce the best results.  But the pins are still made in China.

The advantage of this is you get to work with a USA company which brings confidence and security more so than dealing with China which is an unknown for most people.  While making a pin is relatively easy, the easiness comes because the USA company clearly understands the manufacturing and design process and knows the best way to order and get the pins here.  They will handle the entire process from start to finish, and if there are problems you have greater confidence they will take care of the problem.

What to look for when choosing a pin company?
The next obvious question is:  How do I choose the best pin company?  How do I determine service quality and competence of a pin company?  Here are a few things to consider:

Response Rate: When you request a quote, do you get it quickly or does it take days.  If it takes days, I would question their timeliness in getting your product to you, as well as how quickly or even if they would resolve problems that may occur with your order.

Answer Phones: Do they answer their phone, that gives you a live body to assess how much they care about you and your order.

Do they Explain Things: One way to really test competence is do they explain options, do they explain why you can or cannot do something.  Many pin companies staff with in experienced customer service people that don’t have the depth of knowledge of manufacturing so they don’t give good solutions or answer.  Make sure you feel like they know what they are talking about.

Costs: The best companies don’t nickel and dime you.  When they give you a quote does it stay the same or does it change for everything you want to change.  There are somethings that add to the cost, but nickel and diming is just a way to get more money.  Stick with someone that gives you a quote and honors all the way to the end.

Problem Resolution: Do they guarantee the product.  If there are defects will they take care of the problem quickly and without cost to you.

Make it Easy: One of the most telling things to look for is, is the process easy.  Someone that knows what they are doing, and does it every single day, should have a simple process that responds quickly, answers your questions, doesn’t nickel and dime and makes the process simple.  This comes from experience, you will be able to tell pretty quickly if they know what they are doing.

Most custom pin companies offer the same type and quality of product, the distinguishing factors really is the service.  Those that are quick in responding, answering their phones, responding quickly to emails, delivering artwork fast are generally companies you can have confidence in.

We have learned over the years that service is what sets us all apart.  Pricing varies, but service is the difference.