The document that gets you comparable answers

The questions the template asks

The generator above produces a document containing these questions, your calculated annual volumes and a reply format you set. They are listed here so you can judge the content before using it, and so they stay readable without going through the generator.

1. Product

1. Place of manufacture — State the production site of each product proposed (town, country), and say whether it is a site you own or a contract manufacturer working for several brands.
2. Certifications and validity — List each certification claimed, the body that issues it, the certificate number and its expiry date. We check against the body's register.
3. Composition — Attach the full INCI list and the allergen list for each product, in a form we can pass to a guest who asks.
4. Formats and capacities — List the capacities available per product: bedroom, basin, lobby, VIP format. Say which are permanent catalogue and which are special order.
5. Container material — State the exact material of the bottle and the cap, the percentage of recycled content, and the evidence for it.
6. Decoration method — State the method proposed — adhesive label, screen printing, hot stamping — and how long it is expected to last in a damp environment. Say what happens when a marking degrades: is the bottle replaced, or the marking alone?

2. Logistics and commitment

1. Minimum order quantity — State the MOQ per product and per order, in units and in value, before quoting.
2. Lead times — State in writing, in weeks: the lead time for a first order and for routine resupply. Say whether they differ in high season.
3. Stockout policy — Describe what happens if a product runs out: how quickly we are told, what substitute is offered, and at what price.
4. Exit terms and exit cost — State the commitment period, the notice required, what becomes of stock already committed, and any minimums still owed on co-branding. This is a matter of principle: we ask it of every supplier we approach.

3. Commercial

1. Price per litre in bulk — Give the price excl. VAT per litre per product, based on the standard bulk container. A price per container alone does not let us compare.
2. Price per unit in single-dose — Give the price excl. VAT per unit, at a stated capacity, for each product.
3. Wall brackets — Say whether the brackets are included or charged for, their unit price in single, triple and anti-theft versions, and the fixing method and drilling centres.
4. Co-branding — State whether it is feasible, the minimum volume that triggers it, any set-up cost, and the extra lead time over the standard catalogue.

4. Relationship

1. Named contact and responsiveness — Give the name and direct contact of the person who will handle the account, and the response time you commit to. State how many properties comparable to ours you currently supply.

Why three quotes almost never compare

Because each answers a slightly different question. One prices per container, another per litre; one includes the brackets, another charges for them separately; one quotes a first-order lead time, another a resupply lead time. All three are honest and none is comparable.

The only way to get answers that line up is to set the reply format in the request, and to attach your annual volumes. A supplier who knows your room nights prices seriously; a supplier who does not prices off the catalogue.

Across several properties the volume to state is the consolidated one, and it is not the only thing scale moves: groups and multi-site →