How to keep track of customer orders (free template included)
What to write down for every order, how to handle deposits and delivery dates, and how to always know what you still have to deliver and how much you're owed.
Arca7 min read
When you sell to order (over WhatsApp, from a catalog or made to order), selling isn't the hard part. Remembering what you promised to whom, by when, and how much they paid up front is. With five orders you can keep it in your head. With twenty, something slips.
What to write down for every order
- The date the order came in.
- The customer and their phone number, so you can tell them when it's ready.
- What they ordered, with everything that matters: size, color, flavor, dimensions.
- The total, the deposit they paid and the balance still due.
- The delivery date you promised.
- Where the order stands. More on that below.
Order statuses
Giving every order a status is what lets you see at a glance what's left to do. Five are enough:
- New: it just came in.
- In progress: you're making it, or you've ordered it from your supplier.
- Ready: it just needs to get to your customer.
- Delivered: they have it.
- Cancelled: it didn't happen. Don't delete it: it tells you how many orders fall through.
Deposits: ask for one, and write it down
Asking for a deposit on made-to-order items protects you from making something nobody picks up. Pick a rule and stick to it, say half when they order and half on delivery. And write it down on the spot: a deposit that isn't on paper is an argument you'll be having later.
How not to fall behind on deliveries
- Check your open orders every morning, sorted by delivery date.
- Promise dates you can keep even if something goes wrong. Early delivery gets appreciated; late delivery gets remembered.
- Tell your customer when the order is ready, not after the date has passed.
Collect what's outstanding
At the end of each week, add up the balances still due on delivered orders. That's money you've already earned and don't have yet. If the number keeps growing week after week, start asking for the full balance on delivery.
When the orders pile up
With lots of orders, the hard part stops being the orders and becomes the inventory: what you have to fill them and what you need to restock. In Arca you record each sale from your phone's browser when you deliver, and your stock goes down on its own.
