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When you have a question or urgent problem that needs to be addressed in the course of your Chinese manufacturing project, you’ll want to know exactly who to talk to. Importers generally have one English-speaking contact at a factory who they can contact about placing orders etc. However, this contact is usually just a salesperson and may not be able to address your more pressing concerns.
Sometimes if you have an urgent issue, you may be hamstringed by your usual contact because they are not responsible for the actual production in the factory – they may even be located at an off-site sales office.
Other times your question may not be pressing enough to bring to the top brass at the factory, even though your usual contact isn’t reachable. In those situations, you should have some options in between, and we’ve listed some of the most valuable factory contacts below.
1. The Owner
Sometimes referred to as the Big Boss (大老板, or dà lǎobǎn), the owner is the absolute top of the factory food chain. Even though the owner ostensibly holds absolute authority over the factory’s operations, it is unlikely that he or she is on-site at the factory managing it directly.
Why you need to know the Owner: When you want to negotiate pricing, enter into contractual agreements, or resolve protracted disputes, you’ll have to speak with the Owner. No one else has the authority to make decisions concerning these situations, so it’s definitely recommended that you try to minimize the involvement of any middle-men when trying to resolve them.
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2. The Boss
In some cases, the factory boss (老板, or lǎobǎn) could be the actual owner of the factory, but for practical purposes this title refers to whoever actually runs the day-do-day operations of the factory. He or she is the most senior decision maker on-site at the factory, and holds significant authority.
Why you need to know the Boss: In most cases, the boss can take meaningful action on any issues you are having. Try to get the boss’s direct line or – even better – his or her mobile number so you can reach them for urgent matters. Some of the other people on this list may just kick around your questions to other employees if they are not directly responsible for whatever you’re inquiring about. The boss does not have this luxury, and as the overseer of your factory’s operations he should be able to give you informed answers or at least lay out a plan of action to address your concerns.
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3. The Production Manager
Among other things, setting the production schedule is the purview of the factory’s production manager. This encompasses allocating man-power to the production lines which is a big determining factor in the overall lead time for your order, from placement to shipment.
Why you need to know the Production Manager: If you’re facing stock-outs and need your order rushed, need replacement or spare parts shipped with your order, or need to adjust the quantities on your purchase order; you’ll want to communicate directly with the Production Manager. Besides the higher-ups listed above, only the production manager will be able to reallocate the resources to make sure your order arrives when you need it most.
4. The QC Manager
From raw materials to finished products, the QC Manager is charged with making sure your receive goods of acceptable quality. Depending on your factory’s level of sophistication, the QC manager may also coordinate any laboratory testing that your products require.
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Why you need to know the QC Manager: If persistent quality issues are appearing in your shipments, the QC manager has some explaining to do. He or she should be taking preventative measures like posting detailed assembly instructions, providing defective and approved samples for comparison on the production line, and having his QC staff perform inspections of the items at various stages of production. If you suspect these activities are not being carried out, ask the QC manager.
5. The Salesperson
The salesperson is involved in business development for your factory. He or she is likely able to communicate very well in English.
Why you need to know the Salesperson: This is probably your usual contact at the factory. While the sales person may not be able to get you quick, reliable answers to more pressing concerns, they will likely be more than happy to answer your run of the mill questions. If you’re interested in new products the factory is working on, the salesperson probably has all the latest marketing information for you to browse.
Checking in with your usual contact before moving up the food chain is always a good idea; maintaining a healthy and even friendly dialogue with him or her is highly recommended. Staying on good terms with your salesperson will virtually guarantee that they are available whenever you try to reach them, makes it more likely that they will help you track down the answers you need before trying your other contacts.
