In this guide 6 sections
Approve a claim only when three proofs line up. You need a photo of the damaged goods, the batch number printed on them, and a dispatch record showing that the batch left your plant for that stockist. Issue the credit note after the check.
How unchecked claims get through
A stockist calls to say twelve bottles leaked in transit, and the salesman who owns the account promises a credit note to keep the relationship warm. The accountant receives no lorry receipt.
Nobody is acting in bad faith. The claim arrives through the person with the most reason to say yes, and the person who pays has nothing to check it against.
The cost is rarely one claim. It is the habit. Once a stockist learns that a call gets a credit note, small damage gets reported more often, and genuine transit losses blur into routine requests.
- Verbal approval from the field team
- Claim raised weeks after the delivery
- No batch number on the request
- Same stockist claiming on repeat orders
Three proofs before any credit note
Ask for one photo. A leaked soap carton showing a wet base and a legible batch code in one frame beats any paragraph of description.
Then match the batch to your dispatch register. Was that batch shipped to this stockist, on this invoice, in this quantity, or did it go to a different town entirely? If the batch went elsewhere, or the invoice quantity is lower than the number of bottles claimed, the claim stops at the dispatch clerk’s desk.
Keep the rule friendly. Tell stockists in writing what the three proofs are and why they exist, and most will comply because the photo takes a minute and speeds the credit.
- Photo showing damage and batch label together
- Batch number matched to a dispatch line
- Claim quantity at or below the invoiced quantity
- Claim raised inside the agreed window
A claim flow with named owners
Every claim gets a number. It is raised by the salesman, checked by the dispatch clerk against the register, approved by the sales accountant, and closed when the credit note is issued. Each step carries one name.
The sales head signs above a limit. A tray of cracked bottles is routine. A full pallet of leaking pouches points to a packing fault and needs a look at the line before any credit is agreed.
Rejections need the same care. Write the reason in plain words, such as batch not dispatched to this account, and let the salesman carry the message with the record in hand.
- Claim number with date and stockist
- Status: raised, checked, approved, rejected, closed
- Approval limit by role
- Rejection reason recorded in plain words
What the patterns tell you
Batch numbers let you group claims. If most leakage traces to one filling line or one cap supplier, you have a quality problem to fix, not a stockist to question.
Look at transporters too. Breakage that clusters on one route or one vehicle belongs in a conversation with the transport contractor, with the claim records laid out as evidence.
Keep claims next to the line log. A cap torque setting, an induction seal change, a new gasket supplier or thinner carton board can all show up first as a cluster of claims.
Starting without new software
Begin with a shared sheet and one rule. No credit note without a claim number. Dispatch clerks fill in the batch check, the accountant approves against the claim number, and the sales head sees the weekly total on the same sheet.
Count the claims rejected for missing proof. That number shows how much was slipping through before the rule, and you can move the flow into your order system once the sheet gets crowded.
Share the weekly figure with the sales team, not just the accounts desk, in a short note listing claims by stockist, batch and cause. Salesmen then send fewer weak claims.
Damage claim worksheet
A one-page form, three blocks. Block one holds claim number, stockist, invoice number, claim date and quantity claimed, while block two holds photo reference, batch number, dispatch register match and quantity check. Block three holds the approver, decision, credit note number and reason for rejection, and a tally box at the foot counts claims by batch.
Open a blank worksheet to printQuestions owners ask
How long should a stockist have to raise a claim?
Set a window that suits your delivery cycle, often a few days from receipt, and print it on the invoice or in the stockist agreement. Late rejections are rarely disputed. The salesman can quote the rule.
What if the stockist cannot send a photo of the batch label?
Ask for a photo of the carton and a second photo of the label, taken when the cases are opened, then compare the label with your dispatch line. No photo means a sales head decision.
Should every small claim go through the full check?
Yes, but keep it quick. A clerk can match a batch to a dispatch line in a minute, and a photo takes seconds to open, so only the approval limit varies by claim size.
Can we ask for the damaged goods back?
For large claims, yes. Returned cartons let quality inspect seals, caps, shrink film and packing, while small claims usually need only a photo and a signed destroy note from the stockist.