Once you've selected the type of medal that best suits your event, the next step is to choose a medal shop or medal supplier. But with so many options available and each one promising exceptional quality and service, narrowing it down can feel a little intimidating.
You might find yourself wondering, "Where do I begin? And what do I look out for?"
Don't worry. With the help of this article, you can find a shop that not only meets your expectations but exceeds them. In it, we at Badges And Medals provide you with clear, practical tips to help you cut through the noise and make your selection. We've been a medal supplier for over five decades and understand what sets a good shop apart from a great one and how this difference can elevate your event.
Soon, you will too!
8 Tips For Choosing The Best Medal Shop
Look for a medal shop that specialise in your specific medal type
One well-known trick to acing a multiple-choice test is to eliminate answers you know are wrong. You can use a similar tactic to narrow your list of medal shops and make the selection process more manageable.
Start by identifying shops that specialise in the type of medals you’re interested in, then rule out the rest. For instance, if you’re looking for custom wooden medals, you can cross out businesses that focus on insert medals.
Choose a medal shop with more experience
Experience matters when it comes to making medals. Suppliers who have been around for a while have had more time to refine their skills, leading to better design varieties, faster turnaround times, and sometimes higher-quality products.
They're also more likely to have experienced challenges, such as supply chain delays, and know how to solve them should they crop up during your order. Check how long each shop has been in business and what events they’ve supplied before to better gauge their experience.
Read what customers say about the medal shop
Next, consider the reputation of the shop. Spend time reading customer reviews or case studies to learn more about the quality of their products and customer service. Look for red flags that don't align with your goals and consider if they're worth pursuing. The best place to look for reviews is on Google or TrustPilot.
A review left by a custom of Badges And Medals on Google. Reviews are a great way to check a supplier’s reputation.
Check if the medal shop’s values align with your own
What makes your relationship with your best friend so special? It's the shared values you hold, like the fact that you both love volunteering at animal shelters. This common ground enriches your connection. The same goes for the relationship you build with a medal shop.
When choosing a supplier, think about what’s important to your event and whether the shop supports that. For example, if you're hosting a zero-waste event that values the environment, look for a supplier with eco-friendly practices, such as planting trees for each medal sold. Picking a shop that shares your values shows your commitment to them and encourages long-term partnerships.
Ensure the medal shop has policies that protect you
Imagine if the medals you ordered didn't look right or arrived too late for the event. When the worst-case scenario occurs, it's important that your supplier will make things right.
Before signing with a shop, check their product guarantees or refund policies on their website. These should clearly explain how they protect you if your medals are defective, late, or not as expected. Look for particularly thorough policies - these are often a sign that the supplier is confident they can deliver to your standards.
Consider the quality of the shop’s designs and products
You want your medals to look great and last a long time. That means choosing a supplier who makes high-quality designs using high-quality products. The best way to check a shop’s quality is to ask for a sample of their work so you can evaluate the product first-hand.
However, not all shops offer this as an option. The next best option is to visit the shop’s website or social media profiles.
Look at photos of the medals it has created in the past. Don't limit your search to the supplier's posts - check to see what photos they've been tagged in too. This is a great way to judge if their style matches yours and if their quality meets your standards. Check if the medals look well-made, with high-quality materials. Look for scratches, pitting, frayed ribbon edges, blurry engravings, and colours that are inconsistent or outside their lines - these are all signs that the medals might not be of high quality.
Social media can be a useful way to check if a supplier has good medal designs.
Choose a medal shop within your price range
There's nothing worse than finding the perfect medals for your event only to realise it's out of your financial reach. So, before you get too excited, make sure the supplier you're looking at has medals that fit within your budget.
Most shops will send you a quote for free once you tell them what you're after, allowing you to go down your list of favourite suppliers and compare their prices. Some are even upfront with their pricing and have it available for free on their website, like us at Badges And Medals, though this is rare. Make sure to ask about expenses that might not be covered in the quote, such as shipping costs, to avoid surprises.
Speak directly to the medal shop
Finally, don’t hesitate to reach out to potential suppliers directly.
A conversation can provide a clearer picture of what a shop offers and how they can meet the specific needs of your event. You can ask them questions about their products, customisation options, delivery times, business values, and any other concerns you have.
This interaction can also help you gauge the customer service they provide. You can assess how quickly they respond to inquiries, how well they handle your questions, and how eager they are to help you - all important for a successful partnership.
Is Badge And Medals the right medal shop for you?
At Badges And Medals, our extensive experience as an medal supplier allows us to understand what makes shops stand out. Throughout this article, we've shared factors you can use to refine your search and find the right supplier. Ultimately, you should choose a business that matches your company's or event's needs.
If you're looking for a reliable partner to supply medals, we invite you to use the above tips to consider us at Badges And Medals. We are a certified ethical and sustainable company that specialises in custom medals and challenge coins, with over 50 years of experience. Contact us today to see how we can help elevate your next event!