From Inquiry to First Order: What Happens After You Ask for a Price

The sequence

Stage 1: the four things to state in the first email

A usable inquiry contains:

1. Capacity in ml — and whether that is brim or fill
2. Style — round, rectangular, compartmented, bowl, cup
3. Quantity per SKU per year — not per order
4. Destination country — this decides the test report, the marking and the HS code

Add the lid requirement. Almost half of first-order problems trace to the lid: assumed included when it is not, assumed matching when it needs a separate model, assumed sealed when it is a snap fit.

In this catalogue, eight of the twelve safety-lock round bowls are packed as body only (300 pcs, no lid), and the lid is ordered separately by diameter: PF-GG001 for 130 mm bodies, PF-GG002 for 157 mm, PF-GG003 for 180 mm. A buyer who orders "1 container of GG750" receives 416,400 bodies and no lids.

Stage 2: the capacity question

"750 ml" maps to nine different models in this catalogue, from 19.5 g to 40.5 g. The series decides the wall, the lid and the freight:

Quoting without this question produces a price the buyer cannot compare, and a container they may not want.

Stage 3: the sample

Ask for a sample from the production cavity, not a hand-built one. A hand-built sample seals perfectly; the production cavity does not.

What to test on arrival:

• Fill it with water to the intended fill line and weigh it
• Close it, invert it, leave it 30 minutes
• Microwave it for 2 minutes if that is the use case
• Flex the rim — if it whitens, the wall is thin at the stress point

Stage 4: the quotation

Four elements must be on the page, or the number is not comparable:

If two quotes differ by 20%, the difference is almost always the Incoterm or the carton count — not the moulding cost.

Stage 6: production and the two queues

Production has two queues that run in parallel and both can delay you:

• Mould queue — if the model is not in stock, the mould must be mounted
• Colour queue — a custom colour needs a clean run

Standard white or black in a stocked model is the fastest path. A custom Pantone in a non-stocked model is the slowest. If the launch date is fixed, choose the first.

Stage 7: inspection

Agree the AQL before production, not after. For food containers, two checks matter beyond the general inspection:

• Leak test — filled, closed, inverted, 30 minutes
• Rim dimension — measured, not eyeballed; it decides whether the lid seals

A general AQL 2.5 inspection will not catch a rim that is 0.3 mm under, because it looks fine.

Stage 8: loading

The packing list should be built from the loading tally. Count cartons at the door, photograph the seal, send the photos with the B/L copy. This is the evidence that separates a pre-shipment shortage from a transit loss.

FAQ

How long does a first order really take? 30–50 days from a complete inquiry to loading. Incomplete inquiries add a week of back-and-forth; a custom colour adds 5–7 days.

Can I start with a small order? Yes, but a mixed container is the practical minimum. Below that, LCL with the damage risk that implies.

Do I need to visit the factory? Not for a first order, if the sample and the test reports are in order. Visit before a second order if volume justifies it.

What is the most common first-order mistake? Ordering the body without the lid. Second most common: ordering 750 ml and receiving a container that fills to 700 ml.

Related reading

• 1200ml PP Container for Catering and Family Packs
• PP Food Container Price per Piece: Full Cost Breakdown
• Mould Cost and Ownership for Custom PP Containers

Models covered on this site: 750 ml PF-418 · 750 ml PF-L750 · 750 ml PF-RG750 · see all models in this category.