A purchasing manager messages your wholesale business: “Before we order 500 units, can you send a sample?” That is a reasonable buying step. It is not permission for sales to promise a free sample, a delivery date or a technical specification that has not been approved. Treat sampling as its own reviewed workflow, separate from the bulk purchase order.
Is this a stock sample or a custom sample?
A sample of an existing SKU lets the buyer check finish, dimensions, packaging or quality. A sample manufactured to a new specification may require design review, tooling or production time. Those two requests should not receive identical promises.
Shopify's guide to requesting product samples, published in March 2023, describes the importance of identifying the item, variant, quantity, shipping destination and evaluation criteria before a larger commitment. It is general sourcing guidance, not a rule that all Egyptian suppliers must follow.
Ask for information that changes the decision
Capture the product code, variant, intended test, estimated future order volume and destination. If the buyer has a technical specification, request the approved version rather than relying on a blurry screenshot. The responsible team must then check whether a sample exists, whether there is a sample charge, who pays for delivery and whether any fee can be credited against a later order.
Avoid collecting unnecessary personal information. But do not promise dispatch without a confirmed destination and an authorized decision. For technical samples, make it explicit who will review test results and approve the final specification.
Four states that prevent false confirmations
Sample requested: The buyer has expressed interest. No cost or dispatch has been approved.
Under review: Sales, inventory or quality is checking availability, specifications and terms.
Approved for dispatch: The sample terms and internal authorization are recorded. A realistic shipping estimate can be shared from the actual logistics process.
Delivered and evaluated: The buyer has received the sample and feedback can be collected. Receipt is not acceptance of a bulk purchase.
The distinction matters because “we are checking your sample” is very different from “your sample has shipped.”
A reply that keeps the deal moving
“We can review a sample request before the wholesale order. Please share the item code or specification, your expected larger quantity, and the delivery city and address. Our team will confirm sample availability, any charge and shipping terms before dispatch.”
If the business does not provide samples, say so and offer a specification sheet or scheduled inspection only if those alternatives actually exist. Do not invent a free-sampling program.
Turn sample feedback into a useful next step
Ask whether the sample met the required fit or quality, what change is needed, and whether procurement or technical quality makes the final decision. Record the outcome as accepted, change requested, rejected or awaiting evaluation.
Do not issue a final bulk quote for an unapproved specification. A requested change may affect price, lead time and minimum quantity. See handling buyers below minimum order quantity and stock holds before a purchase order for separate decisions that can arise later.
What should management measure?
Review sample requests, approved dispatches, total sample and delivery costs, evaluation turnaround, and the number of subsequent bulk orders. A subsequent order does not prove the sample alone caused the sale. Compare the program's operating cost, margin and lead quality before scaling it.
What Mr. AI can and cannot do
Mr. AI can capture sample requirements from WhatsApp or website chat, explain approved company rules, summarize conversations, follow up on evaluation and hand exceptions to a person. It should not be presented as automatically approving a technical sample, creating shipments or reserving stock. Inventory and quality records remain the sources of truth.
Any outbound follow-up should respect the WhatsApp Business Messaging Policy and the customer's permission. Audit five anonymized sample conversations, identify unsupported promises, then test a better response.
