Back On It And Getting Orders Moving Again
Date: 22 May 2026
Slug: back-on-it-getting-orders-moving-again
Categories: Behind the Scenes, Updates
Excerpt: We are back from a short break and getting straight back on top of orders, messages, custom requests, and the next run of Chicken Strips gear.
Suggested featured image: `chicken-strips-back-on-it-orders.jpg`
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We are back, we are settled in, and we are getting properly stuck into orders again.
After a short break away, this week has been all about catching up, clearing messages, checking details, and getting everything moving in the right order. A few days out in the sun was exactly what was needed, but coming back always brings that familiar list of things waiting to be picked up. The good news is that we are back on it.
The first job has been working through customer messages and making sure nothing gets missed. Custom clothing and workwear orders always need a bit more care than a standard click-and-ship order. Names, sizes, colours, logos, artwork, print positions, quantities, notes, and delivery details all matter. It is the sort of work where small details make a big difference, so we are taking the time to check things properly.
We have also been getting back into the order flow: confirming what needs printing, checking what is waiting on customer approval, lining up the next bits for production, and making sure invoices and payment links are going out where they need to. It is not the most glamorous part of the job, but it is the part that keeps everything moving.
If you have messaged while we were away, thank you for bearing with us. We are working through everything as quickly as we can, and if your order needs a reply, a proof, or a payment link, it will be picked up. We would always rather give a clear answer than fire back something rushed, especially when it involves custom kit.
There is something nice about coming back with fresh energy. The break was great, but it also made us keen to get back into the workshop side of things. Seeing orders move from an idea in a message to finished clothing ready to go out is still one of the best bits. Whether it is bike-related gear, workwear, event clothing, or a one-off custom request, it is always satisfying when it starts coming together.
This week is about getting back on top of the queue and making steady progress. That means replies, invoices, artwork checks, order updates, and the usual behind-the-scenes jobs that make the finished product happen.
Thanks again to everyone who has ordered, waited, chased politely, shared a post, or recommended Chicken Strips to someone else. It all helps, and it is genuinely appreciated.
We are back in the swing of it now, and the next batch of orders is already moving.
How custom orders move through the queue
Custom clothing does not always progress in the same order as a standard product purchase. A job with approved artwork and confirmed sizes may be ready for production, while an earlier enquiry can still be waiting for a logo file or a decision about placement. That is why a queue is managed by both date and readiness rather than by rushing every message straight to print.
The first stage is checking the brief. We need to understand what the garment is for, how many are required, which sizes are needed and whether the artwork is already usable. The next stage is resolving anything unclear before production. A low-resolution image, missing name or uncertain deadline is easier to fix before printing than afterwards.
Artwork approval is an important checkpoint. A proof gives the customer an opportunity to check spelling, layout and the overall direction. Approval should never be treated as an annoying delay: it protects the customer and the finished order. Production can then be organised around the confirmed version rather than an assumption hidden in a message thread.
What customers can do to help
The most useful enquiry includes the garment type, quantities, sizes, preferred colours, required date and the best available artwork. If the request is for a club, event or workplace, it also helps to identify one person who can confirm the final decisions. Several conflicting approvals can slow a job more than the printing itself.
Deadlines should be shared at the beginning, including whether the date is the event itself or the day the clothing must be in hand. We will only confirm timings that can genuinely be supported. Courier delays and late changes can still affect a schedule, so leaving a practical margin is better than planning around the last possible delivery.
Customers do not need to understand print production before getting in touch. Clear goals are more helpful than technical vocabulary. Tell us what the group needs the clothing to achieve, what must appear on it and what flexibility exists. From there, the options can be discussed without inventing specifications that have not been agreed.
Why the careful restart mattered
Coming back from a break was not about making the loudest announcement. It was about rebuilding the working rhythm: messages first, details checked, proofs handled, production organised and updates sent. That sequence is less dramatic than promising that everything will happen immediately, but it is much more useful to somebody waiting for a personal order.
The queue moved because each job regained a clear next action. That remains the way we want Chicken Strips custom work to feel—personal enough to deserve attention, organised enough to keep progressing and honest enough to explain when information is still needed.