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Instruct employees not to give out information about office equipment to callers with whom they are not familiar.
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Designate specific employees who will be responsible for ordering supplies.
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Warn purchasing employees to be suspicious of callers offering bargains that must be acted on immediately.
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Make sure each order is in writing, with an authorized signature and purchase order number.
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Instruct all suppliers to put purchase order numbers on invoices and bills of lading.
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Do not pay bills that fail to match your documentation.
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Do not pay for- and don't return - unordered merchandise. By law, you are allowed to keep unsolicited items as a gift, and you cannot be dunned for refusing to pay.
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Train employees to look for disclaimers on invoices. By law, order forms that look like invoices must carry a disclaimer in large type that says, This is not a bill. This is a solicitation. You are under no obligation to pay the amount stated above unless you accept this offer. You do not have to accept the offer!
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Instruct employees to be suspicious of Yellow Pages invoices that do not have phone numbers. An invoice from your local directory will have the local phone company's name on it.
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Check out Yellow Page directories that claim to be nationwide or province wide.
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If you get bogus bills or invoices, post them so employees are aware of them. If you decide to switch office product suppliers or advertise in a new directory, first check out the company with your BBB and ask for references and a sample of the product.