A scorecard for evaluating amenity samples

Why score at all

Without a method, sample reviews drift towards whichever product smelled best on the first day or whichever supplier answered the phone fastest. A scorecard slows you down for ten minutes and speeds you up by weeks, because the decision can be explained afterwards to an owner, a brand head or a finance director.

Keep it short. Eight to ten criteria are enough. If the form takes more than five minutes per sample, people stop filling it in.

A scorecard also protects relationships. When a supplier asks why they lost, you can show the criteria and the scores without making it personal, which keeps the door open for the next project.

Criteria to include

• Fragrance: first impression, after ten minutes, after an hour. Note whether it suits the property.
• Texture and performance: lather, rinse, feel on skin and hair, visual colour.
• Packaging function: opens easily with wet hands, pump or cap works, no leaks.
• Packaging appearance: label quality, print, finish, match with the room.
• Handling: weight, carton size, ease for housekeeping.
• Documentation: labelling, ingredient list, batch details.
• Supplier response: speed, clarity, honesty about limits.
• Commercials: price, minimums, lead time, terms.

Add a free-text box at the end for comments such as I would not put this in a suite. Numbers capture ranking, but comments capture the reason, and the reason is often what the owner wants to hear.

Weighting for your priorities

Not every criterion matters equally. A luxury property may weight fragrance and appearance heavily. A budget hotel may weight cost and handling. Give each criterion a weight that adds to 100, score each sample from one to five, then multiply. For example, with fragrance at 25, packaging function at 20, appearance at 15, commercials at 20, handling at 10, documentation at 5 and supplier response at 5, a sample scoring four on fragrance contributes 20 points on that line.

Set the weights before the samples arrive. Setting them afterwards invites the numbers to match a favourite.

If two samples tie, go back to the red flags and the commercials, and run one further trial on the item in dispute rather than choosing by instinct.

A trial method that reflects real use

Do not test only on a desk. Place each sample in a trial room for several days and ask three different people to use it: a housekeeper, a front-office colleague and a manager. Have each person fill in the scorecard separately and then compare. Include at least one person who is sensitive to fragrance, because they will notice what others miss.

Test in the shower, with wet hands, at normal bathroom temperature. Leave one bottle in a warm, humid spot for a week and check for leaks, label curl and any change in smell or colour.

For textiles and dry amenities, add a wash or wear test to the trial. Launder a towel or slipper sample three to five times and compare it with an unwashed one, scoring colour, size change and feel.

Red flags worth an automatic stop

1. A leak or a pump that fails more than once.
2. A smell that changes noticeably over a week.
3. A label that smudges when wet.
4. Missing or inconsistent legal text.
5. A sample that differs greatly from the specification.

These items should disqualify a sample regardless of its score. Write them at the top of the form, above the scores.

Keep an eye on consistency between samples and production. Ask the supplier whether the sample came from the production line or was made by hand, and request a second sample from a later batch if the stakes are high. A beautiful hand-finished sample is no guarantee about the thousandth unit.

If the supplier cannot answer, treat it as a yellow flag and ask for the question to be answered in writing.

Closing the loop

Record the final scores, who scored, the trial dates and the reason for the choice. Keep the approved sample sealed as a reference. Share the result with the losing suppliers, briefly. It builds a reputation for fairness and often brings better samples next time. For a first round, you can request samples from the miniatures or refill systems range and score them using the form above.

Store the scorecards with the approval date. A year later, when the supplier changes something, you will have a record of what was originally approved.

Questions on this topic

Keep reading

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• Keeping amenity standards consistent across properties
• Briefing a designer on amenity packaging
• Importing or sourcing domestically: a hotel buyer's view
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• Hospital and clinic bathroom amenities: what to consider
• Gym locker room amenities: a practical checklist

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