Use references without treating them as proof of fit

References can reveal how a supplier works, but another customer's success does not prove suitability for your own product. Ask questions tied to the decision you are making and respect the referee's time and confidentiality. A generic testimonial should not replace direct evidence.

Define the requirement

Request references for comparable processes, volumes or delivery patterns, where the supplier can obtain permission to share them. Decide in advance what you want to learn: communication under a revision, handling defects or keeping records. Avoid soliciting confidential commercial terms that another customer should not disclose.

Questions to send with the RFQ

Ask the referee what scope they actually bought and when. A reference from a small sample order may not illuminate mass-production reliability. Ask for a specific example of a change or problem and how the supplier responded, rather than a simple star rating.

Review the answer

Review references beside samples, documents and the quote. A positive conversation can support confidence but not close an unresolved specification gap. Record the date and scope of each reference call so later decision-makers know what it established.

An example to adapt

For a hypothetical custom display order, a reference from a standard catalogue item is only partly relevant. A buyer may prefer a smaller reference involving custom tooling and artwork revisions, while still checking the actual display sample directly.

Decision before sending

A reference call is most useful when its questions are narrow. Ask how the supplier behaved after a drawing changed or a delivery slipped, and whether it communicated before the customer had to chase. Record what the referee actually bought and when. Do not request confidential prices or take one good story as proof of current capacity. Bring the evidence back to the RFQ: does it resolve a real concern about this product, or only improve the supplier's general reputation?

Source context

The FAR commercial-offer instructions allow recent, relevant past-performance contracts and references when they are evaluation factors. For this RFQ, ask a reference about work similar in product, market and order size; the mere presence of a name is not proof of fit.