Have you ever messed up at your job? Have you seen someone else mess up so bad that they had to quit on the spot? If you have ever done something silly or had a misunderstanding, these cases will make those look like just a normal day at the office!
As you know, cannabis testing labs are a vital step in the process of getting your products onto dispensary shelves. Going through the testing process can be complex and confusing to many, which is why not every sample that comes through our doors is 100% ready for testing. We have seen our fair share of mishaps, from the silly accidents to the straight up scary, here are some of our compliance horror stories! Don’t be like these guys:
The Ghost Samples
At Encore Labs, we process a lot of samples, so it is vital that we maintain proper labeling and documentation to ensure that no samples get misplaced or switched. However, that doesn’t mean every sample comes in labeled and ready to go. One particular customer called and placed a huge order, which was initial cause for excitement. They planned to drop off the samples late in the day and wanted to expedite the samples so they could get the results faster. When the drop-off finally happened, minutes before closing, they came in and dropped off 64 samples to be processed with a 2-day expedite! In order to ensure that the samples were ready to start testing tomorrow, our team had to stay late and start registering them. That is bad enough to begin with, but what makes this a horror story is that none of the samples had any sort of labeling! This meant that nobody knew which samples were what and what tests were being run on each one. Needless to say, it was a late night for all involved.
Talk about a disaster, but the moral of the story is, please keep track of your samples!
The Wrong Lab
We aren’t the only lab in town (though we are the best), so we do get calls from potential clients who have us confused with one of our competitors. This time, we had a client call in and ask about the samples they had dropped off the previous day. Our receptionist let them know that the samples were probably still being processed since it had only been one day, but they could check if they provide the order number. The client replied that they would call back tomorrow to check-in on the samples.
The next day arrives and first thing in the morning, we get a call back from the same client. Our receptionist responds the same way, saying that the samples were most likely still being tested since the day was just getting started, but that they would check on the samples for the client. The client became upset and was very rude to our receptionist, but still did not provide an order number. When the receptionist communicated that having a sample or order number was the best way to get to the bottom of this, the client threatened to come in directly to speak with the lab manager.
Our lab manager was notified and waited patiently all day for this client to come in, but nobody arrived in person. The next day, we received a call from the company’s CEO apologizing for their employee’s conduct, but they had sent their samples to a different lab and the employee thought they were sent to our lab.
Conflict averted, but remember to have your order number handy if you have any questions about the status of your samples.
Sample Limbo
Now this story is not one that we experienced directly, but it is a cautionary tale of what happens when you work with less than reputable labs. A new client had come to us because their normal lab had been temporarily shut down by the state governing body. They needed some samples tested fast because their samples were stuck at the other lab while the government was conducting it’s investigation. However, due to the state regulations, they could not simply send us new samples from the same batch, they needed to get those samples back and then resubmit them for testing to the new lab. Time was of the essence and we even agreed to waive our expedite fees and push them to the front of the queue upon arrival. We waited and waited, but the client just could arrange a time to get their samples back to send them to us. They even asked if we could try and pick them up from the other lab directly, but that idea was quickly shot down by the state. They ended up losing out on their deals and had to wait a whole week before they could get their samples back and resubmitted for testing. Delaying their entire production process and handing them unexpected losses.
If this story doesn’t scare you, then nothing will! Remember to always work with a reputable lab, preferably one that has never been shut down like Encore Labs!
Conclusion
Hopefully these stories did not scare you too much and put you off from getting your products tested. These are just a few of the compliance horror stories that we have dealt with and help manage on a daily basis. If you need help getting ready for testing or just want to know more about how to avoid these situations, be sure to contact us to ensure that you are doing everything the right way!