Interior design studio leads: how to qualify a project request over the phone
Sado AI team · · 4 min read
In short
People who call an interior design studio asking “How much is a design?” want different things: a full project, only 3D visuals, or a project plus supervision of the renovation. To qualify them, ask five questions: what property and how many square metres, what stage it’s at, which service, what style, and when to start. Quote the price clearly, by the studio’s rate per square metre. Book a suitable client for an intro meeting with a designer, and send the portfolio on Telegram before it.
Who calls a design studio
Everyone starts with the same question, but they’re after different things:
- A new flat owner whose flat is a bare shell: needs a full project, then renovation.
- Someone already renovating: asks only for a kitchen or bathroom plan.
- Someone who only wants “nice pictures”: 3D visuals.
- A café, office or shop owner: commercial interiors, different timing and prices.
- A price shopper: rings three or four studios in one day.
Each needs a different price and a different path. So ask one question before the price: “Which service do you need?”
Five qualifying questions
| Question | How to ask |
|---|---|
| Property and area | “A flat, a house or an office? How many square metres?” |
| Stage | “Is it a bare shell, or has renovation started?” |
| Service | “A full project, only 3D, or should we supervise the renovation too?” |
| Style | “Any pictures you like? Modern, classic?” |
| Timing and budget | “When do you want to start? Roughly what’s the renovation budget?” |
With answers saved as fields, the designer arrives prepared and the client doesn’t have to repeat everything.
How to quote a design price on the phone
Design is usually priced per square metre. Write down the studio’s prices by service and quote them clearly on the phone.
- For example: full project from 150 thousand so‘m a square metre, 3D only from 80 thousand, supervision priced separately per month.
- Say what the price includes: drawings, 3D visuals, a materials list.
- Give the timing: for example, 4–6 weeks for a 70 m² project.
- Deposit and stages: when the contract is signed, when payments are due.
The numbers are only an example. Don’t say “we’ll tell you at the meeting”: a price shopper moves on to another studio.
Sample: “How much is a design?”
Sado: Assalomu alaykum, Nur interior studio, Shohruh speaking.
Caller: Hello. Do you design flats? How much does it cost?
Sado: We do. Do you need a full project or only 3D visuals? How big is the flat?
Caller: A new build, 85 square metres. A full project, then we’ll renovate.
Sado: A full project is from 150 thousand so‘m a square metre and takes 5–6 weeks. Would you like to meet our designer? Tuesday at six or Saturday at eleven are free.
Caller: Saturday at eleven. I have some pictures I like.
Sado: Great, Zarina, Saturday at eleven. Bring the pictures, and we’ll send our portfolio on Telegram today.
The price and timing are invented. Sending the portfolio is the studio staff’s job.
Handing enquiries to an AI operator
During the day designers are on site or in meetings, while the phone keeps ringing. An AI operator for incoming calls answers every call at once, at night too, in Uzbek or Russian. It asks the qualifying questions, saves the answers as separate fields, quotes only your prices and books meetings with a designer.
For website and Instagram enquiries, AI outbound calls ring right away, while the client is still looking at other studios. When it doesn’t know an answer, it doesn’t guess: it says a designer will call back. Each call’s recording and transcript are in the portal. Try it live or call 78 778 01 23.
Questions
What about people who only want 3D visuals?
They’re clients too: give the price and timing. After the pictures they often need a full project or renovation, so keep their number and answers.
Does the AI operator give style advice?
No. It asks the questions and notes the answers. Style and layout advice comes from the designer at the meeting.
Are the questions the same for commercial projects?
Mostly, but add one: the type of business and the opening date. For a café or shop, timing often decides everything.
What if the client says “I’ll look at the portfolio first”?
Agree to send it, and offer a meeting time in the same call. If they don’t agree to meet, call a day or two later and ask whether they’ve looked.