How to take printing and signage orders by phone: from business cards to shop signs
Sado AI team · · 4 min read
In short
When taking a printing order by phone, pin down five things: what and how many, size, material, the deadline and whether a layout exists. Then ask by product: one or two sides for business cards, size and where it hangs for a banner, the installation address for a sign. Quote only from the price list; a manager prices anything non-standard. Say exactly where to send the layout file. When the order is ready, call the customer and agree pickup or delivery.
Why printing orders get muddled on the phone
One customer says “a hundred business cards”, another “big lettering for my shop”. In both cases price and deadline depend on a dozen small things: paper, size, colour, installation. Miss one on the phone and the manager has to call back and ask everything again, while the customer is already writing to another print shop. The fix: write down the questions for each product in advance.
Five questions for every order
- What and how many: “500 business cards”, “3 banners”.
- Size: standard or custom. For banners and signs, width and height in metres.
- Material and colour: paper type, film, banner fabric; one-sided or two-sided.
- Deadline: an exact date. Not “as soon as possible” but “by Friday noon”.
- Layout: a ready file, just a logo, or design from scratch.
Extra questions by product
| Product | Also ask |
|---|---|
| Business cards, flyers, booklets | Paper weight, lamination, how many different designs |
| Banner | Indoors or outdoors; are eyelets needed |
| Shop sign, lightbox | Installation address, wall type, floor, lighting, who gets the permit |
| Stickers, labels | What surface, cut shape, on a roll or on sheets |
| T-shirts, bags, caps | How many per colour and size, where the logo goes |
Quote only from the price list, for example for standard business cards. For a custom size, installation or design, say “a manager will work out the price and call you back”, and say when.
How to receive the layout file
- Say exactly where to send it: a Telegram number or an email address. “Just send it over” doesn’t work by phone.
- Name the format you need, for example PDF or CDR with text converted to curves.
- If the image quality is poor, say so before printing; that beats an argument later.
- Have the customer approve the layout in writing before printing: if 1,000 booklets come out with a typo, agree in advance who is responsible.
Sample call: a rush order for a shop opening
Sado: Assalomu alaykum, Rang Print, this is Malika.
Caller: We’re opening a shop on Friday. We need business cards and a banner.
Sado: Sure. How many cards, what size banner, and where will it hang?
Caller: 500 cards. The banner is three metres by one, outside, above the door.
Sado: Is your layout ready, or shall we do the design too?
Caller: We have a logo; you do the rest.
Sado: Got it. Send the logo on Telegram to this same number. A manager will work out the price and timing and call you within the hour. What’s your name?
Caller: Dilshod.
The “your order is ready” call, and the AI operator
When the order is ready, make a short call: what’s ready, where to collect it, opening hours, whether delivery is needed. If there’s installation, agree the fitter’s visit in the same call. Remind customers about uncollected orders after a week.
On incoming calls, Sado’s AI operator asks these questions in Uzbek or Russian and saves the answers in the portal as separate fields. It quotes only from your price list and creates a task for a manager on non-standard orders. If you use Bitrix24, every order lands in the CRM as a lead or deal: see Bitrix24 integration.
“Order ready” calls can run through outbound calls on the day’s list. Try it live or call 78 778 01 23.
Questions
Can we quote business card prices by phone?
For standard products, yes: if the price is in the list, the operator says it at once. For a custom size, special paper or design, a manager works out the price.
Can a layout be approved by phone?
Better not. Let the customer see it and approve it in writing on Telegram or by email, so there’s no dispute over typos or colours.
Does the AI operator accept images or files?
No, it talks on the phone. It says where to send the file and records the order details; a manager or designer receives the file itself.