Customer e-mailed files

[MitchtheMitch]

I am curious how some of you are dealing with files that customers e-mail to CSRs or sales reps. We are trying to get away from forwarding artwork via email to our pre-press operators. Is anyone using a file-share on the network to drop the e-mailed files to or something like?

I am hoping to hear some of your workflows regarding e-mailed artwork.

Thanks!

 

[dabob]

We just made a folder on our server that the files are dropped in by the CSR . . . I just have to keep reminding them to put a job# and customer name on the folder that holds the files . . . otherwise I would have 20 business cards named business card and 10 files named brochure . . .

 

[MitchtheMitch]

We just made a folder on our server that the files are dropped in by the CSR . . . I just have to keep reminding them to put a job# and customer name on the folder that holds the files . . . otherwise I would have 20 business cards named business card and 10 files named brochure . . .

That's a good point!! Another question dabob: how do you manage the folder? Meaning, when do you delete files/folders? Thanks so much

 

[dabob]

We have an archive folder inside that folder that is broken into months and years, when the pre-press guy copies it he moves it into the proper archive folder - that makes it easy to find if you need it again and you can always go back to the original if needed . . .

 

[jrsc]

we make the csr's and sales reps attach the files to the electronic job ticket.

 

[dabob]

we make the csr's and sales reps attach the files to the electronic job ticket.

We don't have none of them newfangled things . . . .

 

[prepressdork]

we make the csr's and sales reps attach the files to the electronic job ticket.

You mean you...actually...control your sales reps? I want to work there!!!

 

[PittsburghKid]

We use Hightail. Its very user friendly and web based.

 

[dabob]

We use Hightail. Its very user friendly and web based.

You mean you use hightail to move files around internally?????

 

[namelessentity]

A lot of jobs that come into copy are just e-mail forwards, but I make them add a job# in the subject so I don't have to guess what it goes to.
All of our jobs are archived by job # on our server and also backed up externally in case of disaster.

I don't really see an issue with e-mail forwards as long as they're adding relevant information and not just blind forwarding e-mails as soon as they receive them.

 

[MitchtheMitch]

With the amount of files we receive on a daily basis it would be more of a burden on our email system to forward all the files to the artists.

What sounds like a good idea it have a repository on the network that CSRs drop emailed files to and the artist retrieve them when they get the job tickets.

 

[PricelineNegotiator]

We do the latter, Mitch. A spin on ours is we are somewhat of a quick printer, so a lot of our orders are reorders. We have a master database with Jobs and each letter has a folder (A, B, C etc), for any customer that does reordering or pays for layout. There is a Temps folder and also a Proofs folder. Temps is sorted for each month and year, and this would typically occupied by documents that a customer sends over and says "print me 5 copies of this and I'll be in at 5 pm to pick them up" or sign and fax type documents. Proofs just has print ready files and proof files for communication between the prepress and our clients and press operators. Very efficient and easy to find the files we want, with an extremely low re-run rate.

 

[jrsc]

You mean you...actually...control your sales reps? I want to work there!!!

We try to. If they don't do it right we just put the job on hold and assign a task to them to fix it. You kick a few things back to them and tell them the jobs aren't going to get done on time they get with the program pretty quick. When you first try it you might have a couple rough days of production trying to make up the lost time putting the job on hold but eventually things will go smoother because the sales reps will learn.

If that doesn't work the next thing to try is when they mess something up or don't do it the way it should be making it late they have to stay after hours and work with a production guy to actually do the job.

third option is to base part of their commission on how well the follow directions. If they do everything right they get their full commission, if not some gets deducted.