Prepress responsibilities

[swp66]

I have a question about order entry. Should prepress be responsible for telling customer service how a job is going to run? I have some customer service reps that ask me what are the colors of the artwork sent in by customer and they enter the order by what I tell them. I think the customer should TELL US what colors the job should run. I can see us getting into some sticky situations doing this, what do you guys think? Now I can see prepress making suggestions about how a job should run based on what the customer wants but entering the order off how the art was sent in to me is wrong.

 

[dabob]

You can tell them the colors that exist in the files . . . but that's an almost guarantee for a screw up . . . how many files have you gotten that would be a 8, 9, or 10 color job (4cp + multiple spots) and the customer expected it to be done in 4/c . . . or then there's the dreaded 185c and 185u spot colors in the pallet . . . . imho it's the reps job to find out the INTENT on the customer not find out how technically proficient the artist is . . . .

 

[swp66]

Thanks for the quick response, that is a very valid point, I receive art with multiple pms colors and cmyk quite often, usually created by the customer's brother in law lol. I agree it should be the responsibility of customer service to direct prepress on how the job is to be printed. Thanks!

 

[swp66]

I have devised a way to put a stop to this...I will tell them I want a commission on every job since I am basically responsible for how the order prints. I bet things will change then!

 

[dabob]

Naw . . have the rep quote it as a 12 color job and stand in the shadows when he tells the customer and see what happens . . .

 

[gordo]

In my experience prepress doesn't tell anyone how a job will run. It is the CSR/production planner that checks that the received job aligns with the job as quoted. That person also resolves any issues when the received file is not the job as was quoted. Sometimes they do the file preflighting themselves to see if the file and quote are in sync. Sometimes a dedicated preflight specialist does that and reports back to the CSR/job planner to get any issues resolved.

 

[dabob]

Gordo . . . you've been to my shop . . . five people total pressman bindery, management (tom), prepress (bob) and sales (not a techie) . . . most shops are not big enough for that staffing . . . .

 

[gordo]

Gordo . . . you've been to my shop . . . five people total pressman bindery, management (tom), prepress (bob) and sales (not a techie) . . . most shops are not big enough for that staffing . . . .

Yes - so you have to resort to sorcery! LOL
The OP said they have CSRs so that's the tack I took.
But I agree, if you don't have CSRs/production planners then prepress is where production planning happens.

 

[swp66]

Thanks guys, we call them CSRs but I don't think any of them actually knows what customer service means. Thanks for the feedback!

 

[Danny Whitehead]

I don't imagine you'll ever get consistency in a smallish place. Here, reps might send me files to take a look at, then quote based on what I tell them. Or they might quote based on what the customers specifies, then find out the files don't correspond, so you either fix them or ask for correct files. Or, sometimes, the rep will quote based on what the client specifies, and the files will be fine. Either way, you'll have to check.

One of our best accounts always sends us 10+ colour files. They're always CMYK digital, so we have the RIP do the conversions and all's well.

 

[swp66]

We are actually a large company with customer service reps in several different locations. The problem is the salesmen don't even know what they are selling. I have worked with reps that knew the process and did it correctly.

 

[MailGuru]

Thanks guys, we call them CSRs but I don't think any of them actually knows what customer service means. Thanks for the feedback!

They get mad at me when I call them "CSRs", especially during a plant tour. WE ARE "ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES"!!!!! (Get it right next time...)

 

[swp66]

Yeah their real titles are Client Relation Managers now but I have always called them CSRs, I will work on that lol.

 

[sheiladonnelly]

When a file comes in our prepress department filsl out a preflight checksheet which tells the CSR/AM what the file contains - sizes, colors, problems, etc... The CSR is then responsible for comparing that to the original quote and PO/Specs that came in. If there is a difference the CSR contacts the client to find out how they want to proceed.

 

[Mark]

I have hopes of a job coming in with the file we get being exactly as the customer actually wants it to print. Been 23 years and still waiting...

 

[JimBob53]

In my experience prepress doesn't tell anyone how a job will run. It is the CSR/production planner that checks that the received job aligns with the job as quoted. That person also resolves any issues when the received file is not the job as was quoted. Sometimes they do the file preflighting themselves to see if the file and quote are in sync. Sometimes a dedicated preflight specialist does that and reports back to the CSR/job planner to get any issues resolved.

In a perfect world this would be done in every shop... but, we are not perfect... so we do the best we can

 

[JimBob53]

I guess we have it good. Our CSRs don't quote a job before they talk to the production manager to see on what press it will run, talk about colors and bindery. Many, time come and see me to make sure plates are available and discusses run size and the template that will be needed. We are a small shop with only three owners and six employees.

 

[michaelejahn]

I have hopes of a job coming in with the file we get being exactly as the customer actually wants it to print. Been 23 years and still waiting...

We had one once Mark.

It was a 1/0 8.5x11 sheet and they wanted a copy.

Initially, they complained that we copied it upside down, but we quickly rotated the paper 180 degrees and the customer was happy.

 

[gordo]

We had one once Mark.

It was a 1/0 8.5x11 sheet and they wanted a copy.

Initially, they complained that we copied it upside down, but we quickly rotated the paper 180 degrees and the customer was happy.

Whew! That was a close call. I guess that just shows you the value of deep professional experience. Most printers would have just recopied it out of fear of losing the customer's future business.

 

[GeorgeFernandez]

Depends on many factors. What type of printing? Offset, Flexo, Digital or even a combination of these. In my experience I have always reviewed files prior to a job being created. What that means is you'll have a quote for a anticipated print run but customers look for us to recommend the best possible approach to achieving their goal. Once that is determined then a job ticket is created from the quote(to be revised), preflight, and recommendations from personnel. So in essence prepress is the main part of this equation that makes up the job to be printed. Prepress must identify file readiness, colors to run based on printing type, how the file must be adapted to that printing type, and proofing that end file to a customer before anyone else can touch the job. Hope my 2 cents helps.