Interesting instructions for your digitizer

Robert Young · January 18th, 2016, 11:33 AM

client just sent in a design to fix a misspelling... apparently their art had the town name wrong. We followed the art so we are not at fault. whew. BUT the design was digitized in 2006! they have sewn a design with the town name WRONG how many times in TEN YEARS??? I would think at the very least they had an order in 2006... so there is One time... but it took 10 years to reorder or have they lots of items done incorrectly? lol

sorry, I just find this interestingly humorous.

Robert Young · January 18th, 2016, 07:08 PM

client sends this in for a quote: "Please size at 9\"W x 7.4\"H. Please try to keep the number of stitches under 10K. This will be going on a white beach towel"

design has 50,000 stitches.

I quote and respond: "how do you keep a 50,000 stitch design under 10,000?"

Client sends this back:"That was an incredibly rude comment back. I am not an expert on determining the number of stitches for a logo. Keep the number of stitches as low as you can."

was it rude?

Seriously if you are selling embroidery and you are THAT far off on your estimation to your client about possible stitchcount what are you doing selling embroidery? I mean really? wouldn't anyone with any rudimentary knowledge of embroidery realize something isnt even close to 10k? why aren't you an "expert"? learn your craft, learn as much about what you are selling as possible.. or is that just out of line? without that knowledge aren't you opening yourself up to looking "less than" to your client... you are the one they are talking to, we do not exist to them...

gnizitigid · January 21st, 2016, 02:09 PM

Hi Robert

I think some clients when they start embroidery as new business with along side printing, they can send these type of questions or quotes

digidana · January 21st, 2016, 02:22 PM

dang. y'all are making me feel really lucky. i don't think i've had any of those problems! i think i would have told that customer that it was going to be way more than 10k before i started so they weren't surprised and maybe try to come up with ideas to lighten it. a light fill? applique? i don't expect new customers to be experts on guessing stitch count. some customers ask for a stitch count quote along with a design quote. actually, some old customers ask for stitch count quotes too when they really need it. i don't mind doing it.

Robert Young · January 22nd, 2016, 09:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gnizitigid

Hi Robert

I think some clients when they start embroidery as new business with along side printing, they can send these type of questions or quotes

I agree but I would still think the company they work with would have some sort of rudimentary training so they look knowledgeable to their clients? now if they are a small 2 person shop I would still think they have read trade mags, googled things, and even spent some time on an embroidery floor and talking to a digitizer or two? At least??

I really think there is a perception out there by many that what a digitizer does is simply press a button or two and voila! And all an embroidery machine is is a printer that uses thread instead of ink.. just hit the SEW button and it all comes out GREAT!

BTW the client with the 10k vs 50k issue has ordered 68 designs from us. (not sure if there will be a 69) but the point is she was not NEW to the medium.

gnizitigid · January 22nd, 2016, 01:57 PM

Hi Robert

You seems to be have lot of experience in digitizing and handling clients.

Robert Young · February 9th, 2016, 01:16 PM

Instructions: "This logo must sew out in a Tajima 15cm Hoop Please make it as large as possible keeping within the 15cm hoop size."

Quote the design a bit over 5 inches wide... client : "WHY THE HECK IS THIS DESIGN SO LARGE??@!!!!??!!!"

huh? What size would your prefer it to be?

Client: "less than 3.25 inches wide"

Scratching my head? bi polar ? two people working same order? or simply clueless?

Robert Young · February 9th, 2016, 01:24 PM

Design is a diamond shape with lettering inside it. I ask if the diamond is to be solid embroidery or the fabric showing through and if the small lettering inside the diamond can be enlarged and placed below the diamond OR abbreviated to fit within the diamond at a larger size.

Client: "what diamond?"

me: "I am sorry, maybe I have the wrong art? there is a shape around the lettering, a diamond no?!"

Client: "Yes, this is the correct art and there is a diamond shape around text. I am just confused by what you mean about the diamond being solid embroidery?"

me: "do you want the diamond filled with thread (solid) or do you want the fabric to show through?"

Client: "The diamond should be a solid embroidery and should not show through the garment."

ARGGHH...... wonder if I should ask about the lettering again? Took several times to get PART of the original clarification answered.

Robert Young · February 9th, 2016, 01:29 PM

this happens DAILY... we will clarify multiple items on a design and the client will answer ONE of those items. Like they have to go find out the answer of that first part... they leave then return when they have the answer and quickly send it to us... part 2 or 3 are ignored or forgotten in the excitement of getting one off the list!

After a few back and forths we have all the info.. but this process can take longer sometimes than OUR LEAD TIME! So now the client wants to know why is the design taking so long? lol, seriously! (common response... : "couldn't you have started on all the parts that did NOT need clarifying?") yes, if mapping for production efficiency is not important.

Robert Young · February 26th, 2016, 05:58 PM

client has a simple 1 color logo... but is worried that their client is very picky . So I ask should the design be a fill with a satin border OR just a fill with no border. (is an apple that is 2 inches wide... silhouette)

our answer is: SATIN FILL PLEASE

seriously? all caps.. OK, but how do you do a SATIN FILL at 2 inches wide?

I am just going to assume they mean for us to do a fill and add a satin border. What do you think?