Making Communication Count

Our Customer Service staff's primary objective is to respond to all of your needs as quickly as possible. Whether you require information on the status of an order in lab, need help in preparing an order for shipment or require assistance in the area of sales and marketing, our goal is to respond to those requests and initiate action the same day.

 

Inform us in advance and communicate your customer's expectations. The more we know about what you are doing, the better we can meet your needs. Taking a few minutes to advise us of your shooting schedule for the season can avoid unnecessary delay of your order when it arrives. When you have photo dates confirmed, let us know. This is also the time to order necessary paperwork, student ID card designs, computerized camera cards, and custom trading card graphics. Let us know how many subjects you will be photographing, when you will be sending the job, and, if possible, when the school or organization will be disbanding. The information regarding your schedule allows us to plan to ensure maximum efficiency.

Direct your call to the proper person. A directory of people you may need to contact has been provided here. If you are in doubt, just state the nature of your call and it will be directed to the proper person. If you have already spoken to someone regarding a particular question or situation, maintain contact with the same person until your needs have been met or we have redirected your call to someone else. In doing so, you will avoid having to repeat information and avoid confusion or duplication of efforts or orders. If, for some reason your initial contact person is unavailable (and you cannot wait for a return call), be sure to let the person you speak with know that someone is already aware of the situation and what action has been taken and agreements have already been made.

Please have all of the necessary information ready. When inquiring about the status of an order, be sure that you provide us with the job name, job number and date the order was sent. If you have specific delivery requirements (such as school closures, annual deadlines, banquet dates, etc.) have those dates, addresses or delivery methods ready. If your inquiry is concerning an order correction or reorder, in addition to the above information, have the Work Order number, individual's name and order information at hand. When placing an order with Customer Service on the phone, be sure that you have:

• Job name

• Job number

• Individual or group name

• Roll and frame number or JIP/Sequence Number

• Shipping address

• What is being ordered (and what was originally ordered and received

   in the case of an order correction)

• Information for trading cards, PageMates or plaques (when applicable)

Request a Work Order number for future reference before you complete your call. By having all information at your fingertips when you call, it avoids further interruptions of your already busy schedule.

Visit our website at www.excelphoto.com and take advantage of online order forms. Order corrections. late orders and reorders can be sent electronically by using our online work order. You can also track progress of your work orders online. If you don’t have a user name and login, just call Customer Service! All order forms are available to download, or you can contact us by e-mail.

Utilize the fax machine. Delays, misunderstandings and time consuming phone calls can be eliminated by proper use of the fax machine. However, be sure that ALL necessary information is faxed at the same time. The fax machine is checked throughout the day and all orders are routed immediately upon receipt. Sending bits and pieces of information throughout a day (or days) could result in delay, confusion and possible duplication of orders. Please be sure to include a cover sheet with your fax that lets us know how many pages should be included in your transmittal and who should be contacted if there are any problems. When faxing order corrections or reorders, please use an Excel Photo Work Order form (with all requested information complete) or develop a form on your computer system that closely resembles our Work Order. Please be certain that all of the information is legible. Each Work Order should have a unique number that identifies that particular order. Send information such as order corrections, reorders, custom graphic orders for student body cards, trading cards, order envelopes, trading card backs and inquiries regarding the status of orders in lab, which can be handled more efficiently with proper use of the fax. To receive the maximum benefit from the fax machine, please be sure that you provide all necessary information. Try to set up a specific time of day to fax all of your orders at once. Most importantly, be sure that the information you fax to us is complete, legible, and includes accurate catalog numbers and product descriptions.

 

Please Note: We do not recommend faxing artwork for logos, job summaries, school production forms, or any other paperwork required to produce jobs. We still recommend and prefer that all paperwork accompany the original job.