How Do I Get Personalization Details and Proof Approval From Customers?
Collect the details and the approval in one chat thread, and write both onto the order. After a personalized order comes in, AeroChat checks it for the custom details, asks for anything missing, and saves the answers to the order in Shopify. When your team has the proof ready, AeroChat sends it in the same conversation and asks the customer to approve it or request a change. Their answer is recorded on the order, so production only starts on an approved version.
Why it happens
Stores that sell engraved, printed or made-to-order products describe the same problems on the Shopify Community. Orders arrive without the name, date or photo the customer was meant to provide. Proofs go out by email, revisions spread across several threads, and a reply of “looks good” leaves staff guessing which version was approved. The wrong proof reaches production, and the store remakes the item at its own cost.
The root cause is that the details, the proof and the approval live in different places. Nobody can see the whole history of one order at a glance.
The usual fixes and their limits
- Personalization fields on the product page. Capture the details at checkout. Customers still skip fields, make typos or change their mind after ordering.
- A product personalizer or proofing app. Adds a live preview or a proof portal. Customers who reply by message still need an answer, and approvals given in a chat are not recorded there.
- Email threads. Familiar to everyone. Versions get mixed up, and approvals are buried in long threads.
- Print-on-demand partners, such as Printify or Printful. They produce and ship. What the customer approved still has to be clear before the order is sent to them.
How to handle it in chat with AeroChat
When a personalized order is placed, AeroChat reads the order’s line items and their custom fields in Shopify. If anything is missing, it messages the customer on the channel they use and asks for it, including photos sent straight into the chat. It saves the details as a note on the order. When your team adds the proof to the order, AeroChat sends it to the customer with two clear choices: approve, or request a change. An approval is saved to the order with the date and the proof version. A change request goes back to your team with the customer’s exact words.
AeroChat: Hi Jordan, thanks for ordering the engraved cutting board (example). What name and date would you like on it? Up to 20 characters.
Customer: “The Parkers, est. 2019”
AeroChat: Got it: “The Parkers, est. 2019”. I’ve added it to your order. We’ll send you a proof to approve before we make it.
AeroChat: Your proof is ready (version 1): [image]. Reply “approve” if it’s right, or tell me what to change.
Customer: Approve.
AeroChat: Thank you. Proof version 1 is approved, and your board goes into production now.
In Shopify: the order note reads “Engraving: The Parkers, est. 2019. Proof v1 approved by customer in chat, 14 Nov” and the order is tagged “proof-approved”.
Copy this into AeroChat
When a customer places an order for a personalized product, follow these steps.
- Check the order’s custom fields in Shopify for the engraving text, names, dates or photos the product needs.
- If anything is missing, message the customer and ask for it. Repeat the text back exactly and ask them to confirm the spelling.
- Save the confirmed details as a note on the order and tag it “details-complete”.
- When our team adds a proof link to the order and tags it “proof-ready”, send the proof to the customer with its version number and ask them to approve it or request changes.
- If they approve, add a note with the version and date, and tag the order “proof-approved”.
- If they ask for changes, record their exact words on the order, tag it “proof-changes” and tell them we’ll send a new version.
Never approve a proof on the customer’s behalf. Reply in the customer’s language.
Change the tags and character limits to match your products before you paste it. Messages sent on WhatsApp more than 24 hours after the customer’s last message need an approved template.
What to connect
- Your Shopify store. Built in. Install AeroChat from the Shopify App Store and connect your store. AeroChat reads the order and its custom fields and writes notes and tags back to it.
- Your production partner, if you use one. Print-on-demand services with a public API can receive the order once it’s tagged as approved.
- WhatsApp, Instagram or Messenger. Customers can send photos and approve proofs from their phone.
Questions
Can customers send photos for the design?
Yes. They send them in the chat, and the images stay in the conversation for your team.
How do I know which proof was approved?
Each proof is sent with a version number, and the approval note on the order names that version and the date.
Can AeroChat make the proof?
No. Your team or your design tool makes the proof. AeroChat sends it, collects the answer and records it.
What if the customer doesn’t reply?
Add a reminder to the recipe, for example after two days (example), and a hand-over to your team after that. See also payment links for custom orders.
Using a different system? If it has a public API, it connects to AeroChat the same way: describe what you want, paste in its key, and it runs.
Can’t find your tool? Message us in the chat on this page and we’ll tell you how it connects.
Get proofs approved in one chat thread
Install AeroChat, paste the proof approval recipe, and place a test order for a personalized product.
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