Zan Atelier Chicago: alteration prices, turnaround and appointments
A real call asked a Lawrence Avenue tailor about fitting a short white coat. Staff gave sample prices, a 14 business day turnaround and said walk-ins weren't possible.
Nick Khami / / 3 min readZan Atelier is at 1756 West Lawrence Avenue, Chicago, IL 60640. Its official website lists +1 (773) 348-8666 as its only phone number and says to call that number to schedule an appointment. That is the number the call below dialed. The site lists hours of Monday to Friday, 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM, closed Saturday and Sunday.
On Thursday, October 1, 2026, a call4me customer's assistant called Zan Atelier to ask whether the shop would tailor a short white coat, the kind medical students wear, so it fit better. It also asked about price, turnaround time and whether the customer could walk in that day or the next.
A person answered right away. The short version: yes, they do alterations on a coat like that, but you need an appointment. There were no openings on Thursday or Friday, and the next opening was Monday.
Zan Atelier alteration prices and turnaround
| Question | What the call established |
|---|---|
| Will they alter a short white student coat? | Yes. "We do all kinds of alterations, so we are not limited for alteration or tailoring." |
| Price for the coat | Not quoted. Staff said the cost varies and they need to see the garment |
| Sample price: shorten a men's jacket with buttonholes | $80 |
| Sample price: shorten the hem of men's trousers | $30 |
| Turnaround | "Usually it's 14 business days," sometimes sooner or later |
| Walk in Thursday or Friday without an appointment | No. "My next opening is Monday" |
| Appointment needed | Yes. "You need to set up an appointment if you want to come" |
| Address given on the call | 1756 West Lawrence, matching the official website |
The two prices were offered as examples for other garments, not as a quote for the white coat. Staff repeated that the price depends on the work: "I cannot tell you exactly how much I charge."
What the call did not settle
- No appointment was booked. The assistant learned that Monday was the next opening but did not reserve it.
- No price for the white coat itself. Taking in the sides or shortening sleeves were mentioned by the assistant, but staff would not price them without seeing the coat.
- Hours were not answered on the call. The assistant asked, but staff answered the walk-in question instead. The hours above come from the shop's website.
- Rush service was not discussed. "Sooner or later" than 14 business days was mentioned, without a rush fee or a guaranteed date.
Listen to the Zan Atelier call
The complete recording keeps its original voices and timing. The customer's name is muted. The shop's greeting is unclear in the recording and is marked that way.
The recording lasts 1 minute 54 seconds.
Read the transcript
Complete recording with original voices and timing. Private identifiers are muted and shown in brackets. The dialogue was reviewed against the saved call text and independent automatic source and export transcriptions; uncertain words remain marked. No human listening verification is claimed.
Representative: [Unclear greeting, likely the shop name], how can I help?
AI agent: Hi, this is [customer name muted] assistant. I was wondering if you do alterations on a short student style white coat, just to fit it better.
Representative: Yeah, we do all kinds of alterations, so we are not limited for alteration or tailoring.
AI agent: Great. Uh, what would that usually cost and how long does it take?
Representative: The cost varies, so I need to see exactly what I have to do, and the time depends. Usually it's 14 business days, but sometimes I can do it sooner or later.
AI agent: Okay, gotcha. Um, if it's something simple like taking in the sides or shortening sleeves, what's the typical range for that?
Representative: Regarding the price?
AI agent: Yeah.
Representative: So exactly, I cannot tell you exactly how much, but for a sample, for shorten length of the men's jacket with the buttonholes, is going to cost $80. And for the men's trouser, to shorten the hem is $30. But still it depends, so I cannot tell you exactly how much I charge.
AI agent: Got it, thanks. Um, would it be possible for him to walk in today or tomorrow without an appointment? What's your hours?
Representative: No, not at all. I have only, no, my next opening is Monday.
AI agent: Okay, thanks. Uh, what's the shop's address?
Representative: It's 1756 West Lawrence, and you need to set up an appointment if you want to come.
AI agent: Okay, awesome. Thanks for your help. Bye.
Representative: Okay.
Getting a white coat altered: plan for the appointment
Medical and nursing students usually need a white coat to fit by a fixed date, such as a white coat ceremony or the first day of rotations. At Zan Atelier, the call points to three things to plan around:
- Book first. The shop works by appointment, and on a Thursday the next opening was the following Monday.
- Bring the coat. Staff would not price the job over the phone. The $80 jacket shortening and $30 trouser hem give a sense of the range, not a quote.
- Count business days. About 14 business days is close to three calendar weeks. If you have a deadline, say it at the fitting and ask whether it can be done sooner.
Ask your assistant to call a tailor
Connect call4me to your assistant through the Claude Code guide or Codex guide. The following is a suggested brief, not what the customer used.
Call Zan Atelier in Chicago at (773) 348-8666. Ask whether they can alter my [garment] to [take in the sides / shorten the sleeves]. Ask for a price range, the usual turnaround and whether they can finish by [date]. If they need to see it first, book the earliest appointment on [acceptable days and times] under the name I provide privately, and confirm the date and time before hanging up.
For another Chicago tailoring call, the Suitsupply customer service guide includes a recorded call to the Rush Street store about hemming. Hear this call on the examples page.
