Back in 10 minutes sign

Back in 10 minutes sign

This sign prints Back in 10 minutes in large sky blue playful lettering on one A4 landscape sheet, inside a double sky blue border. Underneath, in black, it reads Sorry to miss you, please wait or call back. Keep it by the till and hang it on the door whenever you step out.

Last reviewed 3 October 2026

About this version

Anyone who runs a shop, a studio, a reception desk or a market stall on their own has to step away sometimes: to the post office, the bank, a delivery round the back or the loo. A clear back soon sign stops customers rattling the door or walking off for good. This one prints on a single A4 landscape sheet in a double sky blue border, a thick line with a fine one inside it. Back in 10 minutes is set in sky blue playful lettering, as large as the sheet allows, which wraps onto two lines to stay big. Underneath, at a little over half that size, a polite black line reads Sorry to miss you, please wait or call back.

Change the time to whatever is honest, such as Back in 5 minutes or Back at 2pm, or make a few versions to keep in a folder. The second line can carry a phone number, Please ring 07700 900123, or point people elsewhere, such as Please ask next door. A third line is there if you need it, and it prints a little smaller again. For a calmer sign, choose classic lettering and navy; for a market stall, a solid band reads better from a distance.

A back soon sign is only trusted if it is true. Writing a time, Back at 2.15pm, works better than a number of minutes, because a customer cannot tell when the ten minutes started. A small clock face sign is another way to do this, but a time written on the sign is clearer.

Print on card, or slip the sheet into a plastic sleeve so you can write a return time on it with a dry wipe pen. Punch two holes at the top and hang it on a suction hook on the door glass, facing out. Keep it next to the open and closed sign so it is always to hand.