I've just finished preparing a response to a Request for Information (RFI) for one of my clients. It wasn't very lengthy -- only about 25 pages plus a couple of Appendices. It was also pretty straightforward, requiring answers to 15 questions.
I e-mailed the finished document to my client earlier this morning so that they would have time to review it before sending it off to their client tomorrow. A few hours later, they called and asked if I could make some small corrections. Sure, no problem. The corrections consisted of the following:
This happens a lot with clients. By "this," I mean that they ask me to make very minor changes -- changes that they could easily make themselves. After all, how difficult is it to change a period to a comma, put in a dash, add a few words to a sentence, and cut and paste a couple of paragraphs? When I make these small revisions, the clock is running: they are paying for my time.
It's a funny thing because I think that a lot of people are simply afraid to touch the documents. I could understand it if we were talking about more complex corrections (like bullets or numbers which are notorious for not working correctly in Word). But a comma?
Don't be afraid to touch the document! You can always fix it. Use the "undo" command on the Word toolbar. Or, if you are really afraid you'll mess it up, save the document under a different name and try making your changes. If they don't come out right, you can always go back to the original.
Why pay someone to fix these small things? Save your $$$.
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