The Rant: 'Quick Favor' Is a Synonym for 'Uninsured Risk'

The Crash on Friday Night

It is 6:00 PM on a Friday. The client calls. “I know we approved the final proof, but I noticed a typo in the headline. Can you just quickly swap the file before it goes to print? Don’t worry about the paperwork, we are late.”

You want to be helpful. You open the file. You make the change. You bypass the QA stage. You bypass the proofreading stage. You upload the new file directly to the printer’s FTP.

Saturday morning. The client calls. “The font on the headline is broken. It printed as gibberish.”

You check the file. In your rush, you did not embed the font. The print run is ruined. The cost is $15,000.

The client says, “Why did you send a corrupt file?” You say, “You asked me to rush it!” The client says, “I asked you to fix a typo, not to break the layout. We have a contract that requires QA.”

The Gap: The Uninsured Zone

The “quick favor” creates a gap in your defense. Contracts and insurance policies are designed to cover standard operating procedures. When you knowingly bypass those procedures, you often void your own protections.

In the scenario above, the “favor” removed the safety mechanisms:

1. No Paper Trail: The request was verbal.
2. No QA Log: The check was skipped.
3. No Approval: The client did not sign off on the new version.

Therefore, the error is entirely yours. You accepted 100% of the risk for 0% of the revenue.

The Log: The Speed Bump

We must reframe the “favor.” A favor is a Change Order. It may be a zero-cost Change Order, but it is a Change Order nonetheless.

When the client asks for the quick swap, the answer is: “I can make that change. However, I must generate a new version hash and you must click approve on the portal. I cannot release an unapproved file.”

This adds five minutes. It acts as a speed bump.

If the client refuses (“We don’t have time!”), you state: “I can release it on your verbal instruction, but I will log a waiver stating that QA was bypassed at your request. Please confirm you accept the risk of print errors.”

Event: RISK_WAIVER Context: Emergency Edit - No QA Authorizer: Client_CEO Timestamp: Friday 18:05 UTC

Suddenly, the client will likely say, “Okay, let’s take ten minutes to check it properly.”

The record forces the client to share the burden of risk. Without the log, the “quick favor” is a trap. Do not walk into it.

FAQs

Is it not good service to be flexible?

Flexibility within the rules is service. Flexibility that breaks the rules is negligence. You can be fast, but you must still be formal.

How do I say no without offending?

You do not say no. You say, 'I can do that, but I must log it as a change request to ensure we have the correct version history.'

Do small changes really matter?

Small changes accumulate. A series of unlogged small changes results in a final product that matches no approved specification.