Uploaded the wrong file to a client gallery and almost lost the account

I was working from my apartment in Denver last Tuesday, rushing to get a batch of client proofs online before my deadline. Grabbed what I thought was the final edited folder, zipped it up, and uploaded it to their private gallery without double checking. An hour later the client calls me panicked because the gallery had a mix of finished pieces and raw sketches I'd meant to delete. They saw a bunch of half done work and thought I was trying to pass it off as complete. I had to pull the whole gallery down, explain the mistake, and re upload the right files with a genuine apology. Took me the rest of the night to rebuild their trust and offer a discount on the next project. Has anyone else had a file mix up like this screw up a client relationship?

2 comments

2 Comments

taylor_fox14d agoMost Upvoted

I keep thinking about those raw sketches you mentioned. Were they just unfinished versions of the same project or totally different stuff from other clients? That part matters because if it was a mix of different people's work it makes the mistake look way worse like you're being sloppy with confidentiality too. I had a buddy who accidentally uploaded a file named "client_v3_final_FINAL_forreal" and it was actually just a folder of memes he'd saved for a laugh. Lost that gig completely.

ryan71914d ago

Think about this from the client's side for a sec. If those sketches were from totally different clients, that's a straight up breach of trust. Shows zero respect for their stuff. And honestly, even if it was just rough drafts of the same project, still looks like you can't keep your files straight. Your buddy's meme folder story is hilarious but man, that hurts. One wrong click and you're done. Clients don't care if it was an accident, they just see a mess. That's why I save everything with boring names and double check every time.