Blog
How to Ask for Time to Review a Client Request
If a client needs an answer today and you have not seen the work yet, give them a time for your decision. For example: “Could you send the marked-up file? I’ll check how the changes affect Friday’s proof and get back to you by 3 p.m. today.” That gives the client something to plan around while you check what you can deliver.
A client asks for six extra menu panels by Friday
Imagine you are designing a café menu. The client has approved six panels for a Friday print proof. On Thursday morning they ask for six more: “Could you squeeze these in for Friday too? The printer needs an answer today.” You know the first six are ready. You still need the copy for the new panels and the printer’s cut-off. Here is how the exchange could go.
Your first reply
“I have the approved six panels ready for Friday. Could you send the copy for the extra six and tell me when the printer needs the final file? I’ll check the layout time and come back to you by 3 p.m. today.”
Suppose the copy arrives at noon. You check it against the layout, allow time for the café owner to approve a proof, and find you can finish the extra six by Tuesday. The client can now choose between two concrete outcomes.
Your follow-up
“I can send the approved six panels to the printer on Friday as planned. If you want all twelve in one print run, I can have the full proof ready on Tuesday. The extra six panels would be a separate piece of work. Which print run would you prefer? I’ll send the revised price and schedule for you to approve before I start the extra panels.”
Three replies for different kinds of deadline
| What you know | What you can say |
|---|---|
| You need one detail to make the decision. | “Is the new copy final, or should I allow time for another edit? If you send it by noon, I can confirm the proof date by 3.” |
| The deadline is fixed and you can do part of the work. | “The six approved panels can go to print on Friday. I can price the extra six for a second print run. Would that work for the café?” |
| The client needs the whole job sooner than you can deliver it. | “I can’t deliver twelve approved panels by Friday. Please keep the original six with me if that still helps. I understand if you need another designer for the additions.” |
What to put in writing after the decision
Name the version, who approves it, and what each date means. A proof ready on Tuesday and printed menus delivered on Tuesday are different promises. If the client keeps the original print run, a reply can be as short as “Confirmed: I’ll send the six approved panels to the printer on Friday. I’ll leave the other six out of this run.” If they choose twelve, record the revised fee and proof date once both of you agree.
If the client needs a decision before you can check the file, tell them what they can rely on now: “Friday is confirmed for the original six. Please plan on that for today’s call with the printer.” Pick a follow-up time you can keep. The Association for Project Management’s guide to change control explains why teams assess the impact of a requested change before accepting it.
To rehearse buying time before you answer, use A Moment to Decide. To practise stating the limit on what you can take on, see A Little Breathing Room. If urgent messages keep interrupting work you already promised, try the 45-minute work block for a freelance editor.