Do you ever work for free?

An email arrives from a client in Georgia this morning. (Chris Tilley of gnoggin Studios.) There was one word wrong in the script I recorded for them earlier this week, something the client didn’t notice until they were listening back to the finished piece. Could I re-record the paragraph, he asks, and how much will it cost?

I was sitting in the studio editing an eLearning project when the email arrived, so I quickly pulled up the previous audio to make sure I had the tone and pace of that narration in mind and did a couple of quick takes of the paragraph. Save. Upload to my server. Email a reply. The entire process takes less than 5 minutes and I needed a short break from my editing job anyway. I mention in my email “no charge” just because it seemed like the right thing to do this morning.

Here’s his reply to that email:

I can’t really think of why I like working with you… Oh well, I’m sure it will come to me.

Sometimes you make more than money in this business. You make friends.

Oh, and my answer back?

Maybe it’s because I love working with you? Because I do. And you’re entirely welcome.

I do love my job, mostly I suppose because I love working with my clients.

(Updated to add Chris’ name is web link.)