So we received a big feedback case from a client. Nothing too bad, it's just that our translation style wasn't quite what they were looking for, but they were happy to provide us with clearer instructions on what they wanted, and give us time to fix it. The document's about 50 pages long. The first 25 pages are related to marketing and publicity, and they gave us feedback on how they wanted the language to be lively and attractive, without sticking too close to the source text. The latter 25 pages are usage instructions, and these have to be very precise, so they gave us a list of terminology to use, because the terms we'd previously used weren't quite the industry-standard terms.
Since I had worked on this case originally, I was given the task of making the edits for the client. I managed to finish the 50 page document, with its two very different styles and requirements, right before the deadline. I go to upload the edited file, when I find there's already an edited file in our system.
I send a message to the PM in charge of the case. "Hey, I finished fixing the thing for the client, but there's already an edited file in the system. What's up with that?"
The PM replies, "Yes, that's Rachel's file." Rachel is another one of our editors.
"Rachel? Why did Rachel work on it?"
"Rachel edited the first 25 pages, the marketing sections, while you were supposed to edit the other 25, with the usage instructions."
I go back and dig up every message I've ever received on this case. There's no mention of me only working on the latter 25 pages. "Hey, I've gone back and dug up every message I've ever received on this case. There's no mention of me only supposed to work on the latter 25 pages."
"Oh... well, sorry about that!"
I could've spent more time on the second half of the document, the part I was allegedly supposed to be working on, and done even better on it. But instead, we had a massive duplication of effort.
And if anyone's wondering, yes this PM is new, and yes we will be having words about this situation.
Though to be fair, I looked at Rachel's edits to the marketing and publicity sections, and they're pretty damn good.