Trackline
I already sent you this
You may well have, and they may still need it again: nearly always because it expired or it belongs to another file.
**There is nearly always a reason, and it is not that they lost it.** The three usual ones: the one you sent has expired, this request belongs to a different file, or whoever is asking is not the same person or department that asked last time.
The four reasons, by frequency
| What is happening | What to do |
|---|---|
| The previous one expired | Send the current one. The commonest case |
| It is for another file | Send it again: it does not copy itself across files |
| A different department is asking | Same. And say so, so they know |
| They really do hold a current one | Say so with the date: «I sent it on 3 March» |
Important
**One sentence resolves all four: «I sent you this document on X — is it still good or would you like a new one?».** With the date in front of them, the requester knows in two seconds whether this is an oversight, an expiry or a different file. Without the date, the exchange becomes two people asserting opposite things.
What not to do
Watch out
There is one case where you are entirely right and should still send it: **when each file stands on its own**. A document you uploaded for the warehouse contract does not appear by itself in the new building's file, even though it is the same paper and the same company. It is not that they doubt you — it is simply not there. Sending it takes a minute; arguing about why it should be there takes a week.
›Do I have to upload it all over again?
Usually yes, for another request. A minute versus several emails.
›What if the one they hold is still valid?
Say so with the date. They check and close the request.
›Can I ask them to stop asking?
You can propose they alert you before it expires. It is usually accepted.
A real case
The situation
You are asked for a certificate you sent eight months ago that expired in June.
What you do
- Replies with the date of the previous one and sends the current version
What you get
The request closes same-day instead of becoming three emails.
The situation
The same client asks for the same paper for a different job.
What you do
- Uploads it to the new file without arguing that they already hold it
What you get
A minute's work instead of a week's conversation about why it should be there.
The situation
It was sent a year ago and has expired.
What you do
- Checks the document's date before arguing
What you get
It becomes clear why it is being requested again.
The situation
It was sent to another department of the same client.
What you do
- Uploads it to the file that requests it
What you get
Each file holds its own.
The situation
It was emailed and is not on record.
What you do
- Uploads it through the link
What you get
It is recorded where everyone sees it.
The situation
It is requested again because the document changed.
What you do
- Checks whether there is a newer version
What you get
The current one is sent rather than the old one.
This article answers
- they are asking for a document i already sent
- why am i being asked for the same thing again
- i sent you the certificate last year
- asked for the same paperwork again