When I was in college, I had a video cassette recorder (VCR). It proved to be a popular item, and sometimes people would ask to borrow it to watch movies. One guy named Rob used the strategy of a fake, Victorian-era British accent for his request:
"Perchance to borrow the vicker??"
Rob was a fan of the BBC. I guess he thought that asking in this manner would somehow make it more likely that I would say yes. Unless I had rented a movie and was on a timetable to watch it, I didn't usually decline these requests.
Another friend of mine would lapse into Spanish as his trick to increase compliance. He'd ask to float on a tab of wings and beers and tell me he'd "pay me back mañana" with an intentional gringo pronunciation to garner humor.
At least once a day at
blurk
someone will message me and open with "Hey, quick question..." The problem with these "quick questions" is that the answers are rarely quick or easy. When someone says, "Quick question," what does that mean? Is it the question that's supposed to be quick? Or are they expecting that the answer they don't know is going to be quick or easy? Or are they just saying that to make it more likely that you'll give them some time? Ideally, I want a quick question and a quick answer. I'd even prefer a long and drawn-out question, where I can simply answer yes or no.
I think scheduling
office hours
is a good way to circumvent this. If your coworkers know that you have an upcoming office hour in two or three days then they can ask you during that time.
Also it gives them time to write down their question more clearly, which will make it easier for the questionee to help. Sometimes writing it down will allow the questioner to even figure it out themselves
I can see using the concept of office hours for my team, but the majority of these "quick questions" come from people in other departments. I have used the delay tactic where I don't respond right away, and then when I finally respond they said they figured it out.
Also it gives them time to write down their question more clearly, which will make it easier for the questionee to help. Sometimes writing it down will allow the questioner to even figure it out themselves