Photo source: Shopped or not
A MODERN BUSINESS PLAY
The setting: A typical office email exchange…
The players:
“Peg” a dedicated (albeit technologically challenged) insurance agent
“Fred” a dedicated attorney who represents Peg’s client
“Missy” Peg’s tech-savvy assistant
From: “Peg”
To: “Assistant”
Subject: Re: XXX Insurance coverage
Hi Missy,
I want to send a copy of Endorsement 10 to the insured’s attorney. Where will I find it?
Thanks-
Peg
This message and any attachment constitute a PRIVATE communication and may
contain legally privileged information. If you are not the intended
recipient, further distribution or use of these items is prohibited. Please
do not read, copy or use them, and do not disclose them to others. Please
notify the sender of the delivery error by replying to this message and then
delete them from your system. Thank you.
From: “Assistant”
To: “Peg”
Subject: Re: XXX Endorsement
It’s part of the entire policy scanned in and attached in the Scans file on the file server (drive F).
Missy
This message and any attachment constitute a PRIVATE communication and may
contain legally privileged information. If you are not the intended
recipient, further distribution or use of these items is prohibited. Please
do not read, copy or use them, and do not disclose them to others. Please
notify the sender of the delivery error by replying to this message and then
delete them from your system. Thank you.
From: “Peg”
To: “Assistant”
Subject: Re: XXX Insurance coverage
That’s almost 100 pages! How can I save just the 1 page I need to attach?
Thanks-
This message and any attachment constitute a PRIVATE communication and may
contain legally privileged information. If you are not the intended
recipient, further distribution or use of these items is prohibited. Please
do not read, copy or use them, and do not disclose them to others. Please
notify the sender of the delivery error by replying to this message and then
delete them from your system. Thank you.
From: “Assistant”
To: “Peg”
Subject: Re: XXX Endorsement
I don’t know that you can just save one page separately since it is all saved as one document. I can print it out, and then scan it in.
This message and any attachment constitute a PRIVATE communication and may
contain legally privileged information. If you are not the intended
recipient, further distribution or use of these items is prohibited. Please
do not read, copy or use them, and do not disclose them to others. Please
notify the sender of the delivery error by replying to this message and then
delete them from your system. Thank you.
From: “Peg”
To: “Assistant”
Subject: Re: XXX Insurance coverage
Thanks, I’ll just print it out and scan it myself – I can save it as a picture, right?
This message and any attachment constitute a PRIVATE communication and may
contain legally privileged information. If you are not the intended
recipient, further distribution or use of these items is prohibited. Please
do not read, copy or use them, and do not disclose them to others. Please
notify the sender of the delivery error by replying to this message and then
delete them from your system. Thank you.
The Next Day…
From: “Peg”
To: “Attorney”
Subject: Re: XXX Insurance coverage
Hi Fred,
I would appreciate your input on the wording of an endorsement to an insurance policy for our mutual client, XXX Company. The endorsement is shown below. Here’s what I wanted to do…..
Regards,
Peg
This message and any attachment constitute a PRIVATE communication and may
contain legally privileged information. If you are not the intended
recipient, further distribution or use of these items is prohibited. Please
do not read, copy or use them, and do not disclose them to others. Please
notify the sender of the delivery error by replying to this message and then
delete them from your system. Thank you.
The Next Day
From: “Attorney”
To: “Peg”
Subject: Re: XXX Insurance coverage
I would be glad to look at it, but I have no attachment.
Fred
This message and any attachment constitute a PRIVATE communication and may
contain legally privileged information. If you are not the intended
recipient, further distribution or use of these items is prohibited. Please
do not read, copy or use them, and do not disclose them to others. Please
notify the sender of the delivery error by replying to this message and then
delete them from your system. Thank you.
From: “Peg”
To: “Attorney”
Subject: Re: XXX Insurance coverage
Hi Fred,
Sorry – I don’t know what went wrong. The endorsement is below. Please let me know your thoughts.
Thanks,
Peg
This message and any attachment constitute a PRIVATE communication and may
contain legally privileged information. If you are not the intended
recipient, further distribution or use of these items is prohibited. Please
do not read, copy or use them, and do not disclose them to others. Please
notify the sender of the delivery error by replying to this message and then
delete them from your system. Thank you.
2 Days later…
From: “Peg”
To: “Attorney”
Subject: Re: XXX Insurance coverage
Hi Fred,
I resent the email several days ago. Did you get the 2nd email with the endorsement tacked onto the bottom?
Thanks,
Peg
This message and any attachment constitute a PRIVATE communication and may
contain legally privileged information. If you are not the intended
recipient, further distribution or use of these items is prohibited. Please
do not read, copy or use them, and do not disclose them to others. Please
notify the sender of the delivery error by replying to this message and then
delete them from your system. Thank you.
From: “Attorney”
To: “Peg”
Subject: Re: XXX Insurance coverage
I only have the one with a sentence in quotes in the body of email.
This message and any attachment constitute a PRIVATE communication and may
contain legally privileged information. If you are not the intended
recipient, further distribution or use of these items is prohibited. Please
do not read, copy or use them, and do not disclose them to others. Please
notify the sender of the delivery error by replying to this message and then
delete them from your system. Thank you.
From: “Peg”
To: “Attorney”
Subject: Re: XXX Insurance coverage
Hi Fred,
I didn’t want to attach the entire policy since it is almost 100 pages, so I just took a picture of the pertinent page and copied it into the body of my email. The endorsement is not attached – it’s at the bottom of this email, right below my signature. Please let me know if you get this.
Thanks,
Peg
This message and any attachment constitute a PRIVATE communication and may
contain legally privileged information. If you are not the intended
recipient, further distribution or use of these items is prohibited. Please
do not read, copy or use them, and do not disclose them to others. Please
notify the sender of the delivery error by replying to this message and then
delete them from your system. Thank you.
The Next Day…
From: “Attorney”
To: “Peg”
Subject: Re: XXX Insurance coverage
There is nothing attached or at the bottom of the email – the message ends with your name and contact information.
This message and any attachment constitute a PRIVATE communication and may
contain legally privileged information. If you are not the intended
recipient, further distribution or use of these items is prohibited. Please
do not read, copy or use them, and do not disclose them to others. Please
notify the sender of the delivery error by replying to this message and then
delete them from your system. Thank you.
From: “Peg”
To: “Attorney”
Subject: Re: XXX Insurance coverage
Apparently the program I used is not compatible with your computer. I will fax it.
I will also include a flow chart detailing the insurance arrangements with XXX Company, which I think will better illustrate my concerns.
Thanks,
Peg
This message and any attachment constitute a PRIVATE communication and may
contain legally privileged information. If you are not the intended
recipient, further distribution or use of these items is prohibited. Please
do not read, copy or use them, and do not disclose them to others. Please
notify the sender of the delivery error by replying to this message and then
delete them from your system. Thank you.
From: “Peg”
To: “Assistant”
Subject: Re: XXX Flow Chart
Hi Missy,
I can’t find the XXX Insurance flow chart in the Scans document file – where is it on the file server?
Thanks,
Peg
This message and any attachment constitute a PRIVATE communication and may
contain legally privileged information. If you are not the intended
recipient, further distribution or use of these items is prohibited. Please
do not read, copy or use them, and do not disclose them to others. Please
notify the sender of the delivery error by replying to this message and then
delete them from your system. Thank you.
From: “Assistant”
To: “Peg”
Subject: Re: XXX Flow Chart
It’s not on the F drive – it’s on my local C drive because it changes all the time.
This message and any attachment constitute a PRIVATE communication and may
contain legally privileged information. If you are not the intended
recipient, further distribution or use of these items is prohibited. Please
do not read, copy or use them, and do not disclose them to others. Please
notify the sender of the delivery error by replying to this message and then
delete them from your system. Thank you.
From: “Peg”
To: “Assistant”
Subject: Re: XXX Flow Chart
Can you send it to me in an email attachment so I can forward it to the attorney?
Thanks
This message and any attachment constitute a PRIVATE communication and may
contain legally privileged information. If you are not the intended
recipient, further distribution or use of these items is prohibited. Please
do not read, copy or use them, and do not disclose them to others. Please
notify the sender of the delivery error by replying to this message and then
delete them from your system. Thank you.
From: “Assistant”
To: “Peg”
Subject: Re: XXX Flow Chart
I could, but this document is in Microsoft Publisher. If he doesn’t have that, or it is a different version, he may not be able to open or read the attachment.
This message and any attachment constitute a PRIVATE communication and may
contain legally privileged information. If you are not the intended
recipient, further distribution or use of these items is prohibited. Please
do not read, copy or use them, and do not disclose them to others. Please
notify the sender of the delivery error by replying to this message and then
delete them from your system. Thank you.
From: “Peg”
To: “Assistant”
Subject: Re: XXX Flow Chart
Can you print it out, then scan it in as a PDF and send it to me as an email attachment so he can open it in Adobe Acrobat?
This message and any attachment constitute a PRIVATE communication and may
contain legally privileged information. If you are not the intended
recipient, further distribution or use of these items is prohibited. Please
do not read, copy or use them, and do not disclose them to others. Please
notify the sender of the delivery error by replying to this message and then
delete them from your system. Thank you.
From: “Assistant”
To: “Peg”
Subject: Re: XXX Flow Chart
It’s legal size so I can’t scan it on our scanner without reducing it down to letter sized.
This message and any attachment constitute a PRIVATE communication and may
contain legally privileged information. If you are not the intended
recipient, further distribution or use of these items is prohibited. Please
do not read, copy or use them, and do not disclose them to others. Please
notify the sender of the delivery error by replying to this message and then
delete them from your system. Thank you.
From: “Peg”
To: “Assistant”
Subject: Re: XXX Flow Chart
Maybe we should just print it and fax it over to him.
This message and any attachment constitute a PRIVATE communication and may
contain legally privileged information. If you are not the intended
recipient, further distribution or use of these items is prohibited. Please
do not read, copy or use them, and do not disclose them to others. Please
notify the sender of the delivery error by replying to this message and then
delete them from your system. Thank you.
From: “Assistant”
To: “Peg”
Subject: Re: XXX Flow Chart
The print is already pretty small in order to squeeze it all on one page, and it’s multi-colored. I doubt he’ll be able to read it if it’s faxed.
This message and any attachment constitute a PRIVATE communication and may
contain legally privileged information. If you are not the intended
recipient, further distribution or use of these items is prohibited. Please
do not read, copy or use them, and do not disclose them to others. Please
notify the sender of the delivery error by replying to this message and then
delete them from your system. Thank you.
From: “Peg”
To: “Assistant”
Subject: Re: XXX Flow Chart
Please print out the flow chart on the color laser printer, as well as Endorsement 10 and give to me.
This message and any attachment constitute a PRIVATE communication and may
contain legally privileged information. If you are not the intended
recipient, further distribution or use of these items is prohibited. Please
do not read, copy or use them, and do not disclose them to others. Please
notify the sender of the delivery error by replying to this message and then
delete them from your system. Thank you.
Final scene:
Setting: Downtown Main Street, USA. It is one week after the first email was sent.
Dedicated insurance agent Peg is walking, papers in hand, from her office to dedicated attorney Fred’s office. It is one block away.
THE END
Peg-o-Leg's Ramblings 
Was it raining when you had to walk over? Or were there ninjas or zombies outside? I bet there were.
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This play would have been a whole lot more interesting with a few wet ninja zombies along the way.
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Ahh, the simplicity of technology …
(BTW, you can save a Publisher document as a PDF file)
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I don’t even think I want to know that anymore. Yesterday was a beautiful spring day. After I dropped off the documents I headed one block the other direction to make a deposit at the bank. They just so happened to have some documents they needed to send to us and hadn’t gotten around to scanning, etc, so I picked them up.
I’m a one-woman pony express!
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Hey, you got out of the office, took a walk, got some fresh air. Not so bad : )
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Sounds like some of the madness I have to deal with – the person who had the job before me stripped the office and computer of everything. We are constantly trying to recreate documents, salvage stuff from copies of copies, and tracking things back to the source. There are bits and pieces of stuff on different computers, different software, different levels of intelligence. It is so much easier, sometimes, for me to just start over. Glad you finally got the stuff into the attorney’s hands…
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Yikes! That sort of technological tom-foolery would make me crazy! Sounds like you even know what to do about it, though, so you’re my hero.
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Yes, I curse a lot, mumble much, and electronically share everything I do so that someone else won’t have to recreate it all. There are probably more ways to sabotage an organization now than ever before. Yes, technology is GREAT. (I also provide the IT guy with cookies from time to time, comment on his pictures of his beautiful family, and generally suck up – it helps to have friends in the right places).
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I like to think the part you can’t see is the person screaming, “MAKE MY LIFE EASIER” at the computer at some point.
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I can’t see it, but I sure can hear it – it’s ME screaming that almost every day.
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Oh goodness, the Admin experience in me would have nailed this with one email. I would have provided you with everything you needed with the first email. I certainly would not have replied to the “where is the flowchart” without including the file in my response.
When in doubt – Ctrl. Alt. Del.
Oh wait, I mean – when in doubt, deliver the needed items face to face. (smile)
P.S. I am looking for a 2nd part-time job. Just so you know.
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When can you start?
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As soon as possible. Telecommuting works for you, right?
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No, but how about teletransporting?
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Dammit, Peg. I’m a Admin, not a Rocket Scientist!
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Frack. “an Admin”
Apparently, I’m not an English major, either.
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Just beam me up, Peg’O.
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Jeez Lenore. I was all set to send over the employment contract when that a/an article snafu happened. Sorry.
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This is HYSTERICAL. Man. I so want to help. For the right price. But I’m not sure my help is compatible with your computer.
(Did I mention “help” means “give vodka”?)
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My “computer” can handle any kind of “help” you care to send my way.
BTW, I tried the chocolate bacon the other night (and by tried I mean devoured like a ravening lion attacking a wildebeast). I even gave a little to my hubby. YUMMMMMMMM!
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Yeaaaaa!! I’m SO glad you liked it! Now you need a “help” chaser…
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No, now I need a Thighmaster. I’ve gained 6 pounds in the last couple of weeks. GAAAH!
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LOL OMG. Me too with all the birthday shenanigans. I’ve only just gotten back into the ‘safe zone.’ And it’s required JOGGING. BLECH. But I’ve still had “help.” Lots and lots of it. 😉
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Jules, I’ve been a sterling example to my kids all their lives. Now that they’re up and out, I take my calorie splurges in the form of “help” on the weekends – not falling down sloppy, but enjoying some cocktails. Is it wrong?
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Peg, if you ever need to justify drinking -ANY time of the day or week- I’m your girl. It’s not a real party until the stuffed animals start talking back.
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Bwa ha ha! I’ll keep that in mind. Stuffed animals not talking = ok. Stuffed animals talking = time to stop.
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Priceless!
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I can’t believe how much time I wasted on that exchange. And to add insult to injury, I can’t believe how much time I wasted last night trying to get the different parts of this post to show in different colors. I wrote it in my head on the stroll back from the attorney’s office, but couldn’t get the WordPRess technology to work to display it the way I wanted. Gaaahhhh!
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This is why when I go to job interviews, when they ask if I’m computer literate I just start hyperventilating and sweating. Maybe I’ll work at McDonald’s. (Damn! I think they use computers as well…)
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Darlonski – you’re alive! Are you nothing but a pale shadow of your former, pre-Freshly Pressed self? Thanks for remembering those of us who knew you when…
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Forget you? psshaw! it’s the plaid jacket dress that got me here.
Besides, most of the people that clicked on my blog thought it was going to be a serious art discussion and they were sadly mistaken and probably more than a little disturbed to leave a comment.
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Maybe you should have some sort of competition to
foist the jacket offon share the luck with somebody else? You could call it the “Sisterhood of the Travelling Jacket”.LikeLike
Color copier with internet and scanning capabilities – scan the puppy (regardless of application or size up to 14 x 17), plug in the email address, push Start. Gone-gone. Or send it to yourself to make sure it’s what you intended and then forward it to fill-in-the-blank.
It has made our lives so much easier. 4 steps: original doc. copier. email address. Push.
If I consider it simple, it’s a fur sur you’d have no trouble with it.
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Since I’m the IT guy around here (I’ll wait right here until you’re done laughing) the thought of even trying to hook something like that up makes me break out in hives. But it really sounds good!
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Oh, my good god. Do you have any hair left after pulling it all out?
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The really pathetic thing is that it took a week of this nonsense before it occurred to me that I could WALK a block and deliver the thing. Jeez.
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I honestly thought that the final scence was going to read “…. Dedicated insurance agent Peg is sitting at a scuzzy bar drinking shots of well whiskey….”
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In addition to the attorney’s office and the bank a few blocks away, I have a tavern right next door. I think the Fates are trying to tell me something, don’t you?
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Oh wow, too funny. Too many choices, I always say, lol.
Oh, and the “when in doubt, Ctl Alt Del”? I like to call that the “3 finger salute”!
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Ha ha! That kind of 3 finger salute would probably get me in even MORE trouble when I tried to reconstruct everything.
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… and this is why I left my office job. Too newfangled for this girl!
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But you’re a baby! I thought it was only old farts like me who found it all too, too confusing?
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No. I only recently upgraded my gigantic yellow Sony (cassette tape!) walkman to a newfangled “mp3 player”. I was literally making mix tapes and watching VHS movies until 2010. I still don’t have a cell phone but somehow managed to figure out this blogging business (sort of). You are not alone, Peg!
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Yep! Technology has certainly improved our lives. I read an interesting article just the other day. I’ve attached a copy to this post. Click here. If it doesn’t come up. Keep clicking. HF
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Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!
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Gotta love it! We have these snafu’s at my work all the time too.
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I’m a reasonably intelligent person, but technology makes me feel like that movie where the monkeys are beating on a computer to try to get at the little man inside!
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Sometimes the old fashion way works more efficiently for us. The other day I found a cool web site but I can’t remember like I used to so I told Pat I was going to start a binder to keep the sites in and they all laughed at me. You are way more of a techno guru than I will ever be-keep up the good work.I laughed out loud at the ending sentences.
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I felt like an idiot both for having to actually use my feet, and for not thinking of it sooner.
Tell Pat not to laugh – I would be lost without my binder for sites and passwords. I know it’s not very great security to have it sitting by my computer, but I figure if somebody breaks into this place that will be the least of my worries.
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I used to be fairly tech savvy…..used to be. I don’t even do my pictures on the computer yet. I’ve got hundreds of photos on the chip that I haven’t seen in hmmmmm, years??? Gack! Help me!!!!
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That’s pretty scary, Tar. What if you lose the camera? It’s pretty easy to download those to your computer. Call me some time and I’ll try to walk you through it. That’s what they call “the visually challenged leading the legally blind”.
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Well, ha ha, umm, well, actually, I have TWO chips I’m carrying around in hopes I will sit down at the Walgreens and get photos printed, etc. Hee hee, (nervously), so you know I was NOT kidding about becoming tech challenged.
Looking for some teacher PD this summer to get my poop together and LEARN these things I know I could master, with some practice, and someone sitting next to me and walking me through it. That’s my learning style!
You, on the other hand, continue to amaze me with your tech savvy vis a vis this blog. At least I know who to turn to when I start my own blog…another summer project. 🙂
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You go girl! It’s a great outlet (until it becomes an obsession 😉
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You’re going to put the postal service out of business with all this “DIY” stuff.
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Maybe I’ll go to work for them. I think I’d enjoy all the walking. As long as they can guarantee no really hot or really cold weather and no mean dogs.
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Sometimes I really want to go back to couriers. Wait, I think I mean courtesans. Can I have both? Great funny post!
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Brilliant! I think there’s a real market for a courtesan courier. Maybe that’s what the postal service needs to do to get more business.
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OMG, I was howling. This brought back delicious memories of my days practicing at BigLaw. Thank you for the giggles!
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And us civilians are always so afraid of messing up when dealing with attorneys, it makes it twice as bad. Like they’re going to sue us for using the wrong font or something!
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Lesson: better to have exercise by walking than to have exercise by frustration (this could have been said by Confucius, but this email exchange was confusing enough, so I just made it up myself)! 😉
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Maybe I should have said: ‘Better to have exercise in walking than to have exercise in frustration.” It reads more like fortune cookie wisdom…
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Either way, it’s good advice. Coming soon to a fortune cookie near you!
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Had a sneaky feeling from the first memo that printing and walking to the attorney would be far, far, far faster in the long run. And people think you’re exaggerating about a 100 pager. Having worked in P&C, this is a “shorty”. Ha, ha, ha.
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Yep, a short run would have been better in the long run right off the bat! A fellow insurance sufferer, eh? You’re so right about those policies with the endless endorsements!
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Nooooooooooooooooooooooo! Truly? A block away? Bwahaha!
Also, thank you for reminding me that “convenient” isn’t always that. 😉
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Sometimes the old ways are best, right?
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At least you got the disclaimer right every time.
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The disclaimers all pile up at the bottom of the email like a comet trailing space debris.
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oh. my. word.
Peg, if you have Windows 2010, you’re equipped automatically with something called a “Snipping Tool”. Go to your start bar -> Programs -> Accessories -> Snipping Tool. It freezes your screen in place and allows you to select anything on it and save it as a separate image. It helps me steal portions of pdfs and allow glimpses of other likewise annoying files that require a song and dance to get a simple visual of.
At the very least, show your assistant this comment. It will change her life.
Love,
An Assistant.
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Thank you O marvelous assistant, but we have the caveman version of Windows, so no snipping tool. I’ve got some toenail clippers in my desk drawer, though…
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O_O aren’t you the boss? it’s time to upgrade 😉
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