The Most Outrageous Ways Clients Have Submitted Documents

As professionals, we often encounter the full spectrum of document submissions from clients. While most are standard and straightforward, some stand out for being downright bizarre. Today, I want to share an experience that still leaves me shaking my head.

I once received an invoice in a rather unconventional manner: a client sent me a photograph of a PDF displayed on their iPad, captured with a Samsung phone, and then emailed it over. Yes, you read that correctly. Instead of simply sending the PDF file, this convoluted method forced us to manually process the invoice, adding unnecessary steps to an already hectic workflow.

Now, I’m curious to hear from you. What are some of the strangest or most frustrating document submissions you’ve encountered? Perhaps you’ve dealt with handwritten notes that were nearly illegible, upside-down scans that had to be rotated, or files with names like “Image(345).jpg” that left you guessing what the content was.

I’m currently collecting stories to better understand the chaos many of us face when dealing with client document submissions. This isn’t an effort to promote a solution—rather, I just want to know that I’m not alone in this experience. Share your tales in the comments, and let’s commiserate over the quirks of client communication!