What’s the dumbest way you’ve ever received a document from a client?

The Most Unconventional Document Submissions: A Call for Your Stories

In the world of professional correspondence, the method by which we receive documents can greatly affect our workflow. As a service provider, there’s nothing quite like encountering an unusual or downright perplexing submission from a client. It raises the question: what’s the oddest way you’ve ever received a document?

Allow me to share an experience of my own. Not long ago, a client sent me an image of a PDF they were viewing on their iPad. However, the catch? They took the photo using a Samsung phone and emailed it to me. You can imagine the confusion and the hassle. This resulted in a manual processing of the invoice, a task that should have been straightforward but ended up becoming quite laborious.

Now, I’d love to hear about your experiences. Have you ever received something truly bizarre—a handwritten note, a document scanned upside down, or perhaps a file named “Image(345).jpg”?

I’m gathering these anecdotes for a project aimed at addressing these chaotic document submission practices. This isn’t a pitch; rather, it’s an invitation to share your stories. We can all take comfort in knowing we’re not navigating this alone. Share your experiences in the comments below!