What’s the most embarrassing thing you’ve ever done, and how did you cope?

I have been taking phone calls in my new job for about two weeks. I just learned a new product. I’m adjusting well, but some things you can’t train out.

I have done little silly things before, like sending an e-mail without adding the client’s name, so it just says “dear [insert name here]”.

These past couple of days, though, I have come up with two absolute doozies.

I was writing an e-mail to a financial advisor. This client had a joint account, but sadly one of the owners passed away. The other owner wanted to change the holder of the policy to a company instead. I e-mailed all the paperwork we need.

I started the e-mail by saying “I spoke to your clients today”. It might take you a second, but can you see what’s wrong with that? “I spoke to your clients”, plural, even though one of them is deceased… HOPEFULLY he doesn’t notice. I have a dark sense of humour so I found that a little funny, but I told my colleague and he found it kind of funny, but he was like “oh, no… little things like that you have to be careful of”.

Today, on one of my calls, my brain just completely left me.

I was going through a security check, asking the client to confirm some details. She did, and I meant to say “good job”. But instead I said “good [inaudible]”. I meant to repeat myself, but instead I said “good boy”. I meant to correct myself, but instead I said “good girl”. I’ve got a baby niece and a nephew, they’ve brainwashed me.

This client was elderly and she didn’t say anything, so I don’t think she noticed.

I carried on and said “are your documents being sent by post or are they paid in cash?” I thought I was asking “are your distributions being reinvested or paid in cash?” Your documents can’t be delivered by cash…

In the end, I recovered, and got through that call and all the rest relatively unscathed. It could have been MUCH WORSE. Like thank God I was working from home during that call rather than in the office, my colleagues would have sent me to the hospital.

However, it kind of hurts and I’m struggling to sleep looking back on it. Hopefully writing it out helps.