Several years ago, I called Fidelity to make a transaction on one of my funds. I forgot my password, and after several attempts, the self-help system locked me out. So, I called again, to get a live person. The representative wanted me to confirm my identity by asking when I’d opened the account. I didn’t remember, but looked through my files and found the date. She said, “That’s wrong.” Huh? I had the papers in front of me: the letter from Fidelity, the interest statement attached to my tax return, it was clearly 2 years earlier, how could it be wrong? After 10 minutes of arguing and discussing, it turned out she meant not when I opened that fund account, but the date I opened my first ever account with Fidelity: about 15 years earlier! Who would remember that? Plus, it wasn’t clear that’s what she wanted.
The lesson? Check that your communication is clear. Look at your site, your brochure, your email, and make certain the readers can tell what you’re talking about, and navigate your site to find what they need.
Has anything like this happened to you? Share your stories of miscommunication.