I’ve had the same personal email since 1998.

Faithl@email.com if you want to chat. Except don’t, because I won’t be able to reply at the moment.

Due to technical issue I’m on another laptop without some of my passwords.

So I’m trying to log into said email account using my personal security questions. Only it doesn’t believe the answers.

I’m pretty sure I was born in Bournemouth, but computer says no.

I’ve tried lower case and different spellings Bournmouth, Bornmouth, (it’s quite an apt city name when you think about it) and even thrown in a few random ones in case I was having an existential crisis at the time. Southampton? London? Paris? I mean, for the imaginary me, sure.

The Help is no help at all. The automated email suggests I review my files 🤨. And there’s no one to speak to.

So I’m stuck.

It’s made me appreciate the times when this no longer happens. When the recover password process is generally a text to your phone, or a point of a finger. Or when there’s at least someone to talk to.

There will always be times when some things lag behind. I can’t do anything about my 90s email platform and you can’t do anything about providers who still require a wet signature, for example. Or those who don’t even use email, preferring to send bulky paperwork through the post.

But at least you’re there on the end of a phone/email/video call to explain this to clients, while offering a range of slick, quick and efficient digital processes yourself.

And this gives clients context.

Clients who are more demanding now that they’re used to living life more digitally. Skyping grandchildren, Zooming friends and food shopping online. Record numbers of over-65s have signed up for online banking, according to data from Halifax. We all now know what’s possible and what ‘good’ looks like. There’s no going back.

So how good are your processes looking?

I’m judging my email provider and imagining them to be stuck in 1998 – sitting there all bucket hats, combat trousers and pagers – you don’t want clients thinking the same of you.

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