Flagging Down Some Tech Support

(For a couple of summers, I worked for an older woman who ran her own landscaping business, mostly planting flowers and organizing things that the men on the crew could not be counted on to put away properly. As a fairly tech-savvy college student I offered minor tech support even after I found a more year-round job. On this occasion, I answer a slightly hysterical phone call regarding important emails.)

Boss: “[My Name], oh, you’ve got to help me. I had this really important email from [Client] but now I can’t find it!”

Me: “Are you sure you’re checking the right email? Or the right inbox?”

Boss: “It’s my work Gmail and it’s so important. It has all the details of what I need to do and I flagged it but now I can’t find it!”

Me: “I could come over, if you need—”

Boss: “No, no. I must be getting senile. I mean it was RIGHT HERE and I flagged it so I could find it again but now—”

Me: “Wait, you FLAGGED it? Check your spam folder.”

Boss: *half an octave higher* “My SPAM FOLDER! Why would it be there?!”

Me: “Flagging it isn’t a good thing. You told your email that you didn’t want to see that message, and probably every message from [Client]. It’s a warning. Like “red flags,” you know?”

Boss: *skeptical* “No, I don’t know. Where did it go?”

Me: “Please, check your spam folder.”

(She checked it and, lo and behold, there was all the important messages from Client that she’d been going crazy looking for, among other business emails. She definitely knows what she’s talking about when it comes to planting and designing gardens, but put her in front of a computer…)