Client: “I’ve worked with web designers before. I used to work at a large firm and was in charge of helping with the website there. I will be able to help you a lot. Here are a few images that we’d like to use on the site.”

Me: “These are pretty low quality, but for how big they’ll be on the site, I could make it work. Are these your only copies?”

Client: “Oh, I have some larger files! How would you like me to send them to you?”

Me: “You could zip them into a single archive file, upload that to [fileshare of choice], and send me a link, or you could put them in the [cloud storage] box we’ve been using. Or you could FTP them into the site’s ‘img’ folder for me. Let me know what you decide.”

Client: “You lost me at ‘zip’. Here’s the first image.”

With forty-plus emails arriving (and more with each passing second), each featuring 20MB-plus attachments, I’m typing this story in frustration.

Me: “I can’t use the photos you put into the Word Doc for your website. I need the original JPEGs.”

Client: “I don’t understand. How did people put pictures on websites before computers and Internet?”

I used to work at a small furniture store (family-owned, single store). I hated that job with a fiery passion, but I got several stories out of it. We used to have two computers at the front counter for the manager and me to use to assist customers. There was also one in the middle of the floor for salespeople to look up product information and get into the invoice system if needed.

One day, after I’d been there for a couple of months, I came in and one of the salesmen flagged me down.

Salesman: “Have you seen this error before?”

I’d recently graduated college with the intent of going into IT/tech, so I was frequently tasked with being tech support, as well. I went to look at the computer, and it was an error that I hadn’t seen before (With the knowledge that I have now, the computer had fallen off the domain. At the time, I didn’t know what it meant.)

Me: “No. Did you call [Owner’s Husband]?”

Salesman: “Yeah, he says he’s on his way.”

The owner’s husband supposedly had his own IT business, but I have doubts about how much he actually knew. He came in and went to the computer, poked around for a minute, and then called me over.

Owner’s Husband: “Do you know what this error means?”

Me: “Uh, no. That’s why I had [Salesman] call you.”

Owner’s Husband: “Oh. Well, no one can sign in.”

Me: “Right, that’s the problem. We need to fix that.”

Owner’s Husband: “Don’t worry about it. Just give them your password so they can sign onto your computer when you’re not here. [Salesman] and the delivery guys usually get here before you and need to get the schedules.”

I stared at him because, even with my limited knowledge and experience at that point, I knew that was stupid.

Me: “Um, no, I don’t want to do that; that’s a potential security issue.”

Owner’s Husband: “It’s fine. Just write it down, and that way they can get on the computer when you’re not here.”

He then got up and left. They never fixed it in all the time I was there, and I was forced to deal with that store for another year and change. And yes, I finally threw up my hands and wrote down my password because I didn’t give a f***. I actually got to a point where I was tempted to do something that may or may not have been not-quite-malicious and then claim ignorance because since I’d been forced to write down my password, who’s to say if it really had been me or one of the other staff?

But then, a camera got put in to supposedly “watch the store”. Between the fact that it was a crappy camera with limited range and that it was set up on a shelf literally pointing at me, I called BS. And the camera was only set up because [Owner’s Husband] wanted to watch how much work I was doing because I kept asking for them to give me the raises they’d promised me, and he wanted to say I didn’t deserve them.

I really should have reported them to Labor & Industries, but when I got a new job, I was so relieved that I ran out of there like my a** was on fire.

I provided a client a username and password that were both “admin”, intending to have her change both to her preference after the first login. However, she still called me up claiming she was having trouble. After a bit of troubleshooting, she admitted her mistake.

Client: “Sorry, I had the username and password confused.”

I’m part of a team that developed an iPad app for our client. When it came to testing, we had a meeting with the client where he tested the app while we watched. The navigation of the app involved sliding across the screen to move between content. After some rigorous testing, the client gave his approval, and everyone left the meeting happy.

Minutes later, we got a panicked call from the client.

Client: “I got back to my office, and the main display looks all blurry and wrong now.”

Since I was still in the building, I went to see what the issue was.

Client: “Look, this is unacceptable. I was all ready to go live, and mistakes like this are wasting what little time we have.”

Luckily, I understood the problem immediately. I quickly wiped away the smudges caused by the client swiping his fingers on the screen.

Client: “Oh… my mistake.”