I work in client servicing at a reputable international advertising agency in the Middle East. One day, we had to evacuate because there was a fairly major fire in our building. This is the conversation I had with a long-time client when I called to tell him.
Me: Hi! I’m sorry, but we’ve had a fire emergency in our tower and we had to vacate the premises. I apologize, but I will not be able to send you the designs today.
Client: Oh no! Can’t you just email it?
Me: Sorry no. The designer was finishing it when we had to leave, and it isn’t finished.
Client: Can’t he just access his email, download it and finish it?
Me: Sorry, it was on his desktop and, since it was quite a large file, he couldn’t upload it anywhere before evacuating.
Client: Can he go back to the office and send it now?
Me: Are you asking me to send him back to a burning building so he can finish a little more quickly?
Client: Oh, I guess that isn’t possible, is it?
Me: No. We’re all okay, by the way.
Client: What?
Me: Nothing.