When Technology Fails

Oh how dependent we have become on technology. E-mail, cell phones, the Internet, specialized software, etc. is all very nice when it works. But, what about when it doesn't? I am afraid that we have all reached a point where the technology is so commonplace that we take it for granted. We just assume that it will do what we need it to because it has worked so well in the past. However, that is not always the case - sometimes, it fails.

I felt like I had an epiphany last week when I was about ready to scream at someone for not calling me he was supposed to. But, he said that he did call and he left me a voicemail on my cell phone. I never got it. The next day, I was with a friend who was checking his voicemail and he had just received a voicemail that was left for him the day before. Since we both have Verizon cell phones, we assumed that they were having issues. It happens, I guess.

What about e-mail? Who hasn't experienced trouble with an e-mail not getting where it was supposed to? We have had clients tell us that they e-mailed us an order that we never received; and of course, the same was prone of the fax machine. We take for granted that when we send an e-mail or a fax that it will be received - but that isn't always the case.

Think of the problems that could happen with the technology in your office that would be much more problematic. What if you're closing software suddenly crashed? I don't know if I could work up a settlement statement with a blank HUD-1, calculator and a typewriter; I am certain that I could not get it done in the time I usually have to prepare for a closing. Suppose you are using one of the new Web-based applications and your Internet connection goes down? Yikes.

Source of Title Blog ::

Consider the following post in the Source of Title forums:

Sometimes the cheapest way to do something in not always the best way to do something as most of you know. During the past week, I am experiencing this as well. Last Wednesday my website went down and has been down ever since so I am unable to get emailed orders. I come to find out last night that the hosting company, Avid Hosting, went out of business and in doing so had locked up everyones websites making it difficult to for them to do anything such as switching hosts. I am now having to go through the difficult process through the registrar of the domains, enom, to get this rectified so I can get on another host. So my point is you get what you pay for.

We don't normally expect our technology to fail us. In some regards we know that it can happen and we like to think we plan for the unfortunate event, but we rely on so much technology that it is impossible to plan for every contingency. When technology does let us down, it most likely will not be in a way that we predicted and what we "planned" may not be of much use.

We could also find when we are in that unenviable position that we are reliant on someone else to fix the glitch. It could be Verizon's problem that causes your voice mail to be lost, your host that has to get your email restored, the phone company that you have to call when your DSL goes down. Most likely, it is implied that your "disaster recovery" plan includes holding for tech support and spelling your name for someone in India so they can "transfer you to someone who can assist you," and, place you on hold for a little while longer.

While we cannot prevent all of the possible scenarios that cause us headaches and much dreaded "down-time," we can practice patience and understanding. The next time you speak to a client or vendor who didn't receive an order, remember the problem isn't necessarily with them - it could be one of the many providers that we are all reliant on to some degree. It may be their problem today, but it could be yours tomorrow. If it is, you might also like for them to extend you a little courtesy in your moment of need. If you are the client, give your vendor a little extra time to work it out. If you are the vendor, try to rush the order to help them out. We all need a break at some point.

Robert A. Franco
SOURCE OF TITLE
rfranco@sourceoftitle.com

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989 words | 2964 views | 12 comments | log in or register to post a comment

	Well, as I started to post my comme...
	Well, as I started to post my comment I noticed that the sidebar on my high tech blog had completely disappeared. Point made Robert. I have a Verizon Pocket PC phone that's supposed to do everything other than cook me breakfast. It's been replaced three times in the last year, and the one I have now drops calls frequently, kicks to speaker phone on it's own (boy, THAT can be embarrassing), and has to have the screen realigned pretty much every day. I've learned to always have a backup plan. Even though I have a GPS now, I still print maps. I have two printers, extra cartridges, and a lap top in case my pc crashes. High tech toys are great when they function properly. But sometimes I wish for simpler days when my 8-track tape player was the fanciest gadget I owned.
	by Alex Yvonnou \| 2007/12/04 \| log in or register to post a reply

	Excellent post. While technology ha...
	Excellent post. While technology has clearly advanced, even in the last few years, there are always going to be bugs and failures. Planning is important but as you say understanding that it can happen is necessary too. Alex, your mention of GPS is a perfect example. I loved my GPS before it was stolen and plan on getting a new one but they are not perfect. I have read more than one story about someone following their GPS directions into a river or some other place that cars do not belong. Common sense goes a long way but technology may be making that more and more rare.
	by Mark Pilatowski \| 2007/12/04 \| log in or register to post a reply

	I think I have that same phone, Ale...
	I think I have that same phone, Alex. It also locks up when I try to answer a call. I have to stick the stylus in the its rear-end to get it to reboot and function like it's supposed to.
	by Robert Franco \| 2007/12/04 \| log in or register to post a reply

	Oh yeah, mine does that too. I'd l...
	Oh yeah, mine does that too. I'd like to stick my entire phone, stylus and all, up the rear end of somebody at Verizon.
	by Alex Yvonnou \| 2007/12/04 \| log in or register to post a reply

	Funny you should mention this, Rob....
	Funny you should mention this, Rob. Not too long ago, I was running a title when my laptop crashed on me in the middle of typing in a legal. Fortunately, I keep a supply of my old forms on hand, so I was able to go "old school" and finish it there on site. Sort of made me wonder what abstractors did before the advent of all these cool gadgets that make our lives easier. You do raise a good point, that we have more or less "painted ourselves into a technology corner" with all these gizmos, not to mention the fact that most counties are doing away with paper records entirely and putting everything on computer.
	by Scott Perry \| 2007/12/04 \| log in or register to post a reply

	Boots on the ground folks!!! Would...
	Boots on the ground folks!!! Wouldn't it just be sooo lovely if all the puters in India, or wherever, would crash.
	by Janis Talbot \| 2007/12/04 \| log in or register to post a reply

	Well this one certainly hit home wi...
	Well this one certainly hit home with me. I have been having technical problems of one kind or another for the past month. Internet going down, email not working, laptop locking up & deleting info, no phone problems yet---but I am sure it is just a matter of time. I am certainly not a techno-geek, but I am not totally inept either. Technology can be useful---but I think in the long run, it has just added to our stress. I have been around the business long enough to remember lifting books, type writers, and no fax machines, no cell phones, no blackberrys. If someone needed something right away, you could dictate it to them over the phone, or they would have to wait for the mail. There wasn't even much overnight delivery. I sound really old---but most of this was only 20 years ago. The point is everyone accepted it--there was no choice. There was a lot less that could go wrong. Now just having no email for a day can be awful. We do it to ourselves. Just because it is possible to do something faster, doesn't mean it is a good thing all the time. I miss slower times.
	by Wanda Steudel \| 2007/12/04 \| log in or register to post a reply

	My office is very dependent upon te...
	My office is very dependent upon technology. The positive is that technology allows us to increase our productivity and keep down costs. However, the downside is this dependency upon technology leaves us very vulnerability. Like Robert said, I don't know if my office could operate without it either. We have a backup plan for our backup plan... You never know
	by Shane Kane - TitleSuccess.com \| 2007/12/04 \| log in or register to post a reply

	HA! I have one old fashioned HUD-1...
	HA! I have one old fashioned HUD-1 and a typewriter just in case. ;)
	by Diane Cipa \| 2007/12/04 \| log in or register to post a reply

	Been there, done that. Had my main...
	Been there, done that. Had my main server go down a year ago. We were dead in the water for a day. Key to success - have a solid relationship with your technology providers, and good support contracts. Make sure you've paid attention to and paid for, quick response times. No one sees it as insurance, but it is.
	by Dave Wirsching \| 2007/12/05 \| log in or register to post a reply

	Our office is in a quaint little to...
	Our office is in a quaint little town, Ligonier. A couple of years ago the power company just shut down power for most of a business day while they installed a new line into a condominium project. It just never crossed their mind that anyone in Ligonier would care. That WAS a day and Robert, I still haven't bought a generator!
	by Diane Cipa \| 2007/12/05 \| log in or register to post a reply

	We had a terrible ice storm a few y...
	We had a terrible ice storm a few years ago and the power went out in most of the town for about a week. I installed a natural gas standby generator soon after that and the power has not gone out since. Still... it was worth it - I know if I hadn't done it, we would have been plagued by outages.
	by Robert Franco \| 2007/12/06 \| log in or register to post a reply

Source of Title Blog

Robert A. Franco The focus of this blog will be on sharing my thoughts and concerns related to the small title agents and abstractors. The industry has changed dramatically over the past ten years and I believe that we are just seeing the beginning. As the evolution continues, what will become of the many small independent title professionals who have long been the cornerstone of the industry?

Robert A. Franco
SOURCE OF TITLE

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