Today I learnt...how to how to recall an email!

So, there I was at 5 o-clock thinking to myself "My god, i have learnt nothing today".  I racked my brains for something anything that I might have learnt and promptly forgotten...there was nothing!

Then something happened.  Something that happens to most people with an office job and an email account.  Something I am usually so vigilant about. Something that I was determined not to fall foul off.

I sent an email to the wrong person.

Not any old wrong person where a 'whoops, silly me' follow up email would have sufficed but to a CUSTOMER!  There was nothing particularly bad in the email.  In fact there was just one word (not a profanity I might add).  I had meant to forward it to a colleague as an FYI but failed miserably!  Without thinking I hit reply typed my one syllable message and hit send and flicked back onto the news web page I had half read earlier in the day.

That's when instinct kicked in, something didn't feel right.  All the blood in my body seemed to have shifted to my face.  I grabbed the mouse opened the sent folder and there it was, proud as punch at the top of my sent items TO:'Customer' - oh s***!

I don't do well with panic so my reaction was to get into a fluster and fire questions at my poor, unsuspecting, colleague in a tone that can only be described as - military.
"How do I recall an email?..quick, oh sh**!"
Her reply "Oh yes, I know you can do that"
"Yes, but how, oh sh**!"
"Wait one second - I'll Google it"
As she Googled I desperately scanned any outlook tab that looked remotely hopeful.  I found nothing.
"OK, click on actions"
"where's actions"
"wait i'll try it first"
"No, oh s***, I'm going to die!"
An outlook message flashed on the bottom of my screen letting me know my colleague was indeed having a run through of how to do it as I played through conversations with my Manager in my head.
"Is my message in your inbox?" she asked
I checked "no"
"OK, open sent items, open the email, select 'Recall this message'"
I did as she said.
"How will I know if it worked?"
"It tells you" The strain of knowing that I had failed was already showing on her face.
"And if it tells me nothing?"
"Ehm, then they've read it and you can't call it back."

Oh Sh**!

Today I learnt...how to how to recall an email! (note to reader - be quick!!)