She was prolly 70 years old, but I usually wont let someone being elderly as a complete excuse for them being dumb.
This woman has been in before. She didnt understand the 'language' on a form for her life insurance and wanted me to explain it to her. So i read the document which, basically, said in plain english 'if you want to end your policy, please fill in the form provided and mail it to us. I read this out loud to her and she said she understood. Form. Fill it in. Mail it. Done.
Three months later she comes in again. Now she has the form from the company....but still doesnt understand it. She doesnt know what shes supposed to do. The letter with the form read as follows [almost verbatim]
Dear Ms. Stupidhead
Please sign the form provided and return it to us by mail in the envelope provided. We have indicated where you are to sign with an arrow. Thank you
The form was one page. On the bottom, there was a line with her name written under it and a HUGE yellow stickie next to it reading SIGN HERE. The line was also highlighted green.
She asks me. What am supposed to do? It doesnt make any sense to me.
I say 'Sign where your name is'
'I dont understand. Cant you do it for me?'
'No' [ taking a pen off my desk putting it in her hand and putting pen on the line] Just sign here'.
'Sign what?'
'Your name'
'Where?'
'On the line. Its green. And has an arrow' [pointing at the line]
'But what am I supposed to do with it?'
'SIGN. YOUR. NAME' [she does it...finally]
'But now what do i do? How will they get this?'
'Mail it.' [pointing to line on the letter which says to mail it] 'And in this envelope' [pointing to envelope].
'Can you write that down for me so i can remember?'
'Its already written here' [taking out yellow highlighter and higlighting letter]
'But I dont understand what that letter means!'
...
Well, I could go on... but honestly, I really just wanted to scream at the top of my lungs and then punch her right in the gob. But I didnt. I wrote down the directions for how to mail a letter on a piece of paper. It was really sarcastic, but I think she thought i was being very descriptive. I actually wrote 'Moisten edge of envelope. You may want to use a sponge'