Ask the following questions. If the user saves a document as RTF, chances are good that the next person will be able to read it. A .doc file may not be as simple to open as it might seem. Some documents can only be opened by the same program that created them. Not all versions are compatible.
Some versions require patches or special saving to transmit to others.
For example, Microsoft Office 97 requires a special patch, downloadable from the Microsoft website for free, to allow users to save files so older versions of Word can actually read them. If the information is not readable at all, and the other attempts to extract it from the attachment don't work, try having the text sent as the body of the email. It will ruin formatting, but the text will be transmitted. This is a last ditch effort. Please contact me, Sara Ziemendorf, if you have additional concerns or need assistance.