Vendor/EW pwnage

[NorthernZel]

An oldie, but still...

Back in the day where I worked as an AP/AR at a movers company that also dealt with other shipping companies, there were often issues with clients that were customers and vendors at the same time. This company was one of them, but my encounter with them was more on the vendor side, so that's why I'm posting it here.

So, I get a mail:

Vendor: Hi, I can see you have an outstanding invoice here, plz pay.

Me: We have paid, please see enclosed remittance advice.

Vendor: We still cannot see your payment, please pay ASAP.

Me: We HAVE paid, please check enclosed remittance advice again.

Vendor: Our bank cannot confirm your payment, pay ASAP!

Me: Please check our remittance advice again, all relevant info is included there.

Vendor (this time cc'ing her boss): BLARGLE you haven't paid and we know it, pay NOW or we'll sue!

Me: Ok, why don't you ask your bank to investigate, if the payment has stalled somewhere we'll rectify, but as of now, everything seems allright on our end

Vendor: NO NO NO this is YOUR FAULT, do what you have to do but pay NOW!

Me: Right, I'm gonna call our bank now. But if it shows that the fault is at your end, we're gonna deduct our bank expences from your next bill, ok?

Vendor: YES YES PAY NAO

---

Whaddya know, after just 4 days it shows that vendor's bank screwed up big time and hadn't registered our payment.

So on my last day at the company, I had the honor of doing this exchange:

Me: Thanks for your latest invoice. As agreed, here is payment for <invoice> deducted <bank fees> (thus making the total to a hilariously low total).

Vendor: Thank you.

Me:

[TheSHAD0W]

Me: Right, I'm gonna call our bank now. But if it shows that the fault is at your end, we're gonna deduct our bank expences from your next bill, ok?

...

Me: Thanks for your latest invoice. As agreed, here is payment for <invoice> deducted <bank fees> (thus making the total to a hilariously low total).

Vendor: Thank you.

Me:

Vendor's probably happy about it; he can yell at his bank now, and they'll probably comp him the fees if it's their fault.

[Whirly_bird]

Just curious, but what's AP/AR?

[It's me]

Just curious, but what's AP/AR?

Accounts Payable / Accounts Receivable



I wonder if the vendor has a ledger entry for "stupidity"?

[Whirly_bird]

Thanks. We got accounting people, but i don't really know their titles and stuff.

[Andara Bledin]

I'm the dunning and "get this account off our books" person at my workplace. I had a customer recently who flatly denied that we owed them a credit on some parts they returned to us. Okie-dokie, I'll just write that puppy off and we'll keep that money in our bank account.

^-.-^

[PepperElf]

i'm surprised they didn't bitch about the bank fees being taken off of your bill.

[greek_jester]

i'm surprised they didn't bitch about the bank fees being taken off of your bill.

Not possible. The op stated that the conversation took place through the mail, & before they actually checked with their bank, they got the supplier to agree to cover the banking charges if it turned out that the problem was at the supplier's end (which it was).

Since the op sounds like the type of sensible person who would include a copy of said correspondence with the remittance, there's nothing the supplier could do without looking very stupid in a civil court.

As my first accounts manager taught me, documentation is your friend when you're employing the CYA principle

[NorthernZel]

Since the op sounds like the type of sensible person who would include a copy of said correspondence with the remittance, there's nothing the supplier could do without looking very stupid in a civil court.

As my first accounts manager taught me, documentation is your friend when you're employing the CYA principle

Yup, my #1 rule that I tell everyone that I train is "document, document, document - and when in doubt, document AND cc your supervisor/manager"

So in my conversation, as soon as it escalated to lawsuit threats, I made sure that a) all previous conversation was copied in the emails, and b) I cc'd my boss, vendor's boss AND one of my coworkers (in case the matter wasn't resolved before my temp contract expired).

[greek_jester]

Yup, my #1 rule that I tell everyone that I train is "document, document, document - and when in doubt, document AND cc your supervisor/manager"

Oh yes! My "points for manager" notes when I'm putting together a set of year-end accounts are legendary. If I've assumed something, I note it. If I have to calculate something that isn't written down elsewhere, I'll note it.

This came about as a form of self-defence when I was working at a small firm of accountants where we did a lot of small jobs (you could knock out 6-8 a day beginning to final copy).

One particular manager had a tendency to come to you, 5 weeks after you passed the job over for review, and ask you where one particular figure came from. Said figure was usually less than £100. As a general rule, unless the client's turnover was only about £5,000 a year, £100 was immaterial and so was written off. You can imagine how popular this manager was

[Gizmo]

I'm the dunning and "get this account off our books" person at my workplace. I had a customer recently who flatly denied that we owed them a credit on some parts they returned to us. Okie-dokie, I'll just write that puppy off and we'll keep that money in our bank account.

^-.-^

I've got one like that at the moment: We issued a credit for something we inherited years ago on behalf of a customer and recently scrapped - it belonged to the customer so they actually should get the benefit of the scrap price. Customer won't put it on their account as they've got no direct invoice to put it against. Ok, I'll keep the funds here for you until you work that out.

(I've got another few who have overpaid us in the past - double of one invoice or wrong items - and keep forgetting to take it off their next remittance despite confirming they will. )