Will I ever learn – Part II

Remember this guy?

So Andre has promised to check on the invoice for me.

Being the gullible trusting person I am, I expected Andre to be true to his word. I called his office a few days later to find out if I can collect the payment.
The Admin Asst. had no idea what I was talking about. I told her that Andre told me that he had already forwarded the invoice to her for processing. She said nothing was forwarded to her. What the fudge??!!!

Andre is at it again… I sent an email asking Andre what was the position. He reponded with something about his life being hectic (who’s isn’t?) or something like that. Come on Andre! All you have to say is that you didn’t a chance to send it as yet… The actual money is not as important as the principles involved in a respectable business trasaction.
I think the thing that irks me the most is that Andre and I are ‘friends’ outside of our professional relationship.

I contacted Andre again a few more times about the payment for the domains, the excuses were unique and equally funny each time.
Frustrated at the constant excuses, I decided to write an another email to Andre. (yea now I’m getting tough, hahah).
I carbon copied the letter  the Admin Asst. that was being blamed and the companys CFO.

Entire mail below

Subject: A simple transaction

Andre:

I am writing to inform you that I am very disappointed at how such a simple transaction between the two of us has become so convoluted and complicated (redundancy, because one didn’t seem to describe the situation well enough.)

It’s been exactly one month since I sent you the invoice for the domains you requested I register for you.
On multiple occasions, you told me that you were going to send the invoice to your Admin Asst. for processing right away.
After enquiring with your Admin Asst. more than once I was given the proverbial run-around.

I was told she hadn’t received it, then it was ready, then I was told it wasn’t signed, then I was told this, then that, blah, blah……the usual
I was transferred to the CFO today who very indifferently told me that I will be called when the payment is ready.

Had you been another customer and I had not known you personally I would have cancelled the domains a long time ago and not put up with this.

Again, a simple transaction.

I register a domain, I send you an invoice, you write a cheque, I collect it.

Bear in mind, the money is not substantive issue, rather the principles involved in a basic transaction.

regards…

Andre responded:

I will call you in a bit … Driving, will read details first …

The next day I was carbon copied when Andre was sending the invoice to his Admin Asst.

My response:

This, after I was told that it was prepared and waiting for a signature.

Andre:

My apologies. The email just got buried in my tragi-comic hurly-burly of life. The Admin Asst. did prepare a cheque based on her conversation with you and that was indeed waiting for signature. I expect that she should call you shortly … next time I make a request I will send an email copied to them so that your invoice goes to them and bypasses me altogether …

Many thanks still and apologies again …

I received the payment about 2-3 days later.
Finally… and just in time to buy some milk for my kids and some gas for the car. Thanks a lot Andre!