Time for me to get rid of some negative energy by means of a rant...
As many of you know I write Oracle books, articles, white papers, etc.
Recently I wrote an article for Oracle Magazine (the latest edition,
check it out!) any way, comes time to get paid. Let me lay it out:
- Email to editor: Hey <name deleted> I haven't seen a contract yet
- Reply: You want a contract?
- Reply: well, yes...I would like to get paid
- Reply: Oh...(mean while article is already to printer in magazine)
how much?
- Reply: How much do you usually pay?
- Reply: in the range of x to z...
- Reply: ok, since I haven't written for you in a while I'll take y.
- About a week later I get contract, sign and return it.
- About a week later, another email to editor: DO I need to send you
an invoice?
- Reply: Oh...we need to send you a PO first...let me get that
started
- Amazingly the PO shows up in eamil the next day
- Email to editor: Ok, who do I send invoice to?
- Reply: To purchasing, here is their email and fax number
- Fax and email invoice to Purchasing
- Reply from Purchasing: You need to send this to Accounts Payable
- Reply: Ok, what is their fax or email address?
- Reply: Oh, they don't accept fax or email submission, it must be
by...you guesed it..regular mail!
- I mail the invoice
- Two weeks later....
- Email to editor: <name deleted> I still don't have anything from
Oracle
- Reply: I checked with purchasing...they haven't recieved your
invoice
- Reply: eh...I think you need to check with accounts payable
(forwarded their email to me to him)
- Sent him copy of invoice, asked him to hand deliver...
And they tell us we need to use their B-to-B crap, we have no need to
mail things back and forth and should do everything by the web when
they can't even do it themselves. Physician heal thy self!
There...feel much better...
Mike Ault
Received on Thu Jun 27 2002 - 14:23:14 CDT
