[DETRoadster]

Bad day at the office today? Had an interaction that left you wanting to punch yourself in the face with a brick? Let it all out here!

I'll go first. E-mail chain today with our CFO:

CFO - Why do you have $400 in "ISO Test Specifications" on your expense report?
Me - We needed to buy them for a customer project. I noted that in my expense report.
CFO - Yes, I get that but why did we have to buy them?
Me - Are you asking why we had to BUY them or why we had to PAY for them?
CFO - Pay. Why did we have to pay for them? Cant you just download them for free?
Me - Not legally.
CFO - I dont understand why they arent free.
Me - ASNI/ISO is a private entity. They draft, publish, and sell test specs. That's their business model. I'm not an economist but I think this is how capitalism works.
CFO - Seems like extortion
Me - I dunno what to tell you. Free market man. You are free to create a company that drafts and publishes test specs and gives them away for free. Until then I either need to keep buying them or you need to tell IT to show me how to get onto the dark web so I cant hunt around for free copies.

[aliiin]

Hope that no HR department will be reading this thread

[DETRoadster]

Originally Posted by aliiin

Hope that no HR department will be reading this thread

Well certainly dont disclose who you work for or post from your work computer. That's like Internet 101.

[TiMSport]

And that dude is your CFO? Doesn't sound qualified to me. I don't know exactly what you do but I'm somewhat familiar with ISO standard related stuff. I would think that someone in an important position that oversees financial ops he'd comprehend the need for that kind of stuff in your line of work (though I don't know what that is).

[DETRoadster]

Originally Posted by TiMSport

And that dude is your CFO? Doesn't sound qualified to me. I don't know exactly what you do but I'm somewhat familiar with ISO standard related stuff. I would think that someone in an important position that oversees financial ops he'd comprehend the need for that kind of stuff in your line of work (though I don't know what that is).

He's just cheap as hell! That's all. The company I work for will spend $1,000 in man-hours to try to save $50. It's so frustrating.

[vreihen16]

Obviously you're never worked in the exciting world of IT.....

[DETRoadster]

Originally Posted by vreihen16

Obviously you're never worked in the exciting world of IT.....

I've managed both IT and software engineering departments. And I'm 100% certain there's some Internet threads out there about how frustrating it was to work for me given my limited knowledge of both.

[TiMSport]

Originally Posted by DETRoadster

I've managed both IT and software engineering departments. And I'm 100% certain there's some Internet threads out there about how frustrating it was to work for me given my limited knowledge of both.

Lol. A vicious cycle.

[King Rudi]

Originally Posted by DETRoadster

Bad day at the office today? Had an interaction that left you wanting to punch yourself in the face with a brick? Let it all out here!

I'll go first. E-mail chain today with our CFO:

CFO - Why do you have $400 in "ISO Test Specifications" on your expense report?
Me - We needed to buy them for a customer project. I noted that in my expense report.
CFO - Yes, I get that but why did we have to buy them?
Me - Are you asking why we had to BUY them or why we had to PAY for them?
CFO - Pay. Why did we have to pay for them? Cant you just download them for free?
Me - Not legally.
CFO - I dont understand why they arent free.
Me - ASNI/ISO is a private entity. They draft, publish, and sell test specs. That's their business model. I'm not an economist but I think this is how capitalism works.
CFO - Seems like extortion
Me - I dunno what to tell you. Free market man. You are free to create a company that drafts and publishes test specs and gives them away for free. Until then I either need to keep buying them or you need to tell IT to show me how to get onto the dark web so I cant hunt around for free copies.

You can always give the Joe Dirt response of "Maybe one day UNICEF will get into the ISO Test Specs but until then...."

David, you know I want to jump all over this thread! I'll come back though. I'm trying to determine which conversation I've had this morning that I want to drop here, or if I want to dig into the archives. I have too much material for this thread to decide on where to start.

Originally Posted by DETRoadster

Well certainly dont disclose who you work for or post from your work computer. That's like Internet 101.

[M_Six]

I don't have actual conversations, but for a while we had to have approval from the office of the university president for any purchase. I mean, anything. Back and forth over why we needed to buy $65 of RAM or a $15 cable. We wasted far more money in man hours going back and forth with this crap than we saved.

Then there was the whole back-to-the-office bit in July 2020, way before other folks were going back. I had an identical setup at home as I had in the office as far as desktops were concerned. My office phone was forwarded to my cell phone, and I handled everything online. No one knew if I was at home or sitting in my office because I never used my webcam for meetings. Just the mic. So when I got back to the office, I locked myself in my office and handled everything online. No one knew if I was at home or in my office. It was idiotic.

[DETRoadster]

Originally Posted by King Rudi

You can always give the Joe Dirt response of "Maybe one day UNICEF will get into the ISO Test Specs but until then...."

David, you know I want to jump all over this thread! I'll come back though. I'm trying to determine which conversation I've had this morning that I want to drop here, or if I want to dig into the archives. I have too much material for this thread to decide on where to start.

Well I was using the thread as a way of venting about a current conversation, but by all means, feel free to dig into the archives. I know you've got some gems in there!

[King Rudi]

This morning.

Months ago I created a PO for work to be completed. The work was completed and the contractor sends the invoice. I send the invoice to accounts payable to process. This morning I get an email from the contractor stating the invoice has not been paid and I am asked to look into it.

I send an email to accounts payable stating: The attached invoice is past due. Please advise on payment status.
AP: We do not have this invoice.
Me: I just sent it to you.
AP: Please ask the vendor to send the invoice to XXXXX@XXXX.com for processing.
Me (CC'ing the head of accounting): I'm sorry. You want me to email the vendor to ask them to email the invoice that I just emailed to you? Correct?
AP: Yes.

This is how self-harm begins

Moments later, I get an IM on teams from the head of accounting stating that he took care of it.

[TiMSport]

Lol. At least the person heading your accounting dept. seems competent.

[King Rudi]

Originally Posted by TiMSport

Lol. At least the person heading your accounting dept. seems competent.

It's 50/50. They just know what an asshole I can be. I tend to escalate things quickly for a fast resolution. I don't have time to play with people who work from home and only after 9:00 p.m. I'm also that guy that knows how to work the system to get what I want without seeking approval. If everything was done the way corporate would like, it would take me forever to complete projects.

[Alfisti]

I have one guy that I inherited from a company we purchased a few years ago, ideally i'd let him go but there are complications I will not bore you with.

Alf: Do we have all US staff on project X?
Muppet: Yes we do, except the 4 on project Y
Alf: WHy are they on that job, it doesn't need US staff
Muppet: It is into Michigan
Alf: but there's no US staffing requirement
Muppet: It's only one person, the other three cannot connect to X
Alf: So it's a connection issue, have you spoken with the client to grant access?
Muppet: Yes
Alf: When?
Muppet: Yesterday
Alf: how about we try again now

You see where this is going, could have choked the fucking giblet. Project X was SCREAMING for more staff.

[sygazelle]

If he'd asked you to download it illegally then I think you'd have a CFO that is out of his depth. From your post it appears that he is just asking you why you didn't and you gave him a great and correct answer.

I have no stories to add since I am happily retired. I do enjoy these work-related threads to remind me of my past lives in the work world.

[RugbyBro]

Boss: “Need this done yesterday”
Me: “f*ck”
My associates: “pls no”

[King Rudi]

Originally Posted by Alfisti

I have one guy that I inherited from a company we purchased a few years ago, ideally i'd let him go but there are complications I will not bore you with.

Alf: Do we have all US staff on project X?
Muppet: Yes we do, except the 4 on project Y
Alf: WHy are they on that job, it doesn't need US staff
Muppet: It is into Michigan
Alf: but there's no US staffing requirement
Muppet: It's only one person, the other three cannot connect to X
Alf: So it's a connection issue, have you spoken with the client to grant access?
Muppet: Yes
Alf: When?
Muppet: Yesterday
Alf: how about we try again now

You see where this is going, could have choked the fucking giblet. Project X was SCREAMING for more staff.

"Muppet"

[TiMSport]

Originally Posted by King Rudi

It's 50/50. They just know what an asshole I can be. I tend to escalate things quickly for a fast resolution. I don't have time to play with people who work from home and only after 9:00 p.m. I'm also that guy that knows how to work the system to get what I want without seeking approval. If everything was done the way corporate would like, it would take me forever to complete projects.

So I suppose you're like "the Fixer". Nice.

[King Rudi]

Originally Posted by TiMSport

So I suppose you're like "the Fixer". Nice.

Funny that you mention this, but yes. I am "The Fixer." When I worked for the big blue death star (at&t) each of the members of my team had nicknames. I was "Winston" or "The Wolf" based off Harvey Keitel's character on Pulp Fiction.

I keep trying to get the current employer to change my job title from Project Coordinator to Resident Genius. I'm kidding on the genius part, I'm not that bold, it's just funny that I'm the guy who gets contacted if it can't be fixed with duct tape, a hammer or self-tapping screws.

[sygazelle]

Originally Posted by RugbyBro

Boss: “Need this done yesterday”
Me: “f*ck”
My associates: “pls no”

$h*t rolls downhill!

[vreihen16]

Originally Posted by M_Six

I don't have actual conversations, but for a while we had to have approval from the office of the university president for any purchase. I mean, anything. Back and forth over why we needed to buy $65 of RAM or a $15 cable. We wasted far more money in man hours going back and forth with this crap than we saved.

We used to have an old-timer CFO, who could pinch Lincoln off of a penny. He personally had to sign all purchases over $50. For some reason, he was vehemently against the purchase of a fax machine back in the day. My boss at the time (retired Army general) told us to order one, but only include the make/model on the PO and not that it was a fax machine. He signed off on it, and the machine arrived. Everyone but him knew where it was if they needed to use it.

About 6 months later, outside auditors were paying their annual visit and needed to receive a fax to their main office. The CFO apologized, saying that they would have to go out to an office supply store or something to receive the fax because we didn't have a machine. The comptroller grabbed them as they walked out, and brought them to our office with the fax machine. Five minutes later (not enough time to leave and come back), they were back in his office with the scroll of thermal fax paper.

Anyway, the CFO flipped out, and launched an inquisition into who signed off on the purchase. I wish that I was there to see his face when he saw his own signature on the PO form! Over his fear of fax machines, he actually bought a plain-paper one for the mailroom a few months later...and even paid for a vanity phone number as our main fax line.

Another one involving him was when I was having trenches dug between all of the buildings to install fiber optic network cables. The contractor offered to throw a second 4" conduit into the holes with no additional labor charges if we paid the $1,200 for conduit material. It goes without saying that he refused the deal. I went into his office, and told him that I was going to pay the $1,200 out of my own pocket. When we needed them next year, I'd sell the conduits back to him for $10,000. He actually capitulated, and paid the $1,200.

Despite his age, he was proud to operate the PBX phone system. The summer after the conduits were planted, he had a new PBX installed in a different building and it required new copper phone trunks to be run to every other building. The phone installer gave him a project update one afternoon while I was sitting outside his office, and told him that, and I quote, "Whoever had those second conduits installed saved you $10K in excavation/labor!"

He retired a year after this, and is long dead and buried. I have nothing but praise and admiration for his work, other than occasionally making near-sighted decisions to save money.....