Modern Middle Manager
Primarily my musings on the practical application of technology and management principles at a financial services company.
Anger Management

Wednesday, April 30, 2003  

Vendor management. Few things can get me worked into a frenzy of loathing and vituperation. Specifically, telecom vendors. I am tied to my corporate parent's primary telecom vendor whose former name rhymed with Swirledbomb (when that ship sinks it should ruin the parent corp's business. *&^@#*$ super-geniuses). That vendor took about 18 months to straighten out one of my bills in which they overcharged me. Naturally, I didn't pay the bill while they were working on it (why naturally? Because the customer service guy I was working with said it would make it worse. Based on prior experience with them, he was right). Now they want the final bill amount paid now. Wait a second, you guys couldn't make fixing the damn thing a priority for about a year and a half and once you do I have to pay immediately? My answer was, more or less, "No, you'll get it paid over the same amount of time it took you to fix it." Yes, my sense of justice satisfied, I brushed them off. The bastards went behind my back to our treasurer to get it paid. Said treasurer then questioned why I took so long to pay it, requiring me to justify my actions before the COO as well. In one fell swoop Swirledbomb has made me look like I'm hiding expenses and has totally screwed my budgetary pooch.

My pledge to you, guys:

I know you don't make diddley-squat on my voice calls so I'll use you for every one this company makes, local and long distance. However, I can get my data cheaper and better from other vendors. You'll never have it, you squinty-eyed toads. May you ride into corporate America history because of your pathetic loser billing system from Hell -- the figurative place where your company belongs, your assets sold at pennies on the dollar to a telecom that can actually find its ass with both hands.


Whew, I feel better! Now to find $30K in my budget before the perennial half-year revenue shortfall comes...

posted by Henry Jenkins | 4/30/2003 05:22:00 PM

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