Real Work Conversations: Again

April 12, 2012 by Ruth 4 Comments

So I get a statement in the mail from a vendor.  On the statement it has all the invoices and posted payments that have been made.  Every payment that has been made has been posted.  We have more than one account with said vendor and they’ve misapplied a payment.  Here’s what happened next.

 

Ring, Ring….Ring, Ring

Auto answer gives several options and I choose, appropriately, the billing department.

Billing Clerk:  “Good morning, this is Sally, how may I help you?”

Me: “Good morning, Sally.  This is D’Ma with Acme Anvil Co. My company has two accounts with your company.  I see here that you’ve applied a payment of $26.30 to account number 12345.  You need to remove that payment and apply it to account number 54321.  I see on my statement I have a credit balance of $7.40.  When you do that I’ll have a balance of $18.90 on account number 12345.”

Billing Clerk:  “No you won’t.  I see that three payments have been applied and when I move this $26.30 to your other account your balance on this one will be $0.”

Me:  “I’m looking at the statement and all the payments you referenced appear on the statement, which leave me with that $7.40 credit.  So my balance will be $18.90.”

Billing Clerk:  “No, it will be $0.”

Me:  “It’s kind of basic.  If you take -7.40 and you add 26.30 that will leave 18.90.”

Billing Clerk:  “No, it will be $0.”

Me:  “I’m not sure what kind of math that is, any way you slice it -7.40 and +26.30 is +18.90.  But I’ll take your math over mine.  Make it $0.  That’s okay with me.”

😯