'The total is now $42,000': Funding department demands employees share hotel rooms and cars to save money, instead costs the company thousands of dollars

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    Sleeve - 'You want us to recalculate the flights due to the cost being too high? Sure thing!"
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    Font - You want us to recalculate the flights due to the cost being too high? Sure thing! M A little bit of backstory: One of my jobs is to organize and send technicians to various locations to provide maintenance and support for the equipment that we run. We have a few hubs around the United States where technicians are based out of, but often times they need to fly or drive to a location far enough away from the hub where they are entitled to travel and per diem.
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    Font - I have to review the requests for travel and per diem to make sure they are reasonable, such as not staying in a suite or flying first class, no rental upgrades unless needed, and so on. Once I have calculated the costs involved, I request the funding from another department, and set it aside for the travel so the technicians can be reimbursed once they come back.
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    Font - On this particular day, we had an emergency pop up where we needed to send technicians quickly out to a remote location in the figurative middle of nowhere. On top of that, most of our technicians were already scheduled to be out on other jobs. The only hub that had people available was the one in Hawaii. So, the guys go ahead and talk to our contracted travel agency to arrange their flights and provide us the info for how much all of that will cost. The guys already know the routine and
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    Font - I go ahead and process the requests and request the money from the funding guys (without them saying ok, the trip doesn't happen). Here is the reply, on which our bosses are cc'd (paraphrased for brevity, but you get the idea that this guy is not happy we are spending so much, when usually a trip of this type costs around $5000 with a non- emergency trip from a more local hub):
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    Font - "I looked the requests over and saw several issues. First, are the technicians sharing hotel rooms? As per (insert applicable company policy reference here) these personnel are to share rooms. Secondly, do we really need 3 rental cars? Why not get one compact and a minivan for transportation? Lastly, the other expenses are over-inflated. I understand there will be fuel costs and depending on the airport they fly into, there could be a bridge toll, but the amount requested is absurd. Pleas
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    Font - Ok, understood! We will go back and reschedule flights and consolidate hotel rooms and vehicles!
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    Font - This process takes a few more hours while the guys talk to the travel agency and rebook the last- minute flights. Everyone knows that flight and hotel prices skyrocket as you get closer to the dates. We cancel the 3 compact vehicles for the people arriving at separate times at an international airport that is further away from the location (closer reginal airport is now out of available flights) and have them all wait at the airport for hours until everyone arrives and reserve two large S
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    Font - We lay out in writing all the cost cutting measures and efforts to save money as requested in the email from the funding department. All in all, the total is now $42,000.
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    Font - I sent the email reply all to the funding department with a begrudging response authorizing the $42k. TL;DR: Last minute travel for emergency repairs cost $35,000. Funding department asks us to rebook to make it cheaper, ends up costing $42,000.
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    Font - smashedpapaya Not only more expensive, but now have very unhappy technicians (I know many companies dont care about that, but employee satisfaction is a factor in retaining talent).
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    Font - ayako-chan OP. Yeah, they were a little mad about having to do the extra scheduling, but they don't have to pay for the travel, so they were happy to stick it back in the funding guy's face since we all knew it would cost more.
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    Font - Newbosterone +4. Them: This costs too much! Us: Please schedule your unexpected emergencies at least three weeks in advance. Thank you. 941 Reply Share ayako-chan OP. Yes, and make sure to identify all parts and tools in advance as well so we can schedule their shipment!
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    Font - jedikaiti They expect people to SHARE ROOMS?!?! That'd be a hard no from me. 553 Reply Share ayako-chan OP. It's not something we normally do. The funds guy was just being a d about enforcing a little-used policy that is way past needing to be updated.
  • 15
    Font - Dr_Insano_MD Classic case of a company spending dollars to save pennies.
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    Font - SeanBZA +3 Sure you could not have requested a further cost cutting, and had the bill then flip over into needing charter flights instead, as all connecting flights were fully booked?
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    Font - [deleted] I used to book travel for a small company, and while I never had to deal with something this insane, it seemed like almost every time I booked a trip, someone would come up and explain to me how "we would save money if..." or show me some better price they thought they had found. Then I would have to walk the person through all of the reasons that their super- special-deal wasn't actually as good as they thought, or whatever other problem there was with the thing they had found.
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    Gesture - Sharing a room? I'd be looking for another job.
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    Font - eviloverlord88 The worst part of this story is how the funding guy won't suffer any consequences for essentially flushing $7k down the toilet for no reason.
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    Font - 54 squills85 Requiring coworker to share rooms is ridiculous and wrong. People need their own space especially after work. 13 Reply Share interrobangin_ So much this. I'll share a room with my spouse and maybe my best friend.
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