'It cost the company $10,000': Thrifty salesman scores luxurious business trips after the beancounters nitpick his travel choices

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Jesse Kessenheimer • Writer and Editor
Aug 27, 2023 6:00 PM EDT

Sensible employees are burdened by sensible choices. It's the compulsory reaction of the working class to choose an affordable option versus an expensive one, so when a traveling salesman is faced with a frugal travel choice and a lavish one, they're most likely to pick the cheaper option. However, because company policy isn't always so practical, sometimes the rule-following beancounters come after you for the most reasonable of choices.

Blindly following the rules doesn't always save the company money…

In this case, a traveling salesman– who was frugal and thoughtful of the company's cash when planning his business trips –was faced with the troubling accusations from his accounting department after they reviewed his expense reports. Although he was allotted an allowance each month for a company vehicle to drive to the 26 states in his territory, sometimes it didn't make sense for OP to hop in the car for 8 hours. The cheaper option was obviously a quick turnaround trip via airplane where he could surgically approach his business meetings and save the company on overtime hours, gas expenses, and expensed meals. 

Naturally, accounting didn't see it that way. Scroll for the full story on how a traveling salesman went against his working class nature, following company rules to a tee and scoring luxuriously expensive business trips as a result. Next, read about this summer camp student who lived our her main character moment, while her inner rebellion took hold after a teacher wrongly accused her of being tardy.

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  • 01
    Font - Posted by u/Embarrassed_Flan_869 D 23 hours ago Don't break a rule to save the company money on travel? Ok. S OC
    via Embarrassed_Flan_869
  • 02
    Font - This started about 4 years ago or so. Background: I was a regional manager for a manufacturer. My territory was 26 states. I got a car allowance, $700 per month, that was for my car usage for work. For non drive travel, I could do whatever I want, within reason, but it couldn't exceed X% of sales.
    via Embarrassed_Flan_869
  • 03
    Font - Where I live, there are some parts of my territory that I had to drive to, there were no flights available, without significant wasted times connecting. Think...driving to Boston 1 hr, to connect through NY or Philly, and then to Syracuse NY or Rochester NY.
    via Embarrassed_Flan_869
  • 04
    Font - For any drive over 4 hours, I'd rent a car at the local rental office vs flying. However, the bean counters caught me doing this and reminded me about my car allowance and I shouldn't be renting cars from "home".
    via Embarrassed_Flan_869
  • 05
    Handwriting - Malicious Compliance: From then on, I would fly to these places. Flying to Rochester, NY? A 5.5 hr drive before but now I'd drive the 1hr to Boston, fly to Detroit 1.5 hours, connect 1hr layover to fly to Rochester 1 hr. Have
    via Embarrassed_Flan_869
  • 06
    Font - to fly in a day early, and stay a day later. So instead of a 1 night trip, it turned into a 3 day trip. Instead of $500 trip it turned into a $1500+ trip, between flights/extra hotel nights/food etc...oh and the rental car.
    via Embarrassed_Flan_869
  • 07
    Font - This went on for 4 years till I recently switched companies. Any travel outside of New England turned into a multiple night trip with flights and hotel/meals etc. It probably cost the company $10,000 a year in useless extra trip costs.
    via Embarrassed_Flan_869
  • 08
    Font - DLGinger 17 hr. ago Why didn't you drive your own car? What is the purpose of the rentals? Reply Share Vote Embarrassed_Flan_869 OP 17 hr. ago Save wear and tear on my car and to save the company money overall.
    via DLGinger
  • 09
    Font - +3.22 hr. ago I got in trouble for booking a limo for eight people to get to the airport to fly home, even though it was far cheaper than taxi service for eight. CoderJoe1
    via Coderjoe1
  • 10
    Font - +4- 19 hr. ago Same. The next time we took 2 taxis and it was 1.5x more. PRMan99 They asked why it was more than last time. "Because you complained about the limo."
    via PRMan99
  • 11
    Font - FailFastand Die Young 14 hr. ago Here's the lesson that everyone should take from these types of stories: The company doesn't care if you saved a little money. They only care if you follow the rules.
    via FailFastandDieYoung
  • 12
    Rectangle - Accurate Comfort2975 - 12 hr. ago I don't know. There's something satisfying about doing the right, useful, cheaper thing first, then explicitly being called out on it.
    via AccurateComfort2975
  • 13
    Font - nurvingiel +2 12 hr. ago Also if anyone sensible goes over the books and wonder why so much money gets wasted, at least you can say you tried to do the sensible thing.
    via nurvingiel
  • 14
    Font - nurvingiel 11 hr. ago +2. I work for a small local company and the "rule" is "do the most sensible thing" so this seems insane to me. I'm sure you're right though.
    via nurvingiel
  • 15
    Font - crash866 +2. 18 hr. ago A friend of mine lives a 15 min walk from a small airport. 20 Km from Major airport. Small airport flies into NYC, Boston, Philadelphia and other cities in the area. Flights leave early morning and back late at night. Not the approved airline for his company. Cheaper for the flights than from the major airport. He flies to one of the cities once a week for 1 day at a time. Company said he had to use approved airline.
    via crash866
  • 16
    Font - Now he leaves the night before spends $50-$60 on Uber or Taxi to other airport takes late night flight as first one in the morning would get him there too late. Rents a car in NYC and spends night in hotel. Goes to meetings and takes late night flight home. Uber to home.
    via crash866
  • 17
    Font - Now they have 2 Uber bills and a nights accommodation to pay. (Plus meals). No questions asked when he submits $1000 or more expenses. All this to use their approved airline which is $100-$200 more than the small one a 15 min walk from home.
    via crash866
  • 18
    Organism - ALTNIENS Pleasant-Squirrel220 Some one is making money. Reply Share +3 16 hr. ago Vote PSUAth 16 hr. ago Big wigs probably get bonus miles or something.
    via Pleasant-Squirrel220
  • 19
    Font - SteamingTheCat +2 · 20 hr. ago "Your dinner allowance is $20 per meal including drink. But you might be talking to a client so your dessert allowance is $100" ... "Yes, we allow you to have a steak for dessert. Why do you ask?"
    via SteamingTheCat
  • 20
    Font - SeriouslyWhaat - 13 hr. ago Big business can waste money on travel expenses but balks at paying their lower level employees a better wage.... Vote Reply Share RevolutionaryDog8115 3 hr. ago Insane
    via SeriouslyWhaat
  • 21
    Shoe - "Don't save the company money? Okay."
    via u/canva

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salesman boss micromanager manager malicious compliance traveling-salesman work accounting business trip sales Travel traveling Reddit company business
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