So today, as I sit in my office while seemingly the rest of the world frolics away on winter break, I have had two separate conversations that threaten to send me past the tipping point. I'm not sure exactly what happens when burnout passes the tipping point, but I think it involves me being unable to dislodge myself from my couch for at least six months and the consumption of way, way too many bags of crunchy Cheetos.
1. A lawyer for a seller in a deal where my client is financing the acquistion called my boss. Twice. Within a short period of time. My boss is playing golf today and asked me to call this guy back, since I'm the one running the deal, producing documents, etc. This lawyer (a name partner in a 3 attorney office in Ventura county! big shot!) was on the phone when I returned his call. When he called me back and I told him that my boss was not available, he asked me (in a very condescending tone) whether I have any ability to make decisions or not. Apparently it is not worth his very valuable time to have to discuss document provisions with a lowly associate (only 9 years out of law school!). That was a wonderful call. He is exactly the type of person for whom the practice of law was created. I look forward to checking for the ", Esq." at the end of all of his future correspondence on this matter.
2. The apartment manager for our complex sent an e-mail to me today asking for payment of the outstanding amounts. I'll share with you the correspondence that followed (read from the bottom up):
From: Leila Sent: Tuesday, December 26, 2006 2:31 PMTo: [name redacted] RE: Balance Due At [name of complex redacted]
We are not paying a fee. Period. You should reverse it. We will get the key back to you as soon as there is an opportunity when the office is open and one of us is home.
I'm not sure what sort of customer service you think it is to charge people a fee instead of asking for the key back in the first place, but I'm pretty sure that we have paid enough rent to [name of complex redacted] over the last two years to warrant better treatment than that.
If you would like to discuss this, you can call me at [phone number redacted].
-----Original Message-----From: [name redacted] Sent: Tuesday, December 26, 2006 2:03 PMTo: Leila Subject: RE: Balance Due At [name of complex redacted]
I will reverse the fee once we have the key.
-----Original Message-----From: Leila Sent: Tuesday, December 26, 2006 1:45 PMTo: [name redacted] Subject: RE: Balance Due At [name of complex redacted]
Please reverse the charge now. We will not pay a $75 lock change fee and there is no reason to change our locks.
-----Original Message-----From: [name redacted] Sent: Tuesday, December 26, 2006 1:44 PMTo: Leila Subject: RE: Balance Due At [name of complex redacted]
Please return the key no later than tomorrow and I will reverse the charge.
Thanks!
-----Original Message-----From: Leila Sent: Tuesday, December 26, 2006 1:40 PMTo: [name redacted] Subject: RE: Balance Due At [name of complex redacted]
We have an extra key from when I was locked out earlier this month. We will return it to the office this week. We will not pay a $75 lock change fee.
-----Original Message-----From: [name redacted] Sent: Tuesday, December 26, 2006 1:34 PMTo: Leila Subject: RE: Balance Due At [name of complex redacted]
Did you check out a key and not return it?
-----Original Message-----From: Leila Sent: Tuesday, December 26, 2006 1:31 PMTo: [name redacted] Subject: RE: Balance Due At [name of complex redacted]
We did not have our locks changed.
-----Original Message-----From: [name redacted] Sent: Tuesday, December 26, 2006 1:26 PMTo: Leila Subject: RE: Balance Due At [name of complex redacted]
Leila-
The balance is $75.00 due to a lock change. The monthly invoices are printed out of state and mailed. You probably didn't have an amount on your statement due to a new lease beginning. January should be correct - please let me know if it isn't.
Thank you!
-----Original Message-----From: Leila Sent: Tuesday, December 26, 2006 1:23 PMTo: [name redacted] Subject: RE: Balance Due At [name of complex redacted]
What is the balance for and what is the amount of the balance? [Name of complex redacted] has not delivered us a statement of the amount of our rent (and other charges) in at least two months. Both the November and December statements failed to include the amount due, so I'm not sure how you expect us to know what amount is outstanding. When will this situation be rectified? We have called the office a couple of times already to try to clear this up.
If there is an amount outstanding today, we'd just like to include it with our upcoming rent payment at the end of the week instead of making an extra payment in advance.
Thanks.
Leila
-----Original Message-----From: [name redacted] Sent: Tuesday, December 26, 2006 1:17 PM Subject: Balance Due At [name of complex redacted]
Dear Residents-
Hope you are having a wonderful holiday season! This is a friendly reminder that you currently have a balance on your account. You have several easy ways to make the payment: drop off a check/money order, pay online at www.aimco.com, or call us and we can run your credit card over the phone.
Please make payment no later than tomorrow, Wednesday December 27th.
Thank you!
[name redacted]
--------------------------------------------[end of e-mail messages]
Could you make out the implied "Listen, bitch," at the beginning of my last message, or should I have spelled it out for her? Happy fucking holidays.
2 comments:
Paying a $75 fee for a spare key is big-time B.S.
A suggestion: if you and your boyfriend are typically not home when the office is open, mail the office the spare key, return receipt requested. When you get the receipt back, e-mail an image of it to her and then once again firmly request that the charge be reversed.
Thanks for the concern. We successfully returned the key without incident. Lucky for me, my boyfriend is much more calm in these sorts of situations than I am. I just found the entire exchange galling. So I wanted to make sure she understood that. I think I made myself clear.
Post a Comment