Don’t you just love that title? And isn’t it the
truth? No one wants to turn in the paperwork on time, but wants us to pay
their invoices on time. No one wants to approve an invoice, but everyone
wants us to pay their Travel & Expenses as soon as possible.
So what do we do about that? How do we get what we
want, but still make everyone happy? When you have the answer to
that….let me know. What I can tell you is that there is no way to make
everyone happy. Either they are mad or the vendor is mad, but either
way….somehow the AP department is to blame.
We can make sure that we are fair to everyone by holding
everyone accountable for their part of the payment process.
·
Good Instructions go a long way. Make sure
to give good instructions on how to complete a vendor packet, check request,
void/cancellation request/etc and make it visible to everyone when the
deadlines are so there is no confusion.
·
Be flexible once in a while. Sometimes,
there really are last minute emergencies and if it was you, wouldn’t you want
someone to be nice and bend the rules a bit for you?
·
Being kind goes a long way. When someone
asks you for assistance….help them. When you have questions or need their
assistance, the fact that you have helped them in the past will go a long
way. May even put you at the top of their ‘To Do’ list when you do
ask. There is a saying…..’Kindness is free. Spread that stuff
everywhere’.
So…at the end of the day, what we learned in kindergarten
holds true today. Be nice, be flexible, and understand good
instructions.
Until next time…
