I had to write an email to a customer that was getting a big extension to their current system, involving use and three other suppliers. Only he still hadn't paid the bill for the original work.
I had to tell him, that unless he paid the bill, the planned work for the next week would be put on hold.
The CEO was out of the country and called up just before I sent the email, saying he wanted to see a copy before it went out. I duly sent him a copy. He read it, changed the contents around, sent it back and said the partners were to be added to the email. I duly replaced the contents with a new version, based on the CEO's notes, in the draft, added the other recipients, sent the new draft back to the boss and the CEO...
Back and forth, back and forth... Finally I got the OK.
It had changed from "you haven't paid" to "there are critical problems from the side of the customer that need to be clarified before work can continue and unless the problems are resolved, the work next week will be postponed."
Only... Yikes! Both my boss and I had been over the recipients in detail and we had sent the CEO draft after draft of the email, but neither of us had noticed that the draft email still had the original title "Non-payment of invoices".
AARRGGHH! I got a very loud call from the CEO and I was not allowed any contact with anyone inside or outside the company until his return.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
