Really? How Dumb Are We?

I've heard rumors that the business world thinks the education world is foolish. Well, I think I have been a part of an incident that perpetuates that myth. 

I attended a conference recently.  When I was first told that I was going, I was asked if I wanted a cash advance or to be reimbursed. I chose to be reimbursed thinking t woukd be easier on all involved. That may have been my first misjudgement.

Through the online registraton, I was told that I would not be confirmed until my payment was recieved. So I wrote out a check and mailed it in the next day.  A few weeks later I got a copy of a purchase order from our district to the conference listing the handful of local people attending with the accompanying registration fee.  I immediately called the office telling them that I had already paid this fee because  had chosed to be reimbursed--remember?--I then was directed to call the conference director and arrange to have them return my fee to me.  ( Which couldn't be done until a few weeks after the conference was over and they close out the books , understandably). Sigh.

I brushed it off, went to the conference and thoroughly enjoyed myself.  I learned a lot  and networked with some great educators.  I even ran into a gal I haven't seen since we went to graduate school!

I turned in my hotel bill and mileage.  The school office emailed me that the hotel bill was not a "zero balance " bill.   WHAT?   The bill shows the amount due.  It shows the amount charged to my credit card. In fact, when I checked out I made a special trip to the desk to ask for the special bill instead of lients a just taking the nice handy copy of the bill slipped under my hotel door.   But no, that is not good enough for the schoo office.   They wont take the bill that the hotel gves out to hundreds of clients a week ( and I am sure that a good portion of them need zero balance bills).  This wasn't a rinky-dink hotel,  it was a very nice place that shares a name with a socialite named Paris.

The school office told me to call the hotel and ask them to fax the office a copy of a zero balance.    So I called. The hotel bookkeeper told me that the bill I got WAS a zero balance bill.  I know that, she knows that, but the school office doesn't know that.  The bookkeeper was very gracious. I told her that maybe she could write on the bill that the bill was paid in full or something.  She said she would take care of it and get it faxed.  

All was well for a few days until I got another email from the school office.  She said she had submitted the paperwork and the school business office had rejected the hotel bill.  WHAT?  REALLY?  They will not accept a faxed copy.  They need an original.  BUT I ALREADY GAVE AN ORIGINAL!  It was very hard to write a reply email to the school office and ask what exactly they want me to do now without showing some kind of disgust/attitude.  I mean, REALLY?  Come on, people. 

It's not even the money.  It's the idea.  Come on.  How many times are you going to make me call this business and ask them to give you the same information that they have already provided in the first place?  Geesh.  No wonder the world thinks we're dumb.