"Edward M. Lerner - Settlement" - читать интересную книгу автора (Lerner Edward M)

тАЬThose are charges from SoftSell, the distributor providing the upgrade.тАЭ

тАЬBut the database is already listed.тАЭ

тАЬSoftSell incurs expenses retrieving a package from inventory and ordering its replacement. They must
confirm that you've licensed the Version 2 application before authorizing an upgrade to 2.1. Naturally
they bill for preparing their papers, itemizing their charges, and so forth. You'll notice,тАЭ I volunteered
helpfully, tapping a $30 item with my platinum pen, тАЬthe fee for couriering their papers to my office.тАЭ

From his eponymous hue, Gray turned an equally unhealthy red. тАЬAcourier? What about mailing the
papers? For $30,I'd have dropped them off.тАЭ

I smiled. тАЬYou're not bonded, Mr. Gray.тАЭ Neither was my son, who'd delivered the package.

тАЬWhytwo courier fees?тАЭ

тАЬSoftSell receives a copy of the executed paperwork. It'll be couriered back.тАЭ Bobby frequented the
next-door music store; his share would buy a CD.

Steam appeared to issue from my customer's ears. тАЬAnd this tax-service fee?тАЭ

In my dream, otic vapors seemed a normal occurrence. тАЬSoftSell owes $10 for sales tax on the
transaction. The $40 covers preparation of their tax filing.тАЭ

The nightmare wouldn't end. My squirming customer heard, without enlightenment, about a
pest-inspection fee (I ran a virus checker), a site survey fee (I ran a directory commandтАФyes, an
operating systemwas installed), and a credit report.

Total charges for the $195 upgrade and my $200 installation fee came to $1106.95. Wearily, Gray took
a checkbook from his briefcase.

тАЬAhem,тАЭ interrupted my dream self, тАЬFor amounts over a thousand dollars, Imust insist upon a cashier's
check.тАЭ

His pen stopped. тАЬYou ran a credit check on meтАФand billed me for it. Why do you need a cashier's
check?тАЭ

тАЬCompany policy,тАЭ I shrugged, althoughI'm the company for all intents and purposes. тАЬWould stopping
by tomorrow be an inconvenience?тАЭ I added a day's interest to the total as he stared.
****
I woke up screaming into the night at the rapacious monster that I'd somehow become.

I'm proud of what I do, and strive to do it better every time. Mydoppelganger had taken a
straightforward task, a process that I perform regularly, that I've streamlined and optimized, and
somehow created an individualized abomination. My evil twin practically itemized each staple. I
considered the petty venality of triple-spacing paperwork to maximize buck-a-page Xeroxing, and
wanted to vomit.

SoftSell was a reputable vendor; they'd never take part in such a paper-shuffling conspiracy, pyramiding
billable charges through the ludicrous exchange of standard forms. Wenever courier anything. It's 1999,