O M G or the Admin from HELL

What did I possibly do to deserve this woman?

Trying to get her to order me a camera was bad enough last winter, but this is ridiculous.  The woman works 9-2 *and* takes a half hour lunch every day, in which no one dares ask her anything work related.  Heaven forbid you should come up to her at 1:30 or *gasp* 1:45 and ask her to send out a package either.

So Monday, I noticed my printer ink (both color and black) were running very low.  I didn't remember to speak to the woman directly on Tuesday, so I sent her an email with my request for one black ink cartridge.  I included the pertinent details - manufacturer and cartridge number, because even though she's ordered ink for me many times before, I didn't expect her to have kept the info.  I didn't order a color cartridge because I have one sitting here on my desk already.  In addition, I pulled both cartridges out and shook them a little to improve the output until new ink arrives (Yes, that actually helps a bit).

Technically, we have an office supplies vendor who delivers our orders the very next day, so I expected to receive my ink today.  I printed something, and noticed that I can barely read it, so I thought I better follow up on the ink.  When I asked if it had been ordered, I was expecting her to say, "yep."  Instead, she said, "No" and really appeared to have no intention of elaborating.  After giving her my version of the 'eyebrow of doom,' she finally says, "I've been trying not to make lots of little orders, because I don't really know what our contract with the vendor is like, and I suspect that it costs us more to make lots of orders instead of one big order, so the only thing I have right now is your ink, and I'm waiting for other people to order things before I send it in."
Me: "Um, my printer is running right now, and I can barely read the pages."
She: "Fine, I'll order you two cartridges, and when you get down to one, you let me know so I can add you to the order list before you run out again."
Me: "Okay, I'll do that.  And you better order me a color one while you're at it, because I'm about to put my last one in the printer."
She: "Okay."

I'm asking you, is it too much to be informed of new ordering procedures before you've been screwed by them??  What if I had still been in the field?  At least here, I can switch to a network printer temporarily.  In the field, there are no other printers!

Later, She:  "Are you set up to print to the network printers?  I just wanted to make sure, because then you'll always have a backup."  Absolutely no clue that her arbitrary changing of the rules was the slightest bit inconvenient.

On that same note, I checked my bank account this morning, and for the 4th week in a row, I had not received my expense reimbursement.  Now earlier expense reports were processed within 2 weeks, so I didn't even start worrying about it till last week.  And I called last week to ask what was going on, and got the classic, "that's not my job" response.  So I thought fine, they've been approved (I checked), they'll show up next week (today).  Wrong.  I call again, and get voice mail.  When the person returns my call, she says, "I don't usually work with expenses, but I checked into it for you."  Aha! Customer Service is not entirely dead.  I'll get reimbursed next week.  "And have you been sending in copies of your reciepts?"

Me:  "Um, what?"
Rosa:  "You need to fax in copies of your receipts to your rep."
Me:  "No one told me that.  I specifically asked what the procedures were, and was told just to fill out the form on line."
Rosa:  "Well, yes, that was the procedure, but they've very recently changed it and now you have to fax in the receipts before you get reimbursed."
Me:  "So is this why it's been four weeks since my expenses were approved, and I haven't been paid?"
Rosa:  "Probably."
Rosa:  "I'm sorry you didn't get the memo.  Just, in the future, please fax them.  Oh, and let me find out exactly what number you should fax them to, and I'll call you back."

So now I have the number, and I need to go copy all my old receipts (yes, I obsessively keep this stuff in my files.  Whenever I leave a company, I have a huge file of every expense report I ever submitted to take with me.  And yes, I have actually had to go digging in there for back up, at least once, at every company, thank-you-very-much).  At least I only have 4 or 5 reports to copy.  I only submitted the first one in June.

But, Man! Twice in one day!  at least I get to use my shiny new icon.  Icon love! Shiny!

ETA:  I just overheard the Admin from HELL telling someone else, "I always strive for complete customer satisfaction."  In WHAT UNIVERSE?!?!