It’s no secret that I do some of my best work with purchasing. Nothing can make the human female’s life more annoying than a good, old-fashioned mix-up with merchandise, poor packing, overages, shortages, breakages, billing, packings slips, miscommunication, and all the vagaries of various freight companies and their whimsical ideas as to what constitutes timely delivery.
Where would I be without the Vendor Who’s Responsible? The human female orders so many things from them that I have LOTS of opportunities to put my little finger in and stir up some good, old-fashioned mischief.
The human female has two big, incomplete, partially-outstanding orders with the VWR. One is from early in the spring; the other is from May. Will the phosphoric acid ever arrive? How about the pipette tips? The centrifuge tubes? She’s called, she’s poked, she’s been put off—and off, and off. “It’s shipping from a different warehouse.” “It’s shipping from the manufacturer.” “It’s a special order and the manufacturer has to make it.” Thus the phosphoric acid, ordered in early spring, and its June 18 delivery date.
Lately she’s been getting Order! Update! Emails! Progress! Things are moving! There is tracking information! There are arrival dates!
Arrival dates firmly chiseled in jell-o.
Observe closely. Watch those delivery dates.
Great! Some of the pipette tips were set to arrive on June 17. They didn’t.
Woo hoo! Here’s a big chunk of the latest order all set to come on June 20!
Uh, make that June 26.
Make that June 27.
Oh, well. July then. Maybe.
So what has actually arrived? Phosphoric acid? Tips? Tubes? Six crates of nothing?
Guess.
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