We all make mistakes at work. Some are big, some are small, and a small few are so grande that you are absolutely sure you will packing up your office the next day. Of course, my mistake was the latter.
You see, I'm an assistant for a very demanding middle eastern woman. She has an incredibly busy schedule and travels most of the year. I have to plan all these trips down to the smallest detail. That might not seem hard, but when I'm planning a trip that has 15 legs to it and visas for 4 different countries (I shit you not, that happened last month), it can get a bit confusing.
It all started last week when she decided she needed to go to Russia...very last minute, as always. I'm known for being able to get a visa for any country in superhuman time. What they don't know is that I have connections and am not above bribing people with food :)
So I sent in her application and had her Russian visa in my hands in three days. That is almost unheard of because it usually takes 4 weeks. I was very proud of myself for getting it all together in such a hurry. Fast forward to Saturday. I get a text message from her saying this - "I'm being deported from Russia, you put the wrong entry date on my visa. I have no words to describe this." You know that feeling when your stomach falls out of your ass? Yeah, that's what happened to me times ten. I was in a sheer panic. There was nothing I could do. So she was on a plane for 35 hours for nothing. Needless to say, she's a little bit pissed at me. Actually she's avoiding me like the plague, which is almost worse than being yelled at.
So far I haven't been fired. And people are assuring me that it isn't the first time it's happened. We'll see.
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6 comments:
Oh shit!!!
Might want to work on your ass kissing skills.
Hope it all works out.
this is making me laugh pretty hard. not the fact that you may get fired (that totally sucks) but imagining an EM executive spending 35 hours on a plane for nothing, well that is just awesome. why do i find humor in this? probably because i am a sick person.
i think you just became my hero.
OH CRAP!!! and you did so GOOD getting the VISA in such a hurry.
Couldn't Russia overlook such a minor infraction as the wrong entry date!
I have to admit it, my first thought was "JUSTICE!" that bitch deserved to be inconvenienced.
Sorry SPM, they won't fire you....there isn't enough money in the bribe for someone to take your place ;)
I'm laughing along with Crystal. I support two demanding people who do all sorts of travel (thankfully none as complicated or international as yours does), have made my fair share of mistakes, and definitely know the "stomach falling out of my ass" feeling you speak of. It's just that the idea of what she went through, then that awesomely passive-aggressive text she sent you, woo! Good stuff.
I just got home from a trip to Paris, where there are TONS of Russian tourists. And they suck. Which leads me to believe that everyone in Russia sucks. They are all jerk faces.
I'm so sorry. If she didn't scream at you immediately, maybe it will pass. And wouldn't she have to write you up, first? Good luck. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you.
Yikes! I know that sick feeling in the pit of your stomach. But seriously, everybody makes mistakes. I made some expensive ones... but I can't claim to have had anyone deported from Russia. That'll make a great story someday!
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