BLOBBY'S BLOG

RANT RANT RANT

Yes, I feel a Grandpa Simpson coming on.

Last week while on 'vacation', I had the last 36hrs ruined by a conference I was going to mid-week directly from vacation. Vacation was in NYC, conference was in Chicago - so this is no easy transition from fun to work. I know this will get muddled, so stay w/me here.

The program was a Neuroscience conference put on by Active Communications International. Something when I signed up w/them seemed fishy from the start. I should trust my instincts - they are rarely wrong.

For fun, we were taking the Staten Island Ferry, since Denton has never done it and something I hadn't done in 22yrs. It's not fun fun, but it was something to do to beat the 100 degree heat. I was checking my emails from my phone...and get one from ACI saying I cannot attend the conference b/c a number of people from my health system opted out of coming. It turns out - many never even officially signed up. Their email was vague that I had to pay the balance in order for me to attend.

Well, I wasn't sure what the balance was - or who they were talking about or how many weren't coming. It should be stated that we all work independently of each other - w/none reporting to me or in my cost center....some not in my hospital or even in my state! Most I didn't even know their names.

So, I get another email back saying the price was $4189.50!! That is in addition to my registration fee. I so wanted to throw my Treo into NY Harbor. But I calmly (?) wrote back basically what is in the above paragraph. That these people cancelled was not my issue. That ACI coordinated the event - not myself.

I got a very backhanded apologetic email back the next morning (as I was to leave for Chicago) saying all was right w/the world. Fine - but you know me (or perhaps not), I can hold a grudge. Forever! In my mind, this conference was already ruined.

But then I get an email from Accounts Payable. Someone from ACI is calling demanding $4189.50. I tell AP not to pay as it's been taken care of and assumed there was just a timing issue. Oh silly silly me. But I cover my ass making sure there are no 'incidents' to be forthcoming when I check-in. I"m assured there will not be. ...and there weren't.

During one session - a man (Dan Brady...or was it Don?) approaches me and says, 'oh, you're Robert! I'm from ACI and my CEO wanted me to say 'welcome aboard'!' Did I just join the company and now know it?? I had no other response but..."ooooookay". He went on to say, 'seriously, the CEO told me my one job this trip was to find you out and say he was very glad you are participating in this event.' Once again, 'um....ooooookay'.

The conference wasn't horribly exciting, but they went out of their way to ask me to present, in Los Angeles, in January! I said, 'call me'.

I'm guessing at this point they will not do that. Why - you ask?

Doing my expense reports and pulling off my registration charge from American Express, ACI was kind enough to put on an additional charge - w/out authorization - for $4189.50. And they did it after all the conversations that had taken place where everything was resolved.

You can imagine my response to them yesterday - and why I will assume I won't be asked to present at any of their conferences. I will also make it my duty to let every administrator know at each one of our health system hospitals about their practices.