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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Double ordered for over £40k - can the world swallow me please

115 replies

thepenguinsaysno · 23/10/2023 12:18

NC as I if my boss is on here she'll know it's me, HI!

AWWWWW Crab cakes. I duplicated a really large purchase order. My 'big' boss emailed me asking for a purchase order for '20 pieces of stuff we need" to be sent to a supplier for about 40k, I did it that day.

A week later my manager send me another email saying don't forget this PO. And it was a different email thread with the words "new order as follows: 20 pieces of stuff we need"

I didn't cop it was the same stuff so sent it to the supplier, who has now made both order.

To make it worse big boss asked me a few weeks ago, was there a duplication. He asked both me and the supplier. Neither of us replied. Which is very unlike me and I can't remember why.

I haven't liked and admitted I made a mistake with doing both order. It's the first big mistake I've made in this job, been here over 2 years. I hope big boss doesn't lose all faith in me

OP posts:
Photographsandmemories · 23/10/2023 13:36

Everyone makes a huge cockup at work at some point.

the big thing is to fess up as soon as you realise and help try to fix it

SeptemberSuns · 23/10/2023 13:37

YABU for using the term crab cakes. We're not in primary school.

TellingBone · 23/10/2023 13:42

Eee it's just like Gail in Corrie ordering a fuckton of olives for the bistro that time 😆

blueshoes · 23/10/2023 13:44

To make it worse big boss asked me a few weeks ago, was there a duplication. He asked both me and the supplier. Neither of us replied. Which is very unlike me and I can't remember why.

First mistake is forgiveable. This less so. As a boss, this will be my biggest concern why you did not reply.

Not saying can't remember is not sufficient and compounds the visions of incompetence. You really need a good reason why you did not respond to the boss' email. If his fail safe email does not work, then the question is who else should be doing your job.

Sorry.

StBernie · 23/10/2023 13:46

You’re only human. These things happen.

If it makes you feel better, my company make duplicate payments of invoices SO many times (once for £100k eek!). 🙂

MLMsuperfan · 23/10/2023 13:48

I think you can freeze crab meat.

Tlolljs · 23/10/2023 13:48

Sounds more like the boss’s error than yours.
Just going to have to say what happened. Hopefully whatever it is isn’t time sensitive ( like crab cakes for example) and it’ll all get used.

INeedAnotherName · 23/10/2023 13:50

spitefulandbadgrammar · 23/10/2023 13:30

Shit sandwich it.

I’d email explaining why you didn’t immediately reply: you wanted time to investigate what happened. Explain that it wasn’t a duplicate order but two separate requests from big boss and manager: big boss asked for 20 crab cakes in September, then in October manager asked in an email chain entitled “new order” for 20 crab cakes.

Acknowledge that at this point you should have queried whether it really was a new order, given you’d just ordered a similar quantity of crab cakes – own that fault. This is the shit in the sandwich that you can’t wriggle out of.

Finish with a suggestion of a new system to ensure all future crab cake procurement runs smoothly.

Do you actually order the crab cakes or simply raise the purchase orders, and someone else makes the contact with the crab cake supplier?

Love it 😂 Do this OP. Own your part in this but not your bosses or suppliers. Put forward a way to stop this happening again (if you can) for extra brownie points. Although brownies don't really go with crab cakes ...

deadassjackie · 23/10/2023 13:51

I once ordered two full wheels of brie instead of two slices in a small buffet thing for 5 people. Full on cheese drama - it was brilliant though as we got to take it home.

LivingOnAPear · 23/10/2023 13:57

Would it have been possible to cancel the 2nd order at the time when the boss emailed you and the supplier to query whether it was a duplicate order?

If so it seems a bit fishy that no one took action at this point?

TheOctomyTober · 23/10/2023 14:01

I wonder how many crabs you need for 40 grand worth of crab cakes? Not a good day for crabs.

TallulahBetty · 23/10/2023 14:07

LivingOnAPear · 23/10/2023 13:57

Would it have been possible to cancel the 2nd order at the time when the boss emailed you and the supplier to query whether it was a duplicate order?

If so it seems a bit fishy that no one took action at this point?

Fishy? Not crabby?

Witchesdontburn · 23/10/2023 14:08

I hope your boss isn’t too crabby about it

Original poster
thepenguinsaysno · 23/10/2023 14:09

Thanks everyone, all this joking about crab cakes has made me laugh.

We have already said I will start requesting sales quote orders to put onto the POs. It's all informal enough and just usually done in email.

IDK if the production could have been stopped by the time big boss emailed about it. There were a few weeks before big boss asked about it. I have read through all my sent emails on the day of the PO duplication/ day I was asked about potential duplication and it is not sparking anything as to why I didn't reply to the email. We use an instant messenger and talk on teams a lot so IDK if I spoke to one of them.

No I have nothing to do with actually ordering the products/ quantity/ price etc. I just do the purchase orders when either the boss or one of the engineers ask me to do one.

I haven't tried to deflect any blame from myself, and tbf they aren't going mad at me. My manager thinks it is more so the suppliers fault.

Yes it is one of those things

OP posts:
TallulahBetty · 23/10/2023 14:09

Your response to this will be remembered long after the mistake, believe me. You've owned up to it!

PartyWhatParty · 23/10/2023 14:09

blueshoes · 23/10/2023 13:44

To make it worse big boss asked me a few weeks ago, was there a duplication. He asked both me and the supplier. Neither of us replied. Which is very unlike me and I can't remember why.

First mistake is forgiveable. This less so. As a boss, this will be my biggest concern why you did not reply.

Not saying can't remember is not sufficient and compounds the visions of incompetence. You really need a good reason why you did not respond to the boss' email. If his fail safe email does not work, then the question is who else should be doing your job.

Sorry.

This. I suspect manager and big boss had a conversation and realised the duplication happened. BB then emails you and supplier to check if there was a duplication and neither of you replied; supplier as they wanted the additional £40,000 order and you didn’t want to admit the original mistake. You need to own up quickly, as BB will say that they checked with you and you ignored the email.

Pocketfullofdogtreats · 23/10/2023 14:10

SeptemberSuns · 23/10/2023 13:37

YABU for using the term crab cakes. We're not in primary school.

But using the same old swear words is so boring. I make up my own - it's very satisfying. I'm stealing crab cakes instead of crap, too.

Good on you, OP.

MushroomQueen · 23/10/2023 14:16

I have nothing constructive to add but I laugh out loud to a lot of these posts. Had a good chuckle

Original poster
thepenguinsaysno · 23/10/2023 14:16

PartyWhatParty · 23/10/2023 14:09

This. I suspect manager and big boss had a conversation and realised the duplication happened. BB then emails you and supplier to check if there was a duplication and neither of you replied; supplier as they wanted the additional £40,000 order and you didn’t want to admit the original mistake. You need to own up quickly, as BB will say that they checked with you and you ignored the email.

Show quote history

I can see why it would look that way, but that's really not what happened at all. I wouldn't have had any problem with admitting if I made a mistake.

I was asked to review both POs and bb said 'it appears we have two POs for the same order'

In the same email bb asked supplier to advise what is currently on order.

@Pocketfullofdogtreats I like to make up my own too, crab cakes is a good one. It sounds a lot like crap!

OP posts:
SeptemberSuns · 23/10/2023 14:26

thepenguinsaysno · 23/10/2023 14:16

I can see why it would look that way, but that's really not what happened at all. I wouldn't have had any problem with admitting if I made a mistake.

I was asked to review both POs and bb said 'it appears we have two POs for the same order'

In the same email bb asked supplier to advise what is currently on order.

@Pocketfullofdogtreats I like to make up my own too, crab cakes is a good one. It sounds a lot like crap!

Show quote history

My guess would be you speak in a little girl voice to your 'hubby' too!

mrsbyers · 23/10/2023 14:32

Do PO’s not need manager sign off ? It might be worth introducing that step

IDontHateRainbows · 23/10/2023 14:33

Am i the only one who was wondering who the hell orders £40k's worth of crab cakes

Nanaof1 · 23/10/2023 14:34

Everyone who thought the "stuff she ordered" was crab cakes...please form a line to the left and raise your hand.
🙋🙋

And here I was hoping your company would just have a big party and we could all come and eat crab cakes. sigh No crab cakes....😢😩😭

Nanaof1 · 23/10/2023 14:37

thepenguinsaysno · 23/10/2023 12:47

That's meant to say I haven't lied not I haven't liked. - As in I haven't tried to shurk it off as not my fault.

@FuckoffeeBeforeCoffee the supplier only makes this for us so we will have to buy it. Thankfully it is something that we will over time use and won't just sit there. I think my manager is pissed at the supplier more than me. It's very technical what the company do and goes above my head. I work in the finance side. I am no engineer.

@12345onceIcaughta Yup, all the crab cakes 😆no, that's just what I say instead of swearing, IDK why. Sometimes I say "holy flap jack" "my left boot" and many others

I say, "Holy guacamole Batman!" and "Goodness Gracious Sakes Alive!"

I say a few others but they can't be printed. 😊

NooNakedJacuzziness · 23/10/2023 14:37

Cancel the crabcakes, the new cancel the cheque!