Dammit.
Just when I thought we'd sorted out all the crises with this FUCKING writers conference, we discover that one agent who's been a flake throughout the entire process is flying in tomorrow, not Friday as we thought, and claimed one of us told him it was fine and that we'd be paying for his extra night in the hotel.
Except that none of us ever said such a thing. I'm at the point where I'd be all, "Oh well, it's just $80, we'll eat it." Unfortunately the conference chair doesn't feel the same way, and she's even upset about his airfare ("What's he doing, flying first class?"), which I happen to know is actually normal for the part of the country he's coming in from.
Now I'm wondering whether, broke as I am, I should put the extra night on MY credit card as the only way to keep this thing from turning into an utter clusterfuck. I could cancel my second night at the hotel and afford it that way.
Damn it all.
Oh dear, that's an adorable Princess Ellie, that is. Second generation Buffistas are going to be unstoppable!
Request for advice deleted now that I've decided what to do with it.
If you didn't make the mistake, Susan, you shouldn't be out of pocket. That's crazy talk.
Susan, I'd do C, then do A and let her do B. That way, the agent's expectations are taken care of regardless, the president is up to speed and may have your back on reimbursing you for your quick thinking, and in any case will have to handle the flighty chairperson--and you won't.
B+) put in earplugs before going to conference chair first. You know she's going to go off on it, but it sounds like going straight to the prez would be difficult and impolitic in whole new ways, and everything's too tense for that right now.
I'd say B, unless it really was your fault.
I've done that preemptive thing and ime, you're not really saving any grief at all by being out the $. Things like that have away of erupting in other ways and then you still have grief but not your $80.
I think I'm going to do B, and if it goes as predicted, follow up with A, possibly with a side of, "Broke unemployed person that I am, I'd rather do C than take the PR hit of letting a misunderstanding turn into a kerfuffle with someone like this."
t deep breaths
t rehearses talking points
