Advice needed
Glynis
Registered Posts: 488 Dedicated contributor 🦉
I am so worried it's untrue and hope someone can help. I have just started a new temporary job for a building company which factor there invoices. We have had an audit from our factors who say that credit notes have been sent to them as invoices and which we have drawn money against amounting to about £8,000.
When we looked at it it seems I have done this because the credit notes are very similar to invoices and I have just put them on the sales system as invoices. The factor audit woman has said she will have to notify the director but I have asked her not to which she said she can't and the matter will have to be referred to a senior person.
Has anyone else had this happen to them? If you are not shown how to do things properly how can they blame the staff in the accounts.
When we looked at it it seems I have done this because the credit notes are very similar to invoices and I have just put them on the sales system as invoices. The factor audit woman has said she will have to notify the director but I have asked her not to which she said she can't and the matter will have to be referred to a senior person.
Has anyone else had this happen to them? If you are not shown how to do things properly how can they blame the staff in the accounts.
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Comments
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If I was you I would tell the director of your mistake before the auditor does, do not try and cover anything up and do not blame anyone else.0
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If I was you I would tell the director of your mistake before the auditor does, do not try and cover anything up and do not blame anyone else.
Absolutely agree with this.
Better to own up to a mistake; they are going to find out, so better you are the one to tell them.
The issue is not what you have done, its how you deal with it afterwards, and so owning up to it without making excuses is the only real option.
Good luck, its never nice to know you've made a mistake, but its better to man up and deal with it, and you feel better about it in the long run.0 -
You should just own up, they are going to find out anyway. If I make an error I'll be honest with my manager and admit it was my fault, there is no point in trying to hide it as chances are they are going to be more annoyed if you hide it and find the mistake themselves.
Everyone makes mistakes, but if you own up, it will be better for you than if they find out you have tried to hide it from them. Explain that it's your error and that you feel that you need further training, don't pass the blame onto anyone though -it'll look unprofessional.
Good luck.0 -
As PPs have said you should tell them yourself and apologise and don't use 'not being shown properly' as an excuse but ask that you are shown again to avoid the same mistake in the future.0
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Absolutely agree with this.
Better to own up to a mistake; they are going to find out, so better you are the one to tell them.
The issue is not what you have done, its how you deal with it afterwards, and so owning up to it without making excuses is the only real option.
Good luck, its never nice to know you've made a mistake, but its better to man up and deal with it, and you feel better about it in the long run.
I agree.
People make mistakes, it'll always happen. I find it really annoying when people don't own up for their mistakes or try to pass on the blame. I have a lot more respect for people that own up to it, take responsibility for what they've done, learn from it and move on!0 -
Yet another made up story from Glynis' dreamworld of incompetence.
I'm very much looking forward to reading how this one develops.
Keep em coming Glynis!!0 -
deanshepherd wrote: »Yet another made up story from Glynis' dreamworld of incompetence.
I'm very much looking forward to reading how this one develops.
Keep em coming Glynis!!
same here.. this should be a good one to read how it goes..
lesson 1 of level 1 - basic accounting.. This is an invoice, this is a credit note..
Is there no authorisation once you create the paperwork.. I would go chat to the director, and fast..
Only temp anyway!0 -
Perhaps its just simplified in the AAT text books, but dont they all have 'Invoice' and 'Credit Note' at the top?
I dont have any real world practical experience, so may be wrong, but surely that should be enough of a difference?0 -
JaffasGirl wrote: »Perhaps its just simplified in the AAT text books, but dont they all have 'Invoice' and 'Credit Note' at the top?
I dont have any real world practical experience, so may be wrong, but surely that should be enough of a difference?
It's usually pretty obvious, but if they look broadly identical apart from that one title, and you're just plugging in a batch of invoices which happen to have credit notes in the middle, it could be easy to just enter them all as invoices.0 -
I agree.It's usually pretty obvious, but if they look broadly identical apart from that one title, and you're just plugging in a batch of invoices which happen to have credit notes in the middle, it could be easy to just enter them all as invoices.
Some of our suppliers make it very hard to distinguish credit notes from invoices, as they don't always put the title of invoice or credit on the top, so you have to work it out from the invoice numbers.
While our own invoices and credit notes have plus or minus amounts, to make it clear, as it is only the title that is different on the actual print outs.0 -
I only have 1 bookkeeping job now and it's on Sage. My common-ish error is flipping from the batch supplier invoice screen to the credit note screen - and then not flipping back again to carry on entering invoices. V annoying, but I mostly pick up on it before posting it or shortly after (even though I often get as far as 10 lines of red text which ought to be a giveaway before I go.... oh..... b*gger!
)
Glynis, it happens to us all. Don't make a big deal out of it and just apologise. That will give a much better reaction from your superior. Oh, and I don't know how material £8k is in the big scheme of that business but I would guess it's not loads and it will right itself over the next few weeks without too much fuss.0 -
Monsoon,
Why don't you import all your transactions from excel to sage?
One a simple spreadsheet is created and can save you hours of time and you are less likely to make silly mistakes like that!0 -
Thanks Pete. It happens so rarely it's not a big issue. I've used the import function before but the batch entry is so easy I can't see how I'd save time by entering it excel. What's quicker about it? Even though it's an extra level of 'potential for error' and I feel much safer entering directly, I'd be interested to know if it would actually save me time. Can't see how at the moment though!0
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I only have 1 bookkeeping job now and it's on Sage. My common-ish error is flipping from the batch supplier invoice screen to the credit note screen - and then not flipping back again to carry on entering invoices. V annoying, but I mostly pick up on it before posting it or shortly after (even though I often get as far as 10 lines of red text which ought to be a giveaway before I go.... oh..... b*gger!)
Yep that's one of my favourites, although I only use sage at my place of employment now.0 -
It's usually pretty obvious, but if they look broadly identical apart from that one title, and you're just plugging in a batch of invoices which happen to have credit notes in the middle, it could be easy to just enter them all as invoices.
I totally agree, I've done it myself before but not for such a large amount of money!
it's being a bit harsh to ridicule the mistake, anyone can do it, it's how you deal with it afterwards that matters.0 -
It's usually pretty obvious, but if they look broadly identical apart from that one title, and you're just plugging in a batch of invoices which happen to have credit notes in the middle, it could be easy to just enter them all as invoices.
Thanks, I can see how it can be an easy mistake.
And Glynis, i have the same advice as everyone else. Just tell the truth. I know what its like starting a new job and making a mistake, and thinking 'oh **** oh **** oh ****, can we pretend it never happened please' which believe me, just makes managers more angry. If you own up to it, and say that your sorry, and will be more careful in future, and perhaps ask for further training if you think it is necessary, your manager will respect you a hell of a lot more.0 -
Dean S your comments are childish and immature. If you have nothing constructive to say keep your opinions to yourself
I have been to see my boss and she was quite cross with me. I told her it was a mistake and I was given a sort of warning about this. She said as I was an agency clerk they could not discipline me formally but my work would need to be reviewed by her in the interim period. I was hoping to be taken on full time but I think that might not be possible. The woman at the agency was extremely offensive on the telephone though and told me to ensure I "maintain professionalism at all times". Unbelievable.
I am glad it's the weekend but have to study
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The woman at the agency was extremely offensive on the telephone though and told me to ensure I "maintain professionalism at all times". Unbelievable.
I am glad it's the weekend but have to study
Is this for the mistake or the way you dealt with it?
Maybe avoid going on the offensive so quickly.0 -
I'm confused why the agency got involved in this!
Oh well, almost weekend indeed! Enjoy, relax, study a bit, make sure to do some fun stuff so you feel a bit better about yourself and when you go back on Monday, it will all seem better!
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All in all it does beg the question as to why the bank paid out the factor prices without double checking the paper trail first.0
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maybe they thought that the accounts staff knows the difference between an invoice and a credit note?
If glynis can get through tech level, im sure I can. Just found some hope!
ps: im not a glynis hater, but have offered support before and had it thrown back in my face!0 -
Aaron C Rescue wrote: »All in all it does beg the question as to why the bank paid out the factor prices without double checking the paper trail first.
When I worked with factored invoices, I uploaded an excel file I'd created myself. It was a good few years ago now but I don't think they received the originals, or if they did, it was batched up a while later, so it's quite possible for funds to be released before originals were checked. I think.0 -
When I worked with factored invoices, I uploaded an excel file I'd created myself. It was a good few years ago now but I don't think they received the originals, or if they did, it was batched up a while later, so it's quite possible for funds to be released before originals were checked. I think.
Same here I just sent an excel day book and we had 6 monthly audits.
Oh the mistakes thing - I hate it when I realise I have done something wrong and think I am correcting it but do exactly the same again doh!0 -
Oh the mistakes thing - I hate it when I realise I have done something wrong and think I am correcting it but do exactly the same again doh!The number of times I've had a blonde moment and posted a journal backwards, checked it (as always), realised I need to correct it by doing double opposite, then doing it the same way round again! I only ever do it on Sage as well. I think it's a symptom of lack of tea....... 0
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Lack of tea symptons are serious, you have to admit that!The number of times I've had a blonde moment and posted a journal backwards, checked it (as always), realised I need to correct it by doing double opposite, then doing it the same way round again! I only ever do it on Sage as well. I think it's a symptom of lack of tea.......
I've done it a couple of months ago where I had to correct a journal of a colleague as she did it the wrong way around (and she didn't have time to correct it, so I offered to do it for her) and I corrected it double the same way... Still, I got there in the end.0 -
try explaining to your boss that you have missed off 300k's worth of invoicing in the intercomany netting system...... bloody in house of of date macros......not to self last time i blindly trust a spreadsheet.....0
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This thread is jinxing me now, I keep posting wages taxes to 2220 not 2210! 0
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I'm confused why the agency got involved in this!
If you'd ordered a product from a supplier and they sent you the wrong item or it was broken wouldn't you call the supplier and complain and have them send you what you ordered? Sorry to put it so crudely but in recruitment candidates are products and if the customer isn't satisfied they should go back to the supplier and complain as if it were any other supplier.
Sorry Glynis but I think you should be grateful that the boss is reviewing your work and that they haven't terminated your assignment and put another temp in there.
But like anyone who has ever made a mistake I bet you won't do it again and will be extra cautious!!0
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