Comments
Stroppy Un-Environmentalists
We have a ‘less-paper’ policy at Decisive Flow. ALL invoices are sent out via email and if a client wants paper invoices, I politely explain they can print them themselves if necessary however storing the electronic file is fine for accounting purposes.
So when I received an email the other day demanding paper invoices from a hosting customer and I went through my spiel, only to receive this:
“We receive upwards of 100 emails a day and many spam as well , it is too easy for things to get buried and of course has to be printed off so no saving in paper or green house gases”
Firstly, they get email spam, but surely they receive emails from people outside of those sending invoices just fine.
Secondly, why do people get so stroppy about people being a little careful with our environment? I cannot understand the psyche that thinks “hmm we have a problem, I wont help, I wont be constructive, I’ll just mock people who do care.”
When you are charging about $20 a month for hosting, the cost of printing off invoices, putting them in envelopes and putting a stamp on them comes to about $1 for materials + $2 for labour (given it would be one of us who do it and we would otherwise be working on client projects). That’s about $3 to simply INVOICE. As opposed to a one click ’send’ function. Outside of the cost to me, there is the cost to our planet of creating envelopes and paper and ink and stamps and I’m sorry, I know it sounds pedantic, but that cost gets way too high for me to feel comfortable.
March 19th, 2008 at 11:30 am
Have you considered instead of getting angry at them just telling them that your cost-effective hosting is $20/month with emailed invoices or $25/month with paper invoices? Maybe even offer them a year in advance with paper invoice for $250? Saving $50!! Two month’s ‘free’!
March 19th, 2008 at 11:46 am
Ha ha I’m not angry, but you’re right if I was just concerned about the cost to me.
I suppose it just seems like such a waste in such a wasteful world - why get a truck to deliver something that can go over the internet? But I suppose if I charge extra for paper it will be a disincentive anyway. Good point!
March 19th, 2008 at 11:26 pm
I’m pretty sure that’s the same kind of methodology used by many businesses nowdays. You should definitely charge them more. Or just stick to your guns. Change has got to start somewhere!
March 20th, 2008 at 1:08 am
Alternatively, how about offering to re-email the invoices that they’re requesting so that they can get them all at once and then print them out for themselves?
And second, who DOESN’T receive upwards of 100 emails a day? There are very simple catalogueing functions in even the simplest of email programs that can be used to store emails from you specifically, to then be printed out at a time more convenient for them (such as now).
Maybe I’m just ignorant of all of this tech stuff (hosting? whuzzat?) but it seems they should be demanding the paper invoices from you only if all other options have been exhausted.
March 20th, 2008 at 3:12 pm
I wish we could use our old paper and recycle the backs for invoices for those clients who want printed ones. If the customer really wants paper, I have no objection if the original paper was, on one side, some press release that’s no longer needed. As long as it’s not confidential material. Whatever the case, we use those one-sided papers for all internal printing—just as you wouldn’t eat half a cheesecake and throw the other half out on principle, we should print on both sides.
March 25th, 2008 at 12:54 am
well said!!! :-)