Jananas

I signed up for the e-Statement option on my President’s Choice Financial MasterCard as soon as it became available. It saves the company money (on paper and postage) and saves me from having to shred my statements (to protect my identity). Back in January there was some system-wide glitch and everyone received paper statements. A little annoying, especially given that the ad overlay that month was “go green” (ha!), but things go wrong sometimes and that’s fine. However, I have continued to receive paper statements every month since then.

I logged into their website yesterday to confirm that I was still signed up to receive e-statements and the little box at the bottom of the page was still checked off. I sent customer service a little note asking why I was receiving paper statements when my settings were set to receive e-statements only. The response I got back thanked me and told me that my paper statements were now turned on and I’d be receiving them monthly (erm, I already am!). Cue me hitting my head in frustration. I called into the call centre this morning (costing the company money so that they’ll stop wasting their money and my time), and got an admittedly nice CSR to turn the e-statement option back on.

Major problems here for me as a customer? One: the e-statement option (which expressly tells me that if I choose it means that I will no longer be receiving paper statements) has been ‘checked’ the entire time. So obviously there’s a disconnect between the website and the backend system. When the customer views information than is different from what is in your system, that’s an issue! Two: I had not changed my setting to stop being an e-statement only customer. So somehow a setting was changed in the system without my knowledge or permission, and still appeared in my customer view as if everything was normal. That’s a major issue! I’ve asked that it be investigated, so here’s to hoping that they can actually figure it out and get back to me about it.

From a business perspective I understand that the company might want to send me a paper statement because it provides them with another marketing channel. But, if they really understood customer analytics then they’d know that I’m never going to take out a convenience cheque so there’s really no point in spending the money to send them to me. And really, it just seems like good business practice to help your customers help you save on operating costs!

One of my biggest regrets in my life is that I didn’t do my undergrad in accounting and article thereafter. I love accounting. Yes, I’m aware that I’m a nerd and crazy and unfathomable. However, I did my undergrad in science and to go back now would mean four additional years of undergrad plus articling. At this stage in my life and career that’s a huge step backwards. Instead I’ve been looking into becoming a Certified Management Accountant (CMA). Sadly I met their experience requirements in my first two years of working. With the first year of my MBA I’ll have met 11 of their 17 education requirements. To take the other 6 would take over a year and cost upwards of $6,000. Instead I just sent my in application to take their accelerated CMA program. Its seven months of part time study that will bring me up to speed to take the CMA entrance exam in June of 2009.

However, this also means that I’ll be doing the accelerated part time program concurrently with the second year of my full time MBA. I’m certain that I’m crazy and am aware that this next year will be stressful, but unfortunately the timing relative to my future plans and career development is just too good to pass up. Here’s the breakdown. I start the accelerated program in September 2008 and finish at the beginning of April 2009. I finish my MBA at the end of April 2009. Current plans involve spending May & June travelling around parts of Canada with friends (hopefully), attending family weddings, and my graduation! I’ll write the CMA entrance exam in June 2009. July 2009 will likely be spent doing BME-related activities, attending more family weddings, and getting ready to really travel! I’m seriously considering spending the rest of 2009 travelling and seeing the world. I would then start the actual CMA program (which is done part time via modules concurrently while working full time) in 2010, and graduate with another designation in 2011. Other good news is that I can fly in for the CMA modules, so have flexibility to work/live wherever my little heart desires.

So yes, the next seven months are likely going to suck. Given that I’m told that the second year of the MBA isn’t as difficult or time consuming as the first, I’m hoping that adding the accelerated CMA program will bring up my overall workload to where it was this past year. Stressful and stupid busy, but doable. Additionally, if I don’t do the accelerate CMA this fall then I won’t have time to start it until 2010 which pushes the entire process back by almost a year and a half (which makes it much less attractive).