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I've made an enormous mistake, help me stay calm

Old 07-22-2015, 10:48 AM
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I've made an enormous mistake, help me stay calm

I am NOT going to drink over this, it will in no way make it better. I know this. But I am having a hard time staying calm and am very afraid my nerves will try and trick me into making the poor decision to turn to alcohol.
I f'd up BAD at my job. It was a simple, honest, slight of hand mistake on a text message confirming the rental of a house (I manage vacation properties). I put in the dates August 3-11, but it should have been 3-14. We are now double booked for the dates of the 11th-13th.
This is a major villa, major money in a highly sought out place. I have no idea if this can be resolved without major anger on the part of those affected (rightfully so!) or without me having to come out of pocket to change flights/villas. I am SICK. In all my years of doing this work, even while drunk! I have never had this happen. Never. I wasn't even drunk, it was just a stupid, stupid, stupid mistake. I should look over everything I send carefully. I just really messed up. I have to stay calm. Drinking will not make this better, it will only make it a LOT worse. I feel horrible and terrified.
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Old 07-22-2015, 10:52 AM
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Get busy fixing the mistake and move on. You have to face it and deal with it.

As my friend says, "It's only money."

It will be okay - start making calls.

Breathe!!!!
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Old 07-22-2015, 10:52 AM
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We all make mistakes. Don't let yourself get so worked up. Try and find a reasonable solution for one of the parties and explain you are truly very sorry for the mix up. There are people out there that will understand and hopefully they are one of them. Chin up ☺️
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Old 07-22-2015, 10:55 AM
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Mera, I do understand your feelings! However, having worked in the computer field for many years, I can assure you that humans do make mistakes! I don't think that there is a single person on this earth that doesn't make mistakes, no matter how careful they may be. That said, most of us try to minimize them as much as we can. Aiming for perfection is ok as long as we don't let everything ride on that.

Hang fast, take a deep breath and remember that alcohol can only make things much worse!
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Old 07-22-2015, 10:57 AM
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I feel sick to my stomach. First and foremost I hate that I may have seriously ruined someone's holiday. Secondly, I cannot believe I did something so stupid. That is the most important part of my job.
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Old 07-22-2015, 10:58 AM
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- First of all, I can absolutely relate. I'm a fairly high level professional and both myself and my colleagues have made similar mistakes. It's one of the biggest downsides of the digital age

- Second, it was an honest mistake. We have all made them. What I have found is I can address them if I take honest, immediate action. Or, I can make them exponentially worse if I attempt to cover up, lie, or put off explaining what has taken place. Worst case, and this is very worst case, you have to kick in some of your own money. That absolutely sucks, but it's over and done. You drink over this, you are adding much more serious problems into the fold. Way more serious than what you're dealing with now.

- Lastly, I am going to tell you something that is a true story. My boss sent a photo of his private parts to one of our most important clients. It was meant for his significant other. Even worse, it had some odd message included like, "Thinking about you, babe." Funny story now, but was a serious, monumental mistake at the time. And even that mistake was forgiven. So at least you're not that guy.
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Old 07-22-2015, 10:59 AM
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i was a travel rep in 2000 in greece & this was commonplace for me

my advice is the place goes to who called first

You explain to who booked 2nd that a computer error has caused the double booking and you say your apoligies and nip it in the bud as in right now the longer you leave it the worse it gets

I had to do this so much when i lived in greece its going to be ok Mera

Breathe & make the call

Drinking is out of the question stay strong Mera
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Old 07-22-2015, 11:03 AM
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ok ok ok. I'm going to get through this. I have already sent a message to the first clients asking if they can cut their holiday short by days. The only slight glimmer of hope here is that they had already asked to cut it from the 14th to the 13th for financial reasons. Cutting it by two more days will significantly decrease the total so they may be ok. I was completely honest and took full responsibility so hopefully they will be kind when they respond. I sent an email instead of calling which was kind of a wimp move, but I wanted them to have a moment to digest the news and talk with the group. I will call them tomorrow once I think they have seen it. I will be the luckiest person in the world if this goes over ok. My big worry is they have already bought plane or ferry tickets that can't be changed…..
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Old 07-22-2015, 11:11 AM
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Mera, it will be okay. We all make mistakes. Look at it this way....at least you weren't performing brain surgery, right?

Scram, I'm still laughing at your post...thanks for that I was the recipient once of a similar nude picture text from someone I didn't know.
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Old 07-22-2015, 11:28 AM
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laughing @ the text mistake!

I traveled to Brazil with work once and sent my wife a text about the cleaning crew trying to clean my room at 11:00pm! I made a joke about it, though (think Tommy Boy the movie). When she didn't respond for over an hour I started wondering...

Yep. Sent it to the HR Manager in Brazil who I was training the next morning. And because I didn't preface the text with "this is a quote from Tommy Boy," she must have thought that I was saying what I said to her.

Horrified.

Still employed.
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Old 07-22-2015, 11:36 AM
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Like bimini said, the only way forward is through. Set the regrets aside and get at it. It will work itself out one way or another but only if you get busy. Onward!
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Old 07-22-2015, 11:36 AM
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Computer issues happen, and when it's a human error, computer issues can still happen, if you know what I mean.

You never know, some people can be very understanding, they realise that things can go wrong, they shouldn't go wrong, but they do, it's the world we now live in with such a reliance on technology.

-Can you speak to them in person? it's more personal and there's less waiting around on your part, more immediate.

-If it's something that is going to inevitably get back to a manager at some stage, you might as well get that conversation over with straight away, saves on the stress, waiting around, and you never know they may have some advice on having seen this before.
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Old 07-22-2015, 11:51 AM
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oh, I know that awful feeling of dread. Mera, once you fix it, it'll be over, and soon it will be in the past. Stay strong! We're rooting for you!

xoxox
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Old 07-22-2015, 01:15 PM
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Oh god, it is so bad. They wrote back and are unwilling to budge, they already bought tickets. The worst part is that the owner of the house, the one who took the second reservation, is my ex's aunt who already hates me. She's a total bitch, excuse my language but the word fits, and she hates me. I hate her too honestly even though I don't like harboring hate. She's furious- again, rightfully so- but the dact that we hate each other makes this so much more sucky. She's in the right here with her anger. I've owned up to my mistake and apologized but it sucks sucks sucks.
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Old 07-22-2015, 01:16 PM
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I don't have a manager. I have worse, my ex's evil aunt who hates me!!
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Old 07-22-2015, 01:23 PM
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I'm so sorry, Mera.
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Old 07-22-2015, 01:25 PM
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Sorry, Mera It sounds like a tough spot to be in.

(Laughing at Scram's example above)

One thing to consider is that eventually, this will blow over, and you can look back and be more accepting of your human flaws. We all really do make mistakes, even huge ones

I know it sucks right now though. Just take the steps you can today. It's all that can be done.
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Old 07-22-2015, 01:38 PM
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Thanks everyone for your support. I'm going to try to go to bed now. I have mixed emotions, I have to be honest. Most of me is happy to go to bed sober but there is also a small part of me that wishes I could just pass out drunk and forget about this for the night. I know I won't sleep tonight. But dealing with this tomorrow with a hangover (as it is still unresolved) would be worse than a night without sleep, I have to remember that.
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Old 07-22-2015, 01:57 PM
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Originally Posted by freshstart57 View Post
Like bimini said, the only way forward is through. Set the regrets aside and get at it. It will work itself out one way or another but only if you get busy. Onward!


Agreed. None of us are infallible - these things happen. We are human after all.
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Old 07-22-2015, 02:04 PM
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Maybe in the morning you could just walk in to your ex's aunt and totally humble yourself. Apologize from the bottom of your heart, because you really are sorry.

If you put your pride and bitter memories to the side, you are standing there totally disarmed.

Even the hardest of people finds it difficult to destroy someone who is totally disarmed.
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