Please stop laughing at me!

[Boozy]

My other part-time job is doing paperwork for my dad's farm. I used to just write the cheques, pay the bills, and do the filing, but now he has a new accountant. And this new accountant expects at least some basic bookkeeping to be done on our part.

Which I understand. What they don't understand is that I am not a bookkeeper. I have no accounting training whatsoever, and neither does my dad. He could probably do a better job than I could (because he at least knows the business of farming) but he is incredibly busy harvesting right now. I'm on my own.

I was told to get Simply Accounting and "put all our information in there". That's it - that was the extent of the instructions I was given.

I was told to call my accountant's assistant should I have any problems.

Naturally, I am having problems. I don't understand debits and credits (they seem all backwards to me). I don't know what half of these accounts are for. I was unable to answer the very first question the program prompted me to answer: "Cash or Accrual Accounting?" What the hell?

In short, I don't know what I am doing.

So I called the accountant's assistant, who was clearly trying not to laugh at me as I asked her one stupid question after another. She kept snickering and saying things like, "You really don't know what you're doing, do you?"

After a few minutes on the phone, I could feel myself getting very self-conscious and upset, so I ended the call. I don't know if I'll be able to bring myself to call back. She really made me feel dumb.

I'm very overwhelmed and on the verge of crying.

Thanks for reading this, if anyone got that far. I feel a bit better.

[ladyklack]

That woman owes you a major apology. You are attempting to do something fairly difficult with no training all, what does she expect? Especially after they told you to call her if you need help.

Don't take it to heart; she's in major need of an attitude adjustment.

[Pedersen]

Hey, Boozy, I might have an alternative for you: I've got a good friend of mine who has a doctorate in accounting, and has never once laughed at my idiotic accounting questions. He also does it freelance, in addition to being corporate controller for at least two companies.

If you'd like me to put you in touch with him, let me know (either here, PM, or IM, all my IM addresses are in my profile), and I'll get you two together. Worst thing that can happen is that he says he's unable to help.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

I'd be perfectly blunt and honest about it. Just because you don't know how to do something doesn't mean you are stupid. I dont' know how to do that, either, and I know I'm not stupid.

When it comes up again, be honest and firm. Just say "Look, I dont' know at all how to do this. The person you told me to call treated me really badly. laughed at me, and tried to make me feel bad. I'm not being paid enough to take that kind of abuse, so if you want it done, either get a mature, professional person to show me how to do it, or do it yourself."

And let that be the end of the discussion.

[Emrld]

That is just wrong of that woman . . . .
I mean it would be one thing if you had called up and claimed to be the best accountant in the world and then asked questions.
However that is not what you did.
I think your Father needs to be informed and have a chat with the Accountant about how the assistant is making them look. For a representative of a company to laugh and mock someone when calling for assistance . . . a lot of business could be lost.

Boozy - I send you hugs of understanding

[protege]

Now that's just wrong. I'm an accountant...and I'd like to smack that bitch.

Is this (http://www.simplyaccounting.com/) what you're referring to, Boozy? I've not heard of this program. I use Quicken to keep track of my finances. I found their checkbook thingie pretty easy to use. Not so with the "investment" side. I had no problem setting up and downloading my IRA information. But, with my company's 401(k), that was impossible--I have to keep track of that by hand.

I don't think you're dumb, Boozy. At least you're *trying* to get help with something you don't understand. I have no problem with people who do that. Sure, I'll pick on you a bit, but it's all good-natured. Well, most of the time, anyway :angel:

[Pedersen]

Oh, something else I forgot: Check out The Accounting Game: Basic Accounting Fresh From The Lemonade Stand (http://www.amazon.com/Accounting-Game-Basic-Fresh-Lemonade/dp/1570713960). It actually does a good job of explaining basic accounting techniques, which helps hugely in understanding your accountant.

And it was pretty cheap too.

[Boozy]

Is this (http://www.simplyaccounting.com/) what you're referring to, Boozy?

Yes, that is the program. The software itself seems pretty easy - IF you know accounting. Learning software comes more intuitively to me than learning number-crunching.

Pedersen - Thank you for offering to put me in touch with your friend. As soon as you mentioned that, I got thinking that there are probably people I know that could help me. So I called my husband's office, and one of the administrative staff knows a lot about bookkeeping. She told me to call her anytime. So thanks for the idea!

[sms001]

Here's an idea. Call the assistant back and tell them you want to ask a few questions. Start with something simple like "Hey, what level of nitrogen fixing can be expected in recently sown soybean fields?" or "What's the proper feed/grazing ratio for lactating cows?

Start sniggering. :lol:

Seriously, you should have your father speak with the accountant. The accountant works for you. You are their customer. Part of the service is that you could get help and you didn't get it. You won't be sucky at all to get the help you are paying for!

I've taught VERY basic computing skills on and off through the years, and can't imagine what the reaction from my employers (or customers) would be if I was so derisive to a student that I was expected to help with my expertise. Very sad.

(Side note - in college, aced every math class. Accounting? Not so much :) It IS counter-intuitive sometimes. As you practice, and with some competent help, I bet you do fine.

[Pedersen]

So thanks for the idea!

Glad I could do something productive to help out at least. You're quite welcome :)

[Cia]

That assistant is an ass. Hell I have an accounting degree and I forgot what the difference was between cash and accrual accounting in an interview. Being nervous gives me brain farts.

[MadMike]

I feel for you. I had to take three accounting courses in college (to be a computer programmer :wtf: ) and I barely passed them. Actually, the third one, I didn't pass, and had to retake it.

It wasn't completely my fault. They stuck us with a brand-new teacher who had no idea how to teach. Then halfway into the term, he quit, and I thought they'd bring in someone better, and I'd get the hang of it. But by some bizarre twist of fate, the next one was another new teacher who was even worse than the previous one, and he ended up getting fired at the end of the term.

I think they just decided to pass everyone and make it up in the next course, because I got a D, but couldn't figure out why I passed.

The second course, they gave us a teacher who had been around for awhile. I still got a D that time, but I actually earned it that time around. But by the time I got to the third course, "barely understanding" wasn't enough, and I failed a course for the first and only time in my life.

I studied really hard and got help from the teacher the next time around, and actually managed to pass with a B that time. But I doubt I remember any of it now. It's been almost 19 years, and I've never used it.

[purplecat41877]

Debit=money coming in
Credit=money going out

[Boozy]

Debit=money coming in
Credit=money going out

Yeah, what's up with that anyways? How back-asswards is that?

Husband says everyone's used to thinking about it the opposite way because the only balance sheets most people see are their bank statements - which are from the bank's point of view.

So now I'm starting to make sense of it all.

[Pedersen]

Debit=money coming in
Credit=money going out

Well, that's kinda most of it. The actual major equation for standard accounting practices is this:

Assets = Liabilities + Equity

Depending on which side of that equals sign you're on, debits and credits are either increases or decreases to an account. Unfortunately, I don't remember which is which.

Saying things the way you did above could lead to issues with balancing the books in the future, which is why I had to muddy the waters. Sorry about that.

[protege]

Well, that's kinda most of it. The actual major equation for standard accounting practices is this:

Assets = Liabilities + Equity

Depending on which side of that equals sign you're on, debits and credits are either increases or decreases to an account. Unfortunately, I don't remember which is which.

On the left side of the equals sign, to debit an account is to increase it...crediting the account decreases it. Flip-flop those for the opposite side of the equals :)

[BookstoreEscapee]

Yeah, what's up with that anyways? How back-asswards is that?

Husband says everyone's used to thinking about it the opposite way because the only balance sheets most people see are their bank statements - which are from the bank's point of view.

huh, I never realized that...

There's always Bookkeeping for Dummies...they also have a workbook. Or a quick B&N search found Bookkeeper's Boot Camp by Angie Mohr, which got a 5-star review.

Fun Fact: did you know that "bookkeeper/bookkeeping" are the only words in the English language with 3 double letters in a row? (well, according to dictionary.com there are others but they are all hyphenated.) Subbookkeeper is the only one with 4 double letters in a row.