If you are a company executive, sometimes, life is really good. Obviously there is such a broad range of what constitutes being an executive, but when I’m using the term, I’m using it as a company person who is living and leeching off the company. Someone who is more concerned about what they are getting out of any deal than anything else. Someone who negotiates their employment to their sole advantage, because if the company can’t afford them, they’ll just move on to the next one. You get the idea.
So, if you are one of these persons, you want to make sure you are being taken care of and you want to be sure you are extracting the most from any business trip. I recently booked a couple-night stay at what I would consider an expensive resort. But if you’re an executive, that’s not a concern. It’s a business expense, so you want to make sure you are getting the best for the company’s money.
Naturally, you are a member of the hotel’s rewards program, so you can get extra personal benefits from the company’s money. Now here’s where it gets a little perverse.
This particular resort has add-ons that you can make to your stay, like included breakfast, or bike rentals. But they also have some other interesting add-ons. You can purchase, for a per-night cost, extra rewards points. Now, why would a normal person willingly pay more (and we’re not talking a little more, try $144/night) for the same stay, just to get reward points, which are literally a fraction of a normal dollar for redemption. $144 per night for three nights gets you 5000 extra points.
It’s crazy. But… what if it’s not your money you’re spending? Hmmmm. What if it’s just another business expense listed under Travel-Lodging? How nice would life get then? And what if you’re an executive – pretty much anyone who has seniority over the expense person in Accounting. Who is he or she going to complain to? Your boss? Your boss would pat you on the back for such an awesome idea!
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