记录并报销差旅费是这个世界上再平凡不过的任务之一,这不是什么秘密。商务旅行期间的交通、住宿和其它成本加总在一起,还要加上一沓纸和收据。《华尔街日报》近期向“Every Day With Rachael Ray”杂志的旅行部编辑哈玛迪(Gina Hamadey)征求建议,以简化差旅费报销工作,并增加其趣味性。
WSJ: What is one thing the business traveler can do upfront to keep everything in order when it comes to expenses?
《华尔街日报》:为了保持差旅开支井然有序,出差前要先做什么?
Ms. Hamadey: To get a head start, everything that you have already bought on your credit card -- usually hotel, air and car receipts -- just print them out. This is probably common sense but if you are a first-time traveler or if you don't travel for business very often, it's an amateur mistake to not put everything in one place. Sometimes if I'm running off for a quick weekend, I designate a compartment of my wallet, and throw my receipts in.
哈玛迪:要想有一个好的开始,把你已经用信用卡支付的所有开支──通常是交通和住宿费用──打印出来。把所有东西放在一起可能是个常识。但如果你第一次外出旅行,或不常出差,新手常常不知道要把收据放在一起。有时利用周末进行短期旅行时,我会在钱包里专门留一个隔层放收据。
At the very least you should do that, but ideally it's great if you have an envelope in your purse or briefcase and start with your air, hotel and car receipts. . . . Jot notes on the back of a receipt, [like] who was at the dinner, the purpose. If you're really organized, you could separate them [with] paper clips. If you're really super organized, you can spend time on the plane home taping down receipts.
你最起码要做到这一点,但如果你的钱包或公文包里有一个信封专门用来放收据,并且从一开始就把机票、住宿和租车等收据放在里面就太棒了。收据后面简单记一下用途,如与谁一起吃饭,吃饭的目的等。如果你是个有条理的人,你可以用曲别针把它们分分类。如果你真是个特别有条理的人,你可以在回程的飞机上花些时间把收据分门别类地整理一下。
WSJ: What is often overlooked in organizing expenses?
《华尔街日报》:在费用管理方面经常会忽视什么?
Ms. Hamadey: A common error is procrastinating. Not only organizing, but then submitting. . . . [Also] overlooked is the little things, like coffee, water and a newspaper. It's so often that you just grab a coffee, and you forget the receipt. If it's a coffee stand, you don't even know if they have receipts and you'll just think, 'Ah, it's $2 and no big deal,' but that stuff really adds up.
哈玛迪:常见错误是耽搁。不仅在费用管理方面,之后报销时也会耽搁。而且经常会忽略咖啡、水或报纸等一些小事。常常是买了杯咖啡却忘了要收据。如果是个咖啡摊,你甚至不知道他们有没有收据,而且你会想,就两美元,没什么大不了。但积少成多。
WSJ: Any final tips?
《华尔街日报》:最后还有其它建议吗?
Ms. Hamadey: It's important to take the high road and not take advantage. So if you're invited to a conference and it's frowned upon to bring a spouse and you bring yours anyway, expense for half your dinner. It's never a comfortable conversation to be called in and [hear] you shouldn't have done this. Take the high road. It's a good thing and will leave you open to take trips later.
哈玛迪:行事要正直,不要占小便宜,这很重要。因此,当你接受邀请参加会议时,如果对方不建议带配偶同行,但你还是带了,就自己负担一半餐费。等着别人把你叫到屋里告诉你不应当这样做永远不会让人好受。行事要正直。这是件好事,这样你以后还会有出差的机会。
Alcohol is something to be careful of. Wine with dinner is fine but if a bunch of people are boozing really late, it's something to be careful of. Maybe if everyone splits the bill it's fine, but it's just again not a comfortable conversation to have with your boss.
喝酒时要注意。进餐时喝酒没有问题,但一群人纵酒狂欢到深夜就要小心。大家均摊账单或许没问题,但你的老板和你谈论这件事也不是个让人舒心的事。