Digital Pessimism We hope to disappoint
For the Spanish company Total Web Software , these were going to be a normal Christmas. The usual Christmas of a small business dedicated to software development. However, an unexpected event has changed everything and has led the drama where there was happiness before: they have charged an invoice.
It was a cold morning this week in early December. Anabel López, head of administration, accounting, logistics and buying breakfast muffins, entered the private area of her account at Banco Santander to check the balance and gave her heart attack. There was an income. And not just any income, they had charged a bill issued 4 years ago to a customer. Before he died on the floor of his small office, he gave time to give the alarm signal.
Within minutes, the whole company was aware of what had happened and the director, Benjamin Buenamano, had taken emergency measures. In the absence of someone who knew of accounting, a junior web developer nicknamed Pocoyo, who knew of Excel, was entrusted with the task of calling the client to ask for explanations, allowing him to threaten legal actions of being necessary.
Carolina Sanchéz-Molina, blonde and marketing manager, was in charge of running to the nearest delegation of the Treasury to report the misfortune and request a request that the treasury not make an inspection. On the return of the visit, he was also instructed to go to an office of Banco Santander to make it clear to the assistant director, after waiting for a queue of 4 hours, not to worry, that this was an isolated case that would not go back to repeat.
Dozens of affected families
The unexpected event has caused an earthquake in the lives of dozens of families directly and indirectly related to the company. The seven payroll workers do not know what is going to happen to their jobs, and they are afraid that at the end of the month they will be paid a payroll. The neighbors’ owners, formerly friends and companions, now look at them suspiciously and spit at them as they cross the street.
The families of the workers are in a non-living. Faced with the threat that this year they may have money for charismatic Christmas gifts, some have locked themselves in their home and refuse to leave. Others have fled the country to southern regions. There has even been a case of suicide by aerodynamic deployment from a window.
But the worst are the children. They are suffering bullying in their schools. The center’s psychologists are doing 10-hour shifts to try to find the psychosocial roots of the trauma. One of the children, especially affected by post-traumatic stress, goes down the hallways stating that he is a Pokemon that fell out of a phone and needs to return home.
Government message
The case has reached the highest levels. The Minister of Finance, Cristobal Montoro , has asked at a press conference to the Spanish companies to stop immediately in these practices and has announced that it will take measures against those who persist in paying the invoices to their suppliers.
Luis de Guindos , Minister of Economy, has gone further and has accused companies that have paid invoices of selfishness and lack of patriotism. “ We know who they are and we will go for them. The government protects and protects the small Spanish businessman against this infamy “.
