The Malay Pharma Contender and Claims

Hi there!

Today I'm going to write about a very sensitive subject... very sensitive indeed.

Because of this subject, I got my first warning letter.

Because of this subject, I was denied my full 'bonus' (or it was called ICP back then).

Because of this, some colleagues turn their faces away from me... in anger and hate...

And everything got to do with: CLAIMS.

Technically, as a Pharma Sales Rep, MOST if not all of your expenses are claimable. You can claim your gas, your mileage when travelling, your food and beverages, your lodging, your expenses for entertaining customers and expenses for 'budgeted' promotional activities like video shows, Continuous Medical and Pharmacy Education and the like.

Many pharma companies have different claimable items...

Like from the example above, some Pharma companies allow unlimited petrol claim. Some provide petrol card. Some allow mileage claim. Some give fix car allowances. Some allow claiming for buying oranges for Chinese New Year, for example. Some only allow greeting cards.

Usually all these rules and regulation can be found in the companies' P & P : policies and procedures. Or check with HR and Finance for clarification.

Many Pharma companies have different claiming procedures...

For example, last time in a Pharma company I used to work for, petrol claim written receipt from pump attendant is allowed. After a while, company ONLY allow printed receipt. And the latest, each Pharma Reps were given Amex Card. So petrol, lodging and meals claim were directly charged to their Amex account.

Every month, all they need to do was to key in the transaction into an 'online expenses record' system. Fancy ey?

Would you like that to happen in your company?

Actually the Bosses and Accountants DO like it. Makes their job easier I guess...

Many Pharma companies have different claiming problems...

Rest assured, if that problem affect the company, it'll affect the reps as well.

What kind of problem are there?

There are Rules and Regulation problems. This might seems like a 'clean and clear' problem. I disagree. When I got my first 'warning letter' from the company for this issue, I was CLEAR with the regulation. But the company was NOT clear with my POSITION.

Have you been to West Pahang area before? Bentong, Raub, Mentakab, Kuala Lipis, Kemayan, Triang, Mentakab, Temerloh... does any of this area 'rings a bell'?

How many gas station over there have Amex or even credit card processing facility?

I heard some of you say,"Many!" Obviously you've never been to ANY of the places I've mentioned above...

One of my Team Member was accused having written petrol claims with consequent receipt numbers... translation: fraud! As the manager in charge, I was called in to write a letter of explanation.

I wrote close to two pages of emails, explaining why 'using' written receipt in the first place. And furthermore, at that point of time, the company had not implement the printed receipt regulation yet. Amex was not compulsory.

Guess what? I got 'penalized' for that reason. I was labelled as 'inefficient', 'irresponsible' and 'careless'. I still kept the letter I got until today. It serves as a reminder that: you can be on the right side. But your right side does not equal your 'Boss' right side... or the HR manager right side... or Sales Director right side.

Bear in mind, these people OWN the company. And they got just a 'bit' over the edge and think they own YOU as well.

Heck!

So my advice to my fellow Pharma Contender, Yes, you can 'memorized' all the Rules and Regulation, right to the letter, but greed and personal ignorance will triumph in the end. Be careful with all your actions. It doesn't pay to play safe (I know I did. I hold the lowest manager claim every year, relative to my area of coverage). Just be careful.

Know WHO you report to and WHAT they inspire to (some are just downright 'a**-kissers').

That's ONE problem (I'll just address the major ones)...

Next, the irregularities of Pharma Sales and Finance or Account Departments Policies. Well, lets face it. These two departments are light-years away different. For a Pharma Sales Rep, ensuring a solid relationship with customers is one of the key responsibilities. Most of the time, this could be easily achieved through sponsorship.

Not until recently. When Mr. Serbane and Oxley came up with their two-sense, right after Enron sank like the Titanic, no activities that deem '...can influence prescribing habit or influence research outcome' i.e. Sponsorships, are encouraged.

What was the effect to my fellow Pharma Sales Reps?

I still vividly recalled sitting in a hotel meeting room, listening to Upper Management preached their version of doing business with 'less' sponsorships and entertainment.

Hell yeah!

It just goes to show how often the Senior Leadership Team spent their 'precious time' on the field... not putting golf balls but sitting face to face with 'honorable' customers whom they want the Sales Force to really look after.

My advice, suck it up fellow Pharma Contenders. Our 'rice bowls' are more important than 'sacred' voices behind office table who claim they know everything about the marketplace... of course, if we're talking during Bilbo Bagins time, the Wizards, the Orces, the Dungeons and Dragons...

This advice goes without saying that we have to make 'financial' sacrifices. Make sure it's the one you'll recuperate through your incentives and 'claim tricks' (I can't elaborate more or else 'they'll' send me another warning letter ;-)

The biggest blunders of all (I save the BEST for last)...

Many Pharma Sales Reps think they're SMARTER than the company and their Boss...

This is crucial. Discard such thinking, even you know you ARE, unless you have the other company's offer letter and you're about to tender your 24 hours resignation. If you have that in place, then by all means...

If not, I strongly suggest you play on the safe side so you don't get hurt (sing it like Kelly Clarkson). Because...

Like it or not, it's their job to find your mistakes so that they can be deemed as efficient and influential (since many a**-kissers want to please them).

And the company can always hire one person, dedicated to screen through your claims and sponsorships request. You can say you have follow policies and fill in the form but hold on... those 'zeroes' doesn't add up to the R.O.I. Then they follow with something like,"Put yourself in our shoes, would you sponsor this type of customers? What's the ROI?"

But before that they said,"Do not sponsor because you want to make the sponsorship as a reward to your customers. It should be genuine..."

Bottom line... genuine request gets rejected!

And you my fellow Pharma Contenders, are left with angry customers just waiting to switch your brand to others... without thinking twice. Sad huh?

Enuf rant already. Remember to make sure you carry out the 'right' action. Back-up your action. Double or triple back up if you must. Choose to know who's the mole on top of ya and count your blessing.

This is what I call proactive and Stephen Covey said,"It's a habit of highly effective people."

If you're no longer fed by them, have FUN spilling all the beans. I'm 'having fun' every single day...