Re: career in SQL/Database administration - Mailing list pgsql-general

Dan Anderson wrote:

>>We dont' do hourly rates.  We do it by the job.  Therefore, the consumer
>>doesn't have to think about how much they're paying us per hour.  The just
>>have to think about the benefits in relation to the cost.  It also allows
>>us to get better profit margins, because we can automate in innovative
>>ways, and it doesn't cost us revenue.
>>

Are you serious??? How do you possibly make any money? Maybe
I am just naive but here at CMD a flat rate quote is a minimum of 2.5x
what we would normally charge JUST IN CASE the client (which will happen)
decides to change direction midstream.

>    Well, in my experience it depends on the customer.  If you get a
>customer who knows IT, then yes, they bow down before you and hire you
>again.  But more often you get a customer who doesn't know IT, and
>didn't realize exactly what he or she was ordering.  So you've got a
>client looking for revisions.  But revisions mean substantially altering
>the code base and losing lots of time (and $$$).
>
>

Exactly what hourly is for :)

>    So what do you do?  Sue them?  Costs more then the client's contract is
>worth.  Tell the customer to pay more?  They may walk away and the
>deposit won't cover all costs.
>
That is why you don't deliver final product until the final check is
recieved.
We typically do a milestone approach so that by the time we deliver, if the
customer decides they don't like it (for whatever reason) we are only out
maybe 10%.

> And if they say the contract wasn't
>consummated (it wasn't what they wanted) see the section on lawsuits.
>So now what, send them to collections?  Maybe -- if you're big enough to
>get a contract with a national collections agency.  If not you're
>basically consigned to bend over, and smile nicely as you get screwed
>over with revisions.
>
Every contract... if written correctly values both parties. If one
party signifcantly changes the scope of the contract and isn't
willing to pay up.... stop work.

Many, many clients will see the light once they have spent 20k with
you and then you stop work because they won't pay for a milestone.

Long story short... if you do it, have clearly defined milestones. If
the project is more than 2500.00 bucks.... have a milestone for
every 10 or 20%.

Sincerley,

Joshua Drake




>
></rant>
>
>(Anybody with suggestions on what to do with people like this please
>feel free to chime in.  :-D)
>
>-Dan
>
>
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