What do you think about this?

[crazytech]

Fellow Tech's I need your help. I need your opinion for a kind of poll.

I have tried to explain to a client why it is better to work around business hours to do this but I must not be articulating it very well and am hoping if he see’s some other opinions on this it will be a little easier to digest. I also have an idea he believes that once it’s up and running everything will be fine and we should not need any time afterwards to follow-up.

He wants to put a Panther Server in place along with several other services. There are 6 machines running OS 9 and 4 OS X machines, one of them being a laptop. He believes the Server can be setup as a simple fileserver and should just take a couple of hours to setup and also do the following:

1. Setup the server in his words as "a simple fileserver."

2. Move Now Contact/Calendar server from a previous OS 9 computer to OS X.3 server and setup 2 to 4 clients to connect and sync. He thinks this will take a few minutes to copy the files.

3. Move a Filemaker Pro Marketing database that was originally setup to serve
four people to the server and now make it available to 4 persons for marketing purposes.

4. Setup Retrospect on the server and configure all clients to connect, backup and shutdown every day and have a full backup once a week.

These are his words: “I want simply a straight ahead file server, a back up system, and the NOW and FMP6 in place. You should be able to do that in a couple of hours"

He suggests a two-step process: Do all the things that can be done WITHOUT putting it on line in advance - the ips, the configurations, etc, and get that right on a desk without connecting to anything else. (All the computers have static ip’s)

What is your opinion on this? What is your opinion on how long it will take? He thinks this can be done in 2 or 3 sessions of 2-3 hours each before the staff arrives in the morning. I have explained the process and how long this will take perhaps your 2 cents will either help or show him that I am a total fool. At this point I will take that chance.

Thank you for you time.

 

[symphonix]

Theoretically, you could break the task up and do it in a series of 2-3 hour sessions outside of business hours without any disruption.

- One session to establish the Mac OS X server and ensure it has reliable network connectivity, all current updates, etc.
- One session to transfer files onto the new fileserver and configure the ten client machines to connect to it.

Step 2 will take a couple of sessions, one to establish the contacts/calendar on the new server and ensure it is running, and another to get the clients transferred onto the new server.

Step 3 will take at least one session alone.

Step 4 (establishing retrospect backup) will take a session to setup, a session to test, and regular monitoring for at least a couple of weeks to make sure the backup process is working OK.

 

[crazytech]

symphonix, (and anyone else who would care to comment-I am sure there must be other techs who have some feedback)

Thanks for your response.

I hope this doesn't come off as ranting. I am just really lost with this and can't see the forest throught the trees.

The challenge is that he wants me to come in the morning when everyone is just getting in. The last time I went in during business hours his employees came over and started asking me support questions about different issues they were having (partially because he has been remiss in doing any maintenance or support). Since I was only meeting many of them for the first time because we had done most of our prior work over the weekends, I felt it was necessary to address their issues as quickly as possible so I could get to work. (I remember thinking to myself-Oh drag these guys are going use up all the time I have set aside to take care of what I came in for). Unfortunately I lost a lot of time and he later commented on my "bothering" his employees. I was exasperated to say the least, then I questioned if I should go back and started thinking I shouldn't be too choosey with all the people in the tech industry out of work in spite of the fact he was being a jerk.

In addition as an example many months ago I setup a simple database for him to pull together leads and start putting data in. I was very clear about the fact that this would not be the final project he wanted me to bid on but simply a way for him to start getting his information organized in preparation for the future 'finished' database.

Almost immediately after using it he starting asking for things that were supposed to be in the final project that had not been started. I can't tell if he is daft or if he just isn't clear on what is truly involved or if he is trying to whittle me down and get the job for a ridiculously low price.

I also started sticking to a strict hourly because of this guy. No more project rates ever again. I guess I am just looking for suggestions or any help anyone has on how to get a better handle on this guy. Anyone?

 

[dlloyd]

Hmmm, I hope you're getting a lot of money for this job...

I would say just be almost nasty about sticking to what you said at first, get stuff in writing if you need to. Don't let him twist you around, cause each time you do, he'll keep trying.

 

[g/re/p]

I know you do not want to hear this, but i would look him straight in the eyes and explain to him that if i was going to do any furthur work for him, that it would be done in MY way to reach HIS goals - with the specifics to be worked out and put in writing immediately - or i walk right then and there.
There is no way i would put up with that kind of total bullshit.

 

[Arden]

I know you do not want to hear this, but i would look him straight in the eyes and explain to him that if i was going to do any furthur work for him, that it would be done in MY way to reach HIS goals - with the specifics to be worked out and put in writing immediately - or i walk right then and there.
There is no way i would put up with that kind of total bullshit.

This is precisely what I would do. Work out a contract, in stone if necessary, and get him to sign it that you will do the project the way you know how and are capable of doing, or you won't do it, period, end of story, hands-in-ears-I'm-not-listening-anymore-la-la-la.