Re: The customer (was FMTSRC)

Simon,

No, you are not the only one who turns down work/money if the customer or 
project is suspect.

I've even noted a couple of times when you run into this situation it is to 
your benefit to have a competitor win
the bid.

Let's see: a customer who constantly wants something for nothing, a poor design 
that has you receiving phone
calls at all hours of the day or night or such a costly project that your 
reputation will be damaged.

Learning & teaching are reciprocal in this profession.  They learn a little 
more about computers and I've learned
more about manufacturing explosives then I probably should know. ;-)

James W. Kilgore
email@James-W-Kilgore.com

Simon Coulter wrote:

> Hello Booth, Nina, James, Doug, Don, John, and possibly sundry others:
>
> Well this was originally an off-topic aside but it has become more relevant.  
>I am now curious.  First some
> comments about the comments:
>
> James wrote:
> >How about: "money talks"?  ;-)
> >They have it, you want it.
>
> Yes, I want other peoples money.  It's necessary to my survival but I do not 
>have to compromise to get it.
>
> John wrote:
> >Customer hasn't paid $$$ yet ?  :)
>
> Facetious argument.  If I have performed the work satisfactorily they are 
>contractually obliged to pay.
>
> Booth wrote:
> >My personal assessment Simon is that the customer is always right.  This can 
>be demonstrated simply by doing
> >the exercise of proving him wrong.  Once the customer is proven wrong it is 
>but a trivial task to
> >demonstrate the customer is now in the group called "ex-customer" and can 
>know longer be called a customer.
> >qed, the customer is never wrong.
>
> No, even one as abrasive as I can explain to a customer why they are wrong 
>without losing them as a customer.
> Anyone that touchy is someone I wouldn't WANT to work for.  Nor someone who 
>constantly requires obsequious
> behaviour.
>
> Nina wrote:
> >i've seen that happen more than once.  no one likes to be proven wrong!  and 
>sometimes it's the way you do
> >it.  no one likes a know it all.
>
> >the best you can do is gently suggest - and if they say no, you can decide 
>whether you want to code in a
> >style you don't like, or don't take the job at all.
>
> I agree with this.  The customer is paying me for my technical ability.  If 
>they cannot accept my advice then
> why would I consider the job? If they can persuade me I am wrong then I've 
>learned something.  Being proven
> wrong is a learning experience.  It is not possible to be right all the time 
>-- even for me; I thought I was
> wrong once but I was mistaken (hee hee hee).  (By the way there are two shift 
>keys within easy reach of your
> pinky fingers :) )
>
> Don wrote:
> >Actually, there's a corollary to that law:
>
> >How many NEW UNITS will I sell if I add feature x.  Which really should be
> >written to be:  How many units will I LOSE if I DON'T add feature
> >x...because my competition has HAD feature x as a base or affordable add
> >on function for some time....:)
>
> Isn't that marketing survival?  If your product can't fill as many check 
>boxes of an RFP you might not get a
> chance to bid.
>
> Doug wrote:
> >It's called the "Golden Rule"; otherwise known as, "He who has the gold, 
>makes the rules".
>
> Again, I don't have to put up with crap from a customer just 'cause they have 
>the dollars.
>
> Now to satisfying my curiosity -- if you'll indulge me.  Am I the only 
>independent/contractor/consultant who
> turns down work because the customer is an idiot, the project is doomed, the 
>platform (hardware/OS) is
> horrible, the work isn't interesting or challenging?
>
> I know of contractors who really don't care what they are asked to do or how 
>they have to do it as long as
> they get paid.  I can't work that way so I don't -- it's one of the reasons I 
>stay away from application
> coding.
>
> Regards,
> Simon Coulter.
>
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