Field Transcript
Ring! Ring!
Me: IT Department, this is Daniel. How can I help you, today?
Caller: Hey, Dan! It's Terry, over at Acme. How did your change over go?
Me: 'Morning, Terry. Most it went fine. I had a few hiccups. But that is to be expected. I will be ready to release the re-brand and finish the rest of it, by the 1st of the month. Is there something I can help you with?
Terry: Uh, yeah. I'm a little embarrassed, but I did it, again.
Me: Which folder did you 'delete'?
Terry: Oh, I did not delete it. At least, I don't think I did. I think I accidentally moved it, and now I can't find it. It's the 'Images' folder under the 'Classic Car Dealership'.
Me: OK. Give me a minute or two to find it …
Terry: Are you going to bill me for this, again?
Me: Yes.
Terry: Why? It's only going to take you a minute or two, right?
Me: Found it. And it is being restored, now. you did the same thing. You drug and dropped it into another folder. Probably just did not let go of the mouse button on time.
Terry: Great! Thank you! I did not want to have to set up another photo shoot, just because I misplaced the photos. So … why are you billing me for this?
Me: Same as last time you did this, Terry. One, you are NOT on a contract with me for support. You would need at least a tier two contract for the number of calls you, your wife, and your daughter make to me for help. Two, you have made this same action 7 times in the month of July. I HAD to bill you, because of the amount of my time you are consuming. Three, you use the 'we are friends' argument, yet … ? But we are not 'friends'. We are acquaintances, at best.
Terry: But …
Me: 'But' nothing, Terry. You just did a photo shoot of a classic car or two to write about or to help sell? Is the owner of that dealership a friend of yours? Do you bill them for your time for the things you do for them?
Terry: Yeah, he is a friend of mine. But I bring in other people, contactors. I have to pay people to do this for me so I can do more for him.
Me: And I purchase tools I use to support my paying clients. You have some of these tools on your computers. So I can help you. You are getting the benefits of my managed services without paying for it. Like you, I'm in business to earn a living for myself.
Terry: yeah, but … You only spend a few minutes …
Me: On these issues, sure. This took 5 or 10 minutes. In July you did this same mistake 7 times. That is more than an hour of my time for the month. I invoiced it on the 31st. And you have yet to pay on a due on delivery invoice. Did your daughter Theresa tell you about the 2 hours we spent on the phone in July, getting all of the garbage off the new laptop you bought her for college?
Terry: Now, about that invoice … don't you think you are bit proud of your time? Really? $80?
Me: How much were you billed by the photographer you mentioned?
Terry: Well … he was there taking photos of two cars, we had to move them in and change angles of lights, and he's going to edit the photos. We agreed on $1600.
Me: Is he good at what he does?
Terry: Oh, yes. Very. I would not use him, otherwise.
Me: And you will pay him, gladly, right? He already shared some of the photos with you. Then you misplaced them on your computer. Asked me to recover them for you. And you don't want to pay for my fixing your mistake. Again.
Terry: Yeah, but you are just sitting there, at your computer all day. And I NEEDED your help. I do not understand why you are being such a … a prick about a few minutes of your time.
Me: OK, Terry. I've tried to explain it, nicely. You do not want to hear me. And you do not want change how you do things so you no longer misplace those folders. So, here is what I'm going to do. I am removing all my tools and services from your systems until such time as you decide to pay for those tools and services. If you call me for anything technology related, please know it will be billed as Time & Materials. Unless you decide to sign a contract with my new business. And even then, Sunday morning support calls, like this one, may not be included.
Terry: Fine. When I said you were being a prick, I really should have said you were being an @$$hole! <click>
… the next morning …
Ring! Ring!
Caller: Hi, Dan! This is Teresa, Terry's daughter. I'm having an issue with my laptop. Have you got a minute?
Me: Hello, Teresa. Unfortunately, I … Let's make it quick, OK? What is the issue?
Teresa: I cannot get online. It updated, over the weekend and worked fine. Then this morning, I boot up, and it does not show any wifi networks available. And I NEED to get on the wifi, here at school.
Me: So, updates ran, you continued working. Shutdown to go to school. Boot up and no wifi? That sounds like a bad network driver or some installer conflict. As I recall, your laptop is an HP with an Intel wifi and bluetooth device?
Teresa: I thought the bluetooth was down because the wifi is down.
Me: They are related. You need the correct driver on your laptop. And I'm unable to help you more than that. I've got a very busy day, today.
Teresa: OK. Thanks. I can look up how to install drivers. You've shown me that, before. I'm pretty certain I remember how. And if that does not work, I will just call Dad to get him to pay you to fix it.
Me: That might not be a good idea. Your father and I 'had words' yesterday. Our call did not end well.
Teresa: Oh. That is why he was upset. He said something about you being unreasonable. What happened?
Me: Ask him. I am not going to speak poorly of someone. There is just no upside to it.
Teresa: He does not want to pay you for something, right?
Me: I really do not want to get into it.
Teresa: It's OK. He gets this idea in his head, sometimes, that he shoudl have not to pay other people for the work they do to help him. Usually happens when he makes a bad decision to do a job for someone else and then realizes he won't show enough profit. Or finds out he seriously underbid the project.
Me: Those are the kind of mistakes we can easily make in business. But I really do need to get back to work. If you have that USB adapter and network cable with you, you should still be able to get online and get those drivers.
Teresa: Oh, yeah! Thanks! I had forgotten we got those! Hey, Dan? Dad will come around. I'm certain of it.
Me: Teresa, I'm fine with your Dad as a person, but as a customer … I don't think that is a good idea to continue. There's my other line. Be good and take care! E-mail me if you have any problems.
Daniel Curry added a new photo.