FAQs
- What should the customer know about your pricing (e.g., discounts, fees)?
I keep my pricing fair, competitive, and transparent—no hidden fees or surprise charges. What you see is what you get. I charge based on the scope of work, and I always take time to explain the cost breakdown before any job begins. In some cases, I offer package rates or discounts for repeat customers and multi-hour bookings. My goal is to provide high-quality service that respects your time and budget, so you can feel confident you're getting real value for your money.
- What is your typical process for working with a new customer?
The Secret Sauce to Positive Client Interactions ====================================== - Don't Start by Trying to Sell: I start by listening and taking in the totality of the problem the potential client is having. - Clarification is Key: If there is anything I either missed or was unclear given the description I will ask smart, clarifying questions. - Don't Ballpark a Price When You Can Give Specifics: There are actually two parts to this. If the project involves new hardware I will work to source equipment and get the best real price possible. When it comes to creating an estimate there is some guess work but it should not differ drastically without good reason. When The Customer Becomes a Client (When the Work Begins) ================================================== - I will start off by recapping the project and giving a high level overview of what is to be done. - If there is anything that has drastically changed since discussing the project and it has not been relayed to me I will inform the client of this. We will then need to make a plan of correction - all of which is billable. - Assuming we are in full agreement I will commence work on the project. - Read this Carefully as I will Never Vocalize This when with a client: Some clients like to leave me to do the work we discussed and agreed on. Others prefer to watch and ask many questions. I personally have no problem with this - it confirms understanding. Here is what the reader should know. I find on average it adds at least an hour to the bill. - Have all relevant usernames and passwords handy and ready for use. -This is an example I see all the time: When it comes to upgrading or configuring someone's networking equipment some people have never logged into the equipment so I use what I can find for default credentials. This is fine. There are other times when the credentials were changed but the end user has no clue what they are and where they are. In this particular instance it necessitates a full reset of the router back to square one. This easily adds an hour to the bill. Sometimes this is a necessary evil but have this information handy whenever possible. - In most cases I will have sent you an estimate of the time it will take to get the work done. If I anticipate we will go over the estimated time I will inform approximately 20 minutes before the time alloted in the estimate. If the client says to carry on it is with the understanding that the time is billable. If they do not agree to go over the estimate I will take the final 20 minutes to implement a rollback plan. All of which is billable. It will be up to me whether or not a discount is issued. I consider my time with clients valuable so it depends on the situation. Discounts generally do not exceed 20% of the total bill. Finally all work I do is on a best effort basis. What that means is this. If I cannot do the job I will not attempt it. If I am able to do the work there are always unknowns which I try to identify by asking questions. I will work for the hour to get around any roadblocks and finish the job. At the end of the hour the agreed upon amount is still due and payable. Before collecting payment I will suggest a follow-up plan. In my time doing consulting (over 20 years) this has only happened 3 or 4 times that we have hit a major snag. If it's for an unavoidable reason I will use my best judgement in terms of a discount. If it's because of something I missed it will be the totality of the work done that will determine any discounts.
- What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
I have 22 years of progressive hands-on experience or exposure to residental and corporate hardware and software of all types. I hold a a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science which I earned in 2004. Finally I hold the following professional certifications from CompTIA: A+, Network+, Server+, Project+, Security+ (recently expired), ITIL (Pursuing)