Took on my first business client today

[Tech bud]

So last night I had Country inn and Suits contact me in my area to repair a computer that didn't boot. I normally try to avoid business calls. But I told myself I got it. Through a number out there at $75 an hour.

They seemed happy at that rate, and they let me schedule them in. Got there everything went pretty smooth, had a new drive in and running within the hour. one hiccup, getting internet access.

Looks like everything was so proprietary in there and I needed the static info for the network. I went to the computer that was working and got the IP info. Plugged it in and it worked, but it was acting like it didn't want to take it at first, was getting nervous as their switch room was complicated. but got it set with an IP.,

My question is, the guy I was working with really didn't know anything. If that other computer wasn't there how else could I have gotten the IP information I needed?

I did inform the general manager that I couldn't install or work with the proprietary system (looks like opera) s I didn't know it well enough and I would just make it worse. Was this a normal thing to do? the right thing to do?

There was so much stuff in two locations, I could distinguish the modem and what looked like a firewall. and two switches in each room.

 

[nerd2u]

I usually try to get them to point me to some form of a server room and start looking around and plugging into switches and routers to see what I get for an IP address.

I usually ask if they have any notes or anything sometimes they do sometimes they don't.

I also look for any cables that may have labels.

It's not an exact science more of a trial and error sometimes.

Sent from my SM-G870W using Tapatalk

 

[Sky-Knight]

Hotels are weird... They're the champions of cheap usually, or the paragons of perfect investment. Strange solutions are the rule not the exception.

I worked on a place that had data lines terminated on 66 blocks...

 

[Rhenier]

Congratulations Tech Bud. Hope you have a lot of repeat business from them!

 

[timeshifter]

I did inform the general manager that I couldn't install or work with the proprietary system (looks like opera) s I didn't know it well enough and I would just make it worse. Was this a normal thing to do? the right thing to do?

I wouldn't sweat it. Most of my business customers have a "line of business" (LOB) application that is unique to them. My clients don't expect me to be able to blindly support that. Those applications will usually have decent support behind them. I've spent a lot of time working with those vendors on my customer's behalf. And those guys will be glad to work with you because you make their job easier - it's much easier to work with you who can answer their questions and verify things for them that your non-tech savvy customer can't.

 

[Altster]

This will be a good learning experience for you. Just for any future techs you might want to keep notes and make sure they are available to the hotel mgt. and any IT staff who may come along in the future (including yourself.) I know I don't retain info like that over a period of time unless I am constantly using it so it is nice to have notes to look over (on location) when possible.