Very irritating situation ... am I wrong or off base here?

[SpaceSquad]

If you haven't purchased the computers yet, don't. Just stop right now and give them their walking papers. Don't furnish them with computers, let them order directly from Dell or whoever.
Let them know "this is bs and I'm not willing to work with you from this moment forward'. 'You've abused me and don't appreciate the time and effort that I provide you'... I've spent 3 hours on the phone arranging and helping coordinate this move for you and you want to nickel and dime me on the installation! FU!"
Now hang up................ kiss the client goodbye and consider the 3 hrs you just spent a 'lesson'.

This is sound advice. I'd avoid the swearing of course...but do NOT furnish them with warrantied computers...cut them loose now!

 

[cypress]

This is sound advice. I'd avoid the swearing of course...but do NOT furnish them with warrantied computers...cut them loose now!

Everyone has said excellent stuff but I agree with what @gikstar said. Don't order the computers and cut them loose, money isn't everything. Also like mentioned before if you take this job and deal with the crap all over again, it will be hard to get sound advice from here again. Think really hard about what you are getting yourself into if you haven't already.

 

[nesrinamb]

Ok so first off you are way to patient and you took way to much abuse. Stop doing that. Be patient when clients need help but bill accordingly and be respected.

Secondly, if you still want the job because of the possible cash get paid your estimate upfront in cash. I know it's tempting because you look at the dollar signs but if you get abused like this it's absurd. I don't work with clients that micro mange me or abuse my time. All of my clients I have ever worked with respected me and I respected them, if I had even a 15 min phone call they asked me how much for the time. In turn I made sure I was their when they needed me and ensured they where happy with their computers.

Thirdly, if they reply back saying the other guy can do it but they require help then you bill them hourly. Chances are you'll get paid more fixing a mess. But require they pay a certain amount of an estimate up front, something like 100% up front sounds good.

At this point if I had been on and off the phone with their contractors over the course of several weeks I would have already probably charged them 2-3 grand for the phone calls making sure their building was setup correctly.

 

[pceinc]

I'd simply bill for my time and invested and charge them for the PC's. If you really want to fire them I would accept their offer to buy the PC's but increase the price and state the quoted price was under the assumption you were also installing and you discounted for the total job. They'll probably not like this and toss you out.

 

[Geek007]

The cheeky c*nts!
If that was a money grabbing girlfriend, who wanted everything..... YOU'D DUMP THEM!!!!!

EDIT: No matter how good looking they were!!!!

 

[activeits]

I ditched (Fired) an accountant client after two visits, his previous IT guy could not resolve an issue, so he got me in, I resolved it and resolve some others. He then starts questions everything his previous guy did and try to get free consultancy on how I would resolve it. I even got a call at 10:30pm saying I screwed up his email, I did a Remote Support and he had mis-spelt someone's email address, so it bounced back, he did not even apologise or thank me.

So when he next asked for help, I advise him he really needs a support contract, which is something I cannot do, due to the hours I already work. I recommended a competitor, which got in touch and told me they fired him three years ago. He was even trying to get them to cut their hourly rate.

Cut your losses, I would not even sell the PCs to them, because they will blame you for any software faults.

Sometimes you have see the red flags that something is wrong, and your never going to be able to convert them in a good customer.

 

[ohio_grad_06]

OP, cheap clients are BAD clients. You will spend more time supporting them and hate yourself for bothering with them. You will work hard for little money if they pay at all. Don't order the PC's and just let them know that the pricing was with the understanding you would be doing the installs and that you'd already discounted the PC's and work as much as possible, and that this is the price whether you install the PC's or he does. But if he does the installs, you will NOT be held for anything that goes wrong due to the PC's being installed incorrectly, and that every service call relating to such work with be for full rate, no buts, no exceptions.

Preferably, drop your client like a hot potato and tell them the straight up, this is not how I do business. Here are some other resources, like delll, etc that may be able to help them. But that you have done what you can do and already have a busy schedule and will not be able to help them any longer. Then, RUN FOR THE HILLS!

 

[fixitplanet]

Sounds like they may be gypsies Beware of gypsies! Just sayin....

 

[glennd]

I'm starting to get a sense that maybe there's a general consensus here...

 

[Mercenary Roadie]

I'm starting to get a sense that maybe there's a general consensus here...

Doesn't sound like the OP is listening though

 

[Digital Sage]

Background:

I picked up a small interior design company (5-7 users), about a year ago who complained that their old IT guys weren't giving them the attention they wanted. They are a small group of high maintenance (from an IT standpoint) women.

Since almost they beginning I have had little issues with them.

The Issues:

Issues like ... the first computer they bought from me. I sent an estimate they approved it, they later asked for a monitor for it, I told them I could get them one. After I installed the they asked me why they were billed for the monitor, it wasn't on the estimate. I said, "Because it wasn't included... do you see a monitor on the estimate? you were quoted for a desktop computer, I gave you the specs, there is no mention of the monitor that you asked for at a later date." they said I should have been more clear and it was my fault. Long story short, that computer cost me money.

I was VERY CLEAR on the next estimate for the next computer. Of course they couldn't understand why it was so much more than the first one, so I had to remind them how the first one went down.

Then issues like doing small remote jobs, and then complaining about bills. Or having to overly justify why they were billed for it.

Issues like asking for my receipts from my suppliers so they could see my pricing.

The jaw-dropper:

They decided that they are going to move their office to a more commercial space. So they ask for an estimate to buy and install 2 new computers, data transfers, install all the programs they use on the two new ones, move 6 computers, install two new printers, redo some email configuration, redo the network at the new location, make sure the voip system works, and some other little stuff like, cabling and cleaning up a few of the older computers. I send them a quote for 8-10 hours and another 2 hours of (optional) offsite work for follow-up, which in my experience will probably be necessary.

Over the last few weeks I have been in communication with them nearly everyday. Making sure the general contractor gets the cabling right, making sure he puts in enough jacks, making sure he finishes the cable at a patch panel in the correct room, making sure the jacks are where they need to be, researching internet providers and pricing for them. Helping them pick out a new phone system, and a phone company to migrate to, and generally just answering general questions about how everything is going to play out. I've basically been playing their little IT department.

I get an email from one of them telling me the owner is going to call me because the scope of the operation has changed. I get a call from her and she says, "So we decided what we are going to do is we are going to buy the computers from you, but I have a friend whose son does computer work like you, and hes going to do the installation for us because he's giving us a much better price."

My jaw drops... I'm almost 3 hours into helping these people already assuming I was doing the job, I mean I've been the IT guy for the last year and a half.

She continues. "So what we want to do is have you drop the computers off on the 6th (they are 30 minutes away), our other guy is going to do the whole install on the 7th, if he has any issues he'll call you but if we need you we will have you come back on the 8th to finish/fix whatever he didn't/couldn't do."

So I have some major issues here:

1.) Someone else installing computers I back for 3 years. Ultimately I am responsible for these products, and I am not the one installing them.

2.) I don't make much off the computers, I make most of my money on install, and now I'm married to these computers for 3 years without actually profiting a whole lot off them.

3.) I've already given away plenty of time to make sure their move went smooth that I assumed I would be compensated for when I did the job

4.) I can already tell the day he installs the computers they are going to constantly be all over me for information because he doesn't know what I know.

5.) Now instead of just doing the job and being done with it they want to tie me up for 3 days, one to deliver and probably do some minor setup, another to help the other guy understand what I've done, and another to fix what the other guy can't, most of which I won't get paid for. I don't think they understand I don't just sit around all day begging for calls to come in, I'm booked daily from 9am until about 6pm.

6.) I feel disrespected for being so willing to help these people out and just lose out because some kid is doing it "for a better price."

Any insight?

They either use you and pay you for the whole job, or nothing.

Explain that what you've done is developed a plan which you've spent hours on. You won't sell them just the hardware, and then come back to fix issues. It's either the whole job or nothing, and explain that if they don't want to go ahead at this stage, youll bill them for your consultancy up till this point.

Some people are f**ked. They put stupid monetary values over common sense, Walk away and watch them screw themselves royally,

 

[mlcomputers]

This customer is not worth having, they obviously have little respect for you as a business or individual. they need to be politely dropped!!

 

[carrcomp]

Politely is the word here.

Last thing you want is for them to have a legit reason to tell everyone how rude or unprofessional you are (even if their actions led to it)

 

[Mercenary Roadie]

I think everyone on the site has commented and the OP has stopped responding. Maybe it's time to lock this thread since the new posts are just repeating what has been said many time already.

Just a thought.

 

[thecomputerguy]

Lock it up, I'm working on getting rid of these customers. I spoke to my wife and explained the situation, she read the comments here and we (her and myself) are onboard with dropping them.

Thank you to everything for the advice, I need to learn when I'm getting jerked around and when to put a stop to things and to stop chasing the dollar when I'm taking it up the arse.