Time estimate for the following items 3

[goombawaho]

I have a customer that is not believing the time I spent to reload their computer due to a bad hard drive. I know how long it took me, but I'd like Tek-Tips to estimate what it would take to do the following, assuming a new SSD hard drive and PC with the following specs.

http://www.tek-tips.com/threadminder.cfm?pid=655

Intel Core 2 Duo CPU E8400 @ 3.00GHz
4GB RAM
Samsung EVO 850 250GB SSD
Windows 7 64-bit

Install SSD
Install Windows 7
Install all Windows 7 updates
Activate Windows 7
Transfer data from old hard drive
Install missing drivers in Device Manager
Install: Samsung SSD software, Microsoft Security Essentials, Office 365, PowerChute, VNC, Acrobat Reader, Primo PDF, Chrome, QuickBooks 2014
Join computer to domain
Log in as two users to set up user profiles
Set desktop icons, folder options and power options, mapped network drives for each user
Set up VPN to other office and made hosts file entries for remote office computers
Enabled remote desktop
Opened PC firewall for ping and VNC access
Installed 4 printers - 1 local / 3 network
Configured Outlook using IMAP for both users





"Living tomorrow is everyone's sorrow.
Modern man's daydreams have turned into nightmares.

 

[fredericofonseca]

1 day should be enough for that

Regards

Frederico Fonseca
SysSoft Integrated Ltd

http://www.syssoft-int.com

FAQ219-2884
FAQ181-2886

 

[goombawaho]

Not sure if that was sarcastic, but that's about what it took me - the majority of a day. Of course I didn't camp out and watch Windows install or the Windows updates either, but it sure took a while. I have one of these customers that questions everything and doesn't really respect IT people.

"Living tomorrow is everyone's sorrow.
Modern man's daydreams have turned into nightmares.

 

[Andrzejek]

You can drop this customer.
Or, just for this one customer - time each step to prove the time spent:

Install SSD 7:00 - 7:45
Install Windows 7 7:45 - 8:15
Install all Windows 7 updates 8:15 - 9:30
Activate Windows 7 9:30 - 9:45

Just a guess...

Have fun.

---- Andy

A bus station is where a bus stops. A train station is where a train stops. On my desk, I have a work station.

 

[guitarzan]

From Install SSD / Windows Install / Device Manager, well thats probably 1+ hours of work, assuming you can do other things while windows and updates can load. But loading all that software, while you can do other things while they load, still takes time downloading, installing, configuring, reboot and repeat. another hour at least. Restoring data might be easy (depending on how many folders it's going to), but still takes up your time. I would guess 3 hours of work assuming it can all be done off-site. This all assumes NO hiccups or problems.

From "Join to domain" through Outlook IMAP accounts for 2 users, that all would have to be done on-site and would take at least 2-3 hours in a best case scenario ... if you had been given all the necessary information, what drives needed to be mapped to where, VPN credentials and setup info, email account info / passwords / mail server settings. But I'm guessing that you probably had to go fishing for some or most of that information while you were there, so it probably took more time than that.

So 1 day is a reasonable estimate.

 

[mattKnight]

>Or, just for this one customer - time each step to prove the time spent:


Make sure you add a line to the estimate

"Additional time required to provide time break down - 2.5 hours"

Take Care

Matt
I have always wished that my computer would be as easy to use as my telephone.
My wish has come true. I no longer know how to use my telephone.

 

[cdogg]

In my environment, I wouldn't charge for the time it took for the install or updates to run on their own. These are periods of time that I can spend working on other tasks, so it wouldn't be right to charge for that. But again, this is in my environment where I can work on multiple issues at the same site. If you are making an on-site visit to the customer's location and have to babysit the process until it finishes, then you're in a different boat.

It's hard to provide an accurate estimate on an older system that would run a bit slower than a much newer one, but if I had to guess, it would typically take somewhere between 3-5 hours in my environment. For an on-site visit that requires babysitting the PC, then yeah, 8 hours wouldn't be an unreasonable charge.



-Carl
"The glass is neither half-full nor half-empty: it's twice as big as it needs to be."

[tab][navy]For this site's posting policies, click [/navy]here.

 

[fredericofonseca]

goombawaho I wasn't sarcastic - it was my real estimate of how long it would take to do all that assuming that copying the data would be done in parallel and while other things were being done.

Regards

Frederico Fonseca
SysSoft Integrated Ltd

http://www.syssoft-int.com

FAQ219-2884
FAQ181-2886

 

[goombawaho]

Thanks for all your comments and sorry for getting a link in my original post - accident.

In my environment, I wouldn't charge for the time it took for the install or updates to run on their own.

I did, in fact, bring this computer home to do everything I could off site. So, while I was waiting for Windows to install and Windows updates to install, I went up and ate dinner and watched TV. But it was all hands on deck after that.

The babysitting (driver install, program install, Outlook config, drive mapping, VPN setup, etc.) took quite a while once ON SITE. I was going to bill him for 4 hours, but the real issue is the pattern of "disrepect" of my time and in general. Like, "it couldn't take that long to reload a computer". Or, "I could have bought a new computer for that".

New computer - BFD!!!! A new computer doesn't join a domain on its own nor map drives, install programs, etc. This relationship is going nowhere. I wish I could record this guy so you could hear the hostility. I've never come across a customer like this. I thought I was going to cry one day, like being in basic training in the army. He uses the same tactics toward his other employees - borderline yelling and dismissive attitude. Then there's the argumentative nature..........

It's my fault because I see dollar signs. He needs a lot of work to get things in shape!!!!! Greed for the win/loss.

"Living tomorrow is everyone's sorrow.
Modern man's daydreams have turned into nightmares.

 

[edfair]

It's my fault because I see dollar signs."

Then one day you will realize the emotional cost that hasn't been included in the estimate. That is the day you will decide to become unavailable under the previous agreements.

BTDT with several customers, my favorite example being AT&T.

Ed Fair
Give the wrong symptoms, get the wrong solutions.

 

[MikeHalloran]

I've initialized a fair number of computers, starting with CP/M.
It has always taken me about two days to install a new hard drive; one day to nominally do all the work, and another whole day to figure out why it wasn't working as I'd expected, and fix that.

... but I never did it for a living, so you're probably much faster than me, taking less time to read the directions for the N+1th time, knowing what to bring, etc., so taking just one day is credible. Billing for half a day is not doing an abusive customer a favor.

For that special customer, you need to double your billing rate.
... and keep doubling it until he decides to torture someone else.
Either way, you're better off.

 

[goombawaho]

Money pays the bills not raising my rates to effectively dump a customer. But the advice is philosophically correct!!!

"Living tomorrow is everyone's sorrow.
Modern man's daydreams have turned into nightmares.

 

[goombawaho]

Update. So this guy had like 7 outstanding invoices for $1500. He wanted to meet with me. He nitpicks a bunch on line items on the invoices and says "didn't you work on this over here on this other invoice", implying that it took me multiple "tries" to get something done.

Long story short - I did not jump over the desk and strangle him. He wanted to deduct about $300 and pay me the rest. I took the deal, but now he wants to put in a new server. I've got the money up front for the server, but....................

Really wondering if I should just give it back and not deal with this guy. I mean putting in a server will take hours of work and each computer has to be added to the domain, drives mapped, Outlook set up again..... So, I can just hear this guy saying "why did it take so long?"

I want to make the money, but he's the only customer I've got that tries to dispute hours. AND I had even given him a number of compensatory hours for some his "complaints" and then he still wants to deal on the invoices AFTER those freebie hours.

I'm heading into the devil's hole - I know it. I have other customers that make me lunch and have me visit them at their Florida condo. This guy is like the anti-christ compared to my good customers.

"Living tomorrow is everyone's sorrow.
Modern man's daydreams have turned into nightmares.

 

[SamBones]

Since you've folded and accepted his "deal", he now knows he can successfully do that. It will only get worse.

If you can live without this customer, I would get rid of him. Maybe find someone else to do the work so it's not just leaving him in a lurch.

 

[philhege]

Run, don't walk, away. Soul-suckers like this chump aren't worth all the money in the world.

-----------
With business clients like mine, you'd be better off herding cats.

 

[guitarzan]

>Since you've folded and accepted his "deal", he now knows he can successfully do that.
True, but now goombawaho knows this and can counter by adding in some extra hours as a cushion.

 

[MikeHalloran]

You give away your work, you negotiate and cave on hours billed, then you negotiate and cave on the money billed for those hours.
You must net about a dollar an hour on this customer.

You need THE BOSS who will stop you from giving away the store.

THE BOSS does not allow you to give away work product.
THE BOSS requires you to have THE CUSTOMER sign your work ticket every day you are there, so there can be, and will be, no negotiation about whether you were there or not.
THE BOSS requires payment of outstanding invoices, with small discounts allowed for timely payment.
THE BOSS does not allow you, THE MINION, to discount invoices.
THE BOSS does not allow you to have more than three outstanding invoices with the same customer; you may not commence work for such a customer until their account is brought up to date.

THE BOSS does not negotiate with customers, and barely tolerates you.

It is not required, however, that THE BOSS actually exist.

The person who answers THE BOSS number could be an automated weather service, or your spouse telling you what's for dinner, or someone who owes you a favor, or an old computer reciting gobbledygook.

 

[Andrzejek]

Often the spouse is THE BOSS
If you don't have one - get it.

Have fun.

---- Andy

A bus station is where a bus stops. A train station is where a train stops. On my desk, I have a work station.

 

[goombawaho]

I'm doomed. I'm NOT the boss mentioned above, philosophically at least. I'm mulling this over as I'm out of town for a few days. I may get back and cut him a check for the server (refund) and not work for him any more. It hurts me either way - work and get hours reduced OR cut out all work for the dude.

"Living tomorrow is everyone's sorrow.
Modern man's daydreams have turned into nightmares.

 

[edfair]

I vote for the refund.
It may hurt financially for a while but you'll sleep better and have a better attitude about life.

Ed Fair
Give the wrong symptoms, get the wrong solutions.