Re: career in SQL/Database administration

> We dont' do hourly rates.  We do it by the job.  Therefore, the consumer
> doesn't have to think about how much they're paying us per hour.  The just
> have to think about the benefits in relation to the cost.  It also allows
> us to get better profit margins, because we can automate in innovative
> ways, and it doesn't cost us revenue.

<rant>
    Hehehe but this can pose problems.  Lets say you've got a contract to
do foo by a week from today.  You deliver on foo and do an amazing job
and get it to the customer two days early.  The client should be ready
to bow down before you as lord -- this is how good the job is.  So he
does it, right?

    Well, in my experience it depends on the customer.  If you get a
customer who knows IT, then yes, they bow down before you and hire you
again.  But more often you get a customer who doesn't know IT, and
didn't realize exactly what he or she was ordering.  So you've got a
client looking for revisions.  But revisions mean substantially altering
the code base and losing lots of time (and $$$).

    So what do you do?  Sue them?  Costs more then the client's contract is
worth.  Tell the customer to pay more?  They may walk away and the
deposit won't cover all costs.  And if they say the contract wasn't
consummated (it wasn't what they wanted) see the section on lawsuits.
So now what, send them to collections?  Maybe -- if you're big enough to
get a contract with a national collections agency.  If not you're
basically consigned to bend over, and smile nicely as you get screwed
over with revisions.

</rant>

(Anybody with suggestions on what to do with people like this please
feel free to chime in.  :-D)

-Dan