<docdwarf@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message
news:fq7bn2$eo9$1@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> In article <62ol07F24be7bU1@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>,
> Pete Dashwood <dashwood@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
>
> [snip]
>
>>I bill by the day, where a day is not less than 6 hours. My daily rate
is
>>around the middle of the market; I charge less than IBM, but more than
>>some
>>consultancies. (I justify this by track record and a conditional money
>>back
>>guarantee. So far, I have never had to refund, but I came alarmingly
close
>>on one occasion :-))
>>
>>Usually, I do more than 6 hours (obviously, it depends on what is
>>needed...), occasionally I will do much more than 6 hours, and sometimes
I
>>do the 6 hours.
>
> Ahhhhhh, the 'Professional Day' routine, or something close to it. I
> think I posted about that a while back... let me see... ahhhhh, a decade
> or so back, from
>
<http://groups.google.com/group/comp.software.year-2000/msg/a30a874ee923d7e1?dmode=source>
>
> --begin quoted text:
>
> 60 miles from Wall St... my wager is that this is the Summit, NJ office
> where I had an interview... it went sorta like this:
>
> PHM: 'We expect a Professional Day out of you... if you have to put in a
> little extra time to get the job done then you do it.'
>
> Me: 'That sounds reasonable... and if I get the job done in less time
the
> I get to go home early?'
>
> PHM: (odd sound of surprise... kinda like a *snoouurk*) 'No, you see it
> Just Doesn't Work That Way, there's *always* something more to do.'
>
> Me: 'I understand... well, sir, given that situation I cannot, in Good
> Professional Conscience, work with you on this contract; it is not my
> habit to allow my time to be stolen and thereby turn my clients into
> thieves.'
>
> PHM: 'Hunh?'
>
> Me: 'Simple... if I were to bill you for hours which I did not work then
I
> would be a thief; monetary matters aside this is not honorable. If I,
> being an hourly employee, fulfill your demands that I work hours for
which
> I do not bill then I allow you to steal time from me; this turns *you*
> into thieves and I refuse to put you in such a position.'
>
> --end quoted text
>
> DD
I disagreed then and I disagree now, Doc. :-)
BUT, I disagree less vehemently now... :-) I see your point and given that
that is your position, then you are right that daily billing probably
won't
work for you.
For me it works. I don't mind them "stealing" some of my time; in fact,
I'm
happy to "donate" it, as long as it works both ways. If the minimum daily
time was 8 hours, then it wouldn't be working both ways and I would move
much closer to your position.
It all comes down to whether hours spent is to be the measure of success
or
not. I agree that it currently is in most places, but it doesn't HAVE to
be.
Personally, odn't think it should be; achievement of what was set out to
be
achieved has to be the only real measure of success.
I believe everything is negotiable, once there is agreement in principle
to
do the work.
Pete.
--
"I used to write COBOL...now I can do anything."
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