Complaint Review: Tech Rescue

Customer contacted me to build a custom system for a camera system he had already installed.  When I arrived on site to talk to the customer I pointed out that all the camera were installed incorrectly and that the network for his point of sale system was not configured correctly.  I quoted the customer for the cost of the custom system and my best quess on fixing the network.  The client agreed and paid for the custom system up front, which is standard practice.

I started that weekend and brought addionational help, a Network Administrator for a local college, and spent most of the day going thru and figuring out that was wrong and how to best fix it using the equipment the customer had already purchased.  By the end of the day we were able to get the network point of sale system printers and the two work stations operating on the network and working.  The customer had a custom tablet system that was very buggy and over the course of 3 weeks I worked with the software developer to work out the kinks in the system to get it working smoother.  Because of the unusual condition of the building and the type of network required, this took several attempts before it was the system was working smoothly, this including driving 40 mins each way to a vendor to pick up special networking equipment.  The client called me all hours from 9am till 8pm and expected me to drop what I was doing to attend to his issues.  

He called me Saturday morning at 9am yelling and using profane language.  I advised the client to not to talk to me in that manner and hung up on him.  I then emailed him:

Email sent to client on March 22nd:

If you remember our conversation about this line in the basement that you sent me the picture of, Greg ran this line initially and it was a bad line. He then replaced it and left it the way it appears in the basement without attaching the camera. The camera to this line is in the back office.

Greg was hired by you to do the job concerning the cameras and power and in turn fired by you once we discussed the issues when you initially called me to do the server build and installation for you. I have worked for 3 weeks to redo and re-run the work that was initially completed by Greg that was not done correctly. It was completed in a way that would have caused major issues including fire. Once I was able to really diagnose the work Greg completed, I pointed out what was wrong and how it needed to be redone and completed and you agreed stating you wanted it done the right way.

Steve and I spent 8 hours the first Saturday after we initially met and discussed the job at hand figuring out a way to correct the installation. A few days later after determining the scope of mess created by Greg, you and I discussed and you agreed to bring Greg back to explain and complete the power connections. I had stated many times that I am not knowledgeable on power and would need assistance. We even discussed the possibility of you hiring an electrician to ensure the installation was completed properly and you did not want to. Thus again, Greg returning per our discussion. I am not responsible for the work Greg has completed or promised completion on nor have I touched any electrical work. Therefore, Greg is the individual you need to contact regarding your electrical for the cameras. I did agree to supervise him while he was on site to keep him on task.. In order for Greg to finish the line in the basement he requires an 8 foot ladder which you stated in the beginning you would provide. Once you are able to provide the ladder, Greg can return to complete this line to confirm power and attach the camera.

That being said, again you hired me to build a server and install of the server. You and Dana continuously pulled me off to different things that needed to be addressed, again that were installed or completed by Greg that had nothing to do with the job I was initially contacted for. Had I been able to focus on the initial job of building and installing the server, it would have been completed by this point.

As for the server, you and I met on February 28th and you issued the payment for the server parts and build , which was a Friday afternoon. All parts with the exception of the memory was in by March 8th. The memory was on back-order due to the huge demand for this specific type of memory. Due to the type of memory needed, I continued to look in multiple places for the memory in case it was available through another vendor quicker while I waited for the memory to become available. As of today, the memory is still on back-order. You will also find attached where I did find the memory last week through another tech on Ebay. I immediately ordered it and it arrived Friday, 3/21/14. I installed the memory and received an error signal. I immediately contacted Asus (the motherboard manufacturer) for diagnostics. They reported on 3/22/14 that it is in fact a strange error and could be multiple issues which I am currently testing to narrow down the issue. Earlier today, I purchased a new video card and tested as well to find this was not the issue. Asus believed the error to be the memory. I removed the memory immediately and continue to receive the error. I have contacted the memory manufacturer previously purchased from to request replacement immediately in case this is in fact the error. In the meantime while waiting for delivery of the replacement memory, I am going to continue to troubleshoot as Asus did instruct me to do so since I was still receiving the error signal after removing the memory. You will find the list of possible causes on the attached documentation. There is a possibility that the motherboard will need to be replaced. If so, the motherboard purchased for the server is under warranty and will be replaced at no charge.

Don, you hired me to build you a server and install it and it is my intention to complete the job as promised. Believe me, I would have loved to have this completed by now as I have pretty much put my business on hold to jump every time you or Dana have called me. You will find attached my cell phone records for each call, in and out that I have received and made on your behalf since 2/27/14 through 3/21/14 totalling 99 calls for more than 7 hours. Each of these calls were either you or Dana demanding to know when I would arrive or informing me of new problems that again took me away from the initial job I was hired to do, or me calling Amber Systems on your behalf to troubleshoot issues that again I was not initially hired to do, calls to Greg and Steve for scheduling (reminder that Greg wasn’t even my responsibility but reached out to him on your behalf). These are hours you were not even billed for but should have been but I chose not to as I thought we had a mutual respect and understanding for one another. These figures do not include text messages, calls from my shop, or emails back and forth and emails to Amber Systems that take time to compose and follow up on. Had I not done this on your behalf and without initially being contacted to do so, your POS system would not be useable unless you or one of your employees attempted to troubleshoot but that didn’t happen or couldn’t, otherwise it is my belief you would not have contacted me if it could be handled internally.

Please keep in mind that in order to attempt to save you money, I tried to use the equipment you purchased based on Greg’s recommendation that Amber Systems did not approve. You understood I was going to attempt you use the equipment you had already purchased. I was not able to use all the equipment and had to purchase two switches that you were not even billed for in order to get your POS system up and running. When I accepted the job to build the server, I had no idea the POS system was so badly put together, nor did you bring it to my knowledge.

This week we have focused on stabilizing your wireless connections for the POS system. I put my business on hold to again jump right on your request, drove to Greensboro to get the parts needed without any pre-payment for parts (as required for all clients) but I covered it and obtained the parts needed. I installed the system and Dana confirmed that all wireless devices and the POS system was operating satisfactorily. Later that day, I was called back due to your TV upstairs losing connection and requested I come by to fix it as well. I did so that evening, again at no charge to you as the TV is not part of the job I was hired to do.

List of Jobs Completed:

1. Pandora Music System connected and operating properly (paid)
2. Guest wireless connected and operating properly (paid)
3. POS System printers and genies connected and operating properly (paid)
4. Wireless network stabilized within dining and kitchen areas and upstairs office (your TV and laptop, dining and kitchen paid, not yet billed for upstairs when asked to return)
5. All interior cameras now have correct network connections (paid)
6. Cameras in kitchen and server station confirmed no shorts (paid)
7. Back office computer reformatted, Windows 7 installed, installed Bitdefender trial version and Office 2010 installed (have not yet been billed for)
8. Camera wiring in back office organized and labeled to identify assigned cameras (paid)
9. You were paying for Sonic Wall security and I was able to help eliminate that monthly cost by configuring your router so this service wasn’t needed. (no charge)
10. General troubleshooting of POS system while dining with my family (2 hours, not yet billed for)
11. Supplied temporary laser printer for back office (not yet billed for)
12. Installed Office 2010 on your personal laptop (not yet billed for)
13. Diagnose issue with Canon laser printer, cost to repair more then cost of new printer. Will return and pick-up my laser printer Monday by 11am unless you request to continue to use my laser printer until you are able to get a replacement. (no fee to diagnose printer jam)

List of Jobs to be Completed:
1. Rewire outside cameras
2. Re-run ethernet/network cable to your office
3. Install of server and configure camera software
4. Installation of KVM switch from camera server to upstairs office
5. Based on forthcoming Amber System recommendation, may need to re-organize the POS network (was not informed at initial conversation or at any other point through the process that Amber Systems had not approved current network configuration until speaking with Amber System yesterday evening)
6. Server is built but troubleshooting (paid)
7. Greg to complete power connections to all cameras

***Please note that all items of jobs to be completed have not yet been billed for unless noted. I have only billed you for work completed and for all parts ordered or purchased on your behalf thus far, included server and server build***

Don, I do want to complete the work that we have discussed. Personally, today was not handled in a professional manner on either of our parts. You called this morning yelling and belligerent and not allowing me to respond and when attempting to answer your questions, you continued to interrupt without allowing me to respond. I am more than willing to speak with you in person or via a phone call but this type of behavior and tone is not acceptable and will not be tolerated. After the call, I did not act professionally by withdrawing and being non-responsive. However, I did want to take the time since this morning to pull together the full picture for you. As you can see above I have in fact completed jobs, 13 of them to be exact that again I was not hired to do at initial contact. Don’t get me wrong, I did not mind doing the work and appreciated the opportunity but as you can see with the increase in jobs you requested I do, it has not allowed me to complete the initial job I was contacted for.

I am more than willing and more than happy to see this to the end but any and all future request for additional work is to be submitted in writing and proposal approved and paid before work begins. Once request is made, proposal will be issued within 24 hours and if requested sooner a rush fee will be applied of $100 for each request. As posted in my shop and in the terms and conditions hand delivered, any request made by phone, text, email asking me to be on site in less than 12 hours or after normal business hours will be billed a rush fee of $100 for each occurrence. If you contact me and I am with a client I will return your call at my earliest convenience. This is not a fee I had enforced until this point. This will allow both of us to be on the same page and have realistic expectations of completion and job scope. My intention is to give you a working server as promised but we both need to be understanding of issues that are outside of either of our control.

End of Email

He contacted the local chamber of commerence to mediate, the president and I meet him at his resturant.  I appologized for not doing a good job of communicating, and the client began to interrupt me, be argumentative, and even when the chamber president tried to talk to the client he was rude and refused to listen to either of us.

As stated in my email, the cameras require electrical power and I am not licensed or knowledgeable about that field and I advised him to contact an electrician.  He refused, and that is why his cameras do not work.  I have tried a number of times to try to work with him, but he is refusing to be reasonable.  He only paid for services completed on his site AFTER the work was completed.  If he didn't approve of the work, he should have discussed with me before paying.  I have signed statements from 2 independent experts to confirm the custom system I built for him is working as promised.