Yesterday I had a customer asking me about my different rates. Sorry he said, but I really can’t understand why you offer especially application maintenance as your most expensive task to order …. When things are settled, it should be easy to do the one or other maintenance tweak later on?!

Sure I said … But try see it through my eyes please. When you order database maintenance or application developing with me, I’m able to work with things I’m already familiar with. Or at least with things I personally think about as usefully for me to know or learn about.

Especially speaking about application maintenance - Given the situation that you can come to me telingl me about some commercial appication you bought and want me to install and take care about it…. For me this glorious software might be something totally new then, forcing me to spend hours or days learning about it first. This is time, you certainly will not like to pay me for.

And the most worst point for me could be, that I only learn for you not being able to use my knew knowledge later on for any other customer except you.

Reaching this point he smiled and said: Now I start to understand you. So you want me to come to you first, telling you about my needs? …. Now I smiled and said: Yeah! You got me now!!

I have to confess that I like such customers