Mandatory security meeting request on behalf of client - advice please

[d000hg]

Use the opportunity to explore the town/city where the meeting will be held.

It's in a small business-park in the middle of the heavy industry zone near Middlesbrough.

Actually there is interesting stuff to look at but still



Also: this is the professional section, can we tone down the cretin-shaming?

[billybiro]

So you've torched his strawman but posted nothing but a pure guess? Well done.

As has everyone else in this thread.

Many people have simply said something to the effect of "Just do it and bill the client for the 2 days". Fine, but this does make at least two huge assumptions. Firstly, that the client is willing to pay for this. Don't forget, it's OP's client's client that's ultimately demanding this. His direct client may not be so amenable to paying for something that they themselves aren't the instigators of.

Secondly, note that OP "only works a handful of hours a month for this client". So, again, this talk of JFDI assumes that the OP isn't otherwise predisposed with another client at the same time as this "security" client wants OP on site. What if OP is working for another client (or even many other clients) who happen to have a big deadline looming and which happens to coincide with the same 2 days that this client wants OP on site? Going on site to keep "security" client happy, just may well create ill-will with another client when OP tells them he's taking 2 days off, not to mention losing 2 days of billing with that client.

Fundamentally, only OP can answer this question as only OP knows his exact circumstances.

My actual point, which I've stated at least twice but has been conveniently ignored as it got in the way of some posters being able to take a cheap dig at me, was not to point blank refuse to undertake this briefing/audit but to work with the immediate client to see if it can be accommodated within the existing working arrangement that OP has with this client (i.e. with OP remaining at home and doing this within the few hours per month). I see nothing wrong with this, and it's certainly not trying to be awkward, but trying to help out this client whilst ensuring that OP isn't potentially putting other clients at risk.

Of course, if OP is completely free for those 2 days, is happy to go on site to the client and the client is happy to pay for the time, then there's nothing to worry about. By all means, JFDI. But anyone advocating this approach as if it's the only thing that should even be considered is being either purposefully obtuse or is being dangerously ignorant of OP's circumstances.