Client - Supplied PC is full of viruses - yeh righto

[psychocandy]

Occasionally, do the odd days work for a friend of mines company. His clients PM is a right PITA dell boy wheeler dealer (but working for a large public sector place). Worked with him before when me and friend worked for same company.

Anyway, his client wanted a PC supplied with some software on - which is my area of expertise.

So did that - all sorted. I did think it a bit strange at the time that they got a few junior staff to connect this up to their lan, and add it to the windows domain. After all, we'd just dragged this in from the car - but who am I to argue.

Mate has had a call today. Please take your PC away its full of viruses.

For a fact, I know its not - so pretty sure he's blagging it. Sounds very much like to me that his IT department has spotted the new device on the network and told him (hes a PM) to get it off the network PDQ because there might be a virus on it.

But of course, hes not going to tell my mate he didn't bother getting it authorized and wasted our time trekking down to visit him.

Comments?

In the past I've done these sort of things as a favour to my mate. All invoiced. I just take a day off at main client to do this. Can't really do that now since its all been thrown back - not that its my fault I think.

[eek]

Could you post your suityesque disaster stories in general please. This isn't a thread for a professional forum....

[tractor]

...

Occasionally, do the odd days work for a friend of mines company. His clients PM is a right PITA dell boy wheeler dealer (but working for a large public sector place). Worked with him before when me and friend worked for same company.

Anyway, his client wanted a PC supplied with some software on - which is my area of expertise.

So did that - all sorted. I did think it a bit strange at the time that they got a few junior staff to connect this up to their lan, and add it to the windows domain. After all, we'd just dragged this in from the car - but who am I to argue.

Mate has had a call today. Please take your PC away its full of viruses.

For a fact, I know its not - so pretty sure he's blagging it. Sounds very much like to me that his IT department has spotted the new device on the network and told him (hes a PM) to get it off the network PDQ because there might be a virus on it.

But of course, hes not going to tell my mate he didn't bother getting it authorized and wasted our time trekking down to visit him.

Comments?

In the past I've done these sort of things as a favour to my mate. All invoiced. I just take a day off at main client to do this. Can't really do that now since its all been thrown back - not that its my fault I think.

His client does have acceptance criteria and a quarantine process then? If not, you/he are never going to be protected from this sort of thing and IME it is best to stay away from it. Next thing you know is PM screws the whole lan and the blame comes squarely at you. Hard to defend against even if their claims are entirely bulltulip.

As an aside, I thought you told the VAT office that you cannot just take a day off when you felt like it

[jmo21]

So did that - all sorted. I did think it a bit strange at the time that they got a few junior staff to connect this up to their lan, and add it to the windows domain. After all, we'd just dragged this in from the car - but who am I to argue.

<snip>
Comments?

You left yourself wide open to it I'm afraid.

[psychocandy]

Could you post your suityesque disaster stories in general please. This isn't a thread for a professional forum....

Ummm surely its a relevant scenario of dealing with clients?

[Support Monkey]

Occasionally, do the odd days work for a friend of mines company. His clients PM is a right PITA dell boy wheeler dealer (but working for a large public sector place). Worked with him before when me and friend worked for same company.

Anyway, his client wanted a PC supplied with some software on - which is my area of expertise.

So did that - all sorted. I did think it a bit strange at the time that they got a few junior staff to connect this up to their lan, and add it to the windows domain. After all, we'd just dragged this in from the car - but who am I to argue.

Mate has had a call today. Please take your PC away its full of viruses.

For a fact, I know its not - so pretty sure he's blagging it. Sounds very much like to me that his IT department has spotted the new device on the network and told him (hes a PM) to get it off the network PDQ because there might be a virus on it.

But of course, hes not going to tell my mate he didn't bother getting it authorized and wasted our time trekking down to visit him.

Comments?

In the past I've done these sort of things as a favour to my mate. All invoiced. I just take a day off at main client to do this. Can't really do that now since its all been thrown back - not that its my fault I think.

NEVER NEVER NEVER!!!!! do favours or work for free, you devalue your own skill and no one ever appreciates something they get for nothing.

I used to do work for people thinking it's ok one day I might need a favour back, I used to get called regularly by a friends who's a plumber forever at his office sorting his network and computer out then when I wanted some work doing at my house he charged me full whack, I have never done anything for free since

[psychocandy]

His client does have acceptance criteria and a quarantine process then? If not, you/he are never going to be protected from this sort of thing and IME it is best to stay away from it. Next thing you know is PM screws the whole lan and the blame comes squarely at you. Hard to defend against even if their claims are entirely bulltulip.

As an aside, I thought you told the VAT office that you cannot just take a day off when you felt like it ;)

I'm brought in for a day as a sub-contractor to do a piece or work. My mate I will admit should have checked this. I did mention it to him to be honest.

Well, I had this day off booked anyway - I was going to do something else. So it came free and I told my mate I was available.

And of course, VAT office doesn't cover my daily rate - my mate does.

[Support Monkey]

AND!! you should have known better, the world and his wife know's no client lets anyone plug a personal device in, you might get on the guest wifi but in 15 years contracting I have never been to a client who allows it.

Yes I know some sites have BYO now but its still pretty rare

[psychocandy]

NEVER NEVER NEVER!!!!! do favours or work for free, you devalue your own skill and no one ever appreciates something they get for nothing.

I used to do work for people thinking it's ok one day I might need a favour back, I used to get called regularly by a friends who's a plumber forever at his office sorting his network and computer out then when I wanted some work doing at my house he charged me full whack, I have never done anything for free since

Wasn't free. He always covers my day rate as a minimum. In fact, in the past, I've done work for him at weekends and hes paid me VERY WELL.

A few years ago he even paid me a retainer to be on call for him if he never needed to phone me.

All done properly with VAT invoices I might add.

(LOL. Know what you mean, I cleared a mates PC of porn pop-ups etc and saved his ass- next time I wanted a key cut (hes a cobbler) - £8 please).

[psychocandy]

AND!! you should have known better, the world and his wife know's no client lets anyone plug a personal device in, you might get on the guest wifi but in 15 years contracting I have never been to a client who allows it.

Yes I know some sites have BYO now but its still pretty rare

Yes maybe my fault as well.
BUT my mates company has been a supplier to his client for 15 years or more. Its not like hes a random stranger - he installed most of their network infrastructure for them.

So I assumed that between them they'd have sorted out authorisation for things like this.