Reply to: Desktop Support - going rate

[Epiphone]

So you're contradicting yourself

how so?

and you're the cheapest spaz?

Not the cheapest

[wizard1974uk]

Here up North that's a good rate. Clients/agencies tend to take the pee a bit with specs though. It's not unusual to see an ad for minimum MCSE 2003 with equivilant Cisco knowledge for £10-12 per hour.

A good Desktop Support monkey (such as myself ) doesn't just fix a printer or whatever, they serve as pretty much the only point of contact with IT that can actually function socially. The Helpless desk tends to be monosyllabic numbskulls who don't record the calls details and the 3rd line/server bods can't speak in anything less that 100% geek-speak - or are of the opinion actually speaking to users is beneath them.

Unfortunately clients will take the cheapest spaz who then screws things up, annoys the userbase and puts the clients off either taking on contractors in the future or risk paying more for a quality guy (me again ).

So you're contradicting yourself and you're the cheapest spaz?

[thunderlizard]

But does anybody use Reuters and Bloomberg up North? They'd probably think they were a music-hall tap-dancing duo.

[pisces]

You'd get half that rate oop north.

[Epiphone]

Here up North that's a good rate. Clients/agencies tend to take the pee a bit with specs though. It's not unusual to see an ad for minimum MCSE 2003 with equivilant Cisco knowledge for £10-12 per hour.

A good Desktop Support monkey (such as myself ) doesn't just fix a printer or whatever, they serve as pretty much the only point of contact with IT that can actually function socially. The Helpless desk tends to be monosyllabic numbskulls who don't record the calls details and the 3rd line/server bods can't speak in anything less that 100% geek-speak - or are of the opinion actually speaking to users is beneath them.

Unfortunately clients will take the cheapest spaz who then screws things up, annoys the userbase and puts the clients off either taking on contractors in the future or risk paying more for a quality guy (me again ).

[Let-Me-In]

Dah, da da da dda da daa...

07:58

[Moscow Mule]

Dah, da da da dda da daa...

[swamp]

How's that damn dam going?

Is it still holding water?

Touch and go. They're not home and dry yet.

[swamp]

They want £9/hour in the north, the problem is the market is flooded and someone will take it.

It's not just the market that's flooded up north...

[thunderlizard]

oh lordy, I don't know.

Well, call Roberto Monfardini at Monarch Recruitment in Birmingham if you want to know more. God speed you!

tl

[Kyajae]

Must Consult Someone Else

No, your thinking of Minesweeper Consultant Solitaire Expert

[Jog On]

Are we talking 1st line/helpdesk or 1st/2nd or 2nd/3rd line?

"desktop support" is wooly

Without a Must Consult Someone Else £20-25/h is decent for "desktop support"

Depends who you're supporting as well, traders and investment bankers pay well. I've seen some "desktop" roles offering £30 but when you tread the actual jobspec it's more 3rd line.

[thunderlizard]

true, maybe I've just forgotten my roots. My first couple of contracts (generalist Excel macros and Access!) were on those kinds of rates and I was blooming grateful at the time.

[chicane]

tulip the bed! I know drivers who'd turn that down as a bad wage.

But of course, everything in life is relative. That would be considered a good career upgrade for somebody working in a call centre.

[mictech]

They want £9/hour in the north, the problem is the market is flooded and someone will take it.