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Win 2000 and Exch 2000 Installation fees

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3 replies

by dedrock

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I am completing the installation of a Windows 2000 Server intergrated with MS Exchange Server 2000. It was a small installation with only 10 lincences on the LAN and 5 lincenses for Exchange 2000 with Outlook 2000 web access. Last but not least was the installation of Terminal Services in application mode with 5 licenses. I am unsure about how much to bill my client for this. So far I have billed $1200 based on the time I spent ordering, setting up and installing the basic services for these 3 servers, but I have spent a lot of time setting up other software to run on these systems both in-house and at remote sites.

I want to be careful that I do not overbill them because the time-frame and schedule for the installation was severly compromised by my lack of knowledge in areas concerning the purchase and implementation of Domain Names and IP addresses. It was so severe that I was nearly replaced! I appreciate anyone's comments on pricing this project.

3 replies

by tjc

I'm sorry to say that leagelly (sp) no one can really answer this because if any one did then it could be considered as "price fixing" so my only suggestion is for you to call some competitor (sp) and tell them what you need done "that is what you did for your client" and see what they give you for an "up front pricing" and go from there.

The other thing is to just bill them what you planned on when on your contracted from them. If you didn't give them an estimate in the begining then go with how many hours you worked (regardless if you knew what you were doing or not) and go from there.

by ongkl

I had experienced the same situations with my clients not too long ago. This is what I had done:

1. The client had agreed on the total contract sum. Bill them on this amount first. At least, you will get your money (at least most of your money)

2. Issue a Variation Order invoice to the client stating clearly what were the extra work done that was not covered by the original contract. Provide a discount on this invoice because "it took you longer" to complete the work than it should. The percentage of discount depends on how late you were in the schedule.

The extra charge should be totally negotiable. It's up to you. A letter of apology would come in handy. The point is to make the client satisfied with the result of the installation. If they are happy, they will make the payment.

Hope this helps.

OngKL

by ongkl

I had experienced the same situations with my clients not too long ago. This is what I had done:

1. The client had agreed on the total contract sum. Bill them on this amount first. At least, you will get your money (at least most of your money)

2. Issue a Variation Order invoice to the client stating clearly what were the extra work done that was not covered by the original contract. Provide a discount on this invoice because "it took you longer" to complete the work than it should. The percentage of discount depends on how late you were in the schedule.

The extra charge should be totally negotiable. It's up to you. A letter of apology would come in handy. The point is to make the client satisfied with the result of the installation. If they are happy, they will make the payment.

Hope this helps.

OngKL

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