dbdb -- Re: When a customer burns you.

Mon Dec 1 19:34:00 PST 2003

hi ya chuck

On Mon, 1 Dec 2003, Chuck Yerkes wrote:

> Okay a (partly fictional) scenario:
> 
> I'm in the database.  Some consultant I hired reported me.
> Oh, but it turns out I fired him after he showed up, started working
> for a bit, the machines were unreliable, crashing, etc.  He'd mixed
> packages between versions. Libc was all screwed up.  The machines were
> now up 50% of the time.  He'd been with us 2 days and done some work
> on the weekend.  We refused to pay him the weekend rates, when he
> messed everything up.  He reports us to your bad company database.
> The DBDB. (deadbeat database).

umm.... that's a 2 way street !!!

consultant can report the cleint as a deadbeat and other derogatories
.. and ..
client can report the consultant as a deadbeat and other derogatories

clients that make consultants work on weekends and off hours
and expect things to work flawlessly should understand what it takes
to keep things flowing ...
	- if the client's bozo's break it .. they fix it ..

	- if the consultants bozo's break it ... i'd fire them on
	the spot and fix the problem for the client for free

all these going back and forth stuff can also be entered
for all to read and figure out which side they wanna believe

> We later make an offer to someone; he checks the database.  Refuses,
> at the last minute, to work for us - cause we're deadbeats.

or the otyher way around .. clients dont wanna hire deadbeat
(fresh out of $$$ (trade)school turn ) consultants  either

> Not having our new servers up costs *us* a client.  Measurable money.
> $200k, lets say.  We now turn around and go after you for defamation.
> $200k plus damages and legal fees.

very few people taking any legal recourse against all the 
credit card reporting agencies ... but than again, they're backed
up by the banks etc ..

in the dbdb listings of deadbeats, there is no one else behind
the "need to keep that db list"

> You sure you want to be in that business?
> 
> The RBL folks are careful AND are looking for a good suit to establish
> some legal footings with.  You really don't want to be there without
> resources. Especially when other resources exist:  BBB, D&B, etc.

and some folks gave up on waiting for those suits .. and said i quit 
and went off doing other stuff instead

in the long run, some of the rbls will survive, as a service similar
to it is obviously needed ... time will tell which ones will survive

c ya
alvin