Shouldn't snipe at Andy that way ... I work the same way. I do database
programming (some large business systems) as a sideline. I've two
long-term clients. I don't charge for the learning curve (at least not
directly), and I don't charge for bug fixes. And I'm not perfect, by a
long shot. If something  breaks (i.e. the program works the way the user
wants, but sometimes, or even all the time, does something unexpected),
that's a bug, and I fix it. Clients change their minds all the time ...
and they pay for it. If I send him something that works they way I
thought he wanted it, and he says Nope, that's not what I wanted, then
he gets what he wanted at no additional cost provided I believe it was
MY mistake, as opposed to him changing his mind part way through.

Most software developers know when they've screwed up, and when the
client has screwed up. And sometimes when the client screws up, you
rewrite the code and don't charge, 'cause building a long-term
relationship with a cliient can be long-term profitable, even if it is
short-term less profitable.

Having a detailed specification of what the customer wants, signed off
by both the customer and you is the best solution, but frequently not
possible, 'cause he doesn't KNOW what he wants. In a lot of cases, the
final application is the result of a lot of trial an error on both
sides. My clients are happy to work with me that way, because that way
they get what they really need, rather than what they thought they
wanted at the start. I charge by the hour, I don't use a fixed-price
arrangement, and on the surface, the cut-and-try process sounds more
expensive to the client. But in my experience it isn't.

Larry

>----------
>From:  James Musselman[SMTP:james@RADIXGROUP.COM]
>Sent:  Wednesday, December 11, 1996 11:47 AM
>To:    Multiple recipients of list PICLIST
>Subject:       Re: How much($)to charge for development?
>
>(snip) (andrew warren's post:)
>>     My standard contract guarantees free software bug-fixes forever,
>>     for instance.  Lots of people tell me this is stupid, but I don't
>>     mind... I think the guarantee's important, and besides, it
>>     doesn't get used very often.  When it DOES get used, though, even
>>     a very minor fix can end up costing me a lot of money.
>>
>
>It sounds like you don't write very complex programs, or maybe you are the
>first programmer to achieve perfection,  or how do you define
>a bug?  Do you work for companies that never change their minds?
>
>