And make sure you get paid for that specification document, because as
often as not, the customer will take that document and shop it around
looking for the lowest bidder.

More than once, I've spec'd out a job for a customer and found out that
they were getting it produced in Korea, or some such.

One guy, after I quoted on a PCB layout actually said, "If I buy the
boards in Korea, they throw in the layout for free." I told him that I
can't compete with free. He came back for lots more engineering, but not
much PCB layout.

Phillip Vogel
Bartal Design Group, Inc.
318 Marlboro Road Englewood, NJ 07631-1416
Phone: 201-567-1343   Fax: 201-568-2891
Cell: 201-232-5208
mailto:phillip@bartal.com  http://www.VisualConductor.com
Ask me about the Visual Conductor

> -----Original Message-----
> From: pic microcontroller discussion list
> [mailto:PICLIST@MITVMA.MIT.EDU] On Behalf Of Bob Axtell
> Sent: Monday, September 15, 2003 4:08 AM
> To: PICLIST@MITVMA.MIT.EDU
> Subject: [EE]: Getting Info From The Customer

> We have all had this problem. The way I usually deal with it
> is to say:
>
> "Sir, I do not have a clear enough picture of your needs,
> therefore I cannot make a fixed bid. If you would like, I
> will generate a SPECIFICATION DOCUMENT capable of being bid
> against, for $X per hour. Would you like me to do that?"
>
> People who KNOW what the problem is will pay you for your
> time. The rest won't, and you don't need those folks anyway,
> they will eat you alive.

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