New system rollout?

[NoRulez]

Seems big companies rolling out new computer equipment to their branches/francises, especially servers are making use of the cheapest installation labour they can find.
Over the past two months I had to attend to quite a few faulty installations which was diagnosed as hardware issues by the installing contractors, just to find that it was actually faults caused by incompetent installation tech's - cables plugged into the wrong ports, incorrectly setup software (especially on W2K3 systems) and in general tech's not at all au fait with the system hardware they're supposed to install in that they don't know how to diagnose hardware or software issues that they might run into on site.

Not complaining about it at all, as I usually just arrive on site, take a few minutes to diagnose the problem, show and tell the client what the problem is, complete a jobcard and best of all... Get paid for it!

What most of the poor clients don't realise is that they hire the cheapest BEE (at least that's what most of the contracting companies' names implies) contractor to do the roll-out without enquiring about or checking the qualifications of the tech's that will be doing the job, then pay extra fees to a third party (sometimes the original supplier) to "fixup the foxup".

Point is... The hardware vendor gets blamed for poor quality due to incompetent installation contractors.

Contractors should hire suitably qualified personnel (with practical experience) to do the job, or at least get their employees certified before sending them out into the field.

Then again, if you pay peanuts, you get monkeys!

 

[mic_y]

NoRulez, wanna give some of ur "clients" my number instead of yours? I really dont mind hey

Any extra cash is good atm...

 

[hennievr]

Seems big companies rolling out new computer equipment to their branches/francises, especially servers are making use of the cheapest installation labour they can find.
Over the past two months I had to attend to quite a few faulty installations which was diagnosed as hardware issues by the installing contractors, just to find that it was actually faults caused by incompetent installation tech's - cables plugged into the wrong ports, incorrectly setup software (especially on W2K3 systems) and in general tech's not at all au fait with the system hardware they're supposed to install in that they don't know how to diagnose hardware or software issues that they might run into on site.

Not complaining about it at all, as I usually just arrive on site, take a few minutes to diagnose the problem, show and tell the client what the problem is, complete a jobcard and best of all... Get paid for it!

What most of the poor clients don't realise is that they hire the cheapest BEE (at least that's what most of the contracting companies' names implies) contractor to do the roll-out without enquiring about or checking the qualifications of the tech's that will be doing the job, then pay extra fees to a third party (sometimes the original supplier) to "fixup the foxup".

Point is... The hardware vendor gets blamed for poor quality due to incompetent installation contractors.

Contractors should hire suitably qualified personnel (with practical experience) to do the job, or at least get their employees certified before sending them out into the field.

Then again, if you pay peanuts, you get monkeys!

That is true what you say. I think the computer industry in the world needs an organisation (not sure what the proper word is) like doctors where they need to comply to a certain criteria. I mean when you need an operation you do not go and see the paramedic. You will see your doctor and he will refer you to the surgeon.
I think that will eliminate the guys that has been playing on computers and now think that they now how it works. I had MCSE's that did not even know how to connect up a PC, so that tells me that there was no pratical done or they in the wrong profession and couldn't care about technology but wanted job and that was an easy way to get one.
Clients are also ignorant, they think that if their "brother's child" plays on the computer he is now a full blown "tech wizz"

 

[NoRulez]

I had MCSE's that did not even know how to connect up a PC, so that tells me that there was no pratical done or they in the wrong profession and couldn't care about technology but wanted job and that was an easy way to get one.
Clients are also ignorant, they think that if their "brother's child" plays on the computer he is now a full blown "tech wizz"

Exactly the problem with kids fresh out of college, A+, N+, MCSE, etc. in hand without any practical experience at all, then expecting a top salary like the experienced tech's.
Would be an excellent idea for an institution like the one you suggested, seeing that the computer industry is growing much faster than the medical profession... if you get the drift

 

[|tera|]

I agree with you guys, it's a good idea. I could also talk of personal experience in knowing friends that don't have qualifications but work with pc's and are able to fix problems the qualified guys have trouble with So it depends.

 

[S1ght]

Same thoughts here teraside, there are some people who spending so much time playing on and around their pc that they do gain both some practical and enough knowledge to say hey the green PS2 mouse plug goes into the green PS2 mouse port

 

[killadoob]

some companies are forced to use a BEE company

so its not always their fault

they have to use the guys then call you in

 

[Darth Garth]

Exactly the problem with kids fresh out of college, A+, N+, MCSE, etc. in hand without any practical experience at all, then expecting a top salary like the experienced tech's.

Or they end up in a mixed I.T shop using Windows and also Unix boxen and then look utterly stupid when asked to change some setting on the Unix side of things ... huh ... where is the control panel on this thing .