Cisco Systems RJ-45-to-AUX manual Conclusion, Failing to Take Responsibility, 352

Failing to Take Responsibility

If you realize that you failed to contract an item, you should absorb the cost if it is small. No one feels more nickeled and dimed than a person who has hired a consultant, when the consultant says he forgot to add a cable and will be charging another $10 five times. You can absorb small costs into the 10 percent padding I discussed earlier. If it is a large charge, debate notifying the customer. If it is too large to absorb, explain to the customer that you are at fault for not realizing you needed the part, and that you need to add an additional charge. Doing this more than once can be hazardous to your client/consultant relationship—just a helpful hint.

You will leave resentment in the customer’s mind if you try to blame him by telling him he did not tell you he needed a particular component. The customer is not the professional who needed to realize he needed something—you are.

Conclusion

As a consultant, you must remember to manage your time and yourself. You are your own project manager. In fact, not only are you the project manager, you are the employee who is going to do the work. You’ll probably make many mistakes in the beginning—but, I hope, none that can’t be overcome. I’ll leave you with one last quote that I like: “Experience is a tough teacher. You get the test first; then you’re going to learn the lesson.” I am not sure who wrote it, but it sure does make a good point.

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