It seems that a lot of people think that contract work is nothing but gravy - nothing but high rates and interesting work. Sorry to break it to you, but it's not that fancy. Tomorrow I get my first large dose of the reality of it all since I get to meet a lawyer (at $200 / hr it makes us look really cheap) to discuss a “customer” who owes us $12,500 and seems to think they don't need to pay.
So maybe you're thinking that they're dissatisfied. Maybe we didn't deliver what we said, or that we were way late, or that we somehow bamboozled them and they got wise. On the contrary. We made a good faith estimate (we actually low-balled the contract to get it), gave them a fixed price contract, delivered the product with full source code, worked with another 3rd party to get printing working (though it was clearly out of scope based on the contract) and got the app working like clockwork. They said that they were satisfied and everything was working fine. They have the product advertised for sale on their web site. They have paid us a grand total of $0.00 for work performed. Yes, you read that right - zero dollars, zero cents.
So what's a person to do? I sent invoices. Nothing. I sent emails. Got a “I'll check into that” response. After that, nothing. No contact at all. Nice way to do business, eh?
So now I get to go pay a lawyer to see if I have any chance at getting anything back, which I seriously doubt, but I'd like to try to do something. The only other thing I can think of is to try to create bad press for him, but how? Maybe something so when a person does a Google for a product in the category, maybe they'll land here and read about their business practices and go elsewhere. So here it goes...
Are you looking for mobile software for a Pest Control or Pest Management business? Something that your field technicians can use while in the field to quickly update the status of traps, bait, etc.? How about an application that synchronizes back to an enterprise server so your pest management data can be stored globally for quick reporting as well as updating the technician's daily schedule and routing? Well I suggest you choose anything other than the ePM Solution from Eye-On Solutions of 4720 Montgomery Lane, Bethesda, Maryland (headquartered in Pittsburgh, PA). Josh Roberts, the President of Eye-On Solutions, LLC had the application developed and is selling it, yet paid nothing for it - essentially stealing it from OpenNETCF Consulting, a company who also developed the SDF.
Choose any of their competitors you'd like. Start at the IPMRC for general information or purchase from Insight Direct, PestPAC or anyone else in Pest Control Magazine. I just ask that you do not purchase any product or service from Eye-On Solutions. Thank you.
Now let's see how the search engine spiders index this. Hopefully anyone searching for software that has to do with pest management will have a chance to read this.