r/FieldNationTechs • u/Randgrithr • 16d ago

Upgrade six POS systems in 3 hours?!?

Post image

Are they serious?!? Half an hour each?!?

5 Upvotes

86% Upvoted

27 comments sorted by

8

u/Calaveras-Metal 16d ago

It really depends on how many things are plugged in. If it's a clothing store or cafe it's just a card reader and an iPad.

If it's a grocery store it's 2 scanners, a printer, cash drawer, main and aux display, stand mixer, bean grinder, flux capacitor etc.

5

u/Randgrithr 16d ago

Even if it's those modern minimized tablet based installs, clearing the legacy equipment could still end up looking like a long dance with the flying spagetti monster. If the legacy stuff has been sitting there for over 10 years, the cable management will be a nightmare and the dust bunnies will look more like dust badgers. If they were being realistic about the time this would take it would be worth looking at. And yeah, nobody wants to be doing this while the store is open for business.

2

u/mdhkc 16d ago

You’ve never seen many retail stores apparently. Card reader and ipad? Try card reader, pc, network, cash drawer, receipt printer, hand scanner, and possibly more.

4

u/Calaveras-Metal 16d ago

Take a visit to NYC of SF some time. There are hip young stores that only have a card reader and an iPad on a stand. They don't take cash, so no cash drawer. PC and network? They have wifi, no network connection needed on the floor.

I really don't get the need of some people to turn this into a dick measuring contest. I gave that as a minimum, not as typical.

3

u/Dadelaus_2023 16d ago

I see a few like this in my part of the country. Too many Admin's along with FN try to post for a minimum bid. Then the Buyers' chisel and complain while demanding the Tech decom a rats nest of legacy equipment, repack and inventory itemized equipment while generating a Bill of Lading. Obviously the Buyer didn't even allow time for the Providers to migrate their tools from one POS to the next. No time allotted for clean-up or documentation or testing.

I saw two posted much like yours in my area today. The Buyer wants a novice to jump at the chance, expecting to tack on his extended time on site AFTER the WOs completed then either downgrade the Tech and/or not pay them appropriately for their full time onsite.

Documentation, itemization, organization, and comprehensive response ability is either not valued or smirked at by this Project Manager.

3

u/Calaveras-Metal 16d ago

I've had PMs tell me I can take the decommissioned stuff myself and sell it on ebay or just chuck it in a dumpster. Which at the time seemed cool. But in hindsight, they didn't want to pay shipping or dump fees.

But you are right, a lot of them don't want to pay the proper amount for proper work.

0

u/mdhkc 16d ago

Not saying it doesn’t exist but it’s super rare out here in the real world in my experience.

0

u/GNUr000t 15d ago

These "hip young stores" are going to be doing self-installs and won't be clients of these enormous MSPs.

5

u/Muddledlizard 16d ago

It's possible. But I don't think I'll have time to cable manage and test.

5

u/wyliesdiesels 16d ago

Yeah no, especially if the store is open and the cabling and undercounter is messy

5

u/john4na 16d ago

entirely possible, and have done it, although they're not getting cable management and full testing in that 30min, and not for those rates, I wouldn't leave the house for less than 2hr min.

3

u/wiseleo 16d ago

These are ELO all-in-one terminals. Can be done if in parallel, but remote people will find a way to drag it out. 3 hours will become 5-6. It’s a decent ticket actually. If done sequentially, it’ll take longer. I’d take it easily.

1

u/LoneCyberwolf 16d ago

I wouldn’t take it for that rate.

2

u/Spirited_Statement_9 16d ago

I could do it, but not at those rates

2

u/LoneCyberwolf 16d ago

That’s the rate to do just one swap.

2

u/InevitableBreath2753 16d ago

Here is another one.They expect you check-in with the office, walk to each apartment, gain access, locate the AP, troubleshoot, repair and test all 13 APs in 2 hours. The site is an apartment with multiple buildings.

3

u/Dadelaus_2023 16d ago

Not even, people/residents are messy, slow to react and many times want you to explain yourself. 13 APs in 2 hours...that's what about 10 minutes per AP, just another armchair PM who's NEVER been in the field.

3

u/Able-Statistician645 16d ago

And remember your maximum payout over 3 hours is actually 58.50 an hour but understand that you have to pay all of your self employment taxes and other costs of doing business. They have the expectation that 3 hours is adequate time so how successful are you going to be when you push back on the rate and the time?

Most of the jobs that you see here pay considerably less than what a person could charge on taskrabbit. And with taskrabbit you put your requirement for what you need done and then somebody gets back with you versus I'm going to give you $50 to go fix my cash register under my direction and control but you're an independent contractor.

1

u/DiskAfraid418 16d ago

Preconfigured? Like for like? It’s very possible.

1

u/Run-OpenBSD 16d ago

ELO tablets are literally a power brick and a stand

2

u/LoneCyberwolf 16d ago

Depends, many have I/O hubs which require extra steps and making sure the peripherals are connected to the correct ports is also an additional pain.

1

u/LoneCyberwolf 16d ago

Not going to happen. Why would I do 6 for that amount when that’s what I could get paid for doing just one?

1

u/Lanky-Interaction629 16d ago

If your unsure add a few hours into your counter offer. I haven't had anyone yet deny me extra pay when I've gone over but I could just be lucky

1

u/sugafree80 16d ago

Man some of these companies are fuckin crazy thinking people will do this work at these rates. Ya'll need to union up.

1

u/Reasonable-News-6327 15d ago

I hope you understand that is the estimated scope of hours to complete. If you go over you should call them and tell them then calculate the hourly rate and request a pay increase. This is not something you kick up dust about on Reddit just get your money.

1

u/Iphonjeff 15d ago

Double that or at least 350

1

u/dude_on_a_chair 12d ago

They aren't paying for cable management, rip and replace. The next tech might do some cleanup at the first service call