I took on work for a firm that had recently let go of their entire IT staff for constantly going over budget.
Me: It will be about a half hour to an hours worth of work.
Client: That’s outrageous! Our last IT crew could do it in five minutes!
Me: But you said your last crew always went five to ten times over their budgeted time and cost.
Client: Six to twelve times.
Me: Uh, yeah. That does seem more accurate.
Needless to say, I didn’t stick around.
