TECH taking a contract supporting mac's when you are a pc guy. crazy?

[Spinkick]

So I have a potential client that runs mostly macs. I'm mostly a pc guy and have around 13 years consulting expirience doing so. I have run mac os x before, and can understand the os; so the question is, how hard is it to support macs? Am I going to run into much trouble if i take this contract? I feel as though I'm a technical person and my pc consulting is pretty successful. What do you think? I cannot say no to money in front of my face.

PS: Picked up a refurbbed macbook pro to learn on and get a feel for the OS. What is everyoens oppinion on apples refurb program?

PPS: Calling a tech support desk a genius bar is fucking retarded.

 

[Turboed_2]

depends on what you have to do i guess.

 

[boomdaddy246]

Get yourself mac certified. They have a 5 day on site class, and they have a 5 day class you can go out to California for.

 

[ady]

PPS: Calling a tech support desk a genius bar is fucking retarded marketing.

fixed

 

[Spinkick]

if you're not certified to do it, why do you insist on doing it

you're gonna fuck over the client

I think because of my long time expierience with the consulting business I do, that I should be able to work through it. I may check out a class, as suggested.

 

[Spinkick]

Get yourself mac certified. They have a 5 day on site class, and they have a 5 day class you can go out to California for.

not bad, through apple?

 

[Spinkick]

PS: only like 5-10 computers from what i hear

 

[Euclid]

I think it's kind of shitty if you allow the client assume that you have experience with the platform when you don't. They deserve to know what they are getting into, and that you'll basically be learning-as-you-go. Especially if you're getting paid by the hour for this work.

 

[boomdaddy246]

not bad, through apple?

Yea, both classes are through Apple. The on-site one sends someone out to you, but the one in California......you go to Apple headquarters. I know a couple people who went to it, they said it was amazing. They give you a computer, a video camera, and a camera and tell you to make a short movie, a photo album, and present them, all the while you're learning the ins and outs of the software and the hardware.

Oh and as a going away present they all got Macbooks.

http://train.apple.com/certification/

 

[Chadder007]

I think it's kind of shitty if you allow the client assume that you have experience with the platform when you don't. They deserve to know what they are getting into, and that you'll basically be learning-as-you-go. Especially if you're getting paid by the hour for this work.

 

[neonwheels]

I was just offered a System/Server Admin job overseeing 100 Mac's, and a few XP boxes...

I have no server experience, they didn't have a problem with it, but I still disclosed that tidbit of information.

I do have my Help Desk Cert, I'll be Desktop and Portable certified in 2 weeks, so I have the experience to be the sys admin and more than enough experience for the XP boxes...

Long post short, you should probably disclose that bit of information to them first.

 

[hurleyint1386]

I think it's kind of shitty if you allow the client assume that you have experience with the platform when you don't. They deserve to know what they are getting into, and that you'll basically be learning-as-you-go. Especially if you're getting paid by the hour for this work.

+1

I work at an IT company, and I do Macs and PCs, but my boss is more of a PC guy. He never says that he himself can provide support, he makes it clear that any Mac related troubleshooting would be passed right along to me.

If you tell them that you don't yet have the experience, would they continue with the deal? If so, go for it. If not, then don't do it.

 

[agent0068]

if you lie to the customer and take it on and inevitably can't provide the same level of service that you do for PCs, i think your reputation will take a hit, which to me, isn't worth it.

 

[Spinkick]

Yeah, I wont lie about it. If they have an xserve or something like that I will tell them I havnt worked on them. I have however, supported desktop mac's.