Had a client meeting today with a non-technical client. I now want to shoot myself. Highlights:
client: we need your database to support many internet providers
me: okaaay, but I thought the hospital had its own net connection
client: yes, but sometimes they don't connect properly. Just today, I tried to use the Internet Explorer provider, but it wouldn't connect, so I switched to the Netscape provider and that worked. We need to be able to use multiple internet providers.
me: oooh, you mean browsers.
*begins head-wall interface*
Then, they start going over every line of the fucking specification document, commenting on “should this label be called comment or remarks?”. FOR TWO FUCKING HOURS!
This is the 7th version of the spec document. It's been on the table for the last 4 months. We walked in thinking this version was going to be approved, as our last meeting was mostly nitpicking (again!). Um, no. Yet again, new stuff came out of the woodwork. Stuff that was never on the original contract. When we mention this, we only get big blank cow stares, and snide comments of the sort “but it's so much more logical. What's the use of having a system we can't use?”. Then when we say it's going to take more time and resources, and will cost more, they bitch. God damnit, they're already getting this huge project at bargain-basement ridiculously low prices. Shut the fuck up, will you?
My favourite quote of this meeting was “we're women, we change our minds often”. I wanted to jump over the table and bitchslap the condescending cow.