I have my first solo client visit this morning - I've been pre-warned that it may be a hectic one, as the clients like to chop-and-change PC's/ users on a bi-weekly basis. This is nothing unusual in the world of IT!

Chad arrives to introduce me to the client, but I've been there for 5 minutes already - I'm just too impatient, and want to get my teeth into it. Things go very well - it's a nice easy starter for ten!

I get back to the office, and the guys are playing Halo - we "hang" for a bit, which is cool - most of the staff here are based off-site at various client's offices, so we don't get to see everyone on a daily basis. The IT Managers (of which I am one) have a set list of clients which are visited numerous times a month, on a pre-scheduled basis. The office staff consist of a couple of dedicated Help Desk guys, the Partners, and the office dollies - Susan (who sits on the front desk, and co-ordinates the scheduling) and Adrienne (who deals with the accounts, but is currently on holiday) - oh, and Chad (who now appears to be the butt of everyone's toilet humour - sorry Chad!) is an Account Manager, who acts as a liaison point between the IT Managers and the clients, on certain issues. If I've missed anyone, it's because I haven't met them yet! [To meet the team, follow the link]

One of the guys welcomes me as I enter the "Tank" - their chill-out room - by excitedly saying "Hey big dog"! I find this rather amusing! Not only does everything here reek of "awesomeness", I've also acquired a pet name - nice!

I'm back at the UCI in the afternoon - Ryon's giving me some help with one of my UK client's Server issues - there's plenty of new (to me) technology that I can use back home that'll make things work a lot more smoothly. At this particular site, there are two permanent IT guys and inhouseIT are contracted to assist and advise the onsite team - there is a team meeting, where they discuss a book they're reading together? I'm intrigued!

It's some book that deals with people skills as opposed to some technical reference.
[Something I've found in my own working experience, is that no matter how much IT knowledge you possess, unless you can deal with customers on a more personal level, you remain "just a techie". The biggest factors in building good and sustainable working relationships, are having the soft skills necessary to communicate at different levels, establish an understanding to the end-users needs and ability, and gain their confidence. These are all things that you can't find in any Windows 98 manual - they come with experience.]
Having these book-clubs is a radical idea (in that it's not so common to us Brits) but it seems to work really well - both the IT Managers and the onsite staff not only build a harmony (they're all fighting from the same corner) but they continue to learn as they go. And it doesn't cost much - no expensive training sessions, for example - just a simple 'let's sit down and discuss our thoughts on this' - how simple!

I'm sitting here typing this and getting bitten left-right and centre. That's seven bites now - bugger!

I head out late afternoon for an emergency call-out, which doesn't last too long, and that's me done for the day. I decide to head back to Fantasy Island (actually called Fashion Island, but I prefer Fantasy Island, so I'll stick to that!) as I'm in need of some shirts and "pants". I have a nasty feeling that I'll have problems here - I remember a few years back, when I needed to buy a suit, they simply didn't have one small enough. I was advised to go "to the boys section"!!! Bloody cheek of it!

It scared me somewhat when I saw a shirt that read "XXXXL" - I mean, just how big is that?? I've seen some fatties in my time, but you could've gotten 3 of me in this shirt!! Luckily, they also come in "S" - YEY, or should I say AWESOME! I pick-up 3 shirts for now - I hate shopping, and the thought of looking at endless shelves of shirts bores me to tears - just pick 3, and have a couple of days to recover, then go back for some more, I think to myself! I go to pay, and have the privilege of swiping my own card - how novel - but I have to enter my PIN number - how queer! DENIED! Bollocks - I know I've got money in that account - we try again, but it's the same thing. I don't know why - I can draw from the same account on an ATM, so I have no idea why it doesn't work. There's now a queue behind me - I feel as though I'm back at the gas station!! I end up paying by credit card, and bow my head in shame as I pass the patient shoppers - looks like I'll have to charge things to my credit card, until I can phone the Woolwich and give them a piece of my mind! Or transfer some money to my credit card, so I don't hit my limit. Or just walk around with wads of cash on me. Or just pay on the company credit card - hmmm, *light-bulb* - problem solved!!!

I don't bother looking at trousers - I'll just send Jem out to get some for me (thanks babe!) - I'm crap at choosing things like that. It'll give her something to do besides my washing!!!

One last day at work, then it's the weekend - we have some tickets for the baseball game on Sunday, which I'm really looking forward to, but more importantly my girl arrives on Saturday - I can't wait!

END OF DAY 6