A very large GP installation went bad.The companies owners tried one freelance consultant after another, but none of them could figure out how to fix the install.

Then they brought in an experienced consultant who had been working with GP since his days on the Microsoft help desk in Fargo. He carried no manuals with him, and when he arrived, he immediately went to work. He inspected the system very carefully, asked a bunch of tough questions, and retired to ponder in the server room.

The Financial Controller and CEO were there, watching this man, watching their watches, hoping he would know what to do. After looking things over, the consultant opened up a GP setup screen. He ticked a few boxes and instantly, GP started working how it should. He packed away his laptop. The system was fixed!

A week later, the owners received a bill from the consultant for ten thousand dollars.

“What?!” the owners exclaimed. “He hardly did anything!”

So they wrote the professional services manager a note saying, “Please send us an itemized bill.”

The consultant sent a bill that read:

Ticking a box …… ……… …….. $ 2.00
Knowing where to tick………. ……… …… $ 9, 998.00