Finding Time

Sparky Joe

Just wanted to rant for a moment;

I agreed to do some tile work in my girlfriend's dad's bathroom, though my trade is electrical, but agreed to do it anyway perhaps just to look like a hero, I don't know.

Meanwhile, I've been over there every night after work and then our washer decides to crap out. No big deal, just won't drain anymore. Something I could easily fix myself except I don't have the time right now and it needs to be fixed right now.

So here I am doing this dumb tile job basically as a favor and have to pay an appliance guy to come fix something I could've done myself if only I had the time.

That's it, no more favors
Anyone else run into any problems similar to this?

MKamis

My experience has been that as long as you find the time to help out, people will always need help. It seems like us guys that know how to do everything never get any (useful) help in return for our good deeds. I know exactly how you feel. The bright side is, when it really counts, you can be self-sufficient.

Danahy

My step mother wants me to fix her cheap linoleum in her bathroom that has peeled from an old toilet leak issue.

Haven't given her my answer yet, and I'll bet my xmas gift will be determined by my answer.

Looks like I'll be getting coal in my stocking

Sparky Joe

I don't blame you one bit. Linoleum; even if you make it look nice it still doesn't look good.

Like an idiot I tried to talk Jim(girlfriend's dad) into replacing the cabinet, or at least replacing the sink and counter in there and even the faucet.

The deal was, the wife wants it done by Thanksgiving so she can show it off to whoever, but fact remains that my name is on it and though the tile may look good every thing else is dated.

And don't get me going on the point that the two of them never talk to each other about what they want, but rather tell me 2 different things and at different times of course, so I do it according to one then come to find out the other party wanted it the other way.

I would like to tell to just tell them to get their thoughts together and then let me know, but I don't want any bad blood their and of course the minimal time thing is an issue.

Stone Mountain

Never, EVer, work for friends or relatives.

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Bone Saw

you left out a few evers

dougchips

or neighbors!

you will work for less or free, if you charge your going rate (pipe dream) they will hold it against you. If you are doing the job to get a dishwasher repaired, a new one must be cheaper. If you are doing the job to get laid, a call girl will be cheaper. If you are doing the job to "practice" then that is fine if they don't know your company name.

CJKarl

Took me YEARs to learn this word...NO. Don't overextend yourself, because then NOBODY is happy.

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Danahy

There's a good chapter in the book "Don't sweat the small stuff - at work" about it being ok to say NO without guilt.

Don't sweat the small stuff books seem to be the bathroom book of choice, but that's for another thread now isn't it.

Stone Mountain

Ok. NEVER EVER EVER EVER EVER EVER EVER work for friends or relatives.

Once, I had one of my workers make a deal with a friend entirely on his own. I STRESSED to the friend I had nothing to do with it. The job went fine (Absolutely nothing wrong with it), the friend wasn't satisfied (to this day I don't know why), and of course it is all my fault.

I did a deck for a friend's brother. 6 months later they had an infestation of carpenter ants. My fault.

I did a deck for a friend's father. 4 months later the 40 year old brick wall developed cracks, 10 feet from the deck. My fault.

I once sold a brand new Buick to my father-in-law (before I went into busniess). The car was a lemon. My father in law seemed to think I must have built the thing with my own two hands from a pile of parts and that GM had nothing to do with it.


I repeat: NEVER EVER EVER.......EVER work for friends or relatives.
ESPECIALLY for free!

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Bone Saw

WORD and this goes for loaning money too, Just say No.

boman47k

A neighbor has been telling me she needs her bathroom floor fixed. Water leak damage. I need th ework. Doorknobs starting to look like biscuits around here. But she is a crackhead; highly educated but supported by the government and family. The house is owned by a sister in Florida or somewhere. I told her I would look at it sometime when I got time. I can't seem to find the time.

boman47k

I would make him wait the short amount of time it takes to at least check the door switch out on the washer.

Danahy

Idea #4567

If you have to work for friends or family, like I mean you have tried everything under the sun to get out of it, but for some strange reason you absolutely have to: Then do the following first. Say that you might do it, but not until they have atleast 3 other written estimates from 3 different reputable companies first. That will probably give you alot more leverage as far as agreeing on price and level of work etc... etc...

Just a thought.

1st choice is to always NEVER do the work lol

Sparky Joe

Well the appliance guy came and left, 65 bucks later. Said I need a new brain board for 450 bucks, I said no-thanks. Then I headed over to girlfriend's dads to do the caulking and be done with it and he said he did it him self.

Oh well, so much for trying to be nice. Next time I'll just make him wait when I have more important things to do, maybe then he'll more inclined to do the harder work him self.

boman47k

Whew! Thats tough! Never got into those. Most expensive part I was used to was trannys. Usually time for a new then. Like a lot of things, designed to be replaced and not fixed.

sheeter

"No good deed goes unpunished" has been my experience. It doesn't seem to matter who you're working for, friends, family, neighbors, and even paying customers.

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Sheeter
"It's hard to be humble when your good"

Frankawitz

Hey my younger Brother just did a job for our half sister, I had a falling out with her when our mother died.(1988) she talked him into doing work in her garage fix drywall tape, it was all popping off and then paint and she also wanted the floor sealed and paint it. I told him you know your going to get screwed on this? he said well I owe her a 100 bucks, so he told her he would do the job for $850.00 and take off the money he owed her. so he worked on the job for about 4 weeks here and there, well he finished up the other day, and sure as **** she told him once he had the drywall repairs done and painted that her and her husband figured they would finish the floor in the spring. she gave him $250.00 a few weeks back and then at the end she gave him a 100 bucks and a coffee table and 2 end tables and said thanks. he was looking to get $300.00 so he could pay his insurance for his truck. Man he was pissed, he called me and I laughed at him and told him when are you going to listen to me, that's how many times she has stuck it to you now? One day he will listen, I don't do any work for anyone unless we agree to my price and I keep it all business no personal favors for anyone. I'm not Mr. Niceguy.

DesPro

Oh sure I'll do it for at a discount ..... after-all we are family.

But Will you remember me when you sell the place in a couple of years or just brag about how well you made out on the deal ?

Haven't had a relative or friend yet to come back and say... " ya know , you really went out of your way to help me out and I know you didn't have to do it for cost. I just sold the place and made a killin'. Just to show how much I appreciated your help and expertise, here's a little something I set aside for you. Thanks"

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john elliott

That's a really good idea, I wil use that if I need to.

In the meantime, though, I will not be doing any work for friends or family or neighbours

John

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