I Can't Even GIVE My Work Away!

True North

I had a very nice sounding woman call yesterday about a broken window. I went to the job, measured it up (5'x5' picture window) and called a few glass suppliers.

I haven't had work for THREE months. I just moved to Colorado Springs in August, and part of that time was spent in getting licensed and set up to work here.

Anyway, to make a long story shorter, I decided to offer to install the window for free, she pays for material only, if she will mention me to her circle of friends and acquaintances. I knew that I'd never get the job if I charged anything (see my other thread, "My Competition". Yeah, same job), and I'm going stir-crazy sitting around, so I figured it couldn't hurt.

She offered to trade tax services with me if I would take the price down even further, but I explained that I couldn't afford to do the work AND pay for the window as well.

Anyway, this is what I see in Craigslist this morning:

"Hi Window installers!

I'm looking for a licensed window installer who will trade my tax services for part of the cost to replace my window. I have an ad in the financial services section which lists my qualifications ($40 tax service). Have a lovely day!"

She thinks she'll get a better deal than free! Unbelievable!

AtlanticWBConst

OMG = Talk about a CHEAPO.


Good for you. You never want to do work for someone like that, nor do you want to do work for her friends, that are probably alot like her.

You're just seeing the tip of her cheap iceburg. I can imagine, what she would try to bargain out after you agreed to that...

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Leo G

Just feel glad you didn't do the job. You would have been out the cost of your time and I bet she would have bitched about you to her friends because you wouldn't take the deal she offered. I would have never done it for free, even for the reference. Just puts you into a position of cheap labor, and that is how people will talk about you. The guy who will do it for cheaper than anybody else. And you can work your ass off and struggle to make ends meet at the same time. Might as well get a minimum wage job, at least when you go home at night you can just sit in your chair and not have to figure out where the next job is going to come from.

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nlgutters

"Hi Window installers!

I'm looking for a licensed window installer who will trade my tax services for part of the cost to replace my window. I have an ad in the financial services section which lists my qualifications ($40 tax service). Have a lovely day!"

She thinks she'll get a better deal than free! Unbelievable![/quote]



Huh

You where gonna do it for free? How do you know she is looking for a better deal. It sounds like she wants a licensed installer and was just wondering if they wanted to trade a little.She wasnt asking for free labor like you where gonna give her.

Ever think you might have been too cheap?

Leo G

When you get a guy to come by, measure the window, make phone calls to get it cheaper, order it, go pick it up, bring it to the house, take the old one out, install the new one and all she does is pay you for the materials? Your right, that is not free. That is paying someone to do work for them. A bad idea in any book.

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Cole

Damn, dude you need to move again.

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wizendwizard

I was gonna type that! lol

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True North

Yeah, because in this economy people are lining up to pay more.

For what it's worth, I'm licensed as a residential builder in two states.

Have you ever gone three months without work? If you have, maybe you'd understand why I'm willing to try something different. What's $200 worth of advertising vs. a good word from someone? I'll take word of mouth any day.

enforcer

True North,
i can definitely understand your logic by offering to do such a small job for free. its actually smart. forgo a hundred bucks to eventually make 10k...
anyway, you gotta draw the line(you did); she is a cheap bastard and those are the ones that give the most trouble. offering tax services! thats an insult. how bout going to her office and asking her to do your taxes and instead of you paying her 300 bucks,tell her you will have your friend give her a discount on a car wash.

TimelessQuality

now THAT's funny

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lawndart

In your other thread, you make fun of one of your competitors (who is obviously having a hard time) and yet your working for free, because of a lack of work. Am I failing to see the humor?

PS. A little word of advice. If you don't have anything good to say about your competition..... Don't say it..

lawndart

Whats even better is, your competitor with the ****ty truck, probably wanted to charge her a couple of hundred bucks, and you with the nice lettered van was doing it for free.. He probably thinks your a hack/lowballer with a nice truck. I'm waiting for a thread titled " Some hack showed up in a nice truck and lowballed the job for free lol. Good job

Kaiser

Dude My Mother lives in Morrison.

She would love to have all new windows throughout her Log Cabin.

Can you supply and install Aprox. 15 new top of the line windows and give her $10,000?

She can trade Fresh Homemade Cookies.

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Bodger

The horror....the horror.....

BKFranks

Will that come with a glass of milk too?

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nlgutters

Yeah
They are. She didnt hire you for free and is willing to PAY some one to do it.
I hate to tell you but any word of mouth you would have gotten would not be good.
And no i haven't gone three months with out work. I would get a job after a week.

nlgutters

aaa

A.W.Davis

Sad to say that's Craigslist for you.....the epitome of bottom dwellers.

I counted the ads in the Bay Area Craigslist the other day, there where 1200 remodeling and construction posts in 1 day.

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copusbuilder

I would think that the referrals from giving a free job might be more people looking fior free....after all you put my friends window in for free?

People suck. And when things get tough they suck harder

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fixxer

i put an ad in craigslist too and every one of the jerks that called wanted that same deal.i seriously quoted some ridiculous low prices and they would say ok ill just keep looking.i have been having a hard time finding paying customers too.i even had one crazy customer that__________....after i did all the work and she got a regular priced bill....people are so damn cheap its crazy.