[acmanko]

Repair it for them and then thank God you know how to do it. A litle good will goes a long way later in life.

 

[Guest]

Friends pay. Family...no charge to parents, others pay for parts, no labor. All "side jobs" approved by GM or will not touch. New equipment, everyone but parents pay.

 

[Steve Wiggins]

rob10 got it right......

Either charge the hell out of them or do it for free. There is no middle ground with this.

P.S. I love working & installing for my neighbors. Much shorter drive time...hehehe. If you don't then where is your confidence?

 

[frank shelley]

I got to side with Penquin especially about the wifey reward part.

I never had success with trading favors out in ALL these yrs with the exception of one friend who is a bldger.
In finding out trading favors doesn't always work real well I did have success in using up time and materials on those one sided deals.

This is how doing favors got two of my guys in trouble a month ago. There's a evening call out on a cold night for an apt bldg. The guy on call is no where to be found along with the his svc trk. Discovered the guy on call and my lead installer 25 miles away doing one of those friend favor sidejobs for the installer.
I know now why the svc truck was taken... $3.00 gal gas, materials and co. equipment to do the job, lead installer also loaded up his 5 yr old in the van to tag along. The guy on call is being paid to be available, he happened to be in a weak signal cell phone area.

 

[doglips]

Friends pay. Family...no charge to parents, others pay for parts, no labor. All "side jobs" approved by GM or will not touch. New equipment, everyone but parents pay.

Thanks all...lots of good points...I got to admit I will most likely go along the lines of what Senior Tech posted...well except for the partents part since mine have past away.....especialy with the GM approval on any side jobs.

 

[AAone]

Parents get whatever they need free, I wont even let them pay for parts. In laws who I am close to only pay for parts + a minimal labor charge. I make sure that all my friends know that my truck does not leave the driveway for less than $300.00 a day. This keeps most of them from calling. I wish I could not do any work for family /friends but it's just not possible.

 

[gruntly]

If I was a butcher, would everyone be bugging me for a hunk of steak?

If I was a baker would everyone be bugging me for a loaf of bread?

My biggest problem is nobody else between our families is trade related...Therefore nothing to trade. I should expect a back scratching episode but nobody else has any particular education to negotiate with and I'm already the low end of the totem pole as far as income is concerned compared to them.

I hate knowing something others can exploit.

By the way... I live 50 miles from the nearest relatives and they still think I should be handling all their HVAC, electrical and plumbing problems. It doesn't help to be the youngest. My wife has a 34 years old neice who moved to Florida recently. Her 36 year old husband is already retired. He is the most useless person I have met... Can't do a thing for anyone else but golf everyday. I'm still slugging it out in -25 weather.

Sometimes knowing something sucks.
Sometimes not knowing the right things suck.

I'm just

 

[oroy54]

If it is a simple fix

My Mom and Dad or Sisters get it for free. I think all trades men have this problem. I owe my parents a lot, also my sisters. They took care of my children when I was going through a divorce and was working out of town. I got custody of the boys at the end. Roy

[Edited by oroy54 on 01-04-2006 at 10:47 PM]

 

[lakeman1234]

My mom gets it for free but she pays for the parts at cost. Friends always pay unless they have something I may want to use of theirs or they have done me favors in the past.

 

[oroy54]

AAone has got it right

If I had my "druthers" I would not work for any of them. If something does go wrong, I will hear about it. Just trying to help.

 

[flange]

my deal is to tell them that industrial is completely different than residential. this means that i know nothing in the residential world and cant help them. it has worked for many years for me.

 

[Carrene #2]

If I can't do the job, for nothing, I won't do it. There's only a select few ( same as everone else ) that get the job done for nothing.
I usually tell, who ever asks, that they could get it done cheaper if they called a contractor. My personal, free time, comes at a high price. I've done some work at what might be considered "on the side", over the years (25), but I can count them on one hand.
Had me a neighbour down the road, that was 75 and his wife ( ill ) was complaining about the heat. When he came walkin' up the laneway, I new what he was here for. After a breif explanation of my obligations ( the rules and regs that apply ) and my request that he keep the service call he had placed ( 10 day waiting list ), I went and topped up his unit for nothing.
When the service guy finally showed up a week later, he said there was no problem and that who ever fixed the system probably had no idea what he was doing etc., etc.. Well, apparently the old fella spun out and said that the guy who fixed the thing probably forgot more than this 'kid' ever knew, etc. and that the only reason the 'kid' was there was because of me. So, FIX IT!
Well, I see the old fella walkin' up the lane with something in his hands. It was two of the biggest PrimeRib steaks I've seen.
That, to me, is more than enough payment ( pure gratitude ).
I've come home with flats of eggs etc., the wife laughs, she compares me to the old country doctor ( that's not a bad thing ).
I say, live within your means and you'll have no problems, there'll be no need for the side-jobs.
You can always make more money, but there is a price you'll have to pay.

 

[rookie 19]

My parents won't ever pay and I won't ask and they"ll make me do work for free. But I owe them big time. **** my pops sometimes is better then me he used to work on cnc. But he can't do much know to old so I have to.

 

[r404a]

They cover the cost of parts for family and good mates

wear and tear on my tools (eg) vac pump oil , gauge seals
i pay for , but only for the above people.

This is the best way to look at it, in my opinion.


r404a

 

[r404a]

my deal is to tell them that industrial is completely different than residential. this means that i know nothing in the residential world and cant help them. it has worked for many years for me.

another gem here....I think that this is real good advice.


404

 

[sheltermonkey]

A side job is an over time call at the least because this is what ur employer gives u and u should ask for the dollars on the weekend too-not to mention the liability u take on

There is not always alot of people willing do u a favor on this earth so do someone else right everynow and then. I'd start with freinds and family since u know where to find them quick. What do u think when u need a good turn?

I would never use the employers truck or materials for a side job i would make a profit on, but if it was like my parents or something and he knew about it and said ok then off i go.

 

[codewriter]

I say, live within your means and you'll have no problems, there'll be no need for the side-jobs.
You can always make more money, but there is a price you'll have to pay.

AMEN BROTHER! AMEN!

 

[too tall terry]

I charge everyone except family. If I did'nt charge friends, then I'd have more friends than I care to have.

Unless this "friend" had something else to offer in the future.

...that is it for me too,but i really ain't lookin for anymore work...get enough of this stuff at work and on here

[Edited by too tall terry on 01-07-2006 at 03:40 PM]

 

[gruntly]

Well, I see the old fella walkin' up the lane with something in his hands. It was two of the biggest PrimeRib steaks I've seen.
That, to me, is more than enough payment ( pure gratitude ).
I've come home with flats of eggs etc., the wife laughs, she compares me to the old country doctor ( that's not a bad thing ).
I say, live within your means and you'll have no problems, there'll be no need for the side-jobs.
You can always make more money, but there is a price you'll have to pay.

Now that's what we're talkin' about. From family, friends and good neighbours, that's the proper way to pay... Give me something that means something to you... I've come home with the same kind of things from prepped hams and Country sausage to homemede pizza. Money don't mean a thing to me if you're disgruntled (I love that word) handing it over. I don't do these people to support my family, I do them because I can help. Show me I'm appreciated. That's all. That's all.

I installed the entire mechanical systems for my sister and her husband for her house and 2000sqft shop. The parts were paid for and a small margin made, and my family and I were wined and dined for 3 nights in a row. I still worked during the day at my regular job and did her stuff as a perk.