Awkward.

[Andy Allen]

Friend of my wife's wanted her kitchen floor tiled, she kept on and on at her to get me to go round and look at it.
So in turn my wife's going on and on at me, so this week I relented and went to have a look.
Straight forward job so I gave her a price while I was there, however I could tell by the look on her face it wasn't the price she expected !!
Now she's avoiding my wife won't speak to her and blocked her on Facebook...
And this is the exact reason why I didn't want to look at it in the bloody first place !!!

 

[Time's Ran Out]

Yes awkward!
Time for a new wife.

 

[WetSaw]

Hardly a friend then was she if she's carrying on like that. Sounds like your wife's better off without a friend like that.

 

[One Day]

not a friend.

 

[mma]

Was it mates rates?

 

[Diggy]

never work for friends or family , fatal , something always goes wrong , not enough tiles etc etc etc.

Got 2 jobs im currently trying to avoid doing myself currently for all the above reasons.

Diggy :0)

 

[Andy Allen]

Was it mates rates?

She ain't my mate.....and she ain't my wife's mate either by the sound of it..lol

 

[Andy Allen]

I don't really get mates rates, at the end of the day it's your livelihood, it's how you earn a living, sure they wouldn't work for less cause there boss is a mate.

 

[WetSaw]

First of all Andy you need some mates

I never get asked mates rates for proper jobs but I do quite a bit of sorting out mates TV, internet, computer problems but it usually results in a meal or a few beers!

 

[andyb1]

Probably thought she was going to get it done for next to nothing, I've had some of them!

 

[peteablard]

Hate working for friends so always avoid it if possible. If I do though it's at normal rates, as Andy says it's your livelihood

 

[Time's Ran Out]

Perhaps she noticed all those 'Andysdays' and thought you needed the work!

 

[widler]

Or perhaps she thought 'no wonder he only works tuesday to thursday'

 

[widler]

Oh bugger, is that me

 

[mma]

My best mate fell out over mates rates. One of his Sparky mates charged him £180 a day... +vat!?? They are no longer friends!

 

[widler]

I do mates rates for good mates , as i expect them to do it for me , and to be honest , on my extention every one of them have repaid the favour , so its not always bad

 

[WetSaw]

That's the thing, you need mates who can reciprocate!

 

[Andy Allen]

These are the Only 2 mates I got..

And I'll gladly tile there kennel for nowt..

 

[One Day]

Family and friends (of family) should be willing to pay the going rate, not to expect a discount.
After all, as a "friend" they'll be expecting a top job. Why should it be then be cheaper?

The worst offenders in my experience are people with non-jobs like middle managers or the legal profession, by that I mean people who actually make, produce or contribute absolutely NOTHING to society - they just suckle at the corporate teat.
These kinds have no understanding that our TIME as a tradesman is the most valuable thing that we have.

My mate's rate is completely free (when I can find the time - i.e. not very often at all)
Other than that, they can pay like everyone else and get an A1 job with a little bit more sparkle - coz we're friends.

 

[Andy Allen]

Impish......that is an excellent reply and I couldn't agree more...
(And for once I'm not even being sarcastic)

 

[Flintstone]

Always a problem when it's a job for a friend, never goes perfectly.
I don't do mates rates really, only once when a friend had his first house and I was helping him at weekends doing some work on it.
I always explain that doing work for them cheaper is only costing me money as I could be earning full money elsewhere! Like imp said, I can just give them a bit better treatment! And normally discount on tiles and trade price materials.

If your wife's mate carries on like that she's no mate.
I've lost count of the number of jobs for 'mates' I've priced up only for them to not speak to me again

 

[Aston]

i always find that the people who expect favours are the ones that never do anything for anyone.
i have loads of these type of 'friends' at the kids school??.

don't get me wrong, i'll do anything for a genuine person who might be having a hard time but charlatans who think they can use me as a groupon voucher can go and f..ind themselves ;0)

 

[Spare Tool]

Working for friends and family suck, they all expect something for nothing. My mum's after a first floor balcony tiling, the prep, heights and weights are a major issue with this balcony, after much deliberation I contacted Ray Porcelthin and he kindly went out of his way to send me some samples, these tiles are perfect and sort all the issues, so I've priced the whole job up at my trade prices, not added a bean on as its for my mum, there's probably a weeks work in this balcony which i was going to do at a greatly reduced labour rate anyhow but apparently now "I can do the job as a present for her golden wedding anniversary" so if your reading this.. NO mum, block me on fbook if you like but NO!!

 

[WetSaw]

That's a bit different to how I treat my mum but everyone's relationships are different. She may ( will and does) have to wait and obviously has to pay for materials but I do whatever I can because of what she went through to bring me up.

 

[Andy Allen]

Must admit I wouldn't charge my parents for anything...