how do you give em the bill?

[Swarf&Sparks]

I spose the jobs that take 'five minutes', for some friend/neighbour/old-lady-down-the road; are the ones that cause the biggest headaches.

I'm fine with the people that ask "what do I owe ya mate?" In that case, it's "packet o' baccy and/or bottle o' whisky'. If they're truly skint, I just say "forget it, do someone else a favour".

What do you say to the cheap bastards that just say "thanks mate" and start to walk away?
Those are the ones that never get another favour.
When you start to explain that you didn't get the gas/wire/tooling/ad-nauseum, for free, they develop a glazed expression.

I'm sure I'm not the only HSM, semi-pro in a buncha fields, guy to be stuck like this.
Any ideas how you politely hand someone a bill when they didn't ask for a quote?

"with all those tools, can you fix this?"
Speshly when they're 'lovely old people next door'
Guess I'm looking for a polite way to say NO!!
Arrrr, ****, I'm rambling. You guys know what I mean
Rgds, Lin

[IOWOLF]

Lin. mind if I post this on my shop door?

This may Help my situation also,$20 for an hours work seems to be asking alot around here.

------------------
The tame Wolf !

[Swarf&Sparks]

Feel free IO
We should form a union!

[3 Phase Lightbulb]

Start screaming at your shoes:

"Why do you keep moving me around!"

I'm sure they will quickly walk away....

-Adrian

[IOWOLF]

The Point is we want to make money,and help others,In that order.

------------------
The tame Wolf !

[Swarf&Sparks]

errm, yep. What was that first thing you mentioned IO?
<gibber, cringe> That's what my creditors want.
Can't give my argon bill to the next 'favour' tho.
OK, I still have a sense of humour. They can't garnish that

[Frank Ford]

I think if you're going to charge a friend or neighbor for work, you need to sort that out ahead of time. You could say something like, "I'll be glad to do it - just reimburse me for my out of pocket expenses."

You owe them that much consideration. Otherwise, it's (sort of) reasonble for them to expect your effort as a neighborly gesture. Getting pissed off because you did a job for free that turned out to be more work than you expected is actually your problem, not theirs.

[BillH]

With the good neighbors we have or had, it usually is one favor for another down the road, never a problem. This was with our really good neighbors though, the ones that rely on each other for help all the time.
For your situation, I think you should print out the bill on a sticky label and plaster it on their forehead with a smile.

[CCWKen]

You could say; "What have you got to trade?". That generally says you're not going to do it for free. But of course, that doesn't always work either. I've got a neighbor that owes me an engine or $350. That was about three years ago.

He's got the gall to keep asking for more but I just tell him I don't have the time right now. He tries the guilt trip with me by telling me how the shop in town took him for $400 for this or $700 for that.

It burns my butt. He can come up with the cash but wants it for free.

[debequem]

If you intend to get paid for work you are about to perform...

Always negotiate your fee in advance. It is better to put it on paper, too. Yes, a handshake is a legal contract, but you still need to prove it.

If you don't negotiate a price first, consider anything you are offered as a tip!

[Swarf&Sparks]

Frank, you make a good point. That's kinda my prob.

BillH you also see the other side. Yep, I've had a lotta help from neighbours.
Seems I've had more help from 'neighbours' on this board, than anywhere else; no matter where in the world they are.

I should take this chance to thank everybody here. Many times I've read and filed ingenious solutions from people with limited facilities but extended faculties.

[TECHSHOP]

Swarf&Sparks

You are on to something here, Quite possibly you have discovered the reason I have not been able to turn a profit in 30 years

Always ask for cost of materials + 100% cash of labor SWAG, if all is see is my fingers, then all my machines are broke

------------------
Today I will gladly share my experience and advice, for there no sweeter words than "I told you so."

[Evan]

When I first got my log splitter running one of my neighbours came over to ask if he could borrow it. He needed to split a log truck load of wood. I decided in advance that I wouldn't loan it but would rent it at a very reasonable rate per week. Even though we are really good neighbours I could see the splitter staying "permanently" away from home between the various neighbours since I have the only splitter on the hill. He rented it.

[jkilroy]

This is just starting to become a problem for me, but thankfully my neighbor is not the problem. Great guy, helps me out a ton, loans me his forklift, recieves shipments, etc. Hmmmmm, that reminds me, I need to go get him a late Christmas present.

[Swarf&Sparks]

Techshop, you're my kinda man. At least you still have all your fingers, right?
After all those years of dickerin with nasty spinny round, up and down noisy things!
Please, tell me you can count to 10 without takin yer boots off mate!

Thought I was born on another planet til I found this board