Doing side work for money

[jahjahwarrior]

I have a bit of a situation on my hands and I would like your honest inputs on it.

I am an automotive technician and I currently work at a dealership. Once in a while when friends of mine need work done on their car, I'll offer to do the work on the side for them for a much lesser price than the shops and dealers will do it for. I won't perform the work for free mainly because when people find out you work on cars for a living, suddenly they become your "friend" and I just don't have the time or gas to drive all over the place on my days off and fix everyone's rust buckets for free. But I do offer a really good price that saves them hundreds of dollars which otherwise they would be charged at their local garage. I only perform free work for immediate family and people I owe favors to. Occasionally I may to an act of kindness for someone in a desperate state of emergency, but if they have a job and a roof over their head, then odds are I do charge a small price. Most of my friends are very understanding of why I won't fix their cars for free and are very appreciative of the fact that because they know me, they don't always have to sacrifice an arm and a leg to have their car fixed. But I do occasionally come across someone who thinks everything should be free and they love to give me the guilt trip because apparently, me not working on their car for free makes me a "bad Christian" who is "greedy" and only cares about money.

I am currently in that dilemma with this one girl who is a very good friend of my wife. Her dad needs new brakes installed on his car before the end of this month to pass New York State Inspection. She asked me if I could help out with that. I told her yes, but I also informed her that I charge $50 per axle to change brakes on a car. She was not happy about me charging her money and mentioned that money is tight for her and her dad. So, I decided to be nice and lower my price to $30. Now she is upset at me because I won't change the brakes for free and is giving me the "I thought we were friends" guilt trip and this has now put a damper on her and my wife's friendship. So instead she decided to make an appointment to have the brakes done on her dad's car at a local shop which will cost her hundreds of dollars more than what I offered to her. She gives me a bunch of crap for charging her $30 for brake work (which is dirt cheap), and then decides to have a local shop do the same work for hundreds of dollars more. Makes sense, right?

So I would like your honest thoughts on this? Does this make me "unChrist-like" or "greedy", etc.?

 

[Christ_empowered]

These people sound manipulative. Unless she's flat broke, I think $30 for brakes for an inspection is understandable. I mean, you're not made of money, either, right? Plus, if you did it for free for a manipulator, you might set up a bad pattern...she might see you as someone she can use to get what she wants/needs, and not just when it comes to her car. Just my thoughts, though...you know these people (I don't).

 

[jasoncran]

I have a bit of a situation on my hands and I would like your honest inputs on it.

I am an automotive technician and I currently work at a dealership. Once in a while when friends of mine need work done on their car, I'll offer to do the work on the side for them for a much lesser price than the shops and dealers will do it for. I won't perform the work for free mainly because when people find out you work on cars for a living, suddenly they become your "friend" and I just don't have the time or gas to drive all over the place on my days off and fix everyone's rust buckets for free. But I do offer a really good price that saves them hundreds of dollars which otherwise they would be charged at their local garage. I only perform free work for immediate family and people I owe favors to. Occasionally I may to an act of kindness for someone in a desperate state of emergency, but if they have a job and a roof over their head, then odds are I do charge a small price. Most of my friends are very understanding of why I won't fix their cars for free and are very appreciative of the fact that because they know me, they don't always have to sacrifice an arm and a leg to have their car fixed. But I do occasionally come across someone who thinks everything should be free and they love to give me the guilt trip because apparently, me not working on their car for free makes me a "bad Christian" who is "greedy" and only cares about money.

I am currently in that dilemma with this one girl who is a very good friend of my wife. Her dad needs new brakes installed on his car before the end of this month to pass New York State Inspection. She asked me if I could help out with that. I told her yes, but I also informed her that I charge $50 per axle to change brakes on a car. She was not happy about me charging her money and mentioned that money is tight for her and her dad. So, I decided to be nice and lower my price to $30. Now she is upset at me because I won't change the brakes for free and is giving me the "I thought we were friends" guilt trip and this has now put a damper on her and my wife's friendship. So instead she decided to make an appointment to have the brakes done on her dad's car at a local shop which will cost her hundreds of dollars more than what I offered to her. She gives me a bunch of crap for charging her $30 for brake work (which is dirt cheap), and then decides to have a local shop do the same work for hundreds of dollars more. Makes sense, right?

So I would like your honest thoughts on this? Does this make me "unChrist-like" or "greedy", etc.?

no it doesn't. but remember if you help others you will be blessed. that is about what I charge when I do side work.

 

[JumpingBean]

I just make sure I have no special talents that anyone would want or need then I dont have problems like this lol

 

[jahjahwarrior]

no it doesn't. but remember if you help others you will be blessed. that is about what I charge when I do side work.

I have no problem with helping people and not asking for anything in return. In fact, I've helped this girl and her family out numerous times with helping to move to furniture in and out of their home with my pickup truck along with other favors. But if you work on cars for a living like I do, then you know that automotive repair work is very time consuming and labor intensive and sometimes can be unpredictable and a disaster waiting to happen when you take in consideration the possibility of rust and corrosion causing seized nuts and bolts to snap and break on you (which I learned the hard way several years ago replacing a head gasket on a Chevy Lumina van on the side in which two of the the rear cylinder head bolts snapped and broke on me upon removal). And the big difference of fixing cars on the side verses working in a professional shop is that when doing side work in someone's driveway, you're limited to strictly the use of basic hand tools just makes even simple jobs more difficult and time consuming.

I just make sure I have no special talents that anyone would want or need then I dont have problems like this lol

Yeah, but unfortunately flipping burgers for a living will leave me living in poverty for the rest of my life. lol

 

[jasoncran]

yeah that is true. unless you have the money for a lift and barn. I know a few that have that set up. I just did my rangers ac and that was a simple charge and replacement of shrader valve. it sucks not being able to recover the Freon.

 

[faeriecat]

I do not think you did anything wrong. Yes, helping people *in need* is a good thing. But folks who can offer up a bit for your services covers your time and/or enables you to help the person who is flat broke and is trying to make their car make it to an interview so they can get a job. And if she can take it to the shop, she isn't really in need. I ... dislike ... folks who manipulate others just 'cause.

 

[farouk]

What people who are not in business don't always figure is that professional time means money. Independent contractors can be particularly vulnerable to ups and downs in the business cycle and realm of work availability.

I know I've had various people who have figured different ways I could be using my skills free of charge. Someone even suggested to me: treat it as a retirement job. (Well, seeing as I don't consider myself retired....not yet anyway .)

Blessings.