ShaneCarroll
Chief Petty Officer
- Joined
- Feb 10, 2009
- Messages
- 639
I know everyone on here has a certain set of, um, "skills" that they can do better than their friends or acquaintances. A couple of mine happen to be wiring, improving cable television signal throughout a house, and building screen rooms (the sides, I don't deal with the roofs). When I was desperate for money, I would take any side job available, no matter how bad it was. Now that things are better financially, I will only take the easy ones. I have always done the work for very cheap, as I know many people are in my situation, and I would rather them be happy with good quality, affordable work, that way word gets around.
About six months ago, my friend asks me if I could help him close in his back patio with a screen room, which only had two sides, one about 10' long and the other about 25' long. I really did not want to do it, but I told him I would, knowing he procrastinates a lot. So he finally calls me two nights ago to go to Home Depot with him and buy all the supplies to do the job. I kept telling him my work would be expensive and not the best quality, as it's been four years since I've done anything like this. I told him he'd be better off hiring a pro. I tried everything I could to turn the job down, but I fell for the guilt trip. So for the last two days, I have been over there helping him build it, and it has not been fun. Other than screening in two panels (he ripped some screen, so we had to wait to buy more), the job is done. I said he could handle the rest.
My whole point is, when people offer side jobs that I don't want to do, I try to give them an astronomical figure to deter them from needing my services. It never seems to work that way, though, as they always beg me to do the job. I try saying no, but the people always insist that I do the work. Maybe I should just play dumb and pretend I don't know how to do it.
About six months ago, my friend asks me if I could help him close in his back patio with a screen room, which only had two sides, one about 10' long and the other about 25' long. I really did not want to do it, but I told him I would, knowing he procrastinates a lot. So he finally calls me two nights ago to go to Home Depot with him and buy all the supplies to do the job. I kept telling him my work would be expensive and not the best quality, as it's been four years since I've done anything like this. I told him he'd be better off hiring a pro. I tried everything I could to turn the job down, but I fell for the guilt trip. So for the last two days, I have been over there helping him build it, and it has not been fun. Other than screening in two panels (he ripped some screen, so we had to wait to buy more), the job is done. I said he could handle the rest.
My whole point is, when people offer side jobs that I don't want to do, I try to give them an astronomical figure to deter them from needing my services. It never seems to work that way, though, as they always beg me to do the job. I try saying no, but the people always insist that I do the work. Maybe I should just play dumb and pretend I don't know how to do it.
