Friends as Customers

[Mavowar]

I have a really good friend who needed some help.

He has an escort that needs a motor. I took the job on for much less than I would normally charge, $300.00 labor plus parts. Engine was 650.00 for a low mileage unit 65k miles and around 250.00 for add on stuff like a new Timing belt,serp belt, Water pump, coolant,hoses, oil and filter etc....

Anyway the guy is damn near broke. He pays for the engine and 150.00 toward the other parts. He owes me the rest on parts and labor. I told him it was a back burner job since I had to spot him. He wrecks his other car and now is up my ass like it my fault.

Not only will I have to wait to get paid but I have to turn other work away so I can be johnny on the spot for him.

I am about at the point where I no longer will spot people and my good buddy deals are coming to an end.
I have had the car 5 weeks. 3 of which he sat around thinking what he should do. I will pick up the motor tomorrow morning I pulled the old motor in 3.5 hours today......so I should have it done in about another 5 hours...

It just gets my goat that I stepped up to help but it seems like people friends or not expect the job to be free (in fact most feel you should pay them to allow you to work on it)or it seems that way..

I was up front about time and money and helped him put.....
I just needed to vent. Thanks all for listening...

I own my own little shop. It is one bay but it was a start and I may upgrade this year to a 3 bay shop. I do all right I love being my own boss but sometimes..... :rolleyes:

any way I am glad to be able to work as I lost a lot of time last year to health issues...

[mustangjon]

Working on friends and family's cars suck in all honesty. They want the cheapest prices and the best treatment. Total catch 22. My store currently is getting fucked because another store called us said hey can you help my sister in law out... so we said sure. Sold her tires 100 bucks less than normal, then she still wants all the perks, then starts bitching her car needs suspension parts and now its definatly noticeable with new tires. So the other store calls us bitching ect. Now because her car had fucked up shit.. she tore up tires, and instead of going to her brother in law (reason she came to us in first place her car couldnt make it there) she comes back to us. So we sold her discounted tires... got nothign but bitching, and now eating 2 tires.. so said and done we are loosing money and taking it in the ass.

Vent on brother lol

[Blackpony]

How about getting a friend a job. I did that a few years ago and will never do that again. He was so lazy and worthless i was imbarressed to call him a personal friend. Thankfully i took a position out of the state before things really got worse with us. We still keep in touch and are still close friends but never again will i help a buddy out like that.

[Metcalf Racing]

Well don't take this the wrong way but my friends who need help, I'll just help the best I can. If he's your friend and is in money trouble then why would you want any of his money in the first place. Maybe it's just me but I'll do all I can do to help my friends

[1992MustangDW]

Mavowar, all these post saying you would charge your parents for working on their car and exct exct. Im really surprise you helped him out.

[INSANEBA]

I dont mind helping a friend or family out. But when it comes to a point that their car takes precident over my personal work, or customer work then I put them in line. Over the years, I've become the "family mechanic" and "family ditch recovery guy" for everyone. If their car breaks, I am expected to drop everything and get on it! Not happening anymore lol. My parents are the worst, they have a 2 car garage and piled it full of home building materials that they will never use. Then they get mad because I have no room for it in my shop (due to paying customers). So I tell them they can either wait til I get room, or clean their garage out because I dont work in the rain, or windy/snowy conditions. Of'course I get a few names thrown at me, but everythings fine once their car is fixed, for free of'course. Then to top it off, i've had 5 calls this year from cousins I havent talked to in almost a year, demanding I come pull them out of ditches. They always say, "well you have a big truck". I always say, well you should get one too lol. Not trying to be a prick, but these people take advantage of anyone they can, and I'm tired of it (not talking about the parents here). I'm getting it from a friend over his bike I'm polishing, building, and even painting for FREE. He ran out of money 2 months ago, even though there was plenty of work he could've done in the mean time, he sat on his ass every weekend doing NOTHING. Now that hes got a little $$$, he expects me to drop everything and hammer it out. Well he's got 3 PAYING customers infront of him now... Wow, that was one helluva rant lol, thanks fam...

[tcorns]

it sucks with friends... but if i am going to do discounted work for someone, they are going to be helping me. works out well. they know what i expect and they do the best they can.

trev

[Mavowar]

Mavowar, all these post saying you would charge your parents for working on their car and exct exct. Im really surprise you helped him out.

What do you do for a living?

[Mavowar]

Well don't take this the wrong way but my friends who need help, I'll just help the best I can. If he's your friend and is in money trouble then why would you want any of his money in the first place. Maybe it's just me but I'll do all I can do to help my friends


It boils down to this. I help where I can. I am not made of money. I still have bills to pay. I do this for a living. I would certainly help my friend mow his grass, paint his house, baby sit kids, etc....for free. Maybe some people are rich and can afford to work for free for any body and everybody but I am not that guy.

I do not sell myself short. I know what I am worth. I spent thousands upon thousands of dollars on tools, training, etc...I have a had a 400.00 a month tool payment since I was 16 years old(31 now). That isn't going to disappear on its own. I have to keep training and buying tools to keep up with the industry.

I do not see accountants doing taxes for free family or not....
I do not see grocery baggers bagging groceries for free....
The guy down at McDonalds did not make that Big Mac for free
I am willing to bet there isn't a sole here willing to work for free.
If there is PLEASE step up and I will put that to the test .....ANYBODY???

No offense to weekend warriors but what I do and what you are doing is different. I am expected to fix it right the first time. It comes with that whole "professional" territory thing....


As far as helping my friend....I did. he did not have to pay double or triple the amount at another shop......

[facemelter71]

Im a certified Ford tech,But I sure dont charge my parents for working on there ford trucks when they are the ones that raised me and put me through school.
I replaced my brothers engine in his 01 gt for free.Put my friends upper and lower intake on his 91 GT and R&R'd his AOD trans for him.
Ive done plenty for my buddies.Even paid for my brothers car for him to get it out of impound.
Its just kinda hard for me to put a price on some thing when Its for a buddy of mine,or parents.

[mustangjon]

Friends and real friends are two different things for me, i'll help any out, but when it comes to turning wrenches on the side. (i know we gotten off the topic of your profession) My friends get their work done at my convience not theirs. And if they just need help with it, and attempt to work on it also and im not only one busting knuckles (even tho some people are more in the way lol) I wont charge them. But yah at same time i have no problem charging someone a small fee if they arent that good of a friend, or really in that much need, just trying to cut the corner from going to a shop.

[Mavowar]

Im a certified Ford tech,But I sure dont charge my parents for working on there ford trucks when they are the ones that raised me and put me through school.
I replaced my brothers engine in his 01 gt for free.Put my friends upper and lower intake on his 91 GT and R&R'd his AOD trans for him.
Ive done plenty for my buddies.Even paid for my brothers car for him to get it out of impound.
Its just kinda hard for me to put a price on some thing when Its for a buddy of mine,or parents.

That is great for you. I was on my own by 17. paying bills, going to school,working full time paying for everything myself... etc... Nobody paid anything for me.

Now lets put this situation in perspective. Lets take away your pay check at ford. Now do all that stuff for free(while turning away paying customers) knowing shop rent is due......When I worked at a garage and did the Midnight wrenching gig it was for fun and I could afford to fix family and friends cars for free/cheap. However, since I run my own business Paying customers have to come first otherwise I would be out of business...I am going to go out on a limb and say your course study did not have an economics class....lol

As I stated in a past thread my parents will not let me do work for them for free. I have offered....

As a matter of fact I am putting leaf springs and shocks all around on my brothers F150. Maybe this will "shock"(pun intended) some of you but I am doing it for no charge. My brother Chuck is a real brother and dear friend to me that Love with all my heart. Regardless if I fix his car or not I know he will always be there for me....

[Mavowar]

Friends and real friends are two different things for me, i'll help any out, but when it comes to turning wrenches on the side. (i know we gotten off the topic of your profession) My friends get their work done at my convience not theirs. And if they just need help with it, and attempt to work on it also and im not only one busting knuckles (even tho some people are more in the way lol) I wont charge them. But yah at same time i have no problem charging someone a small fee if they arent that good of a friend, or really in that much need, just trying to cut the corner from going to a shop.


A voice of reason:bigthumb

That was a mjor part of my complaint. The fact that "friends" seem to think you should drop everything and help them right now regardless of what problems you have currently....and yes I love to help friends who want to help themselves....

[Metcalf Racing]

It boils down to this. I help where I can. I am not made of money. I still have bills to pay. I do this for a living. I would certainly help my friend mow his grass, paint his house, baby sit kids, etc....for free. Maybe some people are rich and can afford to work for free for any body and everybody but I am not that guy.

I do not sell myself short. I know what I am worth. I spent thousands upon thousands of dollars on tools, training, etc...I have a had a 400.00 a month tool payment since I was 16 years old(31 now). That isn't going to disappear on its own. I have to keep training and buying tools to keep up with the industry.

I do not see accountants doing taxes for free family or not....
I do not see grocery baggers bagging groceries for free....
The guy down at McDonalds did not make that Big Mac for free
I am willing to bet there isn't a sole here willing to work for free.
If there is PLEASE step up and I will put that to the test .....ANYBODY???

No offense to weekend warriors but what I do and what you are doing is different. I am expected to fix it right the first time. It comes with that whole "professional" territory thing....


As far as helping my friend....I did. he did not have to pay double or triple the amount at another shop......
I have to pay bills too. That sir is why I go to work. But I guess I'm just a nice guy. I'll go out of my way to help as much as I can. I paint cars for my friends for free. I painted a friends car to build a turbo kit for another friend. 98% of everything I do for my buddies are done for free, from rebuilding their motors to changing their gears.
I don't wanna here a bunch of crap about moving out young. I bought my first house the week I turned 18, Got married when I was 19 and had my son when I turned 20. So I know of financial responsibility

[Mavowar]

I have to pay bills too. That sir is why I go to work. But I guess I'm just a nice guy. I'll go out of my way to help as much as I can. I paint cars for my friends for free. I painted a friends car to build a turbo kit for another friend. 98% of everything I do for my buddies are done for free, from rebuilding their motors to changing their gears.
I don't wanna here a bunch of crap about moving out young. I bought my first house the week I turned 18, Got married when I was 19 and had my son when I turned 20. So I know of financial responsibility




I will state this one last time. I do this for a living. Quit your job and help all your friends for free and you can kiss all those aforementioned items goodbye....

It sounds like you are a good friend and you have a good head on your shoulders....but I guarantee as I stated above you would not do all that for free if you do not have an income
otherwise.....

[Metcalf Racing]

Thats the difference between Friends and customers. It's cool to charge a customer

[Mavowar]

Thats the difference between Friends and customers. It's cool to charge a customer

The conundrum is that once one friend tells your other friends you did work for free, they all expect it. Everybody becomes your friend;) real fast. In order to combat this I had to basically make a rule friend or not everybody pays. Some of the rates I charge are damn near free for the right people though. I can throw this gauntlet of challenge down right now. My regular rates are likely the cheapest in town with warranties.I charge 25-35.00 per flat rate hour. Diagnostics are $25.00. I tow vehicles for $25.00 as well.

In this instance. I covered parts and labor until said friend is able to pay the bill. However long that may be. I did not set a date because he is my friend. He repairs my computers and builds gaming rigs. Not once has he done free work for me. I would not have it. Even if he offered, I as a hard working man refuse to let anybody do work for me with out proper compensation. if that makes me a bad friend then I guess I am a bad friend...

Past that I donate to the Red Cross every year. I have never received any welfare, food stamps, or even unemployment. I refuse and always will all assisted living from the government. I believe in self responsibility. I raised a niece as my own for 5-6 years because her dad left town. I have a rabbit sanctuary.(I take in all those Easter bunnies that get dropped off at the animal shelter) and find good homes for them. I love the little bastards....
I do not lie cheat or steal. I also like long walks holding hands by the race track....:lol:

[Mista Bone]

Well said.......except those last 10 words!

[Mavowar]

Well said.......except those last 10 words!

I should have wrote with my wife...lol

[Mavowar]

The best part is I get to do it all over again.....The new (used) motor just broke a rod on the small end...lucky me:rolleyes:

[Mista Bone]

What year escort?

Sometimes it is best just to cut ties on a car and move one.

I know this is hard for people with little means. Dad was always helping neighbors with issues, they only bought the parts and beer. He was raised that everyone needs a way to get to work to earn a living without handouts. I became a great "gofer" to get tools or a cold beer and a screwdriver, since he couldn't find the one he needed.......that was in his back pocket :)

I will say this, one group of "friends" that will end up burning you the worst, church members. Hard to please no matter what.

[Galaxie]

I have my own shop and can say that the people you know will hose you outta money faster than a stranger . In 5 years I have 12 invoices that i have got stuck with and only 2 of them were from people I have not known all my life .One of two was told by a guy I know that he paid the bill for his buddy when he picked it up and he did not .

[2-8-1]

Its just kinda hard for me to put a price on some thing when Its for a buddy of mine,or parents.

Hey good buddy, I need an engine rebuilt! Trade you tech work :P

I feel for the OP, but I guess I should say it's a lesson learned for him. I work on PC's and Networks, and I am the "family support specialist" when it comes to PC's. If they didn't raise me, they get a big discount, but they still get charged.

I had to pay for the knowledge, why should it be given away...

[STREETRODZ1]

Its hard to do work for friends sometimes, comes to a point were you get took advantage of, i build alot of motors, and work on alot of buddies hotrods for them, but the problem is it becomes repetitive, then they kinda expect it. Before you no it everyone is your buddy, or your buddies buddy. I love to work on race cars and build badass motors, but as long as you are doing favors you aint making money, so that is why im glad im not in NC anymore, fresh start wich meens no more mooching, so maybe i can do what i love, and make a little money doing it. And doing favors thinking or being told you will get them back, dont count on it, been screwed to many times, dont mind helping out buddies, but there is a difference between helping and doing every damn thing. Man i new some sorry ass people in North Carolina, this post just brings it all back. I just hope to meet some better people here, and enjoy building and racing bad ass cars.