Discount for friends

Status
Not open for further replies.
M

mgmelec

Member
Location
new jersey
How much do you discount a friend? A builder that i've worked with for a long time is now adding on to his own home. He and i have become friends, and his wife and kid hang with my wife and kids.


The job consists of 70 openings, a jacuzzi tub, furnace, and air cond. unit. My normal price for this job would be 7 to 8k.

As a side note i wire maybe 6 small additions a year for him.
 
For friends and family, it's either free or it's full price. Anything in between invites trouble, in my experience.

I certainly wouldn't want a person who's otherwise a customer knowing exactly how cheaply you can do a job, if you know what I mean.

Charity is best reserved for those who can't otherwise afford it.
 
Last edited:
All my customers are my friends. I give them all the same discount.
Dont forget, you are his friend also. Do you expect him to give you a premium?
 
mdshunk said:
For friends and family, it's either free or it's full price. Anything in between invites trouble, in my experience.

I certainly wouldn't want a person who's otherwise a customer knowing exactly how cheaply you can do a job, if you know what I mean.

Charity is best reserved for those who can't otherwise afford it.
Click to expand...

Once he cuts a deal for him, friend or not, the price is etched, and he will be looking for a better deal, down the road.

I agree, it's either free or it's full price.
 
mdshunk said:
For friends and family, it's either free or it's full price. Anything in between invites trouble, in my experience.
Click to expand...


THE ONLY WAY TO GO.

At a party recently a woman asked a group of us "Ok which one of you is an electrician?" no one answered she asked 3 times till I finally answered I am a electrical contractor, but I know nothing about electrical work. "Then you could not hang a fixture for me?" my answer, I do do that type of work. Two negative responses to her request, plus my no answer I was hoping she'd take a hint!

I also get asked do you do side work, my response "This is my side job and my full time job"
 
brian john said:
THE ONLY WAY TO GO
"Then you could not hang a fixture for me?" my answer, I do do that type of work. Two negative responses to her request, plus my no answer I was hoping she'd take a hint!
...
Click to expand...

Got about the same meeting the the mother of my new daughters suiter, "oh your an electrician, my spa's broke", "I bring in the power", 2x's ...:rolleyes:
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Make him furnish the material then go help him wire it one weekend for free.

Friends make terrible clients, you are better of just keeping him as a friend.
 
I always do electrical work for friends and family for free. The good thing is that my family is small and I don't have that many friends. :D
 
ITO said:
Make him furnish the material then go help him wire it one weekend for free.

Friends make terrible clients, you are better of just keeping him as a friend.
Click to expand...

That sounds like a plan, that would work.
 
ITO said:
Make him furnish the material then go help him wire it one weekend for free.

Friends make terrible clients, you are better of just keeping him as a friend.
Click to expand...

i do that as well....typically I tell everyone that if I get to drink beer and supervise, it's free...if I have to get my tools, it'll cost an arm and a leg.

I just realized years ago that it wasn't fair to my family that I was working nights and weekends, doing favors for "friends", while they spent time with their families...
 
My wife's cousin owned a restaurant. My wife and I were "regulars" there. We paid full price every time.
My BIL is an architect. I wired his his basement remodel...he insisted I charge "full price".
I need a set of prints for my own home. BIL charged me full price.

We all remain friends/family.
 
When I was younger and all my friends weer building or remodeling I did do trades, I have honest fair friends and it worked out. Nothing like having a carpenter on hand when replacing windows or a brick layer when installing a fireplace. Now we all hire a contractor when we need work done.
 
DONT DO IT, like Marc said its free or full price. Ive been there too many times and it sucks. Here's whats gonna happen, your gonna bust your ass for little money and your "friend" is going to expect you to jump through hoops for him. He start saying crap like uuuhhh me and the wife were thinking and ..................(which really means, my wife wants) and since were such good buddies would you mind adding this and that and uh does that light look centered to you or uhhh my wife wants only on sconce in the bathroom now is that a problem "Buddy"? Dont do it, would you ask your lawyer or accountant friend for a discount? and would they do it? And you know how the "Ill supply the material thing is gonna go..... Free or full price your a professional and people shouldnt expect you to bust your ass so they can save a few bucks. If they were your own blood than maybe but a builder?
 
I have a friend who's a plumber. Both of us were doing additions in the same year. His was first. Deal was I would do his work for free and vice versa. If I spent 100 man hours at his place he barely spent 50 at mine. His job got finished, mine only got finished when I became a plumber. What sounded like a good idea turned out to be a lopsided disaster.
 
mgmelec said:
How much do you discount a friend? A builder that i've worked with for a long time is now adding on to his own home. He and i have become friends, and his wife and kid hang with my wife and kids.


The job consists of 70 openings, a jacuzzi tub, furnace, and air cond. unit. My normal price for this job would be 7 to 8k.

As a side note i wire maybe 6 small additions a year for him.
Click to expand...

Think he'd build you an addition for free?
 
For some reason, I don't seem to have this problem. None of my friends try to get me to design or calculate stuff for them. :confused: :confused: ;) :grin:
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top