finley_brown•7mo ago

My sister-in-law volunteered me for a free carpet install at her church

Now I'm stuck between helping family and losing paid work. What would you do?

3 comments

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3 Comments

paulwilliams7mo ago

That "volunteered me" thing hits a nerve. I see it all the time with tradespeople. Family or neighbors just assume your time and skill are free for the asking. It’s not just carpet. My buddy who fixes cars gets hit up for free brake jobs. Another friend who is an electrician gets asked to wire a cousin's shed for a six-pack. They don’t see it as losing paid work, but that’s exactly what it is. Your job is your job, even if you’re good at it.

9

emery_cooper7mo ago

I mean, my move is to just give a family rate right away. It's like half off or something, idk, it makes it a real thing they have to think about.

6

nathan5457mo ago

My uncle tried that with his plumbing work and it backfired. People just took the cheap family rate and still expected him to drop everything for them. It made the whole discount feel like an obligation instead of a favor.

3