My mom thinks I should fix all her friends' stuff for free

She says it's good for building a reputation in our town, but I feel it just makes people expect free service. I disagree that working for free leads to more paid jobs later on. How do you deal with family pushing you to do repairs without pay?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_sam1mo agoMost Upvoted

My neighbor Linda had me doing free tech support for her entire book club last year. It absolutely sets a bad pattern where people assume your time has no value. I finally put my foot down when one lady asked me to recover photos from a phone she dropped in a lake. Now I offer a first time discount but make it clear my rates apply after that. Standing firm was the only way to get my family to stop volunteering me for every little problem.

faith_torres831mo ago

Ever consider billing for every minute, @the_sam, to really drive home your time's value?

skylerw874d ago

Tell your mom to start giving away her own work for free first, see how she likes it. The reputation you actually build is being the town's free handyman, not a skilled pro. People talk, and they'll tell others "oh just ask so-and-so's kid, they'll do it for nothing." That kills any real business before it starts. Your mom might mean well, but she's using your time and skill to make herself look good to her friends. Draw a line now or you'll be fixing leaky faucets for her entire bridge club forever.