But I'm your friend!

[Jay 2K Winger]

Yeah, I got the "you're a friend, help me out" thing once at my movie theater job. They wanted tickets to an R-rated movie, but I was fairly sure they weren't old enough, and anyway, I still had to card them. They, of course, didn't have their ID, so I refused the sale.

Them: "Come on! Be a friend!"
J2K: "I'm not paid to be your friend!"

[CrazedClerkthe2nd]

When I ran my own business I did offer discounts, but you had to earn them. How would you earn one? Why, by regularly buying stuff from me at full price AND paying on time! Funny how that works, isn't it?

[It shouldn't]

IT Professional brother-in-law helped fix an accounting program that dumb-ass sis-in-law tried installing. Took him a couple of hours. When he was done he told her hr usually charges $x per hour. She asked that he only charge her for his 'actual thinking time'.

[Web_Pict]

I give my friend free hair cut when ever she needs. She gives me foot care and a massage when ever I need it. I don't count if one has got more than other, I'd say we are even.

[notalwaysright]

At my current job, the best I can do for a friend is direct them to the best deals/coupons. I don't do this for everyone, and it can save a decent amount of money, but that's all. I wouldn't risk my job, and none of my friends would even think to ask me to.

At the roofing company I was not in charge of pricing, but we would give better prices to some, though not necessarily just for friends or family. Most people got the regular price. When we had friends come work for us, we never asked for or expected a discount. (And they almost always did CRAP work, so we started avoiding them ) Contractors who'd give us dozens of roofs per year got the best prices and we'd also give priority to their jobs. I liked them, I knew them, and they were nice to me on the phone.

Some people, friends or family, would get sticker shock over our prices. We weren't the cheapest, and we weren't trying to be. Yet they'd act a little hurt, like we were trying to rip them off. That's okay. It's better not to do business with people you're close to, or at least that is the lesson I learned from my time in a family owned business.

[Lovecats]

Yes when I first went into retail in the early 1970's it was amazing how many people thought I would give them a discount just because I knew them.

Now I have my own business I have a friends rate and the discount is ZERO%

When I worked at the bullseye we actually had employees get fired because they would give their friends and unqualified family members their discount. It's a big no-no there.

[mjr]

When my wife and I got married, we went to a photographer I had known on a first-name basis for close to 20 years.

I didn't ask for a discount or any sort of special treatment. I didn't want to ruin the good rapport I had with him.

Aside from that, he did high-quality work, so I felt it was worth what he charged. That, and I trusted him, since my family had been to him for years in the past for photos.

[sirwired]

I wish I could feign amnesia about all things computer-related for my parents. On their last visit here (which was last-minute so they could attend the funeral of the mother of one of my Mom's childhood friends), my Mom said, and I quote: "You NEED to fix my computer today so I don't have to buy a new one next week." As if I didn't have anything better to do on a beautiful Saturday morning... (To their credit, it was not a trivial problem; some fairly involved Google-fu was needed to find a solution. It was a "stuck" Windows update that required disabling Secure Boot to install, followed by running some magic web page to convince Windows Update that all was now well.)

I'd love to bill them... But my company bills me out at around $190/hr... (For a job a little more involved than beating Windows into shape.)

[slyfoxxy]

Speaking of computer troubles, I know quite a bit myself and when my mum came to visit recently she said 'you can fix my computer and put another antivirus on it because it's running so slow.'

I'm like, sure mum, I'll get right on that, what with the newborn (why she was coming to visit in the first place) and three other kids, I'm sure I'll have PLENTY of time.

Thankfully she forgot to bring it anyway.

[SimonF12009]

Friend of my parents asked if I could look at their computer because it was running slow. Paretns took me to friends house (I don't drive) and show me computer, discover that it has 3 anti-virus programs running at once . Remove two of them, install remote access program so I dont have to travel an hour again, lol, and Parents Friend said it was working much faster. Have to admit though, he was scared when I showed him how much I could do to his laptop with the RV program

[Slave to the Phone]

I just got an unasked for friends and family discount. I buy from this person on a regular basis, pay full price and am always happy to do so. $2.00 for a pound of organic, home grown tomatoes? I'm all over that. $3.00 for a gallon of whole milk, fresh from the cow? That's an awesome deal. Fresh peaches in season? I'll eat them all day long and suffer tomorrow, thank you very much.

I was doing my shopping today and he had a box full of potatoes. When I asked how much they were, he said that he hadn't figured out how much to sell them for so I should just take a couple of pounds because I'm such a good customer.

Maybe it wasn't a discount after all. Maybe he's just going to be like a drug dealer. "Here, have some for free, once you are hooked, you will pay out the nose to support your habit in the future."

[Agent Paperclip]

I always get "friends" who I haven't seen or talked to for months/years come through my line and act all nice and happy to see me then ask if I could give them some sort of discount. When I say no they either try again or get all offended saying they thought I was a good friend. Bitch please! Last time I saw you was back in high school and you bullied me!

[protege]

When IT told them about the professional agreement, the told them that Information Technology was not a true profession.

Yep, a profession that keeps their records safe and their clinics running

But seriously, the only people that get IT stuff for free (I work as an unofficial tech at the office) are my mom and brother. Mom is getting financially squeezed by my dad, and really doesn't understand computers at all. My brother knows a bit more, and since he's a gamer, he occasionally hooks me up with expensive spare bits

The one person I refuse to help? My dad. I got tired of having to constantly mess about with his lunched computer. He'd download all sorts of crap, and then scream about it. He'd go on vacation, I'd kidnap his machine and have it working perfectly...only for him to fuck it up again. Then I'd get screamed at because the "problem" must have been whatever I did to it

Dad's of the type that knows much less than he thinks he does. He thinks, that because he took a class in BASIC (in 1980, no less!) he knows what he's doing. Also, you don't need to update your antivirus or Windows. Just having them is enough. It's somehow my fault that his computer is loaded with crapware, and runs slower than a 286

So naturally, I came up with a sure-fire way not to have to deal with it. That is, I tell him that my rate is $50 per hour, with a minimum of 3 hours. Payable in advance. Any parts or extra time, even if it's 5 minutes, isn't included. Expensive, I know. But, if I'm going to get screamed at anyway, I might as well make some profit

So far, he hasn't taken me up on it...and still complains that his "top-of-the-line" machine sucks.

[earl colby pottinger]

And funny

So far, he hasn't taken me up on it...and still complains that his "top-of-the-line" machine sucks.

Yet somehow, while he complains that you know nothing and that your touching his computer are the cause of his problems, your three year old computer runs faster and better than his top-of-the-line machine.




All my machines work fine, all of my machines have backup of the key files, yet for some reason I am always being told by others that I need to update to the latest OS or software. However, these same people always deem to have problems with their own machines. Funny that.

[tigger222]

This attitude that some people have that they are entitled to discounts or free stuff or that they can extend that to their friends if they do get one drives me nuts.
I have a friend that owns a restaurant. I eat their very often and I don't get free stuff or a discount and I wouldn't accept it if she offered. In my opinion that would be taking away from her livelihood and I refuse to do that.