Discuss Dont work for relatives! in the Australia area at ElectriciansForums.net

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My dear nan decided she wanted to upgrade her kitchen before she retires from work. She asked if if could install a few down lights and sink two fused spurs and a double socket (always looks neater than surfaced) felt i could really say no due to it being family, they always play the guilt card. Ended up being a 3 day job! she wanted 10, yes 10 recessed downlights in her kitchen, but she wanted it so she could switch on the ones which lit up above the dining table separate to the ones above the main working kitchen area. ok that doesnt sound that bad, but they had to installed to her specification. took 3 hours just to measure up and drill the holes. Any way long story short i installed what was asked and sunk the accessories. she told me she had put the money aside for the me for doing the work.

got to about 10.30 the night after i had done the work when the phone rang with her in mad panic 'all my lights have gone out' i shoot round there and it was was a blown bulb tripped the mcb. got another phone about 45 minutes later to say their heating wasnt working, thought being old i had better go sort it out, turns out they had set it wrong after i had switched power off (even after asking them if they knew how to reset it before i left)

didnt hear from her for 2 days when my phone went, she asked when i was going to go back and replaster over the chasing i had done! no way was i going to go back but she still had my money. so went back stuck load of render in there and said the kitchen fitters can finish it off. got handed an envelope with my hard earned pennies in. little did i know it was pennied!

£100 for the whole job including me collecting the materials and including the materials as well as certs!

if i work out what it cost me i earnt about £18 for 3 days work.

why do families think they can have it all for free?!

what is great though is that after i ahd a quiet word saying how i felt she deicided she would have the kitchen fitter change the fascias on all the acessories, of which he put every one upside down because he could get them to fit the right way up!!!
 
My dear nan decided she wanted to upgrade her kitchen before she retires from work. She asked if if could install a few down lights and sink two fused spurs and a double socket (always looks neater than surfaced) felt i could really say no due to it being family, they always play the guilt card. Ended up being a 3 day job! she wanted 10, yes 10 recessed downlights in her kitchen, but she wanted it so she could switch on the ones which lit up above the dining table separate to the ones above the main working kitchen area. ok that doesnt sound that bad, but they had to installed to her specification. took 3 hours just to measure up and drill the holes. Any way long story short i installed what was asked and sunk the accessories. she told me she had put the money aside for the me for doing the work.

got to about 10.30 the night after i had done the work when the phone rang with her in mad panic 'all my lights have gone out' i shoot round there and it was was a blown bulb tripped the mcb. got another phone about 45 minutes later to say their heating wasnt working, thought being old i had better go sort it out, turns out they had set it wrong after i had switched power off (even after asking them if they knew how to reset it before i left)

didnt hear from her for 2 days when my phone went, she asked when i was going to go back and replaster over the chasing i had done! no way was i going to go back but she still had my money. so went back stuck load of render in there and said the kitchen fitters can finish it off. got handed an envelope with my hard earned pennies in. little did i know it was pennied!

£100 for the whole job including me collecting the materials and including the materials as well as certs!

if i work out what it cost me i earnt about £18 for 3 days work.

why do families think they can have it all for free?!

what is great though is that after i ahd a quiet word saying how i felt she deicided she would have the kitchen fitter change the fascias on all the acessories, of which he put every one upside down because he could get them to fit the right way up!!!

I could never take £100 off of my nan it just wouldnt sit well with me,, My nan did so much for me i would of rewired her house for free if she had asked...
 
Exactly! Being everyones mate dont pay the bills! Family should appreciate what you do by paying for the materials! Would cost them alot more if they didnt have a relation in the game!
 
I did a job for my Nan the other week...

Was skint to be honest.. didn't ask for money

She insisted on paying me

I didn't look at the money when she pushed it into my hand

Was very happy when I counted it.

Felt guilty ever since!
 
I did a job for my Nan the other week...

Was skint to be honest.. didn't ask for money

She insisted on paying me

I didn't look at the money when she pushed it into my hand

Was very happy when I counted it.

Felt guilty ever since!


Get her a nice christmas present this year!
 
I did a job for my Nan the other week...

Was skint to be honest.. didn't ask for money

She insisted on paying me

I didn't look at the money when she pushed it into my hand

Was very happy when I counted it.

Felt guilty ever since!


Its always the old ladies that want to give you money for work. and these are the people who cant really afford it. but its an old school thing.

When that generation dies out this world will be a worse place.

when i was an apprentice all my tips were from old ladies ,,
 
I did a job for my Nan the other week...

Was skint to be honest.. didn't ask for money

She insisted on paying me

I didn't look at the money when she pushed it into my hand

Was very happy when I counted it.

Felt guilty ever since!
nothing to feel guilty about mate, at least you know she got a good job done well, and not done rough by some out there that would have done. it`s nice to know she appreciate`s what you have done for her.
 
The best one was when I had to go to this little old dears house to do some remedial work that was picked up by the recent PIR. She was lovely and we chatted about her life, and how she had lost her husband and son very young, and I felt so sorry for her as she was so lovely!

When I had finished my work, she came over to me and said, here have this for all your hard work (I did a bit extra for her as I was working for an extremely large company who could afford the extra bits and my time), and she put a shiny pound coin in my hand.

Now that made my day, as it's obviously not a lot of money to me, but probably was a lot to her, :)
 
Prob had dementia and thought it was 1930 0r something. I bet she had a great big smile on her face.

What can you say to those situations annoying as it can be?
 
Well that's the thing, she wasn't paying me any money out of her own pocket anyway, as it was a housing association house.

To be honest, I thought it was rather nice.
 
I remember when i did a paper round many many time ago this woman asked me if i wanted a tip.. yes please, push the papers all the way through in future!! Priceless i would love to have seen the expression on my face :eek:
 
yes i fully agree, can not take money off nan, but it didnt even cover the 3 trips to her house being 35mile round trip.

justs get to you when they automatically expect all for free. with all my family i have the agreement that as long as they cover travelling and materials i'm happy to do the work. its just the principal that the over cost of the job meant i was fully out of pocket! what do you do, can hardly go after arguing with a 67 year old woman.
 

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