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May. 12th, 2006 11:48 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
per_soloLast night, gaming was fun. :-) Not a WHOLE lot accomplished, but enough...
I did end up working on a laptop for a bit, for the GM's mother (or mother-in-law..can't recall), and they gave me $10 for doing that. They also said they had 5 computer that they hadn't been able to work on...and reformatting and other such..
They offered me the job to get those machines up and running, and asked what my rate is.
This creates a small problem for me...and, I imagine, it's a common one that folks have when working on computers for friends.
One of the really good things I picked up from Drew years ago is that it's damned hard to state to friends what you charge them..and, in..oh, 8 years or so of doing what I do, I've only stated a bill rate up front, but that was partly because the girl was a friend's ex-wife, who had designs on me. For "normal" (yes, term used lightly) friends, generally the rule of thumb has been to do the work, and let them pay what they think the work is worth. Yes, 9 times out of ten, that will work to undervalue, but..It's friends.
Ethical? I don't know...
So, for anyone who has ever done work like this for friends, what is your general rule of thumb? And, I'm not just talking computer stuff...I mean for anything where you use your professional skills for friends...even ones, as in this case, who are trying to help a friend who is having a rough time right now.
Oh, and they offered me their guest room again. *shakes head* Such a manic life I lead.
I did end up working on a laptop for a bit, for the GM's mother (or mother-in-law..can't recall), and they gave me $10 for doing that. They also said they had 5 computer that they hadn't been able to work on...and reformatting and other such..
They offered me the job to get those machines up and running, and asked what my rate is.
This creates a small problem for me...and, I imagine, it's a common one that folks have when working on computers for friends.
One of the really good things I picked up from Drew years ago is that it's damned hard to state to friends what you charge them..and, in..oh, 8 years or so of doing what I do, I've only stated a bill rate up front, but that was partly because the girl was a friend's ex-wife, who had designs on me. For "normal" (yes, term used lightly) friends, generally the rule of thumb has been to do the work, and let them pay what they think the work is worth. Yes, 9 times out of ten, that will work to undervalue, but..It's friends.
Ethical? I don't know...
So, for anyone who has ever done work like this for friends, what is your general rule of thumb? And, I'm not just talking computer stuff...I mean for anything where you use your professional skills for friends...even ones, as in this case, who are trying to help a friend who is having a rough time right now.
Oh, and they offered me their guest room again. *shakes head* Such a manic life I lead.
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Date: 2006-05-12 04:02 pm (UTC)For example, my husband (Bann) does computer work. I believe his rate is $50/hour (plus the client purchases the parts...Bann will order them if they want him to but they pay for it). He'll say something like "It's $50/hour for labor plus parts." Then when it comes time to pay up, he'll do something like "Normally this would be $100 but since you are a friend, I'll drop it to $75. Just make sure you tell your friends about what a great job I did!"
I agree
Date: 2006-05-12 07:54 pm (UTC)Sometimes, if after working on computers for over 20 years like I was back in Cincy - you can help out with a few 'gently' used parts, they they have more to pay you so to speak - but this was always with the caveat that the part in question was agreed to by your friend. Most of the time it was a used monitor, or maybe some memory upgrade - nothing major like a hard drive (never wanted them to come back and want my ass because they lost their data on a used hard drive). Most of my friends actually threw work my way once I got out that I was looking for work and needing cash.
Hope this helps.
later,
T