# The Family Rate



## johntwist (Feb 10, 2004)

This is a good one, I thought I should share it.

After the last storm we had my wife told me she'd been talking to her cousin on the phone, and she was complaining about how her and her husband "got screwed" by their plow guy. I guess before the big storm her husband found out his brother's wife's brother plowed and they called him up. "I'll give you the 'family rate' he says......twenty-five bucks." So they thought that was great, pretty cheap. Of course, they didn't discuss exactly what that meant and that's what caused the problem.

The storm we had dropped 27 to 34 inches depending on where in South Eastern Mass you lived. So, this guy plowed with the storm and ended up making 4 passes, the last one being a clean up. They expected to pay $25, he wanted $100. So they paid him, but they were pi$$ed off about it. They were wrong in assuming it was $25 bucks for the whole storm and the plow guy was wrong for not specifying that it was $25 _per push_ and that with such a big storm coming he'd probably have to hit it at least 3 or 4 times. So of course now they've vowed never to call him again for plowing.

Personally, I think he milked it a little bit, he probably could have done it with 2 passes like I did for some of my customers with small driveways. But, I also think that they were wrong to assume any guy would come back more than once for $25. I'm just glad they live too far away for them to want to ask me to do it.

So much for the "family rate"


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## DJL (Oct 28, 2003)

JohnTwist,

You bring up an interesting subject. Working for family...

I do work for family, both immediate and extended family. I always explain to them if I'm taking the job that WE both need to understand that business is business and pleasure is pleasure. We need to BOTH comprehend that problems with the business/service remain between the business/service and will NOT get entangled with the personal side of things. If they are under agreement with this then I'll work for them, otherwise...see you at the next family function but find somebody else to do the work.


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## justme- (Dec 28, 2004)

Yeah- I only do work for family as a favor- never business. I remodeled my now inlaws bathrooms a couple of years ago for materials (which I made them buy so I couldn't be blamed for th pattern and such) and they insisted on paying me X amount (which amounted to like $10/hour).

I flat refuse to plow more than 12" a pass and I will only do that if it's throu my own fault. It's too much work on the truck- bordering on flat out abuse with the wonderful normally wet New England snow. My passes are between 4 and 8 inches at my discression and I rarely have issues. Infact my only issues are from customers crying poor for one reason or another and it's the same 2 customers every year for 4 years running.

All I can say is they'll be calling back the family member after the next heavy storm and they pay some unrelated plow guy substantially more for the same work.


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## SkykingHD (Jan 31, 2002)

*Family*

Why would you want to pay family less than a stranger? If my family works for me I ask them how much they want and then pay them what they ask for. If the job is to expensive he is done working for me. I do want my family to survive and prosper so I pay them. I hire son in law to help me do bad jobs (clean ash pit 120 cu ft, split fire wood etc) how ever I do work for them and don't charge as I want them to make it.

I have found out though.. don't hire family or friends as it can cause problems. If you do have an up front agreement that is understood first. Then you live up the the agreement. If they fail to honor agreement then you let them know one time and never bring it up again.

Dave


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## mickman (Jan 24, 2001)

both parties should have split difference between them and he should have charged $50.00 after he explained that it's $25 a visit.


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## Robhollar (Dec 27, 2003)

My family rate is FREE, imo theres no need to charge my family...Rob

PS my situation may be diff then yours and Im in no way saying that you shouldnt charge your family.


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## gt_racer50 (Dec 4, 2003)

I do family for free, I'm in the neighborhood anyway. There is times that they help me with things. We have never paid each other anything unless its a part for somthing. My one brother-in-law is a heating and cooling man, if something breaks he get's me the parts at his cost, if I can't put them in he comes up and does it, I give him a beer or whatever. I couldn't hardly charge him to clean off his driveway. No money, no misunderstandings.


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## DJL (Oct 28, 2003)

For those saying family is free...

By family do you mean immediate..i.e. parents, mother/father in-law, brothers and sisters? Or does it extend to cousins, uncles etc?

And by free, you mean no charge? ...not even an exchange of services or barter?

I have to charge them to cover my expenses. I.e. fuel to drive there and back, materials, equipment wear/tear, etc. I don't make any money off of them (nor does the business). However, I make sure to cover the business' expenses. I give them the materials at my cost and charge them my basic operating cost. And there have been times when I loan them a piece of equipment at no charge.


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## Robhollar (Dec 27, 2003)

Free means free. I limit it to my parents, sisters, and my mechanic. I would never dream on charging them one cent and if they even tried to pay me I would have to give them a piece of my mind. Recently Ive maid up my mind to pay it forward. Meaning if I was to see some old lady struggling to clear her drive then I feel I would have to open the end of her drive out for her. There has been a discussion on this very topic before and I feel its in my nature to do this for someone. No I don't care if the lady is loaded, I just know if I drove by later to see the paramedics loading her up in a meat wagon, I just couldn't live with that. Again Im not saying that other people should do the same thing, its just how Im built....Rob


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## killed300ex (Apr 29, 2004)

i definitly dont charge family. They are family and would probably do anything for you if you asked so i think spending the extra 20 minutes each storm to plow them out is the least you can do because the next time you are in a bind i bet they will be the first ones there to bail you out. But thats just my thoughts
Evan


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## b2driver (Jul 22, 2004)

Working for family depends on the type of family you have. I don't even talk to my cousins or aunts and uncles, so they're not an issue. I take care of my parents and a sister for free. The others are too far, or don't really need plow service because of the short driveways they have. Some family members I wouldn't even bother because of how they are.


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## snowinjoe (Nov 23, 2004)

I do my wifes parents and grandparents for free. Well I don't do their whole driveway as the 9 1/2 ft. blade wont fit up the driveway. I open the driveway up and head down the road. I may not get paid but dinner is always free when we go there. And the father in laws heated shop is always open if I need it. So I guess maybe its more of a barter system. Twice this old lady was shoveling her driveway and I took the end away for her. Its now one of our regular jobs so sometimes being nice can pay off.


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## Grn Mtn (Sep 21, 2004)

I don't charge my family, but I also don't decline money offered. I have 3 boys and a mortgage. As far as _pay it forward_ I believe in it, some people could just use a break.


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## repo_man62 (Oct 24, 2004)

NO FAMILY RATE! Found out a long time ago...friends and family will screw you first!


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## Kevo98 (Jan 20, 2004)

Being from a large family I have about 15 driveways I plow for "free".
But I do get "paid".

Homemade cookies
Babysitting for my kids
Treated to dinner at my favorite resturant
Gift cards for Home Depot
Tools that I have my eye on but haven't justified buying for myself
Case of beer
Invited in for a hot lunch

Family ever complains, they are always grateful, and it makes me feel good helping out.


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## Dwan (Mar 24, 2004)

Family is family, everything I have is theres anything they need is theres, I make enough to take care of anyone in the family that is in need of help. That been said I moved over 1000 miles away so I do not have to deal with them on a daily bases, but if they called I would drop everything for them.
I have a few people that live around me that I treat as family and they get anything they need if I can supply it. I love my Friends and family and there is nothing I would not do for them. Except for the ones that have knowingly taken advantage of me.


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## Mark F (Dec 16, 2004)

After you've lost everything, All you got is your family, freinds.
After every storm, and I'm all done I go on, what I call my mercy mission. I do my mom & dad, all my freinds who don't own plows or sanders.
I get paid to in one way or the other. Money isn't everything.


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## SnoFarmer (Oct 15, 2004)

I plow my immediate family only my parents there in there mid 70's & my mom-in law, a sweat old Lady for free!! well, I don't charge them but when you need them they will be there for you, how can you charge the people who gave you life, for plowing there drive, how much does it really cost?
Karma- what goes around comes around..


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## Bad Luck (Sep 30, 2004)

My family is free, as in no cash exchanges hands. In-laws, immediate's, uncle's, cousins, the whole bag of nuts. Everyone's situation is different. My family is pretty close and no one would hesitate to help another out. The hour it takes me to do all of their houses is a drop in the bucket compared to the 10-12 I spend with paying customers. Plus, My Brother, brother in-law, and I have an agreement on all family properties, I plow, they salt, shovel, blow....then, we drink


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## glenspot (Aug 11, 2004)

I do a couple of free driveways for people that I feel I owe. Family or friends who have "been there for me" when I needed it.

Except for my Father in law, I don't do them EVERY time it snows, just if I'm passing by and see that they haven't gotten to it yet. Or if we've had an exceptionally heavy snow.

This weekend I drove an hour to plow my ex-mother-in-law. For free. She offered to pay, but, NO WAY. She'd been there for me TOO MANY TIMES over the years for me to ask for money. I owed it to her.

That said, I have cousins and relations all over the place I ignore. Just because we share blood doesn't mean it's free. 

Glen


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## james731 (Jan 17, 2004)

i got an important lesson this past season.

i usually help out family i dont make an issue out of it ill go if i have time or they ask, with the exception of my grandparents i make sure every time it snows im there just before my grandpa leaves the house (he has his own guy that plows and shovels for him but he cant always get there in time) 

well we had a 15" snowfall and i kept stopping in every time i passed because they live right by the water and before you know it the drifts are over your head. (his guy got caught up in a 700 unit apartment complex) so i came in plowed the entrance driveway shoveled and did what i had to do, when the storm was over i finished the job up nice and all was fine.

3 weeks later when the snow started melting i was eating dinner over their house and we started to talk about snow plowing and shoveling for another storm. so my grandfather says while were on the topic of this snowremoval business your running, im going to inform you of your first lawsuit. i was like who wants to sue me. he replies with me and takes a stack of papers out of his bag and throws them on the table, i turned white as a ghost. so he took me outside and said look i had ripped out about 30 feet of beljum block by his driveway.

he starts laughing and says "heres an important lesson for running a business never do anything for anyone for free. you volunteered your services and i couldda screwed you. make sure you plow my driveway tomorrow"


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## CrazyCooter (Jan 29, 2005)

james731 said:


> i got an important lesson this past season.
> 
> i usually help out family i dont make an issue out of it ill go if i have time or they ask, with the exception of my grandparents i make sure every time it snows im there just before my grandpa leaves the house (he has his own guy that plows and shovels for him but he cant always get there in time)
> 
> ...


Grampy might think he's funny, but tomorrow would be the last time I helped him out that season. There's more tactful ways of handling that.

I help out those I wish to. One neighbor yes, another no. It depends on the person, our relationship, etc.

I'd never, ever, ever, charge my next door neighbor. Sometimes he pays me 10, sometimes it's 20, etc. I dont care. I'm not going to embarrass him by turning it down, I just make sure I spend the money back on him 

En course, when I f (_) ck up, and say, scrape his nice new fence panels with the chains on my tires, I don't get sued or asked to paint it.

there's family I would never dream of charging, and family member's I'd charge double. I do the same for friends and clients.


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## james731 (Jan 17, 2004)

no hes not sueing me he just wanted to make a point.

he knows that with snow removal everyone asks for favors and that was just his way of telling me to say no.

he was just getting to the point that u do something for free and mess up you can really get screwed, not only does he have 2 people plowing out all his buildings he is also a lawyer so he sees it first hand. he is by far one of the smartest business men ive ever met, i learn alot form him


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## CrazyCooter (Jan 29, 2005)

james731 said:


> no hes not sueing me he just wanted to make a point.
> 
> he knows that with snow removal everyone asks for favors and that was just his way of telling me to say no.
> 
> he was just getting to the point that u do something for free and mess up you can really get screwed, not only does he have 2 people plowing out all his buildings he is also a lawyer so he sees it first hand. he is by far one of the smartest business men ive ever met, i learn alot form him


I know he's not suing you, I was just saying that there are better ways to make a point that with the ol scare method, even if it's his line of work.

What if you went to a lender and they said you couldn't get credit becuase you had 4 repos on your credit report and you didn't know about it? Eeks. Insert heart in throat. hold for 10 seconds, and shove back down. rinse. lather. repeat.

Yes, Im sure you learned your lesson, but it's like teaching a kid not to smoke by locking him in a closet with a box full of cigars and making him smokem all before he comes out. Yeah, you learned, but you turned three shades of green in the meantime.

I'm sure you won't forget the lesson, but will it stop you from helping others, even if there is the chance it comes back to bite you in the rear quater panels?


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## RoseMan806 (Mar 7, 2005)

Kevo98 said:


> Being from a large family I have about 15 driveways I plow for "free".
> But I do get "paid".
> 
> Homemade cookies
> ...


This just settled it, no charge for family.  
Now I just need a plow.


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