Perks From Clients

[atgcpaul]

I built a simple deck for a co-worker's parents for free. He paid for all the materials. I'd never built a deck by myself (I had him dig the holes for the concrete footers, though, and he and his SIL helped pour them) and I just wanted to say I did it. Real hot summer but I had fun doing it.

When I finished, he handed me a $200 HD gift card which was completely unnecessary and unexpected.

Paul

[phrog]

I did a kitchen for a neurosurgeon that offered a discount on surgery if I ever needed it.

Hey C'man, if it's a big discount, maybe you ought to go ahead and have the surgery before he changes his mind (or yours in the case of a neurosurgeon).

[T...K21]

It's not wood working but here's a link to an article that happened to me while doing a good deed for a couple.

http://www.mtexpress.com/index2.php?...=08&var_Day=08

[LCHIEN]

It's not wood working but here's a link to an article that happened to me while doing a good deed for a couple.

http://www.mtexpress.com/index2.php?...=08&var_Day=08

several years ago, but, wow!

[Pappy]

It's not wood working but here's a link to an article that happened to me while doing a good deed for a couple.

http://www.mtexpress.com/index2.php?...=08&var_Day=08

Either some REALLY SPECIAL dogs, or maybe you should have checked the trunk.... Just kidding, that's one of those stories that all to often gets buried on page 7. The news would rather report on a bad cop than something positive.

[jseklund]

Dal300's story reminded me of the worst "perk" I've ever heard of anyone receiving. When I moved into my house, I was remodeling and decided that it was cheap enough to have someone else hang the kitchen cabinets, since I was tearing out floors, walls, you name it. The guy installing my kitchen was not really doing such a great job and I was very upset with him.

A couple years later, I sold a building to one of his longtime friends, who confirmed that his work was shoddy but this friend still used him for everything -even though he knew he'd have to call the guy back 5 times before it was right. This friend told me about the kitchen installer's past.

Apparently, the kitchen installer was working for a doctor on a very large remodel in a very large house. The remodel took about 6 months. The doctor was never home, and the workers were there almost around the clock.

A few months after, the kitchen installer's wife decided to leave him. Turns out she was having an affair with the doctor, while her husband was remodeling the doctor's house - which is why he was never around. The wife took almost everything the guy had, and the doctor stiffed him on a large part of the payment for the job he did.

Probably the worst thing I've heard of.

[chopnhack]

Wow Jseklund, that is really messed up... but still no excuse for bad work! Doing it pro, you would think he would pick up from his past mistakes....

[sailor55330]

You guys are all lucky. In my business (well, the company I work for), you rarely get a thank you and "appreciate gifts" are grounds for termination--giving or receiving. I guess the nicest thing is you always know what to expect---the worst.

[BigguyZ]

I work a corporate job, so I don't receive much as far as gifts go. But the nature of my position is that I depend on a lot of internal contacts to get things done. They do the work, and I coordinate. I know all too well to appreciate those you work with, and I try to regularly send out thank-yous and small tokens to those who go above and beyond (candy, mostly).

Well a couple of times I've gotten notes/ emails thanking me for the card. One in particular was from a coworker who got a card of mine during a week that another coworker had passed away. It was obvious that my simple thank you helped cheer her up. Those types of responses are few, but it makes it worth it.

Though last december, I finally got to sending about two dozen thank-yous, along with some high quality chocolate. I spend $60+ of my own money, all told. I got maybe 2 or 3 responses/ thank-yous... kinda irksome. And also, at least one took it as a Christmas card (even though there was nothing about Christmas on/ in it...).

I'll keep doing it though.

[Pappy]

As a letter carrier I get a few perks or tips at Christmas time. Most of them are a card with a $5 -$10 tip in them. A lot of home-made goodies are left in the box for me.

One customer has given me a gift every year. Things llike shirts (always the right size), beach towels, a towel set, and this year socks. They are always gift wrapped and go home to be put under the tree until Christmas morn. No other carrier I have talked to gets anything like this and I really look forward to seeing what Mrs Urrita is going to come up with each year. The fact that she takes the time to do this really makes me feel special to her.

On the flip side, we have 'floaters' that work a goup of 5 routes, covering each one on the regulars day off. I alway have a card with a crisp $20 bill in it for my floater and something from the shop to show my appreciation for their work.

[gsmittle]

Not from woodworking (except the hug from our Russian exchange student when I gave her a clock), but plenty of hugs, handshakes, and "thank yous" from graduating seniors.

A lot of my students work in local restaurants, and often they'll get me moved to the head of the line if it's crowded. It doesn't hurt that I tip well.

g.

[LCHIEN]

Not from woodworking (except the hug from our Russian exchange student when I gave her a clock), but plenty of hugs, handshakes, and "thank yous" from graduating seniors.

A lot of my students work in local restaurants, and often they'll get me moved to the head of the line if it's crowded. It doesn't hurt that I tip well.

g.

Since you Give them their grades it probably doesn't hurt them either to treat you extra nice!

[jseklund]

Wow Jseklund, that is really messed up... but still no excuse for bad work! Doing it pro, you would think he would pick up from his past mistakes....

LOL - yeah, I love it - still no excuse for bad work.

Anyway, I thought of a reverse situation from last week. I have a friend who's always been around to help out when I needed it. He does a lot of grunt construction work. He comes from a family with modest means. These people are some of the most solid people I've ever come across, but their bank accounts unfortunately never reflected that.

I've been doing a remodel on my grandmother's house that was built in 1880. He's been coming over after he's off work here and there to help me out. I can't imagine working in construction all day and then getting off to go somewhere else to help someone else do more of it. I know when I'm done, I just wanna go home and collapse. But he's been helping as he can and as I need it. He's also helped me on other projects in the past and never expects anything in return - even though I always look for things I can do to help him out, he never needs much help.

So, a couple weeks ago we were at Lowes and he was looking at grills as we walked by and mentioned he wanted one. Last week I asked him if he had bought a grill yet, and told him I was thinking of getting one myself. He said no. I told him that I had bought one, but needed a hand with his truck to get it home. He said OK and came to Lowes to help.

When he got there, we got it in his truck and I said, "I have some bad news. There's a big change in plans and I don't need you to take this to my house. I need you to take it even further. And I need you to assemble it actually."

He hesitated for a moment and said, "Yeah, I guess I can do that". (He must have been thinking - what kind of a jerk is this guy, is he serious?)

Then I said, "The good news is, I need you to take it to your house because it's yours now."

He flipped out. He was planning on getting a really low end grill and I bumped him up to a decent grill that isn't high-end, but should last and looks nice. I think his response gave me more joy than my giving the grill did for him.

Kind of funny how that works....

[pelligrini]

That's a great story. I could imagine the look on his face between the bad news and the good news.

[chopnhack]

That's awesome!