A question about etiquette ...What to expect for a day of helping people?
Let's say you are a 76 year old guy that needs help with a car. You call three guys over and they spend 5 1/2 hours at your place pushing the car into position, hooking up the engine hoist, setting the engine, installing headers and pushing the car back into the garage.
What would be a common and reasonable way to show your appreciation to these three guys?
Keep in mind that the owner of the car is not very mechanically inclined and has to research almost everything.
Lets see some responses. I want to know what others think.
Thanks!
So guess what our grand payment was for our efforts.....
5 1/2 hours, ONE bottle of water.
Yeah....
NO food, NO beer, NO snacks, NO thanks until I told him near the end that he should have been thanking us and offering to pay. I was kidding about the money. I was absolutely NOT kidding about the thanks.
In my experience, the guy getting the help always offers food and drinks, BEER if the guys want it.
I would have refused money.
I would have not refused food. The Wife is flat out pissed to see me help a guy this clueless. Its as if he is a Social Savant...He is either clueless as to social protocol or is a cheap and thoughtless prick.
I am always getting people asking for help with something. If it isn't an all day thing, I'm willing to lend a hand. I see it as karma....Maybe God and the universe sees my efforts and somehow good fortune will come my way.
I have GOT to learn how to say no to people without feeling guilty about it.
This guy bit off waaaaaay more than he could chew and is leaning on everyone he can to build this car. Some time ago he wanted to rebuild the front suspension and convert it to disc brakes. I told him that I would do one side, let him watch and then he would do the other side. All I heard is you are so much stronger, I don't have the endurance that you do and other excuses. The whole story of Tom Sawyer and fence painting came to mind.
The guy had no 1/2" drive tools. You need these for suspension and steering work.
He couldn't figure out how to install torsion bars. He couldn't get the grease boots on. He was able to put the C clips in at the torsion bar crossmember though.
Today we put the engine and headers in, set the 2' level across the valve covers and rocked the engine around until it was level then I hung around about a half hour thinking he would offer to get sandwiches or a pizza.
No, we each got a bottle of water.
This kinda **** is exactly why I am very picky about who I help with anything.
Usually I am the one with the tools and know how to do almost anything and all my friends and neighbors know that.
Here recently a buddies Wife asked if I would clean up her laptop and I said I would do it for her.
Well they threw a lunch type get together a day or two later, and as soon as I walked in the door she hands me her laptop, as if I'm going to spend my time at this get together of Mopar people working on her laptop.:rolleyes:
I told her that was neither the time or place.
The neighbor found out I bought a new mig/gas setup and immediately came over and asked me to put hydraulics on his POS Grand Prix for him. (uh,no)
One guy that's been a friend for a few decades bugged me for months to put a new engine in his truck for him saying he couldn't trust anyone else to do it right.
I finally broke down and agreed to do it (in gravel and by myself) because that was how it was going to end up being.
I told him when it was all done it needed the computer to be re tuned for the new motor. (per the engine warranty)
****** called me for 2 weeks almost every day to tell me how shitty it ran, but had never taken it to be re tuned for the new HP motor.
Anyway, I'm pretty good at saying no after being a mechanic most of my life and a computer tech for the last 20+ years.
Next thing you know you will hear your guy at a car show or something say he did it all himself.:D
There isn't a chance in hell I would ever help him again.
I'd just already have too many things going on. (which is my go to answer)
