You Are So Nice I Am Happy To Do The Work And Not Charge You
That is what someone said to me when I asked what he would charge to install 3 smoke detectors and brace and strap a water heater.
I've been accused of many things in my lifetime and being nice is definitely among those things. But seriously, no one has ever before said they don't want to charge me and that they are happy to do the work for free.
I honestly thought this person was ribbing me ... you know, just punking me. He was dead serious. He said "Asking you to pay me would be like taking money from my mom. I would never charge my mom to do anything for her." What a nice guy!!!
I did what any tough negotiator would do and asked: "What would you charge me if I were among the top 10 Itches you know?" Yeah, you are right, I did not say "Itches" but I am confident you will figure out what I did say.
He said "You are my #1 favorite real estate agent and I like you. I see how hard you work for your clients." What a nice guy!
Installing smoke and carbon detectors and bracing and strapping the water heater are things that sellers must do prior to the close of escrow.
He gave me a very reasonable price that my clients were more than happy with.
While I do go the extra mile for my clients, and they benefit from my service provider discounts, it is not in my nature to accept something for nothing or take advantage of people.
It really does pay to be nice to people. The truth is, I am nice to everyone until they give me a reason not to be. Among those reasons are lying, cheating, stealing, deceiving, bait & switching, etc. Those folks might feel I am being Itchy, yet I really don't really care. I believe in defending what I know to be right and true.
Among what I believe to be right and true is paying people for work performed. People provide a service; they do the job well; and I expect to pay them. If they don't do the job well, or do what they were hired to do, then that is a different story.
I expect no one to do anything for me for free. I am happy to accept and pass along discounts. That is a measure of good will and in many situations, a good business practice.
For me, it's about being nice and being respectful of others and not taking advantage of their good graces.
I'm curious, what would you have done if this happened to you?
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