Do people ask you for free professional help constantly?! Vent here!

[Disney Princess 6]

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[doc428]

Nothing is as bad as having somebody come up to you at the grocery store, point in their mouth, and ask loudly. CAN YOU FIX THIS BROKEN TOOTH!! Oh well, the funny moments of being a dentist.

 

[Beth76]

Oh yeah. My parents always have DH fix their computer. He can't really complain though since they do a lot of free babysitting for us. I have a friend (who used to be a pretty good friend, but we've grown apart since I've had my baby). She called a few weeks ago to have DH help with her mother's computer! It wasn't even hers!!! He was nice and pretty much told her that she would have to call tech support. They were OK with that. This same friend called me today looking for design advice. She's redoing her family room and wanted my input even though the furniture store is sending out a professional to help her with that stuff-at her house. I should make her do my taxes next year--she's an accountant.

 

[Winka]

It's just not nice. Can you use caller-id or use your answering machine to screen your calls?

I know though that people with computer problems can be awfully persistent.

Originally posted by Beth76
I should make her do my taxes next year--she's an accountant.

Lol.

 

[lilallybean]

I am a psych Nurse at a Mental Hospital and I get so many family and friends asking me what I think about this problem or how to handle certain situations. It is such a delicate area and there are so many opinions on what is right/wrong. I hate to be rube and not offer some help ut goodness...do you really want a friend/family member to know all your lil secrets?

 

[Octoberbeauty]

My mom is a bank manager and people call her day, night and weekends too with bank questions. It's very aggravating!

 

[FroggyinArk]

i really dont mind giving advise to friends and family, but there are so many people who call us asking for estimates and wanting a detailed material list,,, that then go out buy the materials and then get "Joe" from the mill to do the labor on his day off. We had to stop doing itemized estimates due to this, and now the only time i itemize is when i am working directly with insurance adjustor's and we by pass the home owners. And i honestly like being able to give advise to my dis Friends here, i like helping people out but not when its just so they can get someone else to do the work.

 

[Shugardrawers]

Originally posted by doc428
Nothing is as bad as having somebody come up to you at the grocery store, point in their mouth, and ask loudly. CAN YOU FIX THIS BROKEN TOOTH!! Oh well, the funny moments of being a dentist.

LOL they even do that to us dental assistants!! Also, I have a home business making custom candy wrappers. I actually had a person call and ask me to send her a sample package. I did so. She called back and started asking a ton of technical questions about how they were created. It became obvious she had purchased a card creating program and was trying to get me to help her learn how to do it herself. I called her on it and hung up. Do I look that stupid?

 

[Pugdog007]

Don't answer the phone.

 

[Microcell]

I am one of the free advice getters from Froggy!

I have to share, I work for an Eye Doctor (he is an MD) and he was asking me how I was one morning and I said okay, but when I raise my arm like this.. He actually said, "Well, don't raise your arm like this..." I then had to say, "You went to medical school how many years to figure out that diagnosis?" I just thought it was funny.

Another time the other Dr. I work with answered the phone when I was calling in because DD was in the ER with stomach pains. She asked what was going on, and I told her symptoms and that they were trying to figure out what was wrong, and she said, Oh it sounds like her appendix to me. I said, "no they have not told me that, I think it is constipation and the ER doc told me Urinary Tract Infection" (read if you are ever near Lee's Summit Hospital in in horrible pain, just drive on by). She said "Oh well let us know how she is." Five minutes later the Pediatrician came in and said her Appendix needs to come out. I called work and told the DR to make up a bill, my insurance should pay her. Now I run everything by her with regard to my kids, and she is right 99% of the time, for free and usually sight unseen!

 

[WDWAurora]

It doesn't get better after you retire. My dad's been retired from being a school principal for 3 years now, and he wasn't a principal for 4 years before that. He STILL gets calls all the time for help and advice. About two years ago one of his former students showed up at their house with a gun-he had been to the home of his son's principal and planned to kill her. He even described where they were and what they were doing! Before he went through with it, he went back to their house. Dad managed to make enough calls (his son wasn't being tested for some problems or something) to make sure his son got what he needed first thing the next school day and he decided not to go back to her house...But it was VERY scary to call home and have my mom (who has dementia and tends to leave out important details) say "Yeah, I know we haven't called tonight, but there's a man here with a gun." Just before I hung up to call 911 she told me enough to know they weren't in danger.

Basically, years later you can still get calls and people showing up. I get asked for advice a lot and I'm still working on my master's! I won't help though...that definitely falls into the unethical category.

 

[Beauty]

If your DH is anything like mine, it won't stop no matter how much hes being taken advantage of.

My DH manages the technical/computer end of our cable company. Anyone that even knows him or us a little will call about anything from being cut off for not paying their bill and wanting to be cut back on immediantly to wanting him to come fix their computer on his own time.

My DH is so nice and such an easy going guy that he does it. He won't tell ANYONE NO! Its just not in his nature. It does drive me nuts at times, especially on weekends or late at night or when hes been to their house time after time to do major work and gets NOTHING out of it.

Drives me nuts too, but I know my DH well enough to know he isn't going to stop.

 

[disneyworld!]

hey, hairdressers get this to! and I have charged up to 125 for a perm or color in the salon! people in you r house want to throw you 10!
I do not do it anymore!!

 

[Mermaid02]

My dh is an electrician... nuff said.

 

[susy]

What about this? I am going to be a teacher VERY soon (yeah). Do you think it would be okay for me to charge for and/or refuse advice to anyone on my own time? Except in the case of tutoring, I can't see myself charging for referring someone to a service, program, book, idea,etc to help their child. In fact, I think it might even be considered unethical...

 

[pirateofthecarolinas]

When you're a Realtor everyone has two qestions:

1. How much do you think my house is worth? (Sight unseen)
2. How quickly do you think my house will sell? (Let me consult my crystal ball and I'll get back to you)

I haven't worked since before my 2 1/2 year old was born and someone asked me about their house last week.

Lori

 

[Bob Slydell]

When people find out I'm a CPA, the tax questions start flowing. Telling people that you're a CPA but have no experience with taxes doesn't work -- everyone assumes all accountants do taxes.

 

[damo]

I am a math teacher/tutor and I get called all the time with kids asking questions. Some I am presently tutoring, others I'm not. It doesn't bother me in the least. Actually, I am very proud of them when they call because it is often very difficult for a kid to call an adult when they need help.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

My dh says..."I don't know, ALOT!" After a few years they find someone else.

 

[Pete's Mom]

Yes, and that's why I don't tell people what I do.