In true friend fashion, when I asked her to give me a cost estimate, she quoted me a discounted price. I was actually disappointed, because I don’t like paying friends and family a discounted rate.
I’m not sure if she felt obligated (since we’re blogger friends) to charge me less, but I told her I would pay her full price anyways. Why? Because I feel we should pay our friends more than we pay total strangers. Here’s my reasoning.
You like your friend better than a random person
I’m an introverted person by nature and I don’t like talking to strangers or introducing myself to random people. It’s much easier to talk to my friends since I already know and like them. I don’t have to suffer through awkward silence moments or come up with “break the ice” type banter.
The trust factor is already established
When you hire a family member or friend you don’t have to spend time looking up their references or doing any background research. You most likely already trust them and have a reliable relationship. You don’t have to worry about things like them showing up on time, doing a thorough job or taking advantage of you.
You can be brutally honest with each other
I have a harder time being completely honest with colleagues and clients if I don’t know them that well. Which makes the working relationship full of uncertainty and like I’m walking around on eggshells. If that person is already my friend, I’ll tell them what I like and what I don’t, and I don’t have to feel bad or guilty for my opinion. It’s also nice to hear their unbiased and truthful opinion too.
They have to put up with you (and me)
My best friend is a hair stylist and I change my hair color almost every time I visit her salon. I’ve had every color from pink to purple to black, and yet she still puts up with me. Do you think anyone else would? I doubt it. I’m a high maintenance client and I know it. Simply for putting up with me, I pay her more than I would a stranger.
Normally, they have our best interest at heart
It’s very difficult to sift through people’s motives and see if they truly are loyal and trustworthy. Normally the people closest to us will have our best interests at heart. I know it puts my mind at ease to have someone I believe in, doing what’s best for both of us. I don’t have to worry about them lying to me or having ulterior motives.
What do you think?
When someone hires me for a job, there’s normally a “trial period”, to test the waters and see if we make a good business match. There’s a lot to prove, trust to build and relationships to work on.
When we already have that built-in relationship, it’s easier and saves both time and money. So why would we pay them less and total strangers more? The people we know have more to bring to the table, and should be compensated extra.
Do you think we should pay our friends more than total strangers?
