Ever had to fire a friend or had a friendship go bad over business?

Concrete Helmet

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Lets hear some of ya'lls horror stories. It might make me feel a little better for what I'm about to do tomorrow...
 

Detroitgator

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Yeah, trusted my life with him. Embezzled from before Day One. Went to Federal prison for five years.

Lesson learned: only someone REALLY close to you can really screw you hard, and that applies to anything in your life.
 

Concrete Helmet

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Yeah, trusted my life with him. Embezzled from before Day One. Went to Federal prison for five years.

Lesson learned: only someone REALLY close to you can really screw you hard, and that applies to anything in your life.
It sucks being taken advantage of especially when you think your doing a longtime friend a favor by helping them get on their feet and get a business started.
 

Detroitgator

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It sucks being taken advantage of especially when you think your doing a longtime friend a favor by helping them get on their feet and get a business started.
As a more than general rule, I just don’t do it, but when I do, I do so with the personal thinking that the money is gone, period. You get less disappointment that way. ;)
 

Concrete Helmet

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As a more than general rule, I just don’t do it, but when I do, I do so with the personal thinking that the money is gone, period. You get less disappointment that way. ;)
Sad but I've found out the hard way too many times that business and friendship are typically like oil and water, you can blend them together for a while but eventually they separate again and the mixture usually spoils.
In my case I'm not really out much money other than being overcharged, getting horrible service and treated like an inconvenience. That would be bad enough but this is someone I worked with in the past for about 8 years and have known for close to 20....I also helped him start his business by giving him 7 accounts and probably another 20 referrals over the last 5 years.
 

MJMGator

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I’ve never hired friends or family and never will. Loaned my best friend around $200 when we were 18 and had a huge rift because he swore he paid me back when he never did. I said screw it and considered it a $200 lesson in life. Fastest way to lose a friend other than banging their girl is to loan them money.
 

Concrete Helmet

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I’ve never hired friends or family and never will. Loaned my best friend around $200 when we were 18 and had a huge rift because he swore he paid me back when he never did. I said screw it and considered it a $200 lesson in life. Fastest way to lose a friend other than banging their girl is to loan them money.
Yeah regarding the family part I lent one of my sisters 2K many years back and told her to take her time paying me back....15 years have gone by and she's never even mentioned it but slams me behind my back to my Mother because I won't hire her Husband to do any work on our properties or her to work at our office....The truth is I won't hire either of them because they have been sponging off my Mom for over 10 years to keep their house out of foreclosure and pay their bills.
 

Detroitgator

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I’ve never hired friends or family and never will. Loaned my best friend around $200 when we were 18 and had a huge rift because he swore he paid me back when he never did. I said screw it and considered it a $200 lesson in life. Fastest way to lose a friend other than banging their girl is to loan them money.
As I said, only someone really close to you can really hurt you
 

Bushmaster

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As I said, only someone really close to you can really hurt you


People have a hard time with this concept. The fact is, you usually don't let strangers have the opportunity to screw you over (ie, steal).

I do a lot of work for churches. They typically want an "audit" but what they really want to know is anybody stealing. I ask them who has the opportunity and usually get the preacher, secretary/treasurer, head deacon type answers. So I look at 100% of their cc charges, any check reimbursements, and voila!!! That's where I find it.

The look on these people's faces is funny. They just couldn't believe Ms. Prim and Proper was stealing the Vacation Bible School money. I tell them its because no one else had the opportunity.
 

Detroitgator

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People have a hard time with this concept. The fact is, you usually don't let strangers have the opportunity to screw you over (ie, steal).

I do a lot of work for churches. They typically want an "audit" but what they really want to know is anybody stealing. I ask them who has the opportunity and usually get the preacher, secretary/treasurer, head deacon type answers. So I look at 100% of their cc charges, any check reimbursements, and voila!!! That's where I find it.

The look on these people's faces is funny. They just couldn't believe Ms. Prim and Proper was stealing the Vacation Bible School money. I tell them its because no one else had the opportunity.
Almost always involves a sense of entitlement and/or “I see what they are spending on and I deserve this” too
 

NVGator

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When I was selling dime bags or quarter ounces, your damn right I was skimming off the top, friends or not. How else would I get my take for free?
 

Concrete Helmet

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Almost always involves a sense of entitlement and/or “I see what they are spending on and I deserve this” too
I'd throw the word jealousy in there too. We have a long tenured employee who makes a very decent salary, commission and bonus package totaling in the 110-120K range with bennies...

Despite all that and receiving a hefty Xmas bonus of $5K, they decided they should be entitled to the leftover beer, wine and liquor from our annual Xmas party we throw for our clients at the office....There was maybe 5 or 6 cases each of leftover beer and wine and half a dozen miscellaneous bottles of liquor. This went on for 2 years and come to find out this person has their own Xmas party the Saturday after our party every year which is always on a Thursday....hmmm.

When questioned about it they responded that my wife's ex partner who is now deceased told them to always make sure and take it for their party since some of the same clients attended both parties(hard to argue with a dead guy, right?)....Well this year we decided to have the party at a local Country Club and let them provide the liquor, wine and beer....We heard through the employee grapevine that the annual Saturday "after party" party was not such a hit this time around...:dunno: :lol:
 

Bushmaster

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I'd throw the word jealousy in there too. We have a long tenured employee who makes a very decent salary, commission and bonus package totaling in the 110-120K range with bennies...

Despite all that and receiving a hefty Xmas bonus of $5K, they decided they should be entitled to the leftover beer, wine and liquor from our annual Xmas party we throw for our clients at the office....There was maybe 5 or 6 cases each of leftover beer and wine and half a dozen miscellaneous bottles of liquor. This went on for 2 years and come to find out this person has their own Xmas party the Saturday after our party every year which is always on a Thursday....hmmm.

When questioned about it they responded that my wife's ex partner who is now deceased told them to always make sure and take it for their party since some of the same clients attended both parties(hard to argue with a dead guy, right?)....Well this year we decided to have the party at a local Country Club and let them provide the liquor, wine and beer....We heard through the employee grapevine that the annual Saturday "after party" party was not such a hit this time around...:dunno: :lol:



Look on the bright side. At least you know you threw a hell of a party all these years.
 

Concrete Helmet

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How did it go?
Thanks for asking. I'm still trying to find a replacement. I've used the guy for about 6 years, he does the lawn service for 6 properties as well as other stuff like pressure washing and hauling away junk people always seem to leave behind when they move out. It was nice because he needed the work at the time and I could use him for odd jobs that other Landscapers probably wouldn't touch.

Problem is he's gotten to the point he doesn't keep up on the weekly lawn maintenance very well and takes off for 3 weeks in the Summer and almost the whole month of November. He often skips our office which I've mentioned to him several times over the years is not optional especially since we just paid over $25K to re landscape it and put pavers in. Then he started this thing of randomly billing odd jobs that I never even ask for and putting it on his monthly invoice which he knows my Wife pays. She finally started asking me about stuff that I had no clue what he was doing...$600 leaf clean out, $900 to lay 2 pallets of sod....and other stuff I never authorized.

Last Friday I came to the office early and he was pulling out with a few bags of leaves on his trailer and I ask him why he was there a second time that week. He said he and his guys just spent 3 hours cleaning out the leaves:jerkit:. I said good, but to be clear I'm not paying you for it because I didn't ask you to do it and it is something you could be keeping up with if you showed up every week like your supposed to....

It just keeps getting worse as time goes on so instead of getting pissed at someone I thought was not only a friend but someone I could trust I'll just get rid of him and bring in someone new.
 

Detroitgator

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Thanks for asking. I'm still trying to find a replacement. I've used the guy for about 6 years, he does the lawn service for 6 properties as well as other stuff like pressure washing and hauling away junk people always seem to leave behind when they move out. It was nice because he needed the work at the time and I could use him for odd jobs that other Landscapers probably wouldn't touch.

Problem is he's gotten to the point he doesn't keep up on the weekly lawn maintenance very well and takes off for 3 weeks in the Summer and almost the whole month of November. He often skips our office which I've mentioned to him several times over the years is not optional especially since we just paid over $25K to re landscape it and put pavers in. Then he started this thing of randomly billing odd jobs that I never even ask for and putting it on his monthly invoice which he knows my Wife pays. She finally started asking me about stuff that I had no clue what he was doing...$600 leaf clean out, $900 to lay 2 pallets of sod....and other stuff I never authorized.

Last Friday I came to the office early and he was pulling out with a few bags of leaves on his trailer and I ask him why he was there a second time that week. He said he and his guys just spent 3 hours cleaning out the leaves:jerkit:. I said good, but to be clear I'm not paying you for it because I didn't ask you to do it and it is something you could be keeping up with if you showed up every week like your supposed to....

It just keeps getting worse as time goes on so instead of getting pissed at someone I thought was not only a friend but someone I could trust I'll just get rid of him and bring in someone new.
Mannnnn do I know what you mean about the “extras.” Starting like 3 years ago, we felt like every time “Grumpy Ken” wanted to take his “old lady” gambling in Biloxi, there’d be some extra charge on our bill for trimming some shyt and always for like $80+. I don’t travel as much and I like yard work. After 10 years, Ken lost a lawn and I’m back in the yard. Oh, and same, always after the fact without asking first
 

Concrete Helmet

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Mannnnn do I know what you mean about the “extras.” Starting like 3 years ago, we felt like every time “Grumpy Ken” wanted to take his “old lady” gambling in Biloxi, there’d be some extra charge on our bill for trimming some shyt and always for like $80+. I don’t travel as much and I like yard work. After 10 years, Ken lost a lawn and I’m back in the yard. Oh, and same, always after the fact without asking first
Yeah if I had somewhere to keep a commercial sized mower and equipment I would have fired him 3 or 4 years ago. I do quite a bit of planting, mulching and irrigation and such around our house but probably wouldn't have the time to do our other properties and my stepson and daughters houses all of which I gave him and pay for through the company....
For grins and giggles I figured out the pricing/cost of his $900 sod job..
2 pallets of St. Augustine sod $149 ea. retail from Landscape Junction....so $110 wholesale?
$50-$100 delivery fee? 12 miles maybe...
So somewhere around $590-600 to lay 2 pallets of sod :eek3: .....f vck me.
Then there's his help who constantly breaks off at least 2 sprinkler heads every
time he steps foot on my property, or uses a leaky backpack sprayer when killing weeds, it's his brother in law who is a stoned Down syndrome. He literally pays the guy 2 cases of non alchy beer, 2 cans of Copenhagen and a half bag of weed per week to f vck my sh!t all up and I'm over it :banghead:
 

Detroitgator

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Yeah if I had somewhere to keep a commercial sized mower and equipment I would have fired him 3 or 4 years ago. I do quite a bit of planting, mulching and irrigation and such around our house but probably wouldn't have the time to do our other properties and my stepson and daughters houses all of which I gave him and pay for through the company....
For grins and giggles I figured out the pricing/cost of his $900 sod job..
2 pallets of St. Augustine sod $149 ea. retail from Landscape Junction....so $110 wholesale?
$50-$100 delivery fee? 12 miles maybe...
So somewhere around $590-600 to lay 2 pallets of sod :eek3: .....f vck me.
Then there's his help who constantly breaks off at least 2 sprinkler heads every
time he steps foot on my property, or uses a leaky backpack sprayer when killing weeds, it's his brother in law who is a stoned Down syndrome. He literally pays the guy 2 cases of non alchy beer, 2 cans of Copenhagen and a half bag of weed per week to f vck my sh!t all up and I'm over it :banghead:
Oh yeah, Grumpy Ken ran over the water main shut off cover (with drive-by sensor for metering in top) TWICE and sprinkler heads at back routinely... I deducted the $85 for the second time.
 

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