“I can do this myself.”

I respect the “DIY” folks…sometimes I’m one…however, here’s a little story to illustrate the flaw in such thinking…enjoy.

CUSTOMER: “How much will it cost to do this job?”
CONTRACTOR: “$2,800 Dollars.”

CUSTOMER: “That’s WAY too expensive for this job!!”
CONTRACTOR: “How much do YOU think it would cost?”

CUSTOMER: “No more than $800 Dollars – MAX!! It’s a simple job!”
CONTRACTOR: “I can’t prioritize my time for so little.”

CUSTOMER: “People in your line of work are so greedy.”
CONTRACTOR: “Sorry you feel that way. Why not do it yourself?”

CUSTOMER: “But… but… I don’t know how to do any of this.”
CONTRACTOR: “For $900 Dollars, I’ll teach you EXACTLY how to get this job done. Then you can spend $800 to do the job and you’ll still be saving $1,100 Dollars – PLUS… you’ll get the knowledge and experience for the next time you want to do a job yourself.”

CUSTOMER: “Deal!! Let’s do it.”
CONTRACTOR: To get started you’ll need tools. So you’ll have to buy a welder, a grinder, a chop saw, a drill press, a welding hood, gloves and a few other things.”

CUSTOMER: “But I don’t have all this equipment and I can’t buy all of these for one job.”
CONTRACTOR: “Well then for another $300 more I’ll let you rent my tools… and you’ll still be saving $800 Dollars.”

CUSTOMER: “That’s cutting into my savings. But I’ll rent your tools.”
CONTRACTOR: “Okay! I’ll be back on Saturday and we can start.”

CUSTOMER: “Wait. I can’t on Saturday. I only have time today.”
CONTRACTOR: “Sorry, I only give lessons on Saturday, because I have to prioritize my time and my tools have to be at other jobs with other customers all week long.

CUSTOMER: “Okay!! I’ll sacrifice my family plans on Saturday.”
CONTRACTOR: “Yeah… me too. Oh… and I forgot… to do your job yourself, you also have to pay for the materials. Everything is in high demand right now, so your best bet is to get your truck and load up at 6AM before everyone else gets there.”

CUSTOMER: “SIX AM??? On a Saturday??? That’s way too early for me. And also… I don’t have a truck.”
“CONTRACTOR: “I guess you’ll have to rent one. Do you have a couple of strong men to help you load and unload everything?”

CUSTOMER: “Ummm… ya know… I’ve been thinking. It’s probably best if YOU get this job done. I’d rather pay someone to get it done correctly than go through all the hassle.
CONTRACTOR: “Smart move, sign this and please get out of the way so I can work.”

THE REALITY IS THIS…

When you pay for a job, especially handcrafted, you pay not only for the material used, but you are also paying for:

– Knowledge
– Experience
– Tools
– Services
– Time
– Punctuality
– Accountability
– Professionalism
– Accuracy
– Labor
– Sacrifices
– Safety and Security

No one should denigrate a professional’s work by judging prices – ESPECIALLY when they don’t know all the elements or costs necessary for the production of such work.

You can’t haggle over a service that you don’t actually have the skills or knowledge to do yourself. You can’t get a high quality gourmet dinner party for the same price as a Happy Meal from McDonald’s. And you can’t be mad when skilled people actually KNOW their own worth.

Be smart. Trust a reputable professional. And never forget… you ALWAYS get what you pay for.