Vent: My buddy's honesty cost him a $500 side job last month

He was doing a small patio for a neighbor and found a big crack in the foundation slab that the old pavers had hidden. He told the homeowner, who then decided to put the whole project on hold to fix the bigger issue first. My buddy could have just poured over it and no one would have known for years. It got me thinking about where you draw the line between full disclosure and just doing the work you were hired for. Has anyone else lost out on money because they felt they had to point out a problem the client didn't ask about?

4 comments

4 Comments

paigep852mo ago

Remember when my sister bought a used car and the seller pointed out a small tear in the back seat. That tiny bit of truth made her trust him so much she didn't even haggle on his asking price. It's like what wren638 said about weeding people out, but flipped. Sometimes that honesty upfront builds way more value later, even if you eat a cost right now. My buddy who fixes phones does the same thing, tells people when a repair isn't worth it. He gets all their future business because of it.

luna_wright2mo agoMost Upvoted

So your buddy's honesty has a $500 price tag now?

wren6382mo ago

Honestly, yeah. I always thought loyalty was free until my own "buddy" ghosted me over a client he decided to poach. That $500? It's not buying honesty, it's weeding out the people who'd sell you out for way less. Changed my whole view on who you can really trust.

ruby_jones25d ago

Your buddy did the right thing and that's gonna pay off in the long run. Same thing happened to me with a deck repair. Told the homeowner the support beams underneath were rotted out, she got mad and went with someone else who just threw new boards on top. Three months later that other guy's deck collapsed and she called me back asking if I could still help. That honesty cost me a quick $300 but got me a full rebuild worth $1800 plus her neighbor's business. Looks like cracks cost you upfront, but covering them up costs you your reputation.