To pushback or let it go?

[Nocheezesforusmeesez]

I run a small business and a friend of mine did some work for us on a consulting basis. It's probably important to note here that this is an area I know nothing about but could have picked up enough from the internet to make a reasonable stab at it myself. I asked this friend as she was in difficult circumstances and I wanted to help her out. I also thought she would do a better job much quicker. She was available, so it felt good all round.

Long story short, the work was shoddy. She didn't deliver what we agreed (verbally although she did have a proper contract) and I ended up having to do the work myself/redo everything. I also gave her free services while she did the tasks before I realised how half arsed her work was.

Well, she has now sent me her tinesheet for the work and I am shocked. She is claiming for over £600 of hours, knowing she didn't deliver anything! The work was just copied and pasted, not appropriate or useful in any way. She missed deadline after deadline, and took service/time from me in good faith.

My question is, what do I do now? Pay it and then chalk it up to experience or confront her and tell her that I feel she is taking advantage? We have mutual friends, which will be awkward, but I don't necessarily have to see her again.

What do you think?

Well, did you tell her that the work was substandard and give her a chance to redo it?

No, I didn't. I wanted to avoid the potential conflict so I just redid it. Bit wimpy of me, I know. Some things she knows didn't do though as they were specific deliverables and she has still claimed for hours naming them as the project.

Given your response, I’d pay and chalk it up to a learning experience. Unless you don’t mind if the friendship ends.

You're a wet lettuce OP.

When she missed the first deadline you should have pulled her up on it and when the work was copy and pasted you should have sacked her. Instead you did it yourself.

I would pay the money because as far as she's aware, she did the work. She could also take you to the small claims court.

Oh I'm going to pay the money. I'm just asking whether I should call get out or take it as lesson learned? I bloody hate conflict so do try and avoid it, usually to my own detriment!

Call her out, sorry

There's no point calling her out as it's too late. I wouldn't see her again however as she completely ripped you off.

What I would do is work on my self esteem and assertiveness.

@username299 is right. She knows she didn’t deliver the whole assignment and is ripping you off. For me that would be the end of that friendship. I would pay and drop her.

It took me a long while to learn the lesson of not mixing business and friendship, but I will never do it again. The potential for problems and bad feelings is too high.

Also, wherever possible I get a price for one off jobs rather than pay an hourly rate. Experienced professionals know how long their work takes. From what you have said, even though she didn’t complete the whole assignment she might still have worked 600 hours. She might have dawdled or worked flat out, but how could you know if she was off site.

I’m sorry this has happened to you though, especially as you were trying to do her a favour.