I have a trailer . . . or rather my father-in-law has a trailer that he has "left" at our house for the past 15 years. It's not a bad thing. It's a generous thing. Or maybe a pity thing. I dunno. but either way it has been a very helpful tool to our little acreage.
The trailer is showing its age however. This summer I rewired it. It needs a good paint job and to really restore it to its former state it needs to be taken back to the welder that built it for a "touch up" on the welds holding the box together. I've been contemplating how I would handle it if I were the welder so . . .
Here's a thought experiment for fellow do-gooders . . .
If you were the welder and someone brought back a trailer you built twenty years ago to have the box rewelded, would you:
A. Do it for free. Hey, the welds should have held.
B. Charge only half. The welds should have held but its been twenty years.
C. Charge the full price to repair the trailer.
I'd love to hear what you think. Later, in a separate post (don't want to give away anything!), I'll tell you what I would have done twenty years ago and why I would do something different today. Then we'll explore the ethical decision as a business owner versus being a reasonable, rationale, caring human being.
Bryan
Available eBooks:
Private Practice through Contracting: Decreasing dependence on insurance.
Engaging Your Team: A framework for managing difficult people.