Contractors, Self Employed nice cars? You earn far too much!
Discussion
9mm said:
I'm not sure it's fair to describe my behaviour as arrogant. I think it would be fairer to call the critics small-minded and envious.
My experience is that the decision makers don't have a problem or they wouldn't employ you in the first place. The 'shop floor' can moan all they like to who they like but they damage themselves far more than any contractor.
I feel sorry for people who put on an act/drive something they'd rather not in order to placate cretins. I can only feel that the overall working environment must be rather unpleasant.
Anybody would think envy were a sin!My experience is that the decision makers don't have a problem or they wouldn't employ you in the first place. The 'shop floor' can moan all they like to who they like but they damage themselves far more than any contractor.
I feel sorry for people who put on an act/drive something they'd rather not in order to placate cretins. I can only feel that the overall working environment must be rather unpleasant.
If you don't have to bear in mind people's natural tendencies to behave, en masse, in particular ways, that's fine (and it's certainly a good way of avoiding the issue). If you do, you'll just have to work around it somehow. Railing against a tendency for people to behave as they do feels a little counterproductive though! What will change? What will ever change? Nothing, that's what!
It's persistent, this idea that people might be somehow perfectible, but things never seem to work that way...
to3m said:
9mm said:
I'm not sure it's fair to describe my behaviour as arrogant. I think it would be fairer to call the critics small-minded and envious.
My experience is that the decision makers don't have a problem or they wouldn't employ you in the first place. The 'shop floor' can moan all they like to who they like but they damage themselves far more than any contractor.
I feel sorry for people who put on an act/drive something they'd rather not in order to placate cretins. I can only feel that the overall working environment must be rather unpleasant.
Anybody would think envy were a sin!My experience is that the decision makers don't have a problem or they wouldn't employ you in the first place. The 'shop floor' can moan all they like to who they like but they damage themselves far more than any contractor.
I feel sorry for people who put on an act/drive something they'd rather not in order to placate cretins. I can only feel that the overall working environment must be rather unpleasant.
If you don't have to bear in mind people's natural tendencies to behave, en masse, in particular ways, that's fine (and it's certainly a good way of avoiding the issue). If you do, you'll just have to work around it somehow. Railing against a tendency for people to behave as they do feels a little counterproductive though! What will change? What will ever change? Nothing, that's what!
It's persistent, this idea that people might be somehow perfectible, but things never seem to work that way...
It's a worry for me too. Most people I work with have a brand new car which must cost £30k+ whilst I drive around in an older vehicle albeit towards the top of the range in its day. I'm constantly battered with you must be doing ok comments etc even though my car is far cheaper! Just toying with the idea of an older M5 but I'm cringing in anticipation of the nudge, nudge, wink, wink that will follow ...
TX.
TX.
Harji said:
rek said:
"Contract Scum"
He he, long time since I heard that, once a contractor myself . I spent my money on a 320d, I did it wrong didn't I.George111 said:
Harji said:
rek said:
"Contract Scum"
He he, long time since I heard that, once a contractor myself . I spent my money on a 320d, I did it wrong didn't I.
king short sighted view if you ask me!TX.
Perhaps some constructive dialogue could get you past these situations.
To the manager, try something reassuring like 'Oh, my rate is not high because of the excellent quality of my work. It is because I have to deal with fat, lazy, dumb and unpopular kh*nts like yourself'
To the old woman, perhaps 'Dear, this is not my car. I stole it from my neighbour's grandparents. And next I'm going to steal your virginity'.
I think you will find that helpful, informative discussion, that exemplifies the 'real you' will put these people's minds at rest....
To the manager, try something reassuring like 'Oh, my rate is not high because of the excellent quality of my work. It is because I have to deal with fat, lazy, dumb and unpopular kh*nts like yourself'
To the old woman, perhaps 'Dear, this is not my car. I stole it from my neighbour's grandparents. And next I'm going to steal your virginity'.
I think you will find that helpful, informative discussion, that exemplifies the 'real you' will put these people's minds at rest....
George111 said:
Harji said:
rek said:
"Contract Scum"
He he, long time since I heard that, once a contractor myself . I spent my money on a 320d, I did it wrong didn't I.I suppose if you want to base your behaviour on 1:100 situations fair enough. As I said earlier, this manager will have known what you were being paid when you were recruited and any manager worth their salt will recognise whinging staff for what they are. If they're not moaning about contractors' cars it will be the heating, toilets or pension scheme.
9mm said:
Rick1.8t said:
9mm said:
Pander to these idiots? Drive a crappy car to appease them? To hell with that.
My clients tend to fall into categories. The first group celebrate success and the second are more like those described by the op.
I'm afraid I can't resist winding up the second group. A house photo often works well. Whilst I no longer need to work, I was no different when I did. I guess it's important to be selling something the employer would find hard to get elsewhere but I never lost work as a result of 'being paid too much'.
You sound like you were in the rare position where what you offered was of sufficient value that you could behave like this. You could stick the proverbial finger up to the misinformed/idiotic and not worry about the result.My clients tend to fall into categories. The first group celebrate success and the second are more like those described by the op.
I'm afraid I can't resist winding up the second group. A house photo often works well. Whilst I no longer need to work, I was no different when I did. I guess it's important to be selling something the employer would find hard to get elsewhere but I never lost work as a result of 'being paid too much'.
For everybody else acting in an arrogant manner to towards these plebs could and possibly will result in loss of business - I am self employed and know many other self employed people, they all drive crap / vans to work and the owner of a business who supplies product to me once told me how he lost an entire contract because the buyer saw him roll up in a new BMW (about 10 years ago) - Mental, but this is now some peoples brains work.
It doesnt matter if it is old, if it is cheaper than the other 'euroboxes' or 'white leas BMW's' if it looks potentially expensive this is how it will be viewed. Its upto you if you can deal with the crap that will inevitably come with or not.
Edited by Rick1.8t on Tuesday 16th June 21:24
My experience is that the decision makers don't have a problem or they wouldn't employ you in the first place. The 'shop floor' can moan all they like to who they like but they damage themselves far more than any contractor.
I feel sorry for people who put on an act/drive something they'd rather not in order to placate cretins. I can only feel that the overall working environment must be rather unpleasant.
But it still is an act of arrogance, or defiance if that is a better term that if many people attempted to copy may result in a less than happy business relationship or even no business at all.
As I say, not right but something worth thinking about unless you are in a similar position of 'power' over your client.
I think it unfortunately depends on what the decision makers are into themselves.
Most of our clients are multi millionaires, I have one who always arrives in a helicopter / private jet but isn't into cars and freaks out if anyone turns up in anything better than an audi A4 even though he pays us enough to buy a new Ferrari every year. Yet he is happy that we spend a fortune on a Polo team think six figures a year ( that's what he's into as well but his team is way into seven figures a year)
We have others who would worry if we didn't turn up in something flash !!
We pander to them because it pays very well !!
Phib
Most of our clients are multi millionaires, I have one who always arrives in a helicopter / private jet but isn't into cars and freaks out if anyone turns up in anything better than an audi A4 even though he pays us enough to buy a new Ferrari every year. Yet he is happy that we spend a fortune on a Polo team think six figures a year ( that's what he's into as well but his team is way into seven figures a year)
We have others who would worry if we didn't turn up in something flash !!
We pander to them because it pays very well !!
Phib
DHE said:
A friend of mine has a new M135i, but it wears a 56 plate. I have heard his customers comment on what a good looking car it is for 8 years old. Public perception is a strange thing.
That's why in my opinion cars depreciate so much here, people just buy for the plate. Most would rather buy a 15 place Dacia because it's cheap and they can say they have a new car, rather than a 3, 5 or however old better car. I'm always surprised in the US for example how cars hold their value so well, and I think the 'number plate buying' culture here is part of the reason cars depreciate so badly.Contracting? I'm one, and rock up to work in my £400 Mondeo but I have my Cooper S and MGB V8 back at home
Mind you some of the permies here are driving Posches and M3's, so they can't moan.Most people are stupid!!!!!!!!!! Contractor take the risk of no income so they get the rewards when there is income & most are generally good at what they do. Blame the tax system not the contractor... As for nice cars, again people should think before they speak.
I recently sold my 11 year old Cayenne for £6K & bought a brand new £30K+ Mercedes estate, the amount of people saying I was "cutting back" was incredible....
I recently sold my 11 year old Cayenne for £6K & bought a brand new £30K+ Mercedes estate, the amount of people saying I was "cutting back" was incredible....
9mm said:
So are those of you 'playing the game' extending that to wearing an Asda suit., cheap shoes and watch and telling everyone you live in a one bed flat in an average part of town together with holidays in Scarborough?
Never mention anything about home / house ( live minimum 1.5 hours away from clients) but don't wear cheap suit etc however no one has ever commented on clothing, re watch I have told various people its a fake. At the end of the day the way I look at it in my industry you can play the game and earn a fortune or not play the game and earn nothing / very little.
Previous results talk for themselves in terms of the quality of our work after 15 years of doing it.
Phib
This is an excellent thread. I rarely post but feel compelled to now.
I own a 3grand Omega watch, I bought it when I was a salaried full time project manager earning around £30k a year.
I was made redundant from that job, and since went contracting. I wear said watch still and do get the odd comments about it. If only people knew I bought it when I was earning half of what I do now!
Edited to add... One lady who commented on my watch drives a financed BM 1 series, she's thinking of changing it for a newer model... on finance, you couldn't make this stuff up!
I own a 3grand Omega watch, I bought it when I was a salaried full time project manager earning around £30k a year.
I was made redundant from that job, and since went contracting. I wear said watch still and do get the odd comments about it. If only people knew I bought it when I was earning half of what I do now!
Edited to add... One lady who commented on my watch drives a financed BM 1 series, she's thinking of changing it for a newer model... on finance, you couldn't make this stuff up!
Edited by biscione on Wednesday 17th June 09:24
Greenmantle said:
Perfect End !! So true Phib
9mm said:
Never known it happen although I can understand why a useless contractor would tell it like that when they weren't renewed.
I suppose if you want to base your behaviour on 1:100 situations fair enough. As I said earlier, this manager will have known what you were being paid when you were recruited and any manager worth their salt will recognise whinging staff for what they are. If they're not moaning about contractors' cars it will be the heating, toilets or pension scheme.
Depends on the whinging. I was peripherally involved in a situation where a client brought in two contractors to boost their software development team. The 3 senior permies were not happy as the contractors were less experienced than them and quite frankly not as good but paid a lot more. After 6 weeks the 3 permies all handed their notice in on the same day. I suppose if you want to base your behaviour on 1:100 situations fair enough. As I said earlier, this manager will have known what you were being paid when you were recruited and any manager worth their salt will recognise whinging staff for what they are. If they're not moaning about contractors' cars it will be the heating, toilets or pension scheme.
A lot of the "you earn too much" comments are light hearted leg pulls in my opinion.
One of my contractors was telling me that he had to see a osteopath for an ongoing and very painful back and leg problem which turned out to be sciatica. The doc advised him to thin out his wallet as it was causing him to sit and walk awkwardly. You can imagine our totally sympathetic reaction to this - the contractor's wallet is so full of wads of cash that it's actually causing a medical condition. Of course he lived that down and we never remind him of it, ever.....
However it was all in jest. We know the market rate, can tell if he's doing a good job and get our money's worth. What a contractor does with his money is his or her prerogative and all this "earn too much" bks is pure jealousy. If someone was giving £35,000 away to the children's orphanage each year rather than financing an M5 you're not going to have a go are you?
One of my contractors was telling me that he had to see a osteopath for an ongoing and very painful back and leg problem which turned out to be sciatica. The doc advised him to thin out his wallet as it was causing him to sit and walk awkwardly. You can imagine our totally sympathetic reaction to this - the contractor's wallet is so full of wads of cash that it's actually causing a medical condition. Of course he lived that down and we never remind him of it, ever.....
However it was all in jest. We know the market rate, can tell if he's doing a good job and get our money's worth. What a contractor does with his money is his or her prerogative and all this "earn too much" b
ks is pure jealousy. If someone was giving £35,000 away to the children's orphanage each year rather than financing an M5 you're not going to have a go are you?Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff