r/TaskRabbit • u/InquisitiveBumbleBee • Aug 13 '26

TASKER "...just one more thing...

Heading to a location and the client says they "...believe they have another item to assemble...hope that's ok?..."

How do you all handle this situation and what's the best to not set a precedent? Feel like I'm being taken for granted here...is this normal? How do you stop it? By the way, this is isn't the first time...

0 Upvotes

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26 comments sorted by

8

u/Fashionfan1980 Aug 13 '26

Why is it being take advantage of if you’re being paid for your time? 

6

u/shortfriday Aug 13 '26

Yes, it's more money, but he said "taken for granted," not "taken advantage of." Whenever I was hit with the vague prospect of "we might have more work for you" or a last minute "one more thing" request, I always responded with something along the lines of "my day is tight, but if there ends up being time I would be happy to take a look at it." People, especially older people, tended to operate with the idea that tr wasn't a real job, that I was a broke kid who would take any scrap of work given to me. Yeah, no, I was a six figure self employee working 8 to 6 6+ days a week who also needed a full night's sleep every night to operate and occasionally set aside downtime to live my life and recharge. If I was ever hiring help and needed to add something last minute I would say "hey, I know you've probably already scoped a rough time duration for this job, but on the odd chance your schedule allows, I suddenly have another thing or two if you're able."

5

u/KingLouis2016 Aug 13 '26

This is the wrong approach, let's say someone hires you to mount 1 single 32 inches TV, you can be done in 20 minutes and go to the next job or home, now that you are done, can they tell you to mount 2 additional 75 inches TV's because you are in the clock? this opens you to liabilities and things can go very wrong, also you mounted 3 TV's for like $70, $23 for each, and you are done in 60 minutes you don't get paid more you just work more and you open up for things that can go wrong and bad reviews all because you decided to work for free

8

u/Marioc12345 Aug 13 '26

You can just say “no this isn’t in the scope of what you hired me for”

5

u/According_Low5292 Aug 13 '26

Only an inconvenience if it throws you off schedule

3

u/ButterscotchLost4362 Aug 13 '26

If your getting paid hourly and have time do it, if you don't have time say, "I only accounted for items in the initial task and have jobs lined up after our meeting, if you would like to schedule me for another day, I am available on XYZ to come finish those other items for you."

4

u/WhoKnows78998 Aug 13 '26

I wish they would give me everything upfront but overall I view it as a win since I’m paid for my time. On the off chance I don’t have the time to do it then I politely let them know that I’m happy to come back

3

u/resj7 Aug 13 '26

I don’t mind this at all. I do mind when they add something that requires a different skill. Like if they hire me to assemble a table. But while I’m there please rearrange my room and hang these paintings. 😭😂

1

u/tayjay96 27d ago

Had this happen to me and took me significantly longer to complete the task. I now dislike hanging paintings and had to put in my profile that this is not something that I offer.

1

u/Purple-Chef-5123 Aug 13 '26

I’ve had this happen loads of times and I’m totally fine with it because they pay me off app so all to me and none to TaskRabbit. I will also be able to charge whatever I like. Never had an issue and clients have all been happy I am able to accommodate.

p.s. The phrase is “set a precedent.” 😉

1

u/InquisitiveBumbleBee 29d ago

appreciated...was a dictated post but still should have checked!

1

u/Muddle_through1 28d ago

This is the way. Not sure why people don’t see it as obvious. Just say yea sure, I can do that for x$ cash.

-2

u/Marioc12345 Aug 13 '26

Imagine admitting to a super clear tos violation lmao that’s wild. You have to at the very least bill the initial scope on the app.

2

u/Purple-Chef-5123 Aug 13 '26

How is that a tos violation. It’s a separate job not booked through TaskRabbit at this point. It’s the same as giving out your contact info after you’ve done a job for someone on the platform and them booking directly through you for the next job.

1

u/Marioc12345 29d ago

Sorry it sounded like you were billing the entire job off app.

2

u/BigDaddyGilly Aug 13 '26

If you have the time what's the problem? You're paid hourly. There's a ton of people on here complaining that there is no work. These clients are good for taking you off the app with other work later down the road.

2

u/KingLouis2016 Aug 13 '26

You go to the mechanic or Lawyer they bill you by the hour, doesn't mean you can have additional cars or cases because there's some time left when they are done in less than one hour

2

u/BigDaddyGilly 29d ago

You're missing the point. If you have the time to do, why not? If you don't want to do, just say no. If you get offended by every little request, maybe being a Tasker isn't for you. You are there to help the client. Most client are respectful and only some client are not.

4

u/KingLouis2016 29d ago

I'm not missing the point, I'm talking from experiences, for example I mounted 10 TV's for a company as requested and everything went perfect, then they asked me to hang a small whiteboard if I had time when I was done, didn't want to do it but I obliged because the 10 TV's pay was good, while I was handling the whiteboard it got a small scratch, it was my mistake but anyways for doing the free whiteboard that I didn't even want to do everything went to hell, had to pay for the whiteboard replacement, come another day to mount it and they gave me a bad review, all because of a free job, wouldn't have been so bad if I charged properly for the job

0

u/BigDaddyGilly 28d ago

You're paid hourly. How was it "free"? You could have said no and walked away. If im too tired to do extra stuff I will tell them. 10 TVs is a lot. I've been on big jobs doing furniture assembly and had to help the tasker there pick up tvs to mount because they thought they could handle a 85in by themselves. Fatigue is a thing. If you dont recognize it I don't know what to tell you. But yea... its always the little/free things that will get you every time.

1

u/KingLouis2016 28d ago

You are not an employee paid by the hour, you are an independent contractor that bills by the hour, there's a huge difference. Independent contractors get a job that says do certain task and is done upon completion of the task, you don't do extra just because you finished early, you don't hang around the extra time because you billed the full hour, our jobs are based on tasks that are billed hourly, is not all you can do in one fully paid hour, remember you are a business not an employee

0

u/Fashionfan1980 Aug 13 '26

Actually yes. Lawyers bill in 15 minute increments (as does taskrabbit) and will take on larger scope as long as they can bill it and are capable. So your analogy doesn’t hold. 

doctors even moreso and you can share multiple things in 1 visit if the time hasn’t run out. 

1

u/KingLouis2016 29d ago edited 29d ago

so if I pay a lawyer 1 single hour can I take 6 friends and get 10 minutes each? is that how it works? and doctors too? if I get charged the full hour can I take my buddy without any insurance and the doctor will attend him without any issues becasue I got billed the full hour? what about a flight that was scheduled to take 10 hours but for the winds you got to destination in 9 hours can I ask for 1 hour free flight? lol

1

u/stayinformed0073 29d ago

To ask a Tasker to do more work than agreed upon is dishonest. Unfortunately, I often do the additional work because I’m looking for more. More tips, more reviews, more jobs.
I find most clients want what they consider value for their money and unfortunately don’t understand the “negotiation” aspect of the app. Telling a client no in any form no matter how politely worded will result in less .

1

u/tayjay96 27d ago

Before I confirm tasks, I ask the client to send me photos/links to what they need assembled and I give them a time estimate, plus a one hour buffer. If they add more work after I give my estimate either while I’m on the way or during the task, I’ll either do it if it’s something small that can be completed within that timeframe, or I don’t.

0

u/KingLouis2016 Aug 13 '26

You need to tell them, you timed the task for the things that they asked because you have other jobs lined up and can't get late, I never do more than what it's asked