Ancestry24 Answerit Careers24 Entertainment Fin24 Food24 GoTravel24 Health24 Kalahari.net Mobile News24 Play Property24 Sport24 Weather24 Wheels24 Women24

Matchmaking mobiles

Looking for a partner? Taking the first step towards getting married could be as easy as picking up a cellphone.

Top-job

Tummi Golding had no idea she'd one day hold such an esteemed position...
 Advanced Search
How to hire and fire
PRINT |  EMAIL
Few things are more difficult than 'letting someone go'. Be it your tax consultant or your gynae, there is an art to finding the right person for the job and getting rid of the wrong person- diplomatically and without breaking the law.
Article: Sally Burdett from FAIRLADY

TAX CONSULTANT

HIRING

  • Check if the consultant is registered with the chartered accountants board or a similar recognised professional body.
  • Enquire about qualifications. Laws to register and regulate tax practioners are pending, but they should have a degree or diploma with at least one course in accountancy and taxation. Word of mouth is always good, but find someone who specialises in your industry, for example, who knows the rules around claiming in the medical profession, the arts or the media.
  • Make sure you get a copy of the Receiver of Revenue's acknowledgment of your return. At present, it is still YOUR responsibility to make sure the return has been submitted.

    What's a fair rate?

  • Chartered accountants start charging at about R250 an hour, but can go up to R450.
  • Tax consultants often charge per return,R280 or more depending on the complexity of your claim.
  • It's highly unethical for a tax consultant to suggest taking a percentage of your rebate as payment. Firing
  • If you hate confrontation, make sure you've paid them in full, then hire a new tax consultant to collect your records.
  • A short e-mail saying you are moving to a new consultant is all that's needed.You really don't owe them an explanation.

    MIDWIFE OR GYNAECOLOGIST

    Hiring

    Your hormones are going berserk and you need to find the right person to bring your baby into the world … This may involve swapping from one medical professional to another.

  • Ask what their birth 'philosophy' is – a babies-should- be-born-in-office-hours gynae may or may not suit you.

    A midwife who is determined you shall have a water birth in your lounge may not be your cup of tea, either.

  • Enquire about qualifications – with midwifery a growing trend,check that they're registered with the Nursing Council.
  • It is important to go with your instincts: You must feel that you can trust the person.

    Rates
    midwife will charge about R3 500 for consultations, labour and post-birth visits. Although this is more than your gynae charges,consultations are generally longer and more personal.

    Firing

  • This can be tricky. Try,'Thanks for all your support, but because we have different views on how and where my baby should be born, I am going to ask another midwife/gynae to assist me.'
  • If you haven't been going to the same person for a long time, simply ask the receptionist to forward your blood tests and records to the new health professional.

    HAIRDRESSER

    Hiring

  • Stop people with gorgeous cuts in the street and ask who did it.You'll not only make someone's day, you'll probably find that one or two names keep coming up.
  • Try a trim and blow-wave first. It's not just about a great cut; they must also listen to you. You do not want a tyrant with a pair of scissors in your life.

    What's a fair rate?
    What price lovely locks? This is personal,but a basic cut and blow in the city goes for between R130 and R260.

    How to get the style you want

  • Bring a picture – even if it won't totally work for your hair, you have a common starting point.
  • Give specific instructions – 'fringe just on eyebrows'; 'bob just on the jaw-line'.
  • Make eye contact and raise your eyebrows when you make your point: 'I do not think blue highlights will work for me.'

    Firing
    Most of us just never book another appointment, but it can be very taxing dodging former stylists in the supermarket. So:

  • Just make a quick call to say you're moving on – leave a mes- sage with the receptionist if you wimp out.
  • Tell them it might be temporary and you could be back.
  • Say 'I've loved the styles you've given me, but I want a change.'

    BUILDER

    Hiring

  • Always have a signed contract. It must state start and com- pletion date, cost of building and exactly what must be done. Include possible late-completion penalties.
  • Find out the builder's schedule of rates – for example, brick- work per metre. This way you'll have a good ballpark figure for what they should be charging if you suddenly decide you need an extra wall .
  • Phone references,and go and see the work if possible.
  • Don't pay anything upfront! If it's a small-scale builder whom you trust, you can provide an initial deposit, but only give 10 per- cent of total costs and specify it is for building materials.
  • Agree upfront that you will pay on a weekly or monthly basis, and only if building work has been completed satisfactorily.
  • Consider a formalised weekly meeting. It will ensure miscommunication is kept to a minimum (for example,' But your husband told me he wanted plaster finish and not tiles').
  • Keep a record of all meetings and deviations from plans.
  • Strongly consider employing an architect for alterations or any building work costing R150 000 and upwards. Then it's their job to protect your interests.
  • Home alterations are stressful under the best circumstances. Be fair in your expectations and make sure your demands are not born out of frustration over your disrupted household.

    What it will cost you

  • You may be tempted to get the cheapest builder to do the job – but in the building industry as in no other, you really do get what you pay for. ð­Be automatically suspicious of someone who completely undercuts your other quotes.
  • Ask for a detailed breakdown of costs.

    Firing

  • If you have a contract and the builder defaults on it, you can fire them or sue for late penalties. In the contract, you should have agreed on an amount (say 10 percent)only payable when all the small details have been sorted out. Simply hold this amount back until you are satisfied with the work done.
  • If you hired without a contract, immediately give the builder a written warning – including what you want done and by when. If and when they default on this, you can then fire – paying only for work properly done.
  • If you hired without a contract and paid in full and the work is not done – you are in a no-power situation. You can sue, but if it's a small job it probably wont be worth it. Put it down to experience, cut your losses and employ someone to fix it.

    MOTOR MECHANIC

    Hiring

  • Ask friends and colleagues for advice.
  • Start looking for a repair shop before a major car crisis.
  • Check if they are a member of the Retail Motor Industry (RMI),which has offices countrywide – call (011)789-2542/3.
  • Begin with a minor job, and see if they get it right.
  • Look for a well-run facility, with cars of equal value to your own in the lot.
  • Ask for the names of a few customers, and call them – or get chatting to a few people in the waiting area.

    Rates
    Most dealerships have standard fees, which you can ask about. The RMI has a list of flat rates for services and so on – check with them if the rates seem high.

    Firing
    Warning signs

  • They're reluctant to give you a detailed breakdown of costs.
  • They cannot break down the time they spent on the job – sometimes a five-minute job gets a two-hour billing. If you're suspicious, check this with another dealership, mechanic or controlling body.
  • They can't produce the part taken from your car. This could be a sign that the old part is still in your car while you're paying f

    • Share this page

    Ask an expert

    Article Search

    Article originally in:

    FAIRLADY
    Subscribe and
    SAVE 20%
    Visit our website


    Related Articles

    Easy money or not?
    Successful selling
    Jobs for foreigners
    Career crisis?

    Financial Manager
    Gauteng - West Rand

    Treasury Specialist
    Gauteng - Johannesburg

    JAVA DEVELOPER (YL028 ? 04/09)
    Gauteng

    DELPHI DEVELOPER (YL023 ? 04/09)
    Gauteng

    Senior and Lead .NET Developers (C#.NET, Arc, Design, Code.)
    Gauteng - Johannesburg
    more jobs » Conquer the interview
    Create the perfect CV

    Manage your life

    Retirement calculator

    SARS offices

    Dejunk your finances

    Patent your plans

    Vehicle finance

    Exchange rates

    Mouse-over a tool to view a brief description.

    Landlord vs tenant

    How to draw up a marriage contract

    The maintenance talk

    Maternity leave

    The lowdown on retrenchment

    You and your domestic worker

    Mouse-over a tool to view a brief description.

    Fairlady

    True Love

    Sarie

    True Love BABE

    Bride

    Shape

    Mouse-over a tool to view a brief description.
    Your voice, every day... here!
    Thursday Update
    Marcy won't be blogging as often anymore...
    See why