Beyond the call of duty

I'm a very helpful person. One of my clients must think so anyway.

I have spent 18 months of my life working to build her a new house and have found myself increasingly drawn into every aspect of her life. In the past she has asked me to find loo roll holders for the bathrooms, collect her post, and she regularly cries on the phone or in my car about her marital problems.

Things have gone a step too far today when she asked me to sort out her council tax. Last I looked I was an Architect, not personal skivvy, but I could be wrong. I pretended to misunderstand her request and am eagerly awaiting a phonecall asking why I won't do it. Quite simply - it is not my job - sort your own life out! We all have to!

I suspect the reason she gets me do stuff like this is because my hourly rate is less than her Shrink/interior designer/personal assistant, and up until now I usually agree with a wry smile to her increasing cheeky requests.

I bet if she was paying Insolvency Accountant Jane's hourly rate she wouldn't be so keen for me to sort out her bills.