I’m going to go off on a tangent here; this post has nothing to do with design or being green. Though, it still pertains to being smart, considerate and just being a good human being.
With the economy the way it is, it seems as though most people think that they have the right to try and take advantage of hard working professionals…us architects. Come on, give us a break, as a profession, we have one of the highest unemployment rates!
We, like anyone else like to get good deals, but we are still professionals and we still need to put food on the table. We, like many others professionals, have had to downsize as well as make adjustments to keep afloat. Moreover, we are not in the business to undervalue our vast experiences and knowledge.
Within the last month, I’ve had a number of people inquiring about architectural services. However, the inquiries were shockingly insulting. One person wanted to do a full renovation of a single family house plus add on a new floor to that house. They wanted a complete permit set of drawings done within one week and for less than $9,000. This comes out to be about around $10-$12 per hour. Another person wanted permit drawings for a 3000SF bar/restaurant, but he didn’t have an idea of what kind of design he wanted. He did, however, made it clear that he was not going to pay anything more than $12 per hour. 
I wonder if these people go to their doctor and ask the doctor for a discount. I can see it, for every 3 physical exams I get; can I get a free eye exam?
What I am trying to say is that architects are professionals and like other professionals, our years of experience and knowledge are part the services that we provide. These services comes with a cost, the cost is negotiable, but not at indentured servant grade.
