I have heard of the script arrangement, but as you say, it sounds a little too risky for me. In my situation, I was at a neighborhood gas station, and the proprietor noticed my trailer, and came out to talk to me. He suggested an arrangement where I would clean his awnings and building, and in exchange, he would provide some oil changes and car washes for me. Of course we would agree to specifics so that the dollar amount would be fair to both parties. So if, for example, I provided $100 worth of services in exchange for $100 worth of services received, wouldn't it be just an even break? My thoughts for even considering this are that I could use this as a marketing advantage. An opportunity to show off my work to other potential clients. I would go to other service stations and say, "Go look at station X and see how great it looks, and yours can look just as nice".
Like many others on this board, I have experienced a slower than usual summer, and am looking for creative ways to boost customer awareness. In previous seasons, when business was robust, I would have never had to consider this.
And who even says these occasional things have to be on the books? I've always thought that so-called gentlemans' agreements were part of the many ways this great country was built. If it all leads to more business, then Uncle Sam benefits as well.