WIBU to tell them to kill time until the appointment?

[Kaida]

We had a man round to quote for work on the kitchen this morning. Saturday morning I have a lie-in as DH takes toddler, so I was up in time to have myself and the kitchen ready for about 10-15 minutes before the appointment time, but not with any more time to spare than that. I also have dogs, one of whom will bark at strangers and the other overexcites himself at the possibility of fuss from someone new, so when people are due I shut them away.

The kitchen guy this morning turned up, with no apology, half an hour early. I was upstairs getting dressed after my shower, the dogs were loose and their barking upset the toddler, I hadn't eaten breakfast yet so was feeling shaky, and the kitchen was untidy still. He strolls in with no apology even when I mentioned he was early. Then the bugger quoted far more than we were expecting, so it wasn't even a productive disruption!

I've had tradesmen arrive early before. WIBU to tell the next one it's still half an hour before our appointment time, please go away until the arranged time? Or just not answer the door until, say, ten minutes before time?

[NarkyNamechanger]

You could but don't be surprised if they don't hang around!

[WafflyVersatile]

I'm more concerned that you feel shaky before having breakfast.

[raisah]

yes i am a bit concerned that yoy feel wobbly before you have eaten too. It might be worth being tested for diabetes. In future, try to eat before you shower so you dont have a big sugar low.

[NaturalBaby]

shaky before eating=diabetes?? really???

[WafflyVersatile]

maybe. could be all sorts, but I don't think feeling shaky before eating breakfast can be counted as a sign of rude health, no.

I'd mention it to your GP.

[RafaellaNhaKyria]

I'd just say being shaky is low blood sugar meanin hypoglycemia. Just eat first thing. Usually sorts it.

And no, YANBU! Cheeky tradesmen.

[HeathRobinson]

Possibly the best idea is to get them to arrive later, when you're definitely up and ready.

[Wheresmycaffeinedrip]

In theory yanbu but in all honesty I'd just be grateful they showed up at all. I'd personally prefer early to waiting in all day as they r late or don't show up.

[TigerSwallowTail]

I'm more concerned that you feel shaky before having breakfast.

Isn't this normal?

If you left them waiting for too long OP they might just leave, your best bet would be to just stick your head around the door and say "sorry, you're quite early, could you hold on a few minutes till I'm ready" or something similar.

[livinginwonderland]

I'd just let them in, simply because most don't turn up at all!

And it's not normal to feel shaky before breakfast

[BackforGood]

Depends how much you want the quote, or the work done really.
As someone whose job involves going to different venues, it can be really difficult to be very precise about times of calls - you give an estimate, but, I would always expect to be up and about a good half hour before the time I was expecting them good job really as the broadband man was 20mins before expected time today. It's difficult to guesstimate how long the previous job / quote would take.
So, YANBU to ignore the call if you aren't bothered, but then you can't expect him to hang around waiting for you if he's got other stuff he could be doing.

[Groovee]

If you tell them to go away they may well do and not come back. Dh used to get annoyed with people who would ask for a PM call and then not be in at 12.05pm.

[PrincessScrumpy]

We've just had an extension built and after the main bit was completed all the extra stuff was done by people just showing up without a phone call. Usually as I was getting dc into the car for school. Drove me crazy but I wanted the work done and was grateful they'd turned up so I politely smiled and made them tea or coffee once dc were dropped off.
I did tell the Sainsbury delivery guy he'd have to wait when he showed up an hour before our slot thinking I'd be happy - I was in the process of getting a then 3yo to bed while bfing dtds (4mo). Despite dd1 answering the door for me as I stood with 2 babies attached to my boobs he was most put out that I didn't accommodate him!

[ovenchips]

To me that is only mildly annoying. How much better is that than waiting in all frigging day for someone? Which does happen a lot.

I think it would be unreasonable to not let them in for the crime of coming half an hour early.

[WeAllHaveWings]

I hate not being ready for visitors, so always make sure I am ready hours before they arrive in plenty of time

don't think 30 minutes is excessively early for someone who probably has a few places to visit when out doing quotes, maybe ask for a pm visit next time so if they arrive early it is not as much of a problem (or ask them to phone and let them know when they are on their way to yours if they are going to be early)

[KirjavaTheCat]

Yanbu. I seriously, seriously hate it when people turn up early. My house is not perpetually tidy despite what my friends think, because guess what, they arrive on time.

My mum does this ALL the time, turning up sometimes an hour earlier than she said she'd be (and she brings her friends with her sometimes as a 'surprise' for me), with a little smugface when she sees the washing up isn't done or DS' cracker from yesterday is smashed into the carpet still. Argh!

[BackforGood]

Yes, but a builder is there to look at the job you want a quote for, not comment on if you've dusted the skirting board or done the washing up. Hardly the same scenario as guests or family arriving an hour early.

[toomuchtoask]

YABU. It's only half an hour early and it's irrelevant that he quoted more than you wanted to pay. You asked for the quote. FWIW you don't need to clean to get a quote done and you could have had breakfast as he looked around. They aren't judging you! As for the shakiness. It isn't normal to get shaky before breakfast, especially if you're so shaky you don't want to let people in. I'd get checked out.

[Kaida]

OP here.

Thanks for the concern regarding the shakiness. I tend to eat early-ish in the evening but as I'm up early it isn't a problem, except that as this was my lie-in I wasn't up early. Having been woken in the night by people in the road arguing about a taxi and then again by my toddler twice for a long BF (and BFing really makes me hungry) I did need food by the time I woke up at 10am but put it off in favour of a shower so I'd be at least decent if he arrived early.

It seems mostly the consensus is IANBU but that I have to put up with it as tradesmen obviously have so much work they can afford to be rude can't be expected to be on time. I understand it's hard to be precise when you have multiple appointments, but I do think he could have at least been apologetic or phoned to say he was running early, or given me a time-range in the first place as then I could've said that, e.g., "Somewhere between 10 and 12" wouldn't work as I wouldn't be ready by 10 and had to be somewhere myself at 12, so we'd have to do another weekend.