How much is 'a drink' in payment terms for a tradesman?

£100 to put a bulb in? Yeah OK 🤣🤣

He could have charged a call out fee but he didn't, he said just a drink so he should have taken £20. I suspect he thought OPs mum was offering the £60 but anyone decent would have taken £20 from them and been on their way

Eventually those guys will die out and then you’ll all deserve what you get - which is a call out fee and then an hourly rate including going to get the fitting and the vat on all of it.

as I said above, at least £100 in todays climate.

Yes but he didn't do a quote, he said no charge, then drink money. That isn't £60. It's £10, maximum £20.

Hes totally ripped them off!

He took £60😳 that’s just terrible, he’s taken complete advantage of your parents & without doubt, I’d name & shame him.

I would say £10-20. It's 5 minutes work.

Not harsh. Just ask admin in private has there been any mentions /messages /queries about this man

I'm not saying do it on public forum via post ans ruin his name

But our local admin Fb group does say if any issues with tradesman let them know and they keep a private note

Thats a bit harsh.
Op only has one side of the story. He asked for a 'drink' which can also be taken as - donate me what you think my time is worth to you.

The Mother took her money out her purse - he possibly thought she meant him to take it all - and he took it.

What Op could do is contact him quietly and ask - Did you really mean to take as much as £60 for 30min work, from my elderly parents. He fixed the fitting and changed the bulb.
But if he'd been working to a minimum call out it would have been probably £70 for the first hour. And £60 isnt that unreasonable.

I would also contact the admin on the Fb page. Assume local town group

And mention that he he'd said a drink and then took £60 and give his name

Be interesting if any other complaints about him

This

Def contact him

Thank him for his quick work and say next time a price would be more suited to your parents

And please warn your parents , be very wary of showing all cash

I live in a village with one pub and have known all the tradesmen that we use for years (since childhood in many cases). I suppose if you live in a big city things might be different.

Sorry, I'm not sure if you are confused or I am.

The OP talked about, whats beer money.
You only give "beer money" in place of what the job is worth.
Therefore, 5 to 20 at the very top end for a decent amount of work

£20, time travelling and appreciation for his honesty.

Oh for goodness sake, of course they aren't 'dickheads', what a horrible post. I would have been flustered too, the only way buying a drink would make sense is if they regularly see this man in the pub! He should have either said no charge or asked for an exact amount, asking for a drink was very unclear if he's not a friend.

Your poor mum op, I'm sure you've advised them to involve you going forwards, when engaging with workmen.

What a truly nasty way to refer to a couple in their late 80s who just need their light to work.

Think yourself lucky that you aren't elderly and frail or otherwise vulnerable, and that you can still do simple jobs yourself that are now beyond very old folk.

They aren't calling him out of laziness or stupidity; have some compassion, can't you?

When we've had builders or tradespeople in for a few days I'd tip them twenty quid each at the end of the job (if it was well finished) and tell them to have a drink on us. I'd offer the same in your parents case. Shame they've experienced this chancer.

But surely it's because of the very minor nature of the job that he offered to drop in on his way home from work and do it 'for a drink' (which, to everybody else apart from him, usually means £10 or £20).

He's not family or a friend; he's definitely not going to do a major job for strangers that takes him a day or more and just say "Give me a token amount/whatever you think for it", is he?

£10.00

I usually give the guy that does my garden an extra £10 just to get a drink to say thanks

It's a tenner all day long.

It’s not a question of a drink

He’s being decent by not putting the correct price on it which should be £100 at least to drive to some dickheads place and deal with whatever you find there.

It’s the very least £20. Very least. He has a living to make and if you call him out you have to contribute to that including diesel, van depreciation, time there and back etc…

I think in future it would be better for them to just say ‘I don’t know what you mean, how much do you want?’ rather than showing all the cash they have, he must’ve thought she was offering him £60. If he’d said that to my grandad he would’ve given him £1.50 because he still works on prices from 30 years ago!

I’d give £20, or (only if I knew for certain he drinks) I’d take him at his word and buy one of those big cases of Stella which are about £18.

My DH is a builder who is now sober, and now dreads beings given a case of beer as a perk!