When you have builders in, do you make them cups of teas ?

[LovelyYellowLabrador]

Or give them snacks ?

Yes and good biscuits, which I buy specially for them, plus use of toilet.
If we're at work I put everything out for them so they only have to boil kettle.

I don't make them, just show them where the kettle is, leave the tea and biscuits out and tell them to grab the milk when they need it. When I worked in decorating that's what I preferred, rather than someone popping in randomly to offer it.

Neither do I, but I'm also not working in someone else's home.

You don't have to make them yourself, but it's just basic manners to at least say "the kettle is over there - please help yourself to tea or coffee. There's milk in the fridge and biscuits in the tin".

Yes, along with bacon sarnies. I also find Magnums go down well on a hot afternoon. They’re just little things but of course happy workers tend to do a better job and as a PP said they’ll be more willing to come back if they were well taken care of.

Of course not. What a waste.

No I don’t. We have water, juice or soft drinks.

Your employer might do, but the majority of employers do not. Builders are not your employees. They are welcome to bring their own if they want.

That’s quite unusual. But I guess your visitors know they wont get a hot drink. 🤷‍♀️

One of my OH’s relatives was working at the house of a now deceased celebrity and “national treasure”. His wife brought out drinks and sandwiches for the workmen and the “national treasure” grabbed the tray off of them and stormed back in the house with it as he didn’t think they “deserved” it

I've never worked anywhere where basic tea, coffee and milk isn't provided (I actually prefer to buy my own wanky artisan ground coffee but that's my choice). It's just basic good manners to offer anyone working on your home a tea or coffee (cold drinks in hot weather).

I offer anyone who comes to my house a tea/coffee, it's just good manners isn't it?

I don't offer snacks though. I'd offer a biscuit if I had them in, but I rarely do.

Yes, I work from home too. I would offer drinks when I get up from the computer to make my own.

We offer drinks when they arrive and make sure they know where the kettle, squash, glasses etc are so if we aren't around they know they can help themselves. Usually have some cans of coke in as well. We drink loads of tea and coffee so offer every time we make one anyway. Usually get a pack of chocolate biscuits and tell them to help themselves and leave them nearby.

The last builders we had in were here ages. Big job fixing damage done from a massive leak.

As well as tea and coffee, we had bacon sandwiches, chips and Friday was Dominos pizza day 😁

Of course not. What a waste.

That's very unusual and not very welcoming 😬 a jar of coffee and some teabags would cost you less than a fiver and last years!

I do. I've got a painter and decorator here presently. I make him coffee when he arrives then tell him to help himself to coffee/tea/cold drinks from the fridge.

I've purchased chocolate bars and biscuits to share as well.

You get what you give...........

I put a kettle, tea, coffee, mugs and spoons in the garage for them to make their own, there is an old fridge in the garage.

I've recently had 5 men here for 4 weeks, they emptied all the canned drinks within a couple of days and there was a lot but I didn't restock until they'd finished, got me cross I'd find half cans of coke laying around.

Always offer drinks, even people coming round for a quote get a drink offered they are likely to have been in their van ages. When they are doing the work they are offered regularly and they are given the same quality as I have, my builder told me a story as to why he doesn't accept drinks usually he was doing a job on a nice house and they used really awful quality stuff on him fancy on themselves and he saw it and felt really awful like he wasn't worthy. I do have special cups though for tradies, only because I don't want to break my usual ones and not have enough for guests who come round but they're not chipped or anything obviously.

I do prefer them to use the downstairs toilet though, think my upstairs bathroom feels a little private but I don't really like anybody going upstairs in my house.

A friend's husband used to be a tv repair man and he did say that he'd always refuse a drink (hot or otherwise)if he though the house was grubby. So if I have anyone in and they say no to one I always think of that. Even though I don't keep a grubby house IMO. grin]

As we had a kitchen consisting of a sink (that moved position daily) and cooker, with fridge in the sitting room, the kettle was left wherever it was safest on a daily basis and both the Nespresso machine and the plunger coffee pot had been put away for the duration along with a lot of items that were not needed in our "camping style" existence for 4 months (we kept out 2 pots, a pan, 1 oven tray, just enough plates/bowls etc for 1 sitting each, lots of mugs and glasses - but put away lots of pots, most crockery, all the entertaining stuff like serving platters, my Kenwood chef ....in boxes, in the spare bedroom, for safety). We literally just had the essentials out.

But I had decent instant coffee that we drink ourselves, probably offended them by having Barry's gold blend not Lyons tea (it's a Dublin v rest of the country thing here [shrug]) but that's what we drink, and decent chocolate biscuits daily. And the ability to make cold drinks on warmer days (couple of bottles of decent squash - again, what we drink).

But I do know people who have bought the cheapest value brand options for the tradespeople coming in to do jobs. And hidden the Nespresso in their bedroom.

Yes I do. I usually get some nice bits in from The bakery or M&S. if I head out I tell them to help themselves

I might offer one first thing but I don't offer throughout the day and I definitely don't make snacks or lunch. They are welcome to help themselves. Tbh I don't have time to be making endless rounds of tea, i try to work solidly from 9-3 so that I can pick my kids up from school and then log on for an hour in the evening. If I'm not working then i would usually be out for the day.

I've worked for a few charities where tea and coffee hasn't been provided.

As really good and reliable trades people are like gold dust down here, the south, I think if I treat them decently while they are here with at least hot and cold drinks and biscuits or kit kats, crisps, use of the loo etc they would be willing to do further work in the future.

I treat people the way I would like to be treated myself.

Many years ago I was a sales rep and spent all day out of the road. The customers who offered me a tea/coffee were very much appreciated, and were always given something a little nicer at Christmas as a thank you from the company I worked for.