Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Flip

1 2 3 4

Original poster

To give a cuppa to the repairman and then be surprised when he.....

94 replies

Vagabond · 03/09/2012 22:13

.... asked me for a newspaper. I thought he needed it for "technical reasons" so gave him the sports section from yesterday's paper. Instead of carrying on with his work, he grabbed the paper and his cuppa and went outside to sit in his van for 20 minutes ....

I wouldn't have minded but I had to get to work......

Fretting that I should have provided biccies too!

OP posts:

MattDamonIsMyLover · 03/09/2012 22:14

Why didn't you? :)

Liketochat1 · 03/09/2012 22:27

Cheeky so and so! That would have irritated me too I think!

cybbo · 03/09/2012 22:28

I had a guy fitting a new window who came and sat in the front room with me and ate his packed lucnch

WorraLiberty · 03/09/2012 22:29

It wouldn't have bothered me

Lots of people like to read during a tea break and if he forgot his own paper, why not ask if you have one?

OLimpPickMeddles · 03/09/2012 22:30

I had a decorator who completed the sudoku in my paper.

It was the "difficult" one as well, that I was saving for the evening

Sparklingbrook · 03/09/2012 22:31

I thought you were going to say he tucked it under his arm and went for a huge poo in your best loo.

Noqontrol · 03/09/2012 22:32

Sounds ok, as long as he got his work done.

Original poster

Vagabond · 03/09/2012 22:35

Actually I was rather bemused. And late for work. Funnily enough, he told me that most people don't offer him a cuppa these days. Hmmm.... wonder why!

OP posts:

WorraLiberty · 03/09/2012 22:38

I don't know, why?

Surely it's not because he happened to ask if they have a spare newspaper he can glance at while drinking it?

Noqontrol · 03/09/2012 22:40

Why did it make you late for work?

WorraLiberty · 03/09/2012 22:42

I'm trying to work that out too ???

MattDamonIsMyLover · 03/09/2012 22:42

If you hadn't been in a rush - and how was he to guess - it wouldn't have bothered you. He went to his van. He inconvenienced you with the otherwise discarded sports section of an old newspaper. Not a biggie. I bet you go to the water cooler and the free Good Housekeeping when you go to the dentist (or choose a more suitable example).

Lucyellensmum100 · 03/09/2012 22:43

How very dare he!! I mean, he should have doffed his cap, backed out of the room slowly, tugging his forlock saying thankyou Ma'am over and over!! And why did you give him the sports section? how do you know he wasn't after the finance and business section?

Did it make you late for work becaue you wanted to read Dear Deidre and it was on the back of the sports bit?

larks35 · 03/09/2012 22:56

My DP works in other people's houses and makes a flask of tea with milk to take with him. Most of the time the owners aren't there, but even when they are people don't think to offer and he would never ask. He actually doesn't really break at all, might mull over a problem while drinking a cup of tea and eating a sarnie, but while he's there his mindis on the job.

I think, if you're paying someone to work in your home then treat them well. If you are there, offer them tea every 3hrs and if you've got them offer biscuits or cake or whatever. Bear in mind regardless of what this new room/attic etc is costing you, the people working there aren't "coining it in", especially in these straitened times.

larks35 · 03/09/2012 22:59

I did mean to say that his flask tea tastes like shite! I know, I've tasted it and will drink rainwater rather than that any day. He would love to be given a fresh cup, he just knows that he isn't always likely to be offered it so uses the flask instead.

NellyJob · 03/09/2012 23:04

blimey i thought something exciting was going to happen...
I gave him a cup of tea and then he.........................

Lucyellensmum100 · 03/09/2012 23:04

I cannot believe that people don't offer folk working in their homes a cup of tea, but they don't always. I think thts incredibly rude. My DP is a carpenter - and to be fair, he pretty much always gets offered tea, and biscuits and cake! But then he is an addonis (yeah, right, i wish!!!!) He was actually made a full sri lankan buffet by some clients once - especially for him, told to help himself to fruit basket afterwards. He actually took a picture and sent it too me, they had put out various drinks so he could choose!!

mumeeee · 03/09/2012 23:06

I've ofered workman cups of tea before but not one has ever asked for a newspaper.

PopOozeTheFastest · 03/09/2012 23:09

I always offer any workmen I may have in my home a drink & a biscuit! I'm quite surprised some people don't. Personally, I don't think I would have minded him taking 20 mins break in which to drink the tea. Much rather that than a 2 hr disappearance to "get parts" .

InkyBinky · 03/09/2012 23:43

If you were paying by the hour I might have been a bit but if it were a job price then I would be one with it. All the builders I have used are very regimental about their tea and lunch breaks.

InkyBinky · 03/09/2012 23:44

If you were paying by the hour I might have been a bit but if it were a job price then I would be fine with it. All the builders I have used have been very regimental about their tea and lunch breaks.

OutragedAtThePriceOfFreddos · 03/09/2012 23:59

I always offer tea or coffee but we don't have biscuits or cake, so workmen miss out in out house.

RevDebeezWoodall · 04/09/2012 00:05

Nothing wrong with a little break. Maybe he went into the van as he didn't want to impose on you and took the paper as to be fair who'd want to sit alone in a van? Not much of a break.

Agree with posters who said those who are doing a job for you in your home should be offered tea regularly and with biscuits if you have them in. (Although as a North East woman every person who crosses my threshold must be offered tea, refusing it is the social equivalent of spitting in the face of my child.)

BackforGood · 04/09/2012 00:15

Think the 'reasonableness' of taking a 20min newspaper reading break rather depends on if he was there working from 8am - 5.30pm, or if he was in the house to do a job that would otherwise (without the break) taken 1/2 and hour.

BackforGood · 04/09/2012 00:15

and an

Flip

1 2 3 4