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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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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:

Markingthehours · 04/09/2012 00:27

I know Nelly - I thought OP was at least going to say he.... propositioned her

Jackin · 04/09/2012 06:35

Can't you make up that he propositioned you for the rest of us?

flyoverthegoldenhill · 04/09/2012 07:51

yep, now tell us the true story. Is "newspaper" a euphemism ?
Did he really take you to his van for hot sex ?
We need to know
Andmaybe I should pop over to pedants corner "a euphemism" or "an"

TitsalinaBumSquash · 04/09/2012 07:57

I have a guy in sorting my dump rather wild garden. He got tea made for him yesterday and then at lunchtime he popped off to get lunch and came back with a big bacon baguette for me!

Bossybritches22 · 04/09/2012 08:01

I was always taught by my mum to look after workmen, cuppa offered at regular intervals or makings left with biccies if leaving them.

All in the name of getting the job done quickly & efficiently & often they'll do you a favour & look at something else /do a bit extra if asked.

Also I agree flask tea is crap so as a tea lover I'd hate to think that's all the poor sods had all day!

Sparklingbrook · 04/09/2012 08:21

My friend's DP as a television repair man. He only ever refused a cup of tea if he thought the kitchen would be dirty.

I always have tea and biscuits for anyone coming to do anything here. The only problem is they sometimes stop working for half an hour to drink it. then I talk them to death.

PurplePidjin · 04/09/2012 08:45

If someone's coming to my house to do work, i buy biscuits especially as they're not part of my everyday shop

Why would you not have at least that much respect for someone?

multipoodles · 04/09/2012 09:36

When I have workmen coming in I buy a bag of donuts and make them tea, will also offer a bacon sarnie for lunch :) I also offer coffee or tea to carpet fitters and the guy who services the boiler. As Bossy says, it helps get the job done well. I always think if it were my husband or son I'd like them looked after when doing their work. A plumber friend says you'd be surprised at how few people offer to make cuppas these days, usually the younger generation!

InkyBinky · 04/09/2012 09:50

I think I had posh builders, they liked salad and healthy foods. .

Poledra · 04/09/2012 09:58

I always offer workmen a cuppa and, having seen Sparkling's post, I'm glad to say they usually accept, so my kitchen can't be that clarty.

I did once have a very embarrassed meter reader ask if he could use my loo (the meter is next to the downstairs toilet) as he apologetically explained that he'd been out for 3 hours and there are no public loos in our village.

Chattymummyhere · 04/09/2012 10:13

I try to remember but as I dont drink hot drinks my self I often dont think to offer, But im getting there even my workmans friend who popping in for a chat got a tea yesterday lol

SherlockGnomes · 04/09/2012 10:18

I once offered a workman a cup of tea, he accepted, I made it, and he sent it back because it wasn't how he liked it...TWICE....I hadn't shat in it or anything it just had "slightly too much milk" I was 7.5 mo pregnant at the time and unimpressed!

PippasArse · 04/09/2012 10:20

tell us why it made you late for work?

RuleBritannia · 04/09/2012 10:23

If a workman takes more than an hour (for instance installing a bathroom or making good the mess left by another, I'll make tea or coffee. I don't put milk or sugar in it though. I put it on a tray with a jug of milk and a bowl of sugar (with spoon for sugar) then they can have it as they like. And they have a tea plate each for their biscuits - also presented on a separate plate.

Why should workmen be treated differently? Anyway, we might get a better job than from others.

perfumedlife · 04/09/2012 10:27

I had a decorator in last year for a week. I made him bacon sandwiches with a pot of tea the first morning and he ate in the kitchen with me so it evolved to us breaking for lunch together ( I work at home) and he would take his paint dungarees off, wash and change for sitting down It became quite a nice ritual, missed him when he'd gone.

I always give workers tea/sandwiches/biscuits/radio and wouldn't care if they went to their van or sat with a paper. Tea is important. Take life slow

limitedperiodonly · 04/09/2012 10:28

I don't think that's weird at all. And yes, you should have provided biccies. I don't eat them but try to remember to get them in for guests. Workmen count as guests in my house. I find treating them as human beings makes them more efficient, not less.

I ask them to ask me for tea and coffee or leave a kettle, cups and tea-making things and tell them to do it themselves because I don't drink tea ever and only drink coffee to help me wake up. After that I move onto gin.

Last time I had workmen in, most of them pissed off to their van for their sandwiches. I had a recording of Spartacus: Sex, Slaves and Sandals on when they arrive that I hastily turned off because it was a bit embarrassing.

One of them said: 'Oh, that's rubbish isn't it?' and we spent a happy hour in my living room with him telling me about the real ancient Rome and his holidays exploring Roman ruins.

People have varied interests, you know.

Toughasoldboots · 04/09/2012 10:29

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

limitedperiodonly · 04/09/2012 10:34

Someone from Thames Water came round this morning. I was still in my dressing gown. He could have judged me for being a sloven seeing as he'd obviously been up and about for hours but he didn't.

He didn't want a cup of tea though.

After what sparkling said, may be he did judge me

OutragedAtThePriceOfFreddos · 04/09/2012 10:43

Its very nice that some of you will buy biscuits just for workmen, but I really don't think it should be expected. If I don't buy them for my own family and I don't buy them when friends visit I don't se why I should buy them for people I'm already paying to do a job.

I don't expect the people I work with to provide me with unhealthy crap to eat, why are workmen any different?

Lexilicious · 04/09/2012 10:44

I have had a builder we know in my house the last few weeks who drinks my tea and coffee in the full knowledge that we don't mind a bit. Builder 2 drinks decaff (makes me chuckle!) which we also have plenty of because DH goes a bit wobbly on caffeine.

Builder 1 also brings us his home made indonesian curry or chow mein to share if we are there during the day while he works - really good curry too, all fresh spices and interesting veg. If we're not there he has his bit for lunch and leaves the rest in the fridge for us. I've offered him bacon butties but he's low carbing.

imonthefone · 04/09/2012 10:45

WHAT?! A repairman wanted a newspaper?!

What are you suprised at OP? that he took a tea break? that he could read?

imonthefone · 04/09/2012 10:47

toughasoldboots that is not ok

i normally make a cake if i am having people working in the house for a number of days

lljkk · 04/09/2012 10:47

He'd be crud out of luck asking for a paper here, rarely have one.
Now, copies of The Economist & Cycling Weekly we've no shortage of.
Our plumber is a mad cyclist so he'd be happy :).

RuleBritannia · 04/09/2012 10:47

OutragedAtThePriceOfFreddos Do you see tea/cofffee and biscuits for workmen as a tip then? Actually, I suppose it is.

imonthefone · 04/09/2012 10:50

most places of work provide tea/coffee-i dont think its a 'tip'
biscuits-its just nice innit

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