Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Or should you offer a workman a drink?

288 replies

Azquilith · 26/08/2014 21:50

DP fixes appliances for a national firm, and visits up to 8 houses a day. In London he not only often gets let in by the housekeeper at the tradesman entrance, but is seldom offered a drink. In the recent hot weather it makes me fume that he's working in hot utility rooms, shunting appliances about for hours and doesn't even get offered a glass of water. Do you offer someone in your home a drink?

OP posts:
Annunziata · 26/08/2014 21:50

Yes, and lunch as well. And to use the bathroom!

sewingandcakes · 26/08/2014 21:51

I made several brews and lunch for the guy in our garden today; I wouldn't feel right if I didn't!

Xmasbaby11 · 26/08/2014 21:52

Yes I would offer drinks and biscuits, just as I would anyone in my house. Not lunch though.

lunar1 · 26/08/2014 21:53

Always, plus whatever meal I'm having if they are here for a few hours.

EmpressOfBedlam · 26/08/2014 21:53

Yep always a cup of tea whenever I have one.

Jelliebabe2 · 26/08/2014 21:54

Absolutely! Crikey what bad manners! I'd only not offer if they were only there to deliver something really quickly or were only there about 5 minutes!

trixymalixy · 26/08/2014 21:54

Always. Very few take me up on it though.

ErmagerdANerknerm · 26/08/2014 21:56

Always offer them a hot or cold drink once they've settled in, and if it rolls over to a meal time I will ask if they want anything to eat. My mum would kill me if she ever found out that I hadn't Grin

WitchWay · 26/08/2014 21:56

I always offer tea/coffee plus biscuits.

I gave squash to the crew who delivered & put up my new greenhouse on the hottest August day some years ago.

I offered Cobra Zero to the plumbers who were here for a week but they chose tea instead Grin

DancingDinosaur · 26/08/2014 21:57

Yes I always offer.

whois · 26/08/2014 21:57

In the recent hot weather it makes me fume that he's working in hot utility rooms, shunting appliances about for hours and doesn't even get offered a glass of water

Can't be take a bottle of water with him?

Don't really see it is the home owners duty to provide water, I would think that a grown man was able to manage himself and either bring his own drink or ask for some water if he was thirsty.

PersonOfInterest · 26/08/2014 21:58

I always offer a drink (and sometimes biscuits) when I'm making.

However I don't think he should expect it. Plenty of workmen are in houses with no one there/ no power and have to take a thermos/packed lunch.

Original poster
Azquilith · 26/08/2014 21:58

Glad to know the ladies of Mumsnet have some manners! I would always offer, plus make them feel welcome so they feel like they can ask to use the loo if necessary. Though my DP has said that no-one has ever said no to using the loo, though most people go in and check it for rogue poo stains first. Lol.

OP posts:
winkywinkola · 26/08/2014 21:59

Always offer. Someone in my home always gets offered a drink at least.

It's basic hospitality regardless of who it is.

meglet · 26/08/2014 21:59

Of course. I've even been known to get soft drinks, extra orange juice in for the summer months.

And a chocolate biscuits.

Vitalstatistix · 26/08/2014 21:59

Absolutely. In fact, as they step through the door, first thing I say is kettle's on, what do you want.

Original poster
Azquilith · 26/08/2014 21:59

He does have a bottle of water with him. But I would think it's only polite to offer. Plus some people are unfriendly...

OP posts:
thatstoast · 26/08/2014 21:59

Certainly not! If he has a drink this increases the chances of him needing to use the loo. Imagine a lowly workman waving his tool over someone's pristine bowl. Disgusting!

chumrun · 26/08/2014 21:59

I work part time as a home carer and I never get offered a drink!

It does annoy me at times to be honest as sometimes we get no time to stop and I'd LOVE a cup of tea.

BarbaraPalmer · 26/08/2014 21:59

I offer tea or pop, and free rein with the biscuit tin, but not meals.

RumAppleGinger · 26/08/2014 22:00

Always. I usually offer to make the first cup and then they are told to help themselves to tea/coffee/juice/water/biscuits/whatever's in the fridge for however long they are here for. Plain bad manners not to.

MissWing · 26/08/2014 22:00

Always offer tea/coffee/drink.

When our builders were putting the roof on in the beating heat I went out to get them ice cream.

On the occasional day I'm in the house, I'll make them a bacon butty.

They are putting in 12 hour days on site and working away from home.

It's all about the good will.

Blondieminx · 26/08/2014 22:01

Always offer a cuppa & biscuit! If someone's in my home I make them a drink and try and make them feel welcome, especially if they are fixing some sort of domestic disaster!

Flipflops7 · 26/08/2014 22:01

Of course!

TattyDevine · 26/08/2014 22:02

Mine get tea or coffee, biscuits (one plasterers team ate a whole pack of hobnobs in 5 seconds flat, and had so much tea that I had to go out and get extra milk, and one had 6 sugars so in the end I just put a pack of caster sugar out and a kettle and some milk and said "help your firkin selves" (had a 2 month old and a toddler at the time though).

If I have a team in for a week or two for a bathroom refurb or a kitchen or some such and I get to know them a bit I like to do them a cream tea on their final day, and they sometimes get a bacon sarnie mid morning if they are willing.

They are always willing.

Once I made a double glazing salesman have 2 beers. We'd already signed the paperwork, but he was a dude.

It can be a damn inconvenience having people in so you have to just shrug and make a social occasion of it sometimes I find. Once I played scrabble with a sparkie after he had finished and then DH came home and made us start again so he could thrash him. He got an arsey text from his missus around 9pm.

Then she had to come and get him because he was pissed on Becks and he had to pick up his van the next day Blush but she didn't mind because we realised I used to work with her back when I first moved here Grin