Or should you offer a workman a drink?

[Azquilith]

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?

What I you're not their employer?

SaucyJack - this thread has not, in the main, been about employer/employee or office situations. One or two comments have been, but generally speaking everyone is referring to tradespeople in people's homes, and offering a simple drink.

Yes, I know what the thread is about evans

But several people have insinuated at people working on your home are your employees or people "you're hiring" and/or it's in your interests to maintain a good professional relationship with.

Well actually, if you're one of the millions of people who rent- any tradespeople sent round will be contracted by your (social or private) landlord to work on their property.

I don't consider myself to have any more of a working relationship with however the council employ to service their gas fire than whoever they send round to empty the bins (and I don't make tea for refuse engineers instead)

I agree with you Stratter5. Unfortunately, some people on here will be unable to absorb your comments. Many other posters (myself included) have regaled tales similar to yours, but others have a stubborn and blinkered view of "workmen".

I don't have a stubborn an blinkered view of "workman" at all. I just think that they are like everyone else and don't require food to be provided when doing their jobs. I'm not their employer but even if I was it is not my experience that most employees are provided with food or even drink.

It wouldn't occur to me to not offer a workman a cup of tea because they are not my employee and should be providing their own refreshments.

When the man comes to do my windows, I just see a nice bloke outside in the wind and offer a hot drink.

What does it cost anyway, a tea bag?

Unless you have four or five workmen coming around every week that seems pretty tight if you ask me.

Somebody who visits up to eight houses a day is likely to only be with me for less than an hour so no, I wouldn't offer, I'd expect them to drink in the van between appointments. I also wouldn't really "make them welcome" for a less than an hour job.

Somebody working in my house for half a day or a whole day or longer would definitely be offered drinks, shown where the toilet us and made welcome.

My DP can easily visit eight houses (and more) in a day. Most of our customers have been repeat customers for years, so we know them pretty well, and most of them are absolutely lovely. DP usually gets offered a cuppa (and accepts if he has time to stop, especially, as mentioned earlier, if it is an elderly customer who is glad of the company and the chance to chat)!

Thank goodness for nice customers

Yes, always offer a drink. Not usually biscuits as we never seem to have any, but if we did I would. It's just basic good manners.

When you are out on the road all day, it is impossible to be able to carry several litres of hot drinks. Ok so I had a kettle and fridge etc, but it would take up so much time ( think camping stoves). It doesn't take much effort to provide a drink.
When you have been driving a long distance a hot drink is especially welcoming . Sorry I waffle.

Oh forgot to mention I was refused the use of a toilet once by a female cashier at a petrol station,( in the snow, 7 months pregnant, dark night) so I squatted in full view of the CCTV and proceeded to piddle on the forecourt.

Always drinks. Have bought loads if biscuits in the past though and have ended up eating them all as they weren't wanted.

Would always offer tea or coffee when they arrive and at intervals thereafter!

Yes I do. When we had painters in to do the whole house I always made coffee too at 2:30 pm, after a few days I remembered how they all took their coffee.

This thread is from 2014 why was it reactivated