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?

I had a plumber round recently and offered him tea & biscuits, he also used the loo.

However I think that as a worker it's their responsibility to take drinks & food to work just like I do, you can't always guarantee that someone will offer tea.

God yes. And snacks. When I had my bathroom fitted I bought biscuits for the workmen. And a biscuit tin to put them in as we never normally have biscuits. I left them little notes every day reminding them to help themselves to tea/coffee/biscuits/anything in the fridge/any small electrical appliances that took their fancy.

Then I was mortified that they had to go up the shop for a bag of sugar as we don't take it and I forgot to supply some. I really am far too British for my own good.

Always bloody bad manners not to!

I always offer drinks but I wouldn't offer lunch. If you offer the postman a drink do you live in an area with the houses a long way apart?

I invited my postman in for coffee one because it was hailing, and I was worried the poor sod might die, he was in shorts.

I always offer, although generally find most tradespeople have their own packed lunch so it's rarely accepted (although the coffee and cold drinks almost always are).

I also stopped at the servo and brought a whole heap of bottles of cold water for the CFA guys (volunteer firefighters) who were doing a whole heap of burning off along the roadside in our area on a hot day. They then showed up at my place a few days later with a cherry picker and trimmed all the trees down away from my powerlines for me (which saved me a fortune!) :)

When I had my bathroom fitted I bought biscuits for the workmen. And a biscuit tin to put them in as we never normally have biscuits.

Really? Totally over the top.

Always and a biscuit even if they are just dropping something off. They might be in a hot van all day.

Would also offer food if there all day.

Don't really see it is the home owners duty to provide water

Doesn't bloody hurt though, does it? It's polite. I always offer tea/coffee/cold drink, in all weather. Most say no, as they have flask/cold drink etc...but offering regardless is just nice, I think!

For me it depends on how long they are there and what kind of job it is. The last repair man I gave some out grown baby clothes because he just had a baby.

I never am sure what repairman etiquette is.

Are you suppose to chat and keep them company? Leave them alone to do their job? Most bring their own bottled water, or get straight to the point so I don't have to worry about welcoming them in or not.

What a very hospitable lot you all are. I'd only think of offering refreshments if someone was working for more than an hour, or it was a hot day. I don't really do hot drinks myself, and I find it hard to judge how desperate a stranger might be for a cup of my crappy instant coffee.

I'm happy to let them shit in my toilets if needed, though, so I'm not entirely unwelcoming.

Frankly, they do not even have to be working on something inside my house. I happily offer drinks to workmen in the street if they are outside my house.

Huge car crash outside my house a few months ago, I made tea and coffee for 16 emergency workers, tea for three mums and squash for 8 kids who were in the various cars involved. They were all sitting on my front lawn on picnic blankets until their minicabs arrived. When the recovery man turned up in the lorry to take the wrecked cars away, he had tea and a toasted sandwich.

I have also refilled flasks in the past for the John Lewis delivery crew, it was the week before Xmas last year and they were completely stressed out and knackered.

Also, when my NDN bought next door they spent three months gutting and rebuilding it. I made their builders tea at 3pm every day.

When NDN moved in they were so grateful they gave us a discount card for their restaurant.

I always offer drinks but the offer is mostly rejected (except by our tax accountant for some reason).
Workmen will accept cans of fizzy drink on very hot days (30+).

My husband does self assembly for people who don't self assemble- once he was presented with dinner as he started work for them at 5.30pm! But he always takes his own coffee.

My dad has always had his own lunch and drinks, but his flask and cold drink soon get warm ( both ends) so a nice hot/cold drink is always nice.

No, never.

I only make drinks for people who I've invited round socially.

Anyone here to fix stuff can get it over with ASAP and then bugger off and leave me in peace. I hate having to have them in in the first place.

I always offer a drink but not food.
If im paying for a service I hope they would bring their own.
My mum paid £650 for her garden to be done and they left all the rubbish they were supposed to take away (after she had supplied tea, coffee and food).

Are you suppose to chat and keep them company? Leave them alone to do their job? Most bring their own bottled water, or get straight to the point so I don't have to worry about welcoming them in or not.
My ex is an electrician, and he stopped doing residential work years ago because he hated feeling like the homeowner was looking over his shoulder the whole time. So, personally, I just point them in the right direction and let them get on with it.
But also, I have severe social anxiety and am prone to selective mutism; having strangers in my house is bad enough, actually having to initiate conversation would be painful if not impossible.

I'm in the US if it makes a difference (and it obviously does) and I think it would generally be considered unprofessional to accept offers of food or drink unless they're both self-employed and finished with the job - they're being paid to work, not socialize. Most bring their own water anyway.
Incidentally, if water getting warm is an issue then freeze or partially freeze it the night before. It will melt over the day, but stay cold.

I'm in the US if it makes a difference (and it obviously does) and I think it would generally be considered unprofessional to accept offers of food or drink unless they're both self-employed and finished with the job - they're being paid to work, not socialize. Most bring their own water anyway.

Me too. I don't normally offer water, and I don't think I've ever had one use my bathroom.

I just sort of wander off and leave them to it. I feel awkward just watching them it's also boring.

Also in the US. I like to offer, but my husband tells me they want to do their work and leave, they're not there to socialize, and I should just leave them to it. It's hard, though, because I feel like I should be entertaining them.

I do put a cooler full of ice and bottles of water on the porch for the mailman.

I always offer if someone will be in my home for more than 10 minutes.

We had 4 days of floorers in a couple months back. I tried to be out for a lot of it but left a tray with mugs, tea, coffee, sugar, milk, squash and biscuits. If I was at home and making myself a cup of tea would always offer them a drink too.

It's just polite. Plus my mum always did it

I'd offer a drink if I was making or they were here longer than an hour. I also probably draw a distinction between self employed contractors and those employed through a big company...with the former likely to get a higher degree of hospitality as I would feel more responsible for them.

I certainly don't see it as my job to be "friendly" I am of course polite but more than often the housekeeper will deal with them.

Yes, always offer as soon as they arrive, and during the day for as long as they are there.

My lovely NDN in our last house (in her late 80's) toddled out with a cup of tea for our two workmen building the extension. Proper bone china with saucer. Made us feel for giving them mugs!

Also we have a decorator in this house who has done a few indoor and outdoor jobs. He lets us know he's heading off at 5 pm, but sticks the kettle on before hand.

One for the road, innit. And he only lives in the next village!