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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:
cricketballs · 27/08/2014 07:24

Ninja - my dh stopped found domestic electrics for the same reason! He also hated owners having a melt down because he had to chase out plaster.

It's only good manners to offer a drink and the use of the toilet

MrsGPie01252 · 27/08/2014 07:27

Always offer a drunk and the builders get toast if here early.

nooka · 27/08/2014 07:41

I'm English but now live in Canada and it makes me quite uncomfortable that when we have people round to do things for us they never want a cup of tea. Partly that's because most people don't really drink tea here, but they all just seem much more self sufficient (I do offer, coffee, water etc). I have a lovely old chap to help me with my garden and he will just stay outside and work for hours in the sun without a break. It makes me feel a bit exploitative and a bit concerned really.

Lagoonablue · 27/08/2014 07:45

If someone is at the house for a long stretch, decorator or whatever, they get made a cup of tea or I tell them where tea bags etc are if I go out.

If someone just installing a washer I probably won't unless am making one for myself.

StackladysMorphicResonator · 27/08/2014 07:49

Tea/coffee/juice/Diet Coke here. And biscuits, naturally (if I have any in).

littlewhitebag · 27/08/2014 07:49

I generally don't offer tradesmen anything. If they are doing a quick job then i expect them to be in and out as quickly as possible, not hanging about drinking tea and eating biscuits. I am paying them to do a job, they are not my friend. I m more than happy to supply a glass of water or squash if asked. I do let them use my loo though.

I have had tradesmen in to do longer jobs like replace bathrooms/kitchen/decorating etc. They tend to bring their own drinks/food and go out to their van at regular intervals for their breaks. My feeling is that they like to be just left to get on with it and wouldn't really welcome me coming in and interrupting the job at hand.

I hate having strangers in my house and the faster they can get in, do the job, and get out, the better.

Stokes · 27/08/2014 07:50

We've had various people in doing work recently so we just set up a tea and coffee station with plenty of biccies and told everyone to help themselves. Some did some didn't.

However you say he can be in 8 houses a day, which means he can't be in each house for every long. Seems like his is basically an in and out job so I probably wouldn't offer anything - surely he has plenty of time between jobs for breaks? And if not, it's a problem he should take that up with whoever organises his schedule. Obviously if someone asked for a drink I'd offer whatever we had in.

sandgrown · 27/08/2014 07:51

Had two very jolly roof fitters at my house in th middle of Winter. I made drinks and offered biscuits. They would not come in the house as they were dirty but I have an enduring memory of them happily sitting at my garden table,in the middle of January, eating their lunch Grin

Rebecca2014 · 27/08/2014 07:55

I never offer. I live in a rented property though.

StripyBanana · 27/08/2014 07:59

I can't imagine not offering!!

PureMorning · 27/08/2014 07:59

Eh? I live in rented and will always offer

Not owning a house doesnt stop badic manners.

PureMorning · 27/08/2014 08:00

Basic*

HoobleDooble · 27/08/2014 08:05

When I had a team of guys installing my new boiler and radiators during a heat wave just before I moved into my house, I plugged a fridge in I. My lounge and stocked it full of cans of pop with a note on to 'help themselves' I my absence. I also arranged for the sandwich shop down the street to do a bacon butty delivery on the last morning they were there. Seeing as they did a cracking job, at half the price British Gas quoted me, it really was the least I could do.

charleybarley · 27/08/2014 08:07

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Foxy800 · 27/08/2014 08:11

I always offer a drink when I have workmen in even if it is a fairly quick job. I think it is just manners.x

Withmyfeetinthesink · 27/08/2014 08:16

I like to offer them one of my kidneys and a wee lie-down if they feel tired. I generally arrange for the local spa to pop round after 10 minutes just to relax them.

Do I win?

(Disclaimer: I always offer drinks and biscuits, if there are any left, but this is getting silly . . . )

daisychain01 · 27/08/2014 08:17

Tbh Im eternally grateful for any tradesmen (and it does tend to be men) who come in, solve our problems, save us precious time and get something back working properly again. DP and I are busy with our work and it would take us 10 times as long to get organised.

So a cuppa and a moment to chat to make their work pleasant is the least I can do. Also we live in a community where it is the done thing to stop for a quick chat. We would stick out like a sore thumb if we didnt fall in with local ways of doing things. One of our reasons for moving to this neck of the woods!

But I know it is different in other places.

PiratePanda · 27/08/2014 08:23

I'd certainly offer someone doing hours of building or decorating a cup of tea/water (not lunch though, as I'd expect them to bring their own). But probably not a tradesman plumbing in utilities (does it really take hours?!). I would, however, be perfectly happy to provide drinks/use of loo for them if they asked. Not a snobbery/class thing at all

FickleByNurture · 27/08/2014 08:26

When I had to leave decorators in the house all day alone I showed them the kettle, teabags, milk, sugar and the biscuit tin and told them to help themselves. IMO if you are hiring someone for a job it is partly your responsibility to keep them hydrated.

madamemuddle · 27/08/2014 08:27

Always. I even offer the photocopier engineer a cup of tea at work!

Mind you, XP was a tradesman and used to rate his jobs on the quality of tea and biscuits. The next quote was always higher if they didn't offer enough/any tea. Smile

MyFairyKing · 27/08/2014 08:29

Yes, you should offer drinks and biscuits/cake or lunch if it's an all day job. We don't really eat biscuits but will buy some in if we know we're having work done.

I'm a social worker and always get offered drinks (and very occasionally, biscuits) even from service users in difficult situations which I find very kind and hospitable.

hmc · 27/08/2014 08:31

I always offer. I don't have a housekeeper or tradesman's entrance though and I am just a regular person Grin

ohtheholidays · 27/08/2014 08:33

Always offer drinks and give them a big plate of biscuits or some cakes with the drinks.

Free to use the bathroom if they need to and we always offer them some lunch if they're here over lunchtime.

It's just good manners,it's the way my parents were when ever they were having any work done on the house.

MsVestibule · 27/08/2014 08:39

I'm a bit bemused by your comment "He not only often gets let in by the housekeeper at the tradesmans entrance..." Why does this offend you? He is a tradesman and if I had a housekeeper, I'd expect them to deal with tradesmen Confused.

I'm with you on being offered a beverage, though.

whois · 27/08/2014 08:42

I like to offer them one of my kidneys and a wee lie-down if they feel tired. I generally arrange for the local spa to pop round after 10 minutes just to relax them

Ha ha ha!