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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To fear my bathroom fitters will purposefully ruin my home

25 replies

DerelictWreck · 03/04/2018 22:10

Because I completely forgot to buy milk or biscuits for them?

They're starting tomorrow first thing and I'm leaving them to it while I go to work each day. Went to lay tea and coffee making facilities out on the kitchen counter, and realised I've no milk and forgot to get biscuits!

What do we think? Will they hate me, assume I'm purposefully slighting them and put a sledge hammer through my wall?! Do I need to cancel the whole job, change my name and move to Bali for fear of retribution?

OP posts:

GreenTulips · 03/04/2018 22:11

Yes they will pee in your sink!

Don't worry they are usually self sufficient!

Etymology23 · 03/04/2018 22:14

I think I would go and buy milk now if you live anywhere you cmrealistically can... I’m sure they won’t ruin your house but I think they’ll be sad not to have access to tea. I work out of random offices all the time - I take teabags with me but not milk as that would be impractical and it’s a right pair if there isn’t any

londonpia · 03/04/2018 22:15

We bought tea (we don't drink tea) and biscuits for our plumbers; they didn't touch them the whole time they were here. I offered to make them some when I saw them for a few days (I was at work until mid afternoon) but they always declined so I stopped.

Redcherries · 03/04/2018 22:23

Text them and let the man know to grab milk on the way in the morning.

Chickenloverwoman · 04/04/2018 01:13

The man? Maybe, just maybe there are women involved?

MarthasGinYard · 04/04/2018 01:21

I'd just nip and get some

fuzzyduck1 · 04/04/2018 01:48

Looks like he’ll find some extras that will need doing so the price will rise and the job will take longer if there’s no milk and biscuits.
They will have to go and get his own milk this will take the morning so that’s another £150 to start with .
Couldn’t you have employed a maid service for the time they are there to make sure they are well catered for? Maybe get some food delivered for there lunch and a massage for the end of the day?
You need to look after your tradesmen then they will look after you.

fuzzyduck1 · 04/04/2018 01:49

Ops ment tradesperson

freakydeakydo · 04/04/2018 07:13

Why do people have to turn threads into a battle of the sexes?🙄

Go and get milk and don't text them asking to pick some up

trojanpony · 04/04/2018 07:48

They will have to go and get his own milk this will take the morning so that’s another £150 to start with .

This is very true in my experience

Scribblegirl · 04/04/2018 07:51

As someone who once had a tradesperson-based-sugar emergency (he asked for sugar, we only had icing, I started a thread on here, was told not to do it, did it anyway) you have my full sympathy.

starfishmummy · 04/04/2018 07:59

Last time I had a tradeperson in, I stocked up on drink supplies and biscuits. He (and it was a he) brought his own col.drinks and didn't eat biscuitsso I had to eat them all

Hoppinggreen · 04/04/2018 08:06

My plumbers/bathroom fitters are fantastic. Polite, cheap, efficient and clean up after themselves. They even don’t mind my large hairy dog accosting them at regular intervals
HOWEVER, they do go through a huge amount of tea ( 2 sugars) and biccies - I don’t know if the tea and biccy level affects their work but I wouldn’t risk it

GnotherGnu · 04/04/2018 08:18

Can you borrow from neighbours?

Thebookswereherfriends · 04/04/2018 08:24

Just leave a note today or tell them when They arrive that you dropped the milk on the floor, you'll make sure there is some in tomorrow. Buy particularly nice biscuits to make up for it!

Anxiouschild · 04/04/2018 08:29

I'm a tradesperson. Lack of milk wouldn't fuss me as I prefer cold drinks (I think I often offend clients by refusing their offers of tea). I accept I'm unusual though, and agree with a PP that (in my experience) it will likely cost you their time to go to the shops to get some rather than cracking on with the bathroom if on a day rate. Yours may be referred to as 'a dry job'.

Biscuits: for me a very welcome addition (which I'm rarely offered. I expect because I've refused the tea). I'll happily eat as many as I'm offered and is likely to make me much happier to do other little jobs FOC while I'm there.
However, many of the slightly portly middle-aged tradesmen won't touch them as they are watching their weight.
So overall I wouldn't worry about biscuits unless you are one of those 'Ooo, while you're here I don't suppose you could just...' clients

HolyMountain · 04/04/2018 08:30

My Dh is a plumber and he wouldn’t be bothered by a lack of milk. He’d go and buy a pint or send someone else when it was time for a brew, not take the piss and get on with the work.

oohyoudevilyou · 04/04/2018 08:33

They probably won't trash your house, though it's likely they'll chuck their McDonalds cartons in your garden, leave skid marks in your toilet and have a rummage through your dirty undies.

You could always try and sweeten them up by leaving a tenner and a note for them to use it to buy chips at lunchtime?

ShiftyMcGifty · 04/04/2018 08:33

You text them so they pick some up on their way to yours in the morning.

viques · 04/04/2018 08:45

I hope you have enough cat treats in(if you have a cat that is) when we were having the kitchen tiled I vaguely noticed the treats were going down fast, then I heard the tiler say to the cat " You can have four more then that's your lot.".............

Allthewaves · 04/04/2018 09:09

My dad always brings his own. Tea and milk but he always asks person to stick kettle on so he can have some hot water to make up his tea

fuzzyduck1 · 04/04/2018 09:33

He (and it was a he) brought his own col.drinks and didn't eat biscuitsso I had to eat them all

Win win if you ask me

fuzzyduck1 · 04/04/2018 09:39

I done some work for someone and they offered me a coffee but only had rice milk! Yuk. But I drank it not to offend them.

bassackwards · 04/04/2018 10:04

Viques that made me smile

Original poster

DerelictWreck · 05/04/2018 11:44

Thanks all, thought this have a rummage through your dirty undies was particularly disturbing!

I managed to nip out and get some in the morning (not as simple as some made out as I don't have a car and they were arriving at 8am!) and grabbed some biscuits too.

Came home last night to the expected amounts of chaos, two carefully washed up mugs and untouched biscuits!

Honestly this bathroom malarkey is more stressful than I anticipated! Now to get through the next 10 days without a shower...

OP posts:

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