Feeding workmen etiquette??

[Snowcatrunsthehouse]

Please help me I appear to have failed.
We are currently having some work done on our house that will take approximately 6 weeks. It’s one man doing the job and I have regularly supplied tea, coffee and icey drinks.
But today he is dropping hints about people who make him bacon sandwiches in the morning and cook him stews etc???

I did a night shift last night I only got up to collect my toddler from pre school and haven’t even eaten myself since yesterday evening. I would never even normally have bacon in the house let alone cook anything big at lunch. I was asking if he wanted a drink when he started telling me he had been to the old lady up the road for lunch.
I feel bad and really don’t know what is expected of me.
For context I work part time in a very demanding job whilst juggling 3 children I am rarely at home for long as taking toddler to classes etc doing school runs or I’m working or asleep post work. I’m also an introvert who hates having people in the house so I accept I may have failed here on etiquette. I was more than happy suppling good coffee when I’m here,
So please wise people what am I meant to be offering the man doing the roof??? Btw I’m not a good cook! Is getting the kids to make him cakes acceptable?

I provide teas and coffees and biscuits. I wouldn’t make sandwiches and every tradesman I have had here has gone to the shops for lunch.

Errr no. I don't mind making a hot drink for someone who's here for a couple of hours but if it is a long project v they can sort their own stuff out, I'd expect them to make their own drinks and bring their own lunch.

When we had an extension done we were at work all day and only saw them as we were leaving, so no time to faff with drinks.

Stew?!! Wtaf? Tea/coffee fine and dandy but he actually expects you to slave over a hot stove making stew of all things?! Totally bizarre!

Tea and coffee and time to go outside for a break/cigarette etc is all any workmen get from me.

Has the CF never heard of a packed lunch.

@Avasarala

I do work. Very hard intact, and have paid off my mortgage by 28. I run my business. I take time off when I get work done. I appreciate others can't always do that, but I can so might as well cook.

Yeah, sure - I believe you. We ALL believe you!

Agree with @ChiefSuspect. Not one poster on here gives a shit about you, or what you claim to have achieved.

My lovely builder has done quite a bit of work in our house over the past few years. I've only ever made him the odd cuppa, and he's free to help himself to drinks whenever he wants. But last year on my birthday I mentioned it was the second year running that he'd been doing messy, disruptive work on my birthday...that afternoon he bought me a birthday cake !

I always offer a drink and if I happen to have any biscuits I’d offer them too.

When we’ve had someone we know in to do building work and I’ve been home I’ve offered lunch, Pasty or McDonald’s, which was accepted.

Otherwise, no I’d not offer food.

Most of the men in my family are tradesmen and they don't expect to get fed. In fact they aren't keen if it's offered. You can't have the food you want/like and the people they work for are strangers and they could have very dubious hygiene. The same reason people don't like buying at cake sales etc. They also like to go off and have a break to eat rather than at work. A cup of tea is usually offered and accepted tho. None of them would eat biscuits so would politely decline. I always offer tea, to anyone who comes round - phone engineers, pest control, tradesmen, etc.

I once had someone round who was an acquaintance of my dads so i felt i should offer a bacon sandwich when i was making one (something about the smell made me feel guilty). It was years ago, i was just out of uni and only had one pack of bacon to last me. He was doing a 4 day job and there was 8 slices in the pack. The next day he came and knocked on my bedroom door and said 'i'm ready for my bacon sandwich now'. I was to shocked to say anything and just made it. This happened every day. On the last day i had no bacon. I said 'i've only got cheese' and he looked really annoyed and said 'i don't really like cheese, i'd prefer bacon. Or sausage will do'. I said 'well theres a cafe 20 seconds that way and they sell both'. He looked like he was having a long think and said 'okaaaaaay. I'll have cheese'.

I knew a decorator who, come 5pm would hang around chatting and charming the customer (always the lady of the house). Come 7pm he'd still be there and the customer would say " would you like to stay for dinner?"
The ponce would say "only if there's enough to go rounnd".
Most people finally worked out he was a full time scrounger.

Just drinks and biscuits here too (and once, pancakes on Shrove Tuesday for a really lovely plumber)

The CFs aren't all tradesmen, though; I once paid a service provider good money to attend a charity event, and a gangling youth they brought along followed me round asking "where the food was". I pointed out the burger van, the tea stall and more, but that wasn't good enough

He wanted me to pay for it too

What a grabby bastard. I’ve never fed a workman. I had some over last week and they popped out for a lunch break.

How do you know he was 'hinting' he was probably just chatting.
I think workmen need to be provided with drinking water, but anything above that is a bonus.

I am also laughing at how specific ‘stew’ is. Like you are going to think ‘oh no, mrs muffins at number 27 is doing Pete the plumber a goulash, I’d better whip up a coq au vin to stop him straying’.

😂 MrsK. How the bloody hell are you, by the way? 😀

I would offer if I was making it anyway, but wouldn’t make it especially.

When we had our house extended the builders used to whip out a fold up table kettle cups and had brunch around 10 my daughter found it fascinating and they offered her some!
I politely declined and kept her out of the way😊

DH is a tradesman. 99% of the time he’s offered drinks and occasionally biscuits.

But there’s been a few occasions over the years where he’s been met with bacon sarnies on arrival, freshly bakes cakes mid morning and afternoon, and a lunch, along the lines of jacket potato, quiche, etc.

He’d never be so rude as to refuse but he said he struggles in the afternoon as he’s feeling so sluggish from all the food, lol.

But no, full on catering for tradespeople is definitely not the norm.

Can't imagine in a million years a tradesman asking a man to make him a drink.

My mother is completely ott about builders, plumbers etc, constantly feeding them. My father wouldn't even think to offer. I don't drink hot drinks so wouldn't occur to me naturally but I do try to remember to ask once during a job. I don't really like doing it though.

Nobody offers me refreshments during my job.

Can't imagine in a million years a tradesman asking a man to make him a drink.

Really good point.

This is a bugbear of mine. I grew up on a farm n during summer there was constant workmen n my mother non stop slaving over the cooker feeding them n then me having to serve n wash up after (no dishwasher!) to this day I remember arguing these guys all getting PAID to do a job n then being fed to gills to boot. N I'd hear them comparing what they got in this house or that house it was cringe. A job that should take 3-4 days would stretch to a week dunno how my mother put up with it. Times have changed now the farmers wives I know wouldn't dream of doing this (most working themselves anyway but even if they dont) When we were getting our house built or any jobs done all the tradesmen bought their own lunch or off to the deli. They'd barely take a cup of tea from me. Its so cheeky m as said above I bet they wouldn't expect a mam to be making him a frigging bacon sandwich. Actually I did have a painter in who was very good but notorious for eating u out of house n home if he could so I booked him in while we went on holidays so I could avoid all that!

I am a workman specialising in domestic work. To the person who thinks 1 cup of tea in the morning is enough. You obviously think you are superior and therefore don't need to show common courtesy. I would never expect food from a customer and certainly wouldn't make my customer feel uncomfortable. I have received quite elaborate hospitality at times and it's very much appreciated but certainly not expected. Regular tea certainly is the norm and actually if you don't get it, you feel like a servant and unappreciated.

Lots of them chance their arm.
Like making a fuss of your pets so that you like them.
Then asking at the end of a job if you have a broom. When you ask why, they say to sweep up. Nine times out of ten the customer says 'Oh you can leave that and I'll do it'. Sound familiar?

Just offer drinks and biscuits.

Why on earth wake up this 2 yr old zombie thread 😂

You must be bored @Graddick to resurrect a 2 year old thread to have a pop at someone 😏