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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To not be feeding/ making drinks for my decorators all the time??

34 replies

Legacy · 29/05/2007 12:30

I work from an office at home. We have decorators in at the moment for sme downstairs rooms. I offer them a cup of tea when they arrive, but after that tend to leave them to their own devices.

Is that bad. SHould I be making them tea constantly and offering them lunch?

I figure if I was out at work they'd have to look after themselves, so this is no different really...?

DH thinks I should be giving them pizza...

OP posts:
Kaloo20 · 29/05/2007 12:33

I make them tea when they arrive and show them where the cups/kettle/milt is and leave the to it with a plate of biscuits. Certainly not lunch !
Mine tend to bring sandwiches

elsieanjoanne · 29/05/2007 12:33

no dont start that it will only slow them down if you are paying them for lunch then dont feed them one drink is plenty just let them know they can help themselfs to the water from the tap!

OrmIrian · 29/05/2007 12:35

I think you've got it right TBH. Pizza??? They'll never leave...

MaureenMLove · 29/05/2007 12:35

I'm mking mine a drink, if I'm having one today. No food though - I'm paying for his work not his food!!!!

anorak · 29/05/2007 12:36

No no, do what Kaloo says.

LoveAngel · 29/05/2007 12:36

I've been ruined by my Irish granny and mum, who taught me that it is dreafully bad manners not to force-feed-until-sick anyone who enters your house, whether friend or handyman or whatever. I end uo providing tea/coffee and biscuits plus rounds of sandwiches two or three times a day. I have even been klnown to go shopping to get stuff in especially for the builders. I am mad. I know this.

Original poster
Legacy · 29/05/2007 13:22

Phew - tht's OK then. I made them a coffee when I was making my sandwich for lunch, then scuttled back into my office again!

OP posts:
charlottelouise · 29/05/2007 13:35

my dp is a bathroom/kitchen fitter.

he must have about 20 cups of tea a day, and he will make it himself, if they show him the stuff etc

however, if they dont show him the kettle/make him a cuppa then he gets really arsy

a lot of the time, its old people that offer to make tea a lot, sandwiches etc

he has this rule that he wont accept 'meals' but will accept 'snacks'

and, if someone has been laying on the tea/buscuits he tends to try a little bit harder and not charge them for silly little extra things

so, i say, go down the bakery and grap a load of cakes, make them a HUGE cup of tea, and take it all up on a tray

Original poster
Legacy · 29/05/2007 13:44

BUT... I'm working, that's the point... I don't have time to nip off to the bakery..!

I think that's the problem - 'cos I work at home they probably think I'm a miserable git who isn't feeding and watering them...

OP posts:
themoon66 · 29/05/2007 13:49

I make them tea when I'm having one. When lunch time nears, I usually ask if they have brought sarnies or something. 9 times out of 10 they have, or they nip to the pub or something. Very occasionally I have offered them toasted cheese sandwiches.

charlottelouise · 29/05/2007 13:53

its the weired power trip thing

technically, as your paying and employing them, you are their boss (so shouldnt they be bringing YOU coffee!)

but, then they are kind of 'guests' in your house

then, you could almost 'fear' them slightly, because they could say 'sorry about the crap everywhere, my grandmas just died, i will be back in a week' kinda thing

so its like they have the 'power'

but i think what your doing is good, although bunging some buscuits on a tray might shorten an inevitable 2 hour lunch 'got to get more materials' excuse

and it all started with a cup of tes!

charlottelouise · 29/05/2007 13:58

i would like to add that im not one of those people that talks in 'these' nor do i do the funny things with my fingers that represents that
i just appear to be typing with them a lot today.
i didnt see that you could write in italics otherwise i would have used those instead of 'this'

lucyellensmum · 29/05/2007 14:10

Blimey, pizza? i'll send hubby round to yours and he can smuggle some home for me.

DH is a builder and truthfully prefers to be left alone to get on, yes he appreciates a cuppa but then feels obliged to chat whilst drinking it. He takes his own lunch or comes home for lunch and a cuddle !!! So offer tea when convenient, not just cos your having one, you might not want to make 10 cups at a time but offers of food would make my dh feel uncomfortable.

lucyellensmum · 29/05/2007 14:13

charlotte, if my dh is out for two hours getting materials, then he is getting materials, its not an excuse. He often can be two hours or even more if the materials he is looking for aren't immediately available. What matters at the end of the day is that the client is happy with his workmanship, not the extent of his tea breaks. He mostly doesnt do more than grab a quick sandwich for lunch as he would rather get finished.

Sherbert37 · 29/05/2007 14:18

MIL has never ever made me a cup of tea in my own house - visits regularly and even if I am running ragged does not ask if she should put the kettle on. Waited one afternoon and we just didn't have tea as I didn't make it. BUT when we had builders in she was dashing around after them making cups every two minutes - that is what you do for builders, she said.

expatinscotland · 29/05/2007 14:19

What Kaloo said.

elsieanjoanne · 29/05/2007 23:13

i said earlier not to give them anything ive just thought! iv recently had the garden dug over with digger and turf laid an i was making tea every ten so mins they are the neighbours so have to be pleasant i live next door and we have good neighbours at mo. was making tea for chap an his misses an there two an half yo lad who was occupying my dd 1

Nightynight · 29/05/2007 23:36

I would leave out th ekettle, copious amounts of biscuits/cakes, tea, coffee, milk, sugar, camomile tea etc. and tell them to help themselves as they like.

someone I know once had a similar job. Until he got his first pay packet, he was completely skint, and all he had to eat all day, was what people offered him in their houses. feed the workmen, I say.

agnesnitt · 30/05/2007 09:53

There's been a raft of workmen about the place recently. If I've had the kettle on the offer has been made to the workmen for a drink as well. Sometimes accepted, sometimes not. One set even managed to find a home for a random packet of biscuits I had in but didn't want. Wouldn't go out of my way to feed them, I think it's a bit odd, and I'm sure a fair few would feel awkward. Most workmen I've known aren't the shy types, so if they're thirsty they'll ask if they can steal a glass and raid the water supply

Agnes

sparklesandwine · 30/05/2007 10:10

lol Legacy i'll come and decorate if you buy me pizza!!

seriously though a drink and biscuits if your making one is fine otherwise say your not being rude but are working and they are welcome to help themselves if they want another drink

2shoes · 30/05/2007 11:41

in answer to op. dh is a decorator and he has often said he gets fed up with being offered tea. he takes a flask. so think you are right leave them to it

Caroline1852 · 30/05/2007 12:04

I always make my workmen tea and lots of cakes and biscuits. It makes sense to try and build a good relationship with them, if the paper starts lifting off near the window you will doubtless want them to come back and sort it out!

cylonbabe · 30/05/2007 12:05

i have never offered more than one cup of tea/coffee a day.
i'm not a catering service.

marieg76 · 30/05/2007 13:50

We've just finished renovating our house so have had builders, decorators etc around for the past 6 months. We've always just showed them where the tea, cups, milk etc are and left them to it. They've appeared quite content.

seamonster · 30/05/2007 13:53

Same when we had our extension marieg76