Builders requesting drinks

[crazydiamond222]

We are having an extension built whilst I am on maternity leave. I have a 3 month old. We have 2 builders on site laying foundations who started on monday. I have been making them a drink first thing and on one occasion made them a bacon sandwich. I don't offer drinks all day because my son keeps me very busy and only naps on me and it is a 4 month job so I don't want to have to do drinks all day for this period.

This afternoon whilst I was playing with my son in the living room one of the builders walked past the window and requested a coffee and tea. I thought the request to be a bit cheeky as a) he shouldn't have been looking in the living room and b) he shouldn't been requesting. I made him the drinks anyway leaving my son on the playmat getting upset. I rushed outside as my son was upset and I wanted to get back to him. When I took the drinks outside I tripped over rubble breaking a cup and scratching my arm. The builders reply was you should have passed it through the window. I remade the drinks but suggested in future setting up a kettle in the garage for them but they said they can just bring their own drinks. I am now feeling pretty upset with them.

Just needed to vent really but what do people feel is reasonable regarding builders and drinks.

If you give them what they need to make drinks and they choose not to, that’s their business. As for food, they can bring it with them to work like everyone else does, surely?

I make builders tea/coffee every couple of hours and offer biscuits. It's a nice thing to do!

I don't drink tea or coffee so I just told the builders they could help themselves. The second lot of builders we had just brought their own kettle ands extension lead and used our outdoor tap to make a brew outside, which suited me perfectly.

I'd give them a kettle and stuff. I'd say "I'm shattered with the baby, but please help yourselves to hot drinks". They'd understand. Or get one of those big thermos flasks if kettle not feasible.

I can't believe people are being so horrid to op. Having builders in for long projects is oppressive. I work from home so felt like they thought I should be waiting on them. Also every time you take tea out you feel like you should chat to them and there's only so much small talk you can make. I do think builders are unique in this way that they seem to think they're owed food and beverages as part of their job when you're already paying them

Rightly or wrongly the OP imho comes across as if she thinks she is better than the builders

No, she sounds young and like it's her first experience with this kind of project, that's all.

She was probably also upset/embarrassed by falling over which has probably contributed to her feelings about this. Without tripping over I don't think she would have made a thread.

It is polite to offer amenities to workmen who will be on your property though. They should have access to the loo and drinks. (Also because it will slow the work down if they have to keep driving off to a cafe/shop.)

1 WHOLE YEAR! We had builders and tradespeople on site for 1 WHOLE YEAR!! I did NOT offer them tea every 90 mins, every day for a year!! I was either at work or out with my children... the days I was there I offered and guess what...they very rare accepted because they had brought their own and didn’t take 4/5 breaks per day...and yes we had a portaloo on site!

OP could quite have easily said 'sorry I'm a bit busy at the min, you know where the kettle is though, feel free to help yourself' if she didn't want to do it.

You can't say okay to doing something (pretty standard) someone has asked you and then moan about it afterwards... Oh and then blame them for falling over Say no if you don't want to do it

I wad a bit cheesed off when I was making myself a bacon sandwich, offered them one ands they said "I've just had breakfast, could you do me one later on?"
No it's a one time offer!

OP could quite have easily said 'sorry I'm a bit busy at the min, you know where the kettle is though, feel free to help yourself' if she didn't want to do it.

You can't say okay to doing something (pretty standard) someone has asked you and then moan about it afterwards. Say no if you don't want to do it.

Rightly or wrongly the OP imho comes across as if she thinks she is better than the builders

No, she sounds young and like it's her first experience with this kind of project, that's all.

She was probably also upset/embarrassed by falling over which has probably contributed to her feelings about this. Without tripping over I don't think she would have made a thread.

It is polite to offer amenities to workmen who will be on your property though. They should have access to the loo and drinks. (Also because it will slow the work down if they have to keep driving off to a cafe/shop.)

All the people I've had doing jobs around the house recently have brought their own drinks and food. Good job really as I have coffee first thing and then water for the rest of the day. Wouldn't occur to me to make tea unless they asked.

I did occasionally give them home baked goods if anyone expects that from me they'll be very very disappointed indeed. I don't bake!

So many nice 'clients' on here who put out tea and coffee and the rest of the lovely things to make a brutal job easier on the tradesmen/women.

I can tell you from a building prospective, you are the best kind of clients we have to work with. We have two sets of clients, those who have it in their mind that anyone who works in construction is casing the joint, which simply is not the case. The there's those who treat us as human beings.

The ones who put out a packet of chocolate digestives in the afternoon, have no idea how appreciated that kind gesture is. Yes we do go the extra mile for them. There's nothing worse than working in someone's residence where the client is perceive sometimes as awkward and judgemental.

@Sparkle567 How are they possibly meant to bring enough hot drinks for the day?

All the people I've had doing jobs around the house recently have brought their own drinks and food. Good job really as I have coffee first thing and then water for the rest of the day. Wouldn't occur to me to make tea unless they asked.

I did occasionally give them home baked goods if anyone expects that from me they'll be very very disappointed indeed. I don't bake!

All the people I've had doing jobs around the house recently have brought their own drinks and food. Good job really as I have coffee first thing and then water for the rest of the day. Wouldn't occur to me to make tea unless they asked.

I did occasionally give them home baked goods if anyone expects that from me they'll be very very disappointed indeed. I don't bake!

Well I think he was bloody cheeky to ask his client, who was looking after a 3 month old baby, to make him a hot drink. She's paying him to do a job. My boss doesn't pop in to offer me a brew every 90 minutes. Fine and conventional to offer the odd one to be polite, but absolutely not ok for them to expect it or ask.

Provide them with a kettle, some milk, teabags etc. in an area they can access a socket without having to traipse through your kitchen.

Job done.

Well I think he was bloody cheeky to ask his client, who was looking after a 3 month old baby, to make him a hot drink. She's paying him to do a job. My boss doesn't pop in to offer me a brew every 90 minutes. Fine and conventional to offer the odd one to be polite, but absolutely not ok for them to expect it or ask.

Well I think he was bloody cheeky to ask his client, who was looking after a 3 month old baby, to make him a hot drink. She's paying him to do a job. My boss doesn't pop in to offer me a brew every 90 minutes. Fine and conventional to offer the odd one to be polite, but absolutely not ok for them to expect it or ask.

Sorry for posting twice, the internet went funny.

All the people I've had doing jobs around the house recently have brought their own drinks and food. Good job really as I have coffee first thing and then water for the rest of the day. Wouldn't occur to me to make tea unless they asked.

I did occasionally give them home baked goods if anyone expects that from me they'll be very very disappointed indeed. I don't bake!

Well I think he was bloody cheeky to ask his client, who was looking after a 3 month old baby, to make him a hot drink. She's paying him to do a job. My boss doesn't pop in to offer me a brew every 90 minutes. Fine and conventional to offer the odd one to be polite, but absolutely not ok for them to expect it or ask.

When my little one was a new born the neighbour backing onto my garden had to rebuild the retaining wall between my garden and hers. Her builders were thus spending much of their working time in my garden. I felt it was up to her as their employer to provide the tea and biscuits and so never offered.

My internet went funny too (sorry for all the repeated posts). I see it's been a common thing on this thread haha.