Tradesman asking for a sandwich

[AtleastitsnotMonday]

I’ve had a tradesman working on the outside of my property today. Got here about 11.30, job was about a couple of hours worth of work. About 1200 I went out and asked if I could get him a tea or coffee. He answered “Tea, white with two please, would you be able to knock me up a cheese sandwich while your there?”
Now, admittedly I’m rubbish at saying no at the best of times and I wasn’t expecting this so obliged, even returning to check if he would like pickle/tomato etc with it.”
Dp thinks I’ve lost the plot and he was being grabby and to be honest I’ve only ever made drinks with the odd biscuit before, the only exception being when we had an extension built which was a much longer project and I outdone make them bacon sandwiches on a Friday morning if I wasn’t working.
Would you have made a sandwich?

Jeeeze, what patronising attitudes to tradesmen. Poor lambs. They need looking after.

No-one has yet explained why they think a tradesman should be fed by their client, while a professional should not.

@jontyl

Wow. I think peoples attitudes to tradesmen has to change. You need them and they are in your house so be generous. Some customers don't even make tea for you. How entitled. Have you ever had tea from a flask. It's disgusting. Show some hospitality...please. He/she may have forgotten to pick up his/her lunch on the way out that morning. Been working long hours helping with a customer emergency. You just don't know. A cheese sandwich takes 2 mins to knock up.

This is hilarious. Is your husband a tradesman? Are you?

Poor widdle man can’t be expected to make his own sandwich at home, even though it takes 2 minutes to knock up. Bless.

Wow. I think peoples attitudes to tradesmen has to change

I agree with that statement but in the opposite way from you.

Fortunately there are a number of tradespeople who don't behave in the silly unprofessional way that some here seem to think is appropriate.

And the implication in a few posts here that you have to ply people with food for them to do a decent job for you - if that's the attitude they can't have any pride in their work, self-respect or respect for the client at all.

Oh, and I've never had anyone disappearing off to the chippy and not coming back for hours.

All the trades who worked on my new kitchen a couple of years ago were youngish, friendly and pleasant, hardworking.
Maybe because they were used to working on kitchens they came with their own refreshments including drinks.

@squeekums I think you need to be a bit more accommodating towards your tradespeople! I used to be a handyperson myself, and I can tell you that if I wasn't treated properly, I never returned to do any more work for that customer. Furthermore, I told my friends about that person, so that they often found themselves struggling to find someone to do the work! On the other hand, if I was treated well, I went out of my way to do an excellent job for them, even above & beyond what they asked for. Just something to bear in mind before you treat your tradespeople badly!

@Carriecakes80 Exactly, and they will repay us by doing a first-class job!

I can tell you that if I wasn't treated properly, I never returned to do any more work for that customer.

The tradespeople and handyman who have done work for me happily return. They don't need to be bribed with lunch to do so. They are treated with respect like any other good professisonal and paid well and promptly.

My DH is self employed (although not a tradesperson) . The service he gives is the same for everyone, although he prioritises the customers that give the most work. No one has ever bought him lunch although he occassionally gets bottle of wine at xmas.

We had tradespeople in very recently for a few days and we supplied them with tea and coffee regularly throughout. No food or biscuits at all though (because we don't really have biscuits in the house).

When they had finished and were leaving on the last day, one of them said 'thanks for the hospitality, really makes a difference'. Which made me think that they must go to lots of jobs and not even get offered a cuppa!

Asking for a sandwich is a bit cheeky though!

Yes, I think of 'treating a contractor properly' as being about mutual respect, clear communication and prompt payment.

I hadn't realised that it required an adult member of the household to pretend they are not working and put on a parody '50s housewife act.

(And yes, I make people tea on arrival, or if I'm making one, which will not be often. I leave tea and coffee-making things out for them and make that clear. Polite. Hospitable. Not pretending I'm not also working and putting on some sort of drag act).

Cups of tea are one thing. I provide my own lunch for work. I would expect them to bring their own. I would make him a cuppa in the morning and tell him where the nearest MacDonalds is of he's hungry later on

I probably would have made him a sandwich but he wouldn’t have liked it because I don’t have wheat or full fat dairy in the house. So he’d have got gluten free bread and cottage cheese. Very presumptive to assume someone even has that stuff or can afford to give it away.

[quote Tzimi]@squeekums I think you need to be a bit more accommodating towards your tradespeople! I used to be a handyperson myself, and I can tell you that if I wasn't treated properly, I never returned to do any more work for that customer. Furthermore, I told my friends about that person, so that they often found themselves struggling to find someone to do the work! On the other hand, if I was treated well, I went out of my way to do an excellent job for them, even above & beyond what they asked for. Just something to bear in mind before you treat your tradespeople badly![/quote]
I'm starting to wonder why I put all my efforts into doing the best job I possibly could for my employer, when they never even made me a cheese sandwich. Or even a drink.

Since when is not making lunch for a tradesman 'treating them badly'? And for how long has bribery been necessary for them to do their job professionally?

Actually under covid guidelines you aren't supposed to even provide them with drinks I believe

[quote Tzimi]@squeekums I think you need to be a bit more accommodating towards your tradespeople! I used to be a handyperson myself, and I can tell you that if I wasn't treated properly, I never returned to do any more work for that customer. Furthermore, I told my friends about that person, so that they often found themselves struggling to find someone to do the work! On the other hand, if I was treated well, I went out of my way to do an excellent job for them, even above & beyond what they asked for. Just something to bear in mind before you treat your tradespeople badly![/quote]
Strange. I've renovated quite a few properties, and that often means a non or barely functioning kitchen, or at the very least quite a dusty, basic one.

I haveny had any problems with being cancelled by local tradesmen in the area. Neither have any of the building sites.

Trades all seem to follow the routine of arriving at or before 8am, working til about 10, when they have their mid morning tea in their van. Then at lunchtime, they do the same but for lunch. They're all self sufficient and in no need of constantly being pestered with offers of cups of tea or cake. It's a workplace, not an on-site restaurant.

Anyone displaying your attitude - good riddance to you. It's unprofessional and bad organisation, and I'm not giving work to sulkers who cause trouble. I presume though that you're only referring to the offer of a refreshment or use of a kettle and tap if your van doesnt have facilities, and not expecting your clients to provide you with lunch. Because that would be quite silly.

A friend did have a tradesman she used often who was a bit like that, in the end she was serving him home baking. He then propositioned her, she turned him down and he went into one of the sulks you describe and told her he was "unavailable" for future work. He also sent the sane message to her friend, who lived nearby, who barely gave him any work. It was hilarious. We still laugh about it, and the replacement tradesmen she got knew all about him and his reputation, which makes it even funnier!

It's only a couple of slices of bread and a piece of cheese but... thin end of the wedge.

I am amazed trades people are still accepting tea and drinks, much less sandwiches etc. Contamination risk just goes up and up as she/he goes from house to house. I would not be touching anything!!!!!

Ahh how frustrating for you OP. I would be annoyed at this but would probably just meekly reply ‘ok’ while seething inside.
No other profession requires so much drunk/food making for them. No one makes me food or drink when I’m at work.

Normal times - yes absolutely, my tradesmen are treated nicely and get paid promptly too. I think he's been really cheeky asking for a sandwich! What's for tomorrow - will he bring his laundry?

Covid times - they get an apology that they won't be getting a cuppa - but covid! Don't want to take the risk, it protects them too.

My dad was an electrician, my husband's a builder and most of his best friends are one or the other. None of them would ask a customer to make them a sandwich. None of them would do a worse job just because they didn't like a customer either.

They might moan to their families if a customer is particularly difficult, but they still do the work to the same high standard every time because they're being paid to and that's their job, and because doing otherwise would be stupid.

An interesting question is why some tradesmen have the expectation that certain behaviours which would be unacceptable in other workplaces, are okay. These include erratic time keeping, poor communication, expecting regular drink to be supplied and possibly food, becoming petulant if they are called on any of these behaviours.

The other question is why we accept these and see them them as the norm and even encourage them, when we are customers.

Lots of people say they feel they need to provide food and drink to ensure a good service or decent dehaviour. Simply paying for the service should ensure these.

Some people seem to think that the more food and drink offered and the more homemade the stuff, somehow the better person they show themselves to be. The idea that it is rude not to feed or water people, or to call them on lateness etc is just daft when you think about it....we don’t feel the need to do the same for our employees in the workplace, nor for professionals who might visit the house. Although, some people seem to feel it is vital to have a plate of cake ready for a funeral director or Vicar who calls to talk about a funeral, or the health visitor etc. Is this about people historically looking up to such people and feeling to need to show themselves to be decent, hospitable people and show deference? I think there is something if this involved.

Finally, larger organisations that employ tradesmen often have pretty clear directives about this stuff for their workers...more in line with the modern age. Workers should not expect food or drink. Some specify that they must decline offers of it. They must be on time etc. They want their workers to behave professionally and that customers feel they are getting the hours paid for and cannot then complain that the worker spent a chunk of the time drinking tea and not working. They want there to be no scope for complaint and for workers to be as productive as possible and. I’ve o to the next job as quick as possible. It’s all much as you’d expect in other workplaces.

But smaller and independent tradesmen seem to be behind the times in their behaviours and I think we often facilitate them in that.

I always just show them where the kettle is and the fridge, leave some mugs and biscuits out and tell them to help themselves then go out and leave them to it.

This has reminded me of a tv programme years and years ago where people tried their hand at property developing.

Two women hired a builder to do the work, and greeted him (previously unknown to them) with a kiss on each cheek every day. I thought this was astonishing as it would be unheard of where I live.

Unsurprisingly in the end there was a big row and the builder walked out on them. The ridiculous overfamiliarity hadn't benefitted anyone.

Of course maybe the builder just hadn't been given lunch.

[quote Tzimi]@squeekums I think you need to be a bit more accommodating towards your tradespeople! I used to be a handyperson myself, and I can tell you that if I wasn't treated properly, I never returned to do any more work for that customer. Furthermore, I told my friends about that person, so that they often found themselves struggling to find someone to do the work! On the other hand, if I was treated well, I went out of my way to do an excellent job for them, even above & beyond what they asked for. Just something to bear in mind before you treat your tradespeople badly![/quote]
Wow what a shitty attitude. You're being paid to do a job so do the job properly. I'd rather not have someone working on my house that changes the quality of their work based on how much I pander to them.

Two women hired a builder to do the work, and greeted him (previously unknown to them) with a kiss on each cheek every day. I thought this was astonishing as it would be unheard of where I live

Unsurprisingly in the end there was a big row

I don't see the relevance. You think the row was unsurprising because they greeted him with a kiss?