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?

Thankfully the pander to me or I’ll do a crap job is fairly easy to spot. I won’t use them.

I do re-book excellent tradespeople and last few P&D for house by a good team incidentally lead by a woman.

@Godimabitch

"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."

The thing is the good ones are turning work away everyday so they CAN pick who they want to work for.

I am not technically a trade, but go and do quotes for work in peoples houses and then complete the work in people's houses.

The ones who can't get anyone to work for them, and complain noone even bothers to get back to them with quotes, don't realise that it's often because at that first meeting or the next day when they phone to "chase" the quote that I have already decided I don't want to be bothered working for them.

You think the row was unsurprising because they greeted him with a kiss?

Yes I do. In my opinion it shows a lack of a professional relationship which doesn't bode well.

Feel free to ignore though.

Its easy enough to spot nightmare trades. I've nearly always had tradesmen who have behaved professionally and got the job done. But I would remove a nightmare tradesman from the job and pay him up to date for work done. Youre saving yourself grief in the long term by avoiding the prima Donna's who have tantrums if they don't get lunch and biscuits provided. Most trades obviously instruct their workers not to do this now, so it's a sign of bad organisation if they go about asking for lunch. Sulking, bad workmanship, threatening to bad mouth you to others - really to be avoided if thats how you work.

I wonder how often the posters on here describing their tea and bacon sandwich provision actually get work done. Or maybe all the tradesmen around my way are just incredibly proffessional.

If he'd have said "do you know where the closest place I can grab a cheap sandwich is? I forgot my lunch." Then you could have offered. But it's the entitlement that he thinks you should make him lunch just because he's at your house at lunchtime.

My husband packs his lunch, if he forgets he either goes to a shop or goes without. He would never dream of asking for so much as a glass of water from a customer. A grown man is perfectly capeable of going without lunch if he forgot it. Just like I would have to if I forgot to pack my lunch and couldn't get to a shop.

I wouldn't be impressed I have to say. It just smacks of disorganisation. Why didn't you make your lunch before you came out? I'd always offer regular hot drinks with biscuits or cake if I've made one....but to be honest I'd find it really unprofessional to just demand to be fed.

@GreenlandTheMovie

Its easy enough to spot nightmare trades. I've nearly always had tradesmen who have behaved professionally and got the job done. But I would remove a nightmare tradesman from the job and pay him up to date for work done. Youre saving yourself grief in the long term by avoiding the prima Donna's who have tantrums if they don't get lunch and biscuits provided. Most trades obviously instruct their workers not to do this now, so it's a sign of bad organisation if they go about asking for lunch. Sulking, bad workmanship, threatening to bad mouth you to others - really to be avoided if thats how you work.

I wonder how often the posters on here describing their tea and bacon sandwich provision actually get work done. Or maybe all the tradesmen around my way are just incredibly proffessional.

Yep agree. It’s not worth having that kind of petulance around and easy to avoid. Dinosaurs while everyone else moves on to a professional level. And it will be all the other stuff around billing etc

I think it's rude, and quite inappropriate at the moment in particular

Some of the posts on this thread are nuts.

Yes, fine, offer sandwiches to tradespeople if you want to. I agree it's a lovely thing to do, if you want to. But why on earth would it be expected? That is so bizarre. Do you really not see how unprofessional and inapproriate it is to turn up at a client's house and ask them to make you a sandwich - and worse, without even saying please? Wtf?! I am certain that none of you have client facing jobs. You wouldn't last 5 minutes.

Tradesmen are not idiots. They don't need to be pandered to like that. They are grown ups who are there to do a job. They can be responsible for themselves, just like most people. They are being paid to perform a task to a professional standard, end of story.

Weird thread.

@rowmaccerd we absolutely make the same decisions. We work with companies. If your staff are arrogant twats, or you run your business poorly, we will be less inclined to get the deal. If you're a customer of ours already and are a pain in the arse, then say you're thinking of leaving, we wont fight for you, and we know that you're gonna be so pissed off when the company you move to doesn't take any of your shit. But that's about expecting professionalism. We dont expect drinks or food to be provided and whether you do or dont does not impact the service we provide.
If the house owner talks to you like shit and messes you about. Fair play. But ringing round all your mates saying "dont do any work for 14 Howard street" because she didn't even make you a bacon sandwich. Is pathetic, unprofessional and we all know it's sexist. I'm always the one asked to make tea and coffee, not my husband, or any of the Male staff we employ, no, they look for the first woman and think I'm the tea maid.

[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]
Whilst I would be happy to provide some refreshments to workers in my house for a full day, it would be only IF I felt like it and had the food and drink in plus the time to do so. If I did not, I would still expect the same level of quality work that I AM PAYING FOR.

A good customer is one who pays in full and promptly, is not impolite and does not cause unnecessary issues.

A customer does not have to prostrate themselves to people they employ, running round after them like a 1950's housewife in order to get good work out of them. Anyone who expects that, I would be bloody glad that they didn't come back. And what would you say to your fellow tradespeople to badmouth the "terrible" customer?

"Cheap cow didn't even make me lunch!", My sparky dad and all the contractors we employ in our engineering business would laugh you out the pub!

It's a bit rude of him to ask indeed. Would have been a different thing if he told you he had forgotten to bring his lunch and if you could spare a sandwich, he'd be very grateful.

I don't think it's so common that tradesmen are offered coffee/tea or foods btw.
My parents home was renovated a few years ago and my mum always provided the builders with coffee and biscuits, and often would prepare soup, chips or sausage rolls etc. for them for lunch. They were very grateful for her efforts and told her this certainly wasn't a common thing for them to get from people. My mum always said it's a good way to make sure that if any type of issue with their work shows up later, they'll remember you were nice to them and you'll have less trouble getting them to come back and fix the issue.

I always offer tea/coffee (cold drinks if it’s a hot day) and bacon sarnies. I’ve found that this simple kindness results in a better job, and less time taken off the job for driving to the shops and spending 90 minutes on a break. I’ve even been known to provide a kettle, tea, coffee and biscuits in a garden room for workers if I’ve been out while they are working (also access to what was once an outdoor toilet, but is now in a porch, which can be left unlocked while the house remains locked).
I have the greatest respect for tradesmen and wouldn’t dream of not offering something, so I’ve probably preempted any requests that way...

A drink is one thing, but requesting a sandwich leaves the door wide open. Next day he arrives with a bag, "wash me undies for me love", next day "bit achy, do you provide massages?" It's tough to keep tradespeople happy! joke

I think a lot depends on how it is asked " I forgot my lunch, do you know where I can get something? is likely to get a different response from, "can you make me a sandwich?" Doesn’t matter if it's a tradesperson, family or friends.

I think it also makes a difference whether they're there for a 2h job or the whole day/week. If it's just a quick job, I expect them to come in, for the work and go. A full day, I would expect breaks. Either way I would think it's easier for them to be left to get on with it, unless they need to ask for something, be it where the stopcock is or if they can use the loo or kettle.

But usually, I am working from home do I might offer a glass of water when I get one for myself, but probably not more. I don't drink tea or coffee and often don't have any bread or cheese or biscuits in - sending them to the nearby corner shop is easier for both of us.

I love the term "Tradesman" it's so Upstairs Downstairs.

I suppose if he doffed his cap, fawned, and begged a bit, I might throw him a stale crust I was saving for the local peasants.

Seriously: never feed workmen. Never.

Always always offer tea and biscuits.

Leave the biscuits out for them to help themselves.

But I agree it's very weird for him to ask for a sandwich.

I've never had that before but in the past I have offered to make a sandwich for an all day job. I've only done it the once though as I'm not usually in.

Was he quite young maybe and just so hungry he had to ask.

I'm guessing maybe he was starving and it just caught up with him and he didnt have the energy or time to leave and get some food perhaps.

Also I would have made a sandwich and not really thought too much about it to be honest. And I'd have appologised for not providing biscuits.

What a chancer. I wouldn’t even let a tradesman use a cup from the house or the loo with covid about, the joys of shielding. Hope works all went ok

I love the term "Tradesman" it's so Upstairs Downstairs.

So what term are we supposed to use for a person skilled in a particular trade?

I won't be making anyone a sandwich anytime soon, I expect them to bring their own food, I pay them enough.
I won't even make tea and coffee - I just say the kettles in there if you want any. I'm not a cafe.

@cittabassa

I love the term "Tradesman" it's so Upstairs Downstairs.

So what term are we supposed to use for a person skilled in a particular trade?

Depends what trade it is, surely!

My husband is the same as me- If anyone turns up in the morning he offers them egg-in-a-nest or bacon sandwiches. We've had people come back and bring other good tradesmen with them saying how well we look after them. We're really lucky with the pool of great tradesmen we can call on. What goes around comes around!

@AlwaysLatte

My husband is the same as me- If anyone turns up in the morning he offers them egg-in-a-nest or bacon sandwiches. We've had people come back and bring other good tradesmen with them saying how well we look after them. We're really lucky with the pool of great tradesmen we can call on. What goes around comes around!

I have to ask what egg in a nest is, my family are avid egg eaters but this is a new one...