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?

Of course not. He’s a grown adult; he can sort his own food out.

Even the way he said it sounded entitled, no please? Or, sorry to put you out but... it was almost expected... but I guess if people keep making them they’ll continue to expect.

I agree he’s a grown man, if he knows the work is going to go over lunch he should have brought his own.

Depends what trade it is, surely!

True!

Dp is a builder and would never expect food. On his favourite jobs he gets biscuits and a bacon butty if he works on a Saturday but that’s it. Particularly atm, it’s just wrong.

PerveenMistry

Excuse me! How dare you attack my person without knowing anything about me. I believe people were being asked what they would do and I have answered.
There is no need for this!
From your response I could judge you to be pious, aloof and smug, which would apply to you more than me.

@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.

Im not a maid, nor a cook, nor the tradies wife

I pay for a job to be done, not to serve them food
If they need a bribe of food to do a good job, then they a shit tradie and dont deserve my money

[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]
So your a dodgy tradie who will only do good work for food? You dont deserve to be hired with that attitude
We pay tradies to work, that means sort your own lunch like EVERYONE else in the working world does. Tradies aint some special petals who need pampering on the job site.

To treat a tradie well all you need to do is pay up and on time and be polite. NOT serve food

My 80 year old DM had been baking and took meat and potato pies out for the bin men. They were delighted.

Yes, but I guess she offered, rather than was asked?

Oh yes, she offered. And yes, I’d think it cheeky of someone to ask for a sandwich but I wouldn’t know their circumstances, and I’d just think it a kind thing to do for them.

I’m shocked at the number of people lacking kindness at such a simple request.
We never know what’s going on for another person.
I would guess he arrived to start work at 11.30am instead of going for his lunch, to ensure he got to all his jobs that day. He’s a human being, at work over lunchtime, a little snack of two slices of bread with some cheese is hardly asking too much. A little compassion please!

@Mandy80 it’s called taking advantage.

I've had tgat before, I wouldn't have minded if he hadn't done an absolutely terrible job.

@Mandy80

I’m shocked at the number of people lacking kindness at such a simple request. We never know what’s going on for another person. I would guess he arrived to start work at 11.30am instead of going for his lunch, to ensure he got to all his jobs that day. He’s a human being, at work over lunchtime, a little snack of two slices of bread with some cheese is hardly asking too much. A little compassion please!

Huh? It is lunchtime now and I am at work. Should my boss knock me up a cheese sandwich?

He would have been hard pressed for a cheese sandwich in my house. I'm a vegan and I never buy bread because I'll just eat it all if I do

No, tradespeople get unlimited teas or coffees here and if I'm baking they may get offered biscuits. If you lunch isnt provided through your employer you fix it yourself.
If this were me and he had have said something like 'I've forgotten my lunch today I'm such an idiot !' And had generally been pleasant to have around, I'd have offered him something. If hed have asked directly for a cheese sandwich though hed have been directed to the nearest sandwich shop.

@Mandy80 My cleaner is here now, she arrived at 1pm. Should I have provided her lunch before she starts? Even though her being here is a business transaction, not a charity case nor is she a friend or a guest.

No wonder there are so msny scam calls these days. Rich pickings on gullible people it seems.

Mandy80
I would guess he arrived to start work at 11.30am instead of going for his lunch, to ensure he got to all his jobs that day. He’s a human being, at work over lunchtime, a little snack of two slices of bread with some cheese is hardly asking too much. A little compassion please!

You do realise there are many humans at work over lunchtime? That man is not some poor exception to the rule!

Every other person I know of organises something themselves like an adult or more typically just goes without as the issue is no time/capacity for lunch in order to get through the workload or inability to get away to have it.

I’m picturing it now and realising everyone’s being doing it wrong for so very long. Given your rationale it should have been perfectly acceptable for me to ask patients (would only ask the mobile ones of course) to pop out to the vending machine and get me something me crisps or a chocolate to keep me going over lunch. Being a human being, at work over lunchtime, a little snack is not asking too much. People should be compassionate after all.

I would also try and get hold of an exec by phone and ask them to organise a cup of tea for me. I’m a human being, it’s lunchtime and not having had a cup for several hours it’s not asking too much. People should be compassionate after all. I imagine the response would be in the range of 3 words. Now I realise this could be countered with asking for a cheese sandwich instead. It’s just a little snack of 2 slices of bread and some cheese, I’m not asking too much. And people should be compassionate. I can only imagine the complete silence on the other end of the phone after their mind had exploded.

I can’t imagine doing any of that though as I am an adult who needs to look after my own lunch and lunch associated problems and I’m not a CF.

@Mandy80

I’m shocked at the number of people lacking kindness at such a simple request. We never know what’s going on for another person. I would guess he arrived to start work at 11.30am instead of going for his lunch, to ensure he got to all his jobs that day. He’s a human being, at work over lunchtime, a little snack of two slices of bread with some cheese is hardly asking too much. A little compassion please!

Yes women be kind we must always be kind and nurturing and make sandwich’s for the helpless menz 🙄

I would have preferred a please

But you said he was appreciative so hopefully said thanks

I would have made a sarnie as well

Prob asked for cheese as most have cheese

It’s a one off job so doubtful you will make him another

A cuppa and biscuits, even a bit of cakeis one thing, but he shouldn't be asking for lunch. He can bring his own sandwiches, and with the whole Covid situation, I would have thought it would be the most sensible thing to to.
Someone mentioned personal circumstances. I work in a nursery. Should I and my colleagues be asking the parents to bring in our lunches for us? I'm on the minimum wage and struggle with four kids of my own. Of course I wouldn't ask them to do that, it would be ridiculous.
He's a grown man. If it happens again, say you are out of bread if you can't bring yourself to say no.

@AlwaysLatte

so what is egg in a nest?

I met an elderly gentleman who apparently used to be a professional musician.

The first thing he said to me was "I'm Hank Marvin" so I felt obliged to make him a sandwich.

@pigletjohn It's a slice of thick bread with a circle cut out, and fried with an egg cracked into the hole, and the circle fried also. Flip over both then serve with brown sauce (I like tabasco).

Also @plg21 ^

Sorry, 'Tradesmen' seems to be winding some people up for some reason.
'Tradespeople'.

regional delicacy?