Page 5 | Tradesman asking for a sandwich

AtleastitsnotMonday · 2021-01-18T15:49:34+00:00

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?

Original poster

AtleastitsnotMonday · 18/01/2021 16:53

@NoOneOwnsTheRainbow

For all you know he could be diabetic and have forgotten to bring any food. Honestly, your options at the time were "no, sorry, we don't have any cheese. We're fresh out of bread..." or to make the sandwich. Why would you make it (even asking about pickle etc) then be annoyed at him for imposing? Bizarre and very two-faced.

Hang on, I’ve made a stranger, who was working at my house for two and a half hours a sandwich, I’ve said nothing to make him feel uncomfortable, and as far as Incan see I’ve said nothing to suggest I’m annoyed. I’m not. In the whole grand scheme of things this is nothing. I was grateful he was able to do the work. It was just a request that I hadn’t experienced before so, I asked on an online chat forum for others thoughts. How does that make me two faced? Your post comes across as incredibly rude.

OP posts:

Notimeforaname · 18/01/2021 16:54

My dh is a landscaper and was cutting hedges in someones garden last week in freezing weather...it was lashing down with rain etc....the householders were at home and didnt offer him a hot drink the whole day...i just cant understand some people

Yep. There truly are some miserable bastards out there.
I will always offer food if tradespeople are in the house at lunchtime.

And will always offer a cuppa even if it's just a 20 minute repair/job.

RickJames · 18/01/2021 16:54

I always put out coffee and a big bowl of sugar because workmen always seem to take about 10 sugars! And biscuits. At the end of the day I give them a bottle of beer to take with them. I wouldn't make food.

UrAWizHarry · 18/01/2021 16:54

It makes no sense to say that you would happily provide tea/coffee/cake etc but not a sandwich. It takes no effort to stick a bit of cheese in between 2 slices of bread, certainly no more than making a cup of tea or cutting a bit of cake.

But typical MN of course there is plenty of people going "oh noes, the slaveman is hungry! How dare he request something more substantial than a biscuit. He'll have a single rich tea and he better be grateful."

mummax3 · 18/01/2021 16:54

@WhereverIGoddamnLike

I'm aware that I'm in the minority but whenever I have people doing big jobs (so a whole day or longer), I always make lunch. Rolls and stuff, or stews and puff pastry, or chunky soups or whatever. I did a roast chicken once for the guys doing my garage. But I offer it, because I have the time. If anyone just turn round and said "knock me up a sandwhich" then I wouldn't be doing it for them.

I love this! I don't mind making stuff either if I have the time xx

saraclara · 18/01/2021 16:55

People seem to be confusing the householder offering something, and the tradesman (in what seems to be a very offhand manner) asking for something.

An offer is kind, if you're happy to do so. But "would you be able to knock me up a cheese sandwich while your there?” is just odd and entitled.

WombatChocolate · 18/01/2021 16:55

It’s quite different if you feel like OFFERING a sandwich to them ASKING for one.
When you go to work, you take your lunch with you or pop out and get something.

Bigger organisations who send lots of workmen out, are clear in their training that workmen mustn’t ask for food and drink and some say they mustn’t ask to use the loo either. Lots of customers don’t like such requests and there is no entitlement to it and they are keen to keep on the good side most customers. If a customer offers, some firms say the workmen should decline and others say if offered its fine.

If I’d been asked, I might have said ‘okay, just this once but I won’t be making you lunch every day’ or ‘I can bring you a drink and biscuit but not a sandwich I’m afraid’

Workmen often have a reputation for being cheeky or unreliable and this kind of request doesn’t do them any favours. If I was a business person and visiting a client, I wouldn’t ask them to provide me lunch. It is a cheeky request.

InsertRudeWord · 18/01/2021 16:55

Rude, unless he had medical problems or was destitute.

Notimeforaname · 18/01/2021 16:56

And if they asked,I really wouldn't mind.

It's not usual (in my experience anyway) that one would ask for food like that.
I would assume they were very hungry. Lots of reasons why one might not have been able to have an adequate breakfast/meal.
I certainly wouldn't like to think of anybody working on an empty stomach whatever the reason. And especially as a once off too.

Weirdfan · 18/01/2021 16:57

I was asked once, couldn't oblige as I'd literally used the last piece of bread and remnant of cheese to make DD a piece of cheese on toast. Workman commented how nice it smelt and asked if he could have some, I felt awful saying no but he was a CF for asking. I do always try to be hospitable to workmen, always offer drinks and have been known to offer a sandwich if I'm making one but it's bad form for them to ask imo.

warriorwomanx · 18/01/2021 16:57

I had new central heating last year; 5 days of work. The workmen bought me something from Maccies every morning, even if I said no when he called he'd bring me a muffin

Clymene · 18/01/2021 16:57

I would have pointed him to the coop which is a short walk away. I do tea/coffee for short jobs and add in biscuits for longer ones. Men are actually capable of shopping (although reading some of responses on the shopping alone thread, it's clear many women think they aren't)

cittabassa · 18/01/2021 16:57

I'm happy to offer tea, biscuits etc but am quite surprised reading this thread that apparently tradespeople can't manage to buy a flask and fill it before they go to work.

In fact a lot do bring their own.

And I've no trouble getting good tradespeople to come back when I've more work for them. Being reasonable, pleasant and paying very very promptly does the trick without making them endless sandwiches.

saraclara · 18/01/2021 16:57

For all you know he could be diabetic and have forgotten to bring any food.

In which case any normal person would have, very apologetically, said "I'm so sorry. I forgot my lunch and I'm diabetic. Could I possibly ask you for a sandwich, please?"

miserableannie · 18/01/2021 16:58

I absolutely would have done it for him. I usually offer bacon sarnies. If he's asked he might be in a situation where he couldn't afford to bring a sandwich to work himself. It would have took you 5 mins to make and cost you pennies

Notimeforaname · 18/01/2021 16:59

It was just a request that I hadn’t experienced before so, I asked on an online chat forum for others thoughts. How does that make me two faced?

I dont think you sound two faced op.

It was very nice of you to make the worker a sandwich no questions asked.

UrAWizHarry · 18/01/2021 16:59

@Notimeforaname

My dh is a landscaper and was cutting hedges in someones garden last week in freezing weather...it was lashing down with rain etc....the householders were at home and didnt offer him a hot drink the whole day...i just cant understand some people

Yep. There truly are some miserable bastards out there.
I will always offer food if tradespeople are in the house at lunchtime.

And will always offer a cuppa even if it's just a 20 minute repair/job.

It's pretty obvious that there are plenty out there who consider tradesmen to be their little slave monkeys and not, y'know, actual people.

Mamapep · 18/01/2021 17:00

Yes. And I wouldn't have posted on Mumsnet about it/given it a second thought.

Clymene · 18/01/2021 17:00

@UrAWizHarry

It makes no sense to say that you would happily provide tea/coffee/cake etc but not a sandwich. It takes no effort to stick a bit of cheese in between 2 slices of bread, certainly no more than making a cup of tea or cutting a bit of cake.

But typical MN of course there is plenty of people going "oh noes, the slaveman is hungry! How dare he request something more substantial than a biscuit. He'll have a single rich tea and he better be grateful."

No fucking way would women get lunches made for them.

RedHotChiliChips · 18/01/2021 17:01

@im5050

When the guys who were building my deck a few years ago they were going to have a pot noodle for lunch . I went and got them pasty’s and cakes every day from the local bakery told them they could use the kitchen for tea coffee & juice and put a loaf of bread with butter in case they wanted to make some toast . They were working at my house for about 10 days in really hot weather . So the least I could do was make sure they were fed and watered plus they were bloody good builders which are really hard to find and keep . So If I wanted them to come back and do more work they would .

Oh and I had no problems in letting them use the bathroom either 😂
But I always give a tip anyone doing work in my house and offer them the use of my kitchen to make a drink for themselves and they can use the toilet . To me it’s just basic manners.

It seems to work as any one who’s done work at my house has always returned if I needed them to

To you maybe but having strangers in your own kitchen would make many feel very uncomfortable and it's not wrong to feel that way either. Having an extension or whatever built, isn't free for all to builders. They are there to do a paid job, not lounge in customer's kitchen making unlimited drinks.

It is ok to have boundaries you know.

Notimeforaname · 18/01/2021 17:02

In which case any normal person would have, very apologetically, said "I'm so sorry. I forgot my lunch and I'm diabetic. Could I possibly ask you for a sandwich, please?"

Some people dont have the best social skills. Its possible others cannot express themselves/think the same as you.

LaceyBetty · 18/01/2021 17:02

No way would I have made a sandwich. I certainly don't consider tradesmen slaves (that is ridiculous), but I am not providing lunch. I don't even have sandwich stuff in the house. He can bring his own lunch like I do to work everyday. He could have all the tea and coffee he wants though, that is also provided at my work. And use my toilet (number one only though )

CremeEggThief · 18/01/2021 17:02

I would have been a bit surprised at this, but if I had the ingredients in (and yes, I have been in the position several times where I've had to try to make a loaf of bread and cheese do for lunches for DS and I for the week), then yes.

I would be beyond ashamed not to offer any tradesmen a drink and biscuits though. I can't actually think of many things more shameful than that.

FestiveFruitloop · 18/01/2021 17:02

@ItsJustARide

Would he have asked your husband the same question?

I'm wondering the same thing!

UrAWizHarry · 18/01/2021 17:03

"No fucking way would women get lunches made for them."

Yes, I'm quite sure in the history of the world no woman has ever requested anything from someone she is doing a job for. Ever.

FFS.