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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Builder and tea. WWYD?

192 replies

Rosiesmydog · 27/01/2022 18:53

So, one of my oldest and dearest friend is having an extension done. I said to her that she’d have to get proper milk and make lots of cups of tea because the builders won’t like soya milk and need regular cuppas. She looked shocked and said if they want proper milk they’ll have to bring their own and she would only make them a cuppa when she makes her own, which is about twice a day! After a bit of a discussion, she stated that it was good manners to bring their own milk if they didn’t like her soya. I pointed out that i thought it was good manners to keep your builders happy and just buy proper milk and make them regular cuppas because they are outside, in the cold, doing a hard, physical job. She’s not convinced! So WWYD?

OP posts:
EishetChayil · 29/01/2022 10:53

@Woofwoofbarkbark

People need to be more kind hearted to their builders.

They are often cold, sore and tired. Especially outside in winter.
They are building you a new part of your family home. It's a humbling thing to do for someone. (Especially when you're a builder who doesn't own their own home!)

My heart bleeds for those poor, deprived £500-a-day mites!

RampantIvy · 29/01/2022 10:56

No matter how much you earn you can still be cold, aching and tired. How mean spirited some people are. I treat people the way I would like to be treated myself. A little bit of consideration goes a long way.

VickyEadieofThigh · 29/01/2022 10:56

We make them one drink a day and then show them where the kettle, etc and biscuits (bought in specially) are.

It pisses me right off, however, that they cannot seem to fetch the mugs back indoors at the end of the day and we have to do a little 'mug hunt' in the garden.

CecilyTheWake · 29/01/2022 10:58

Anyone who says ‘cuppa’ or ‘brew’ is unreasonable.

/gavel

gettingolderandgrumpy · 29/01/2022 11:03

Who’s got time to brew up for tradesmen? I only brew up if I’m home and if I’m having one myself .

My dh brew up frequently for our roofer but it’s freezing up on that roof so I think that’s different. Tradesmen I’ll say milk coffee over there help yourself.

LemonSwan · 29/01/2022 11:03

We are having a lot of work done. I dont have time to make people teas every 5 minutes.

DP makes them one in the morning when they do there round.

I have set up a 'station' for them which consists of a cheap sainos kettle, tupperware box of tetleys, jar of instant coffee, tub of sugar, and I do leave milk out - however they usually bring their own milk and it goes to waste.

If I am going in to chat and ask how they are doing I offer a cuppa then.

Its fine I think.

CailleachGranda · 29/01/2022 11:55

@Woofwoofbarkbark

People need to be more kind hearted to their builders.

They are often cold, sore and tired. Especially outside in winter.
They are building you a new part of your family home. It's a humbling thing to do for someone. (Especially when you're a builder who doesn't own their own home!)

A humbling thing

Ffs. I've heard it all now

PinkSyCo · 29/01/2022 11:57

They are often cold, sore and tired. Especially outside in winter.
They are building you a new part of your family home. It's a humbling thing to do for someone. (Especially when you're a builder who doesn't own their own home!)

Oh God where’s me violin? 🎻

RampantIvy · 29/01/2022 11:58

We are having a lot of work done. I dont have time to make people teas every 5 minutes.

What an assumption to think that workmen drink tea every 5 minutes. If we have anyone doing some work here DH or I make tea/coffee only when we are having one.

Original poster
Rosiesmydog · 29/01/2022 12:49

The builders I’m referring to here in this thread were first hired by my SIL years ago to build an extension. She was well impressed with them and recommended them to lots of people, including us. Weve since used them several times ourselves and consequently recommended them to aforementioned friend.

The builders came round a few months later with a £50 M&S voucher for her as a thank you for spreading the word. And possibly because she ensured they had ample opportunity to make tea whilst she was in work!

OP posts:
Chickychoccyegg · 29/01/2022 13:16

I dont drink hot drinks at all, so I wouldn't even think about making drinks for anyone, it wouldn't cross my mind, would have tea/coffee/milk/sugar available and tell them to help themselves , they might be vegan or be lactose intolerant anyway, so would appreciate her soya milk, or they might not like hot drinks.
I'm outside a lot with my job, but it doesn't mean I feel the need for a hot drink.
You're really over thinking this

Tdcp · 29/01/2022 14:05

The builders came round a few months later with a £50 M&S voucher for her as a thank you for spreading the word. And possibly because she ensured they had ample opportunity to make tea whilst she was in work!

They came round to thank her for recommending them for jobs, they obviously worked quite a few because of her, not because she made them loads of tea and coffee... It wouldn't be viable to spend £50 to thank her for drinks.

Original poster
Rosiesmydog · 29/01/2022 14:54

@Tdcp

The builders came round a few months later with a £50 M&S voucher for her as a thank you for spreading the word. And possibly because she ensured they had ample opportunity to make tea whilst she was in work!

They came round to thank her for recommending them for jobs, they obviously worked quite a few because of her, not because she made them loads of tea and coffee... It wouldn't be viable to spend £50 to thank her for drinks.

That’s what I said!!! Do you not recognise tongue in cheek comments?? Band she didn’t make them tea…she was in work..jeez 🙄
OP posts:
Sportslady44 · 29/01/2022 15:02

how tight she is, get some milk in for them or ask them what they want not your problem really.

TheWernethWife · 29/01/2022 16:41

Bacon and egg on wholemeal toast at ours, we always look after our builders

OnceuponaRainbow18 · 29/01/2022 16:47

@TheWernethWife

I’ll let my boss know I’ll be late in every day to make the builders their breakfast shall I?

Tdcp · 29/01/2022 19:39

That’s what I said!!! Do you not recognise tongue in cheek comments?? Band she didn’t make them tea…she was in work..jeez 🙄

Calm down, it's not my fault you didn't get your point across

SniffMyFeet · 30/01/2022 09:20

@Tdcp

That’s what I said!!! Do you not recognise tongue in cheek comments?? Band she didn’t make them tea…she was in work..jeez 🙄

Calm down, it's not my fault you didn't get your point across

Erm she did, you just didn't read it correctly My partner got asked if he'd like a cooked lunch last week, that kicks a cup of tea into the gutter doesn't it Grin
RufustheFloralmissingreindeer · 30/01/2022 09:40

@Tdcp

That’s what I said!!! Do you not recognise tongue in cheek comments?? Band she didn’t make them tea…she was in work..jeez 🙄

Calm down, it's not my fault you didn't get your point across

I thought she was making a ‘jovial’ comment as well 😀

Dh is working from home and he generally makes the tradespeople teas and coffees

I only do it when im having a drink (and i drink much less than dh) or im leaving the house for a while, we obviously leave tea and coffee out just in case

I left 17 year old dd making a coffee for a builder a few years ago 🤔 not my best move as she’d never made one before and got very confused between the white coffee he was asking for and the coffee with milk that I’d told her he had….plus she didnt put the kettle on sooooooo

megletthesecond · 30/01/2022 09:42

Yanbu.
Keep your trades people as happy as possible.

HogDogKetchup · 30/01/2022 09:47

I had builders for 4-5 months and made them a cup in the morning usually.

I got really pissed off they never bought the mugs back in. There were 3 or 4 of them and if I made them a second I’d have no mugs myself. My favourite workmen leave the mug by the front door and I will happily replenish those when I make myself a drink. I was either working from home or had my toddler and wasn’t messing around retrieving 3-4 mugs from different locations in the garden for them.

They used to help themselves or use a kettle they had in the garage. They then left their teabags on the floor and I’d have to clear those up.

They were exceptionally scuzzy workmen! They’d eat their sandwiches and just leave the packets flapping about my garden. When we asked them not to, they started stuffing it down the pillar of the wall they’d built.

zingally · 30/01/2022 09:54

What's more weird is you wasting your life to type this thread.

Not your monkeys.

Stookeen · 30/01/2022 09:58

@Santahasjoinedww

Would people really not make their employees a cuppa? Cleaner here and and glad my customers are more friendly!
But the builders aren’t my ‘employees’..? And neither is my cleaner.

I’m at work (WFH) while the builders are working on my house. None of us think it would be normal for me to come downstairs to make them tea. They have full access to kettle, a selection of mugs, milk and several types of tea. In fact, more than once they’ve made me tea and brought it up, when I had a big deadline..

SniffMyFeet · 30/01/2022 10:05

@zingally

What's more weird is you wasting your life to type this thread.

Not your monkeys.

What's more weird is you wasting your life to reply to this thread
TheWildRumpyPumpus · 30/01/2022 10:07

If we have a handyman/electrician etc in to do a small job then I will offer drinks a couple of times a day. When we had our big extension done I set them up with a kettle in the garage and they made their own. Would stick a packet of biscuits in every now and then!