to begrudgingly make the window cleaner tea?

[axolotlfloof]

I am working from home and busy.
I knew the window cleaner was coming and I have texted back to confirm access.
Same company, different window cleaner.
He knocks and says "Can you put the kettle on? Builders, milk no sugar."
The people pleaser me says "Of course" but I am a bit miffed.
I don't think he would have said the same to a man, perhaps "Any chance I can get a cuppa mate?"
Anyway I have made him a cup of tea, but am now miffed
So AIBU that he treated me like his work experience skivvy?
I don't begrudge him the tea, but the expectation (I think based on the fact I am female) and disruption.
Anyway back to work.

Next time just 'forget'. If challenged admit you 'forgot' and are busy now 'expecting a call'.

That is so cheeky! But also you must have a huge house or a very thorough window cleaner, it only takes about 15 mins to do our house.

I think the bigger issue for the people saying "Sorry I can't" is the use of the word 'sorry' in the first place.
It needed no apology and nor should any woman feel they have to apologise to anyone making demands of them.

He did inside and out and it's reasonably big. I've now just resigned myself to permanently finger-printed windows

I am a habitual tea maker…nobody makes it out of my house without a brew 😆 so came to this thread expecting to say YABU. But he was so cheeky! Definitely yanbu.

How rude!

I am happy to make my window cleaner a cuppa - or anyone really. I am a lone parent working from home and sometimes don't speak to an adult for long periods of time!

That said, if anyone told me to do something in that way I'd respond by saying "I'm in the middle of something, and will make a cup of tea soon".

Oh my god! The job would have taken what, ten mins? And he expects to be fed and watered?

Not a chance I hell I would have done this. You're paying for a service, you're not a cafe and you should have bloody well told him that!

The least you can do is now contact the company and tell them you won't require their services anymore.

Never even thought to offer the window cleaner a tea.. he's here for 15 minutes max and during that time I would hopes working not standing around having a cuppa

and as for people telling you to say 'sorry but I can't'

Er no. There is no apology required!

Just a firm NO - I'm busy working will suffice.

You could always make him the worst cup of tea ever, literally only dunk the bag in the water a couple of times. Bet he won’t ask again!

You did it because you are kind and polite, but next time say something like ‘Sorry, but your knock disturbed me working and I need to get back to it.’ Knocking to request a hot drink is ridiculous.

Hell no does he know the cost of electricity.
I would say sorry trying to cut back on using the electric, and go back to work.

Life doesn’t work like that though, does it? Imagine if she just says ‘No, I’m busy’ and closes the door. That would be really unnecessarily rude and uncomfortable for someone who is clearly polite. Please, thank you and sorry are what we all use to soften things and maintain pleasant relationships with people.

He was rude and arrogant. Different if he asked for water due to being thirsty, but he treated you like a skivvy "ordering" tea, because he knew he could get away with it. And yes he definitely wouldn't have spoken to a man like that. Now that I'm older I'd have said "oh shit, sorry just ran out of tea bags" to his rude request.

Why does he need cup of tea anyway? It takes no longer than half an hour to clean the windows if you have big house. Cheeky fucker.

Or channel Phoebe/Lisa Kudrow from Friends: "sorry, I can't because ... I don't want to"

Perfect.

"Can you put the kettle on? Builders, milk no sugar.

"Yes, that'll be £2.50 please seeing as you seem to have mistaken this place for a cafe"

What was unnecessarily rude was assuming OP would drop her own work to make him tea. If there were any uncomfortableness to be had it would be of the window cleaners own making.

Maintaining pleasant relationships does not mean having to drop everything to kowtow to a mans desire for a cup of tea.

Gosh I wouldn't even question it. It's a hard physical job- and I like to think I'm a nice welcoming person.

Also (and I know this makes me a huge wierdo on MN) I'd be ok with him using the loo.......

I'm unable to vote. Yes he's a jerk, but it's a waste of your energy to be begrudging. Next time say no.

I've always offered my window cleaner a drink, I've even given food on the occasions he's been here when I'm making lunch/dinner.
He's never once expected it or asked and is always very grateful.
I'm not sure how I'd feel if I was asked in that way, there are much better ways to word it!

If someone asked politely I might oblige. This man didn't, it was more like an order at a cafe. So he wasn't owed politeness or apologetic excuses, let alone the tea he demanded.

The way he asked was a bit cheeky, otherwise I wouldn't mind. Nobody drinks tea here (not the tea people usually drink with milk anyway) , so I wouldn't be able to make it. Coffee yes!

What a cheeky shit. My builder sheepishly accepted a coffee offer, then he quietly washed his cup and put it on a drying rack.

This was my first thought.