Tradesman ate my crisps - do I bring it up?

[LostSleep]

We are currently renovating a property before moving in. We have all of our furniture there but are staying elsewhere. The windows are currently being renovated. When I went in to see the progress I noticed my multipack of crisps was empty and there were several empty packets of crisps strewn in different rooms.

AIBU to raise this with the lead tradesman?

I have left quite a bit a food there as we are there most days doing DIY/decorating but haven't been there while the windows are being renovated.

My partner says there isn't any point in raising it. Nothing will come out of it.

OP, please bring it up with the lead tradesman. My DH is a contractor and he’d want to know if his lads were nicking crisps and leaving rubbish on the floor. It’s not a big deal in the grand scheme of things but it’s bad manners and I would be pissed off as well.

Whatever. I see no difference. He took something that didn't belong to him. So what if it's food as opposed to a diamond necklace?

Did you hire ‘Dream boat Charlie’? 😜

I agree with this. I have always offered tea, coffee, soft drinks, etc, when people come round to work on my home, because I think that’s good manners. It makes no difference whatsoever to the behaviour of the people doing the work - some do a good job, others do a crap job, and there is no link between the end result and the amount of food and drinks they were offered, just a feeling of having been walked all over and disrespected if your good manners were not reciprocated by some very basic manners on their part.

They shouldn’t have eaten them. Not sure why people feed tradesmen, although we have done. But they charge a lot of of money, so they can sort themselves out in my opinion.
I wouldn’t bring it up though.
You could always deduct from their invoice on pay day. 😂

It’s probably my background, but I’d be likely to say ‘Did you enjoy my crisps, you cheeky sods!’ Then I’d laugh and say something like ‘It’s lucky I didn’t leave my caviar out!’ I’d be letting them know that I knew what they’d done but I was letting them off. Middle class ‘politesse’ just doesn’t cut it sometimes.

Maybe they brought their own food and then got hungry or maybe they thought the crisps were for anyone-who knows? I have had builders in on several occasions and a lot of things they did were annoying. But u have to pick your battles in life and given the tough times we are living in and the value of keeping them on side I’d be inclined to let it go.

Hahaha love this!😂

I would be furious! It is not the point that the crisps cost £2, they were not theirs to take! Clearly had not been left out for the builders and total disrespect dumping your clothes on the floor and leaving the empty packets around. If this is the way they work then what is the quality of their craftsmanship. Clearly can't be trusted. Definitely have a word with the lead contractor. Absolutely NOT acceptable.

It is the principal of their actions not the value of the goods.

Eh, no.

I would day something, doesn't have to be a complaint just highlight food left in that room is for you and your family only

We’ve lived in our renovation since Day One, with two kids. It’s been pretty basic living conditions but 95% of the fellas have treated the place decently, as a home, and not left litter everywhere, flushed the toilet after going for crap, not been sick in the back garden and left it there.

The only thing I’ve ever mentioned to the gaffer was the spew, and only then cos the person who did it didn’t come and tell me; instead DD found it while she was out the back playing. I’d overheard a bit of hangover chat and boaking when the crew was in but -wrongly- assumed the gastric free-styling was coming from the toilet. Scooping up a stranger’s partially Rustler’s burger was definitely a new low.

Have to say, no one has ever eaten our crisps (yet) but at this point I’d be happy that was the worst of it😛

You're overreacting a little bit. If you asked him if he wanted tea and snacks he wouldn't of ate the crisps. I expect he assumed you left the crisps out for him to eat anyway.

*digested

I think on balance I’d bring it up, not because they took the crisps (they just might have thought they’d been left out for them), but because they left the packets all over the house and they dumped your overalls on the dusty floor to sit on your chair. They seem overall, quite disrespectful.

A couple of years ago I was trying to assemble a sort of flat-pack garden arbour on the same day some nurserymen were digging holes for and transplanting my crabapple trees and other shrubs.

They were all cleaned up and ready to roll when the foreman came over to have me sign off; I gave him the fee and also a cash tip for each worker. He saw me struggling and called out to his crew; they came hustling back with the tool kit from the truck and in minutes had that arbour assembled and positioned where I wanted it; pounded in some steel rods bolted them on for extra stability.

What they did in 15 minutes would've taken me two hours. I was immensely grateful. People who have the physical strength, skill and ability to do those jobs are few and far between; cherish them when you find them.

@LostSleep if you want the job finishing well - don't bring it up .... it's not worth the hassle they might cause you for £1.50

What are you hoping to achieve by raising it … he knows he ate them and you do but if he cared he would t have eaten them or at least said … oh I’m sorry I ate your crisps. Lesson learnt - don’t leave things out expecting people to behave with a good moral compass . Generally in my experience I have found most of the people who you bring things up with will not take kindly to this type of questioning/accusation. You would like to think they would behave rationally … Good Luck

OP has updated.

Can understand it being annoying but is it worth someone possibly losing there job over it in this current climate , and i always ask work men if they want a cuppa no matter how big or small the job

Overalls, worn for work, on the floor? The horror.

I always offer a cup of tea. If someone's here a while, I'll probably offer again and maybe add some biscuits/crisps - but I've offered, they haven't just taken.

putting your overalls on the floor and leaving the rubbish lying around annoys me more. Taking the snacks is cheeky, not tidying up after themselves and putting your clothing on the floor is very poor manners.

Amazingly, some people even wash their work clothes occasionally, although they normally prefer to do that after having done some work in them, rather than before.

Catch a grip of yourself….. it’s a bag of crisps. Actually, wasted your time posting this. The boys probably thought you’d left them for them.
if I was you, I’d be embarrassed even thinking of saying something. Wise up

She didn't say they were unworn. You sound hungry; want some crisps?