How much is 'a drink' in payment terms for a tradesman?

[cockapup]

My elderly parents contacted a tradesman on a local FB group as needed an outside light replacing. The tradesman said he'd pop round after finishing another local job to assess. As it turned out it was a bulb needing replacing so took him less than 10 mins. He kindly said no charge but just give me a 'drink'.

How much would you give? Just wondering if what my parents gave was excessive- I'll reveal amount later.

Because it’s ridiculous ? Could you survive on £100 a week ? We hired a local decorator and he charged £100 a day - and that was several years ago. The daily rate now is an average of between £240 and £400.

I'm furious on their behalf. What poor conduct. I like PP's suggestion to contact him and ask for a breakdown of cost/why he felt £60 from almost 90yr olds was acceptable.

Sorry you have to deal with this, OP

Only you are being "ridiculous"!
The thread is about "beer money," not paying people for jobs/etc

Daylight robbery

Oh that does sound as if he took the piss.

I mean from no charge to taking £60 from them?

I would have thought £10/£20

I bet you feel like warning others about him!

Well their age is irrelevant unless he has special rates for over a certain age!

I’m furious too and agree with this.

Actually diddl is right regarding age

Well my local electrician charges £70 for a call-out, so that was nasty of him if he'd just said 'a drink'. Maybe he thought better of it.

I’d have assumed a cup of tea.

My husband is a tradesman and would do this type of thing. I would say £20 or wine/beer to the value of

£20. I'm cringing at those who are saying a fiver.

I don't like these wooly, undefinable statements. So I think I'd say something like,

"Thanks for your help, there's a bird bath in the garden, help yourself to a drink whenever you like."

Do you live on Coronation Street or something? I have literally never once seen any tradesmen who've been to my house in a pub local to me (and there are a few on our High Street so which one exactly is the pub?!).

£10-£20. Perhaps a nice bottle of wine if I had one in the kitchen.

If local pub just ask them to give him a drink next time he in and pay them
Wouldn't expect give cash with that reply and odd to say that but then accept £60 for changing light bulb

Wow. This has teared me up.

They mean a £20 tip on top for works that took a day

He took money to replace a light bulb??!! Frigging hell!!

I’d probably have taken that literally and given him a crate of beers !

I’d be worried that (a) your parents thought it appropriate to offer up all the money in her purse and just let him take it and (b) that your Mum thought “a drink” might cost cost £60. Sounds like they are struggling with daily living, how can they manage their daily finances if they are that out of touch with what things cost?

I would consider £10 but give £20 so I didn’t look like a tight arse 😂 £5 is absolutely too low! Anymore than £20 seems excessive.

Just read your update, yeah that’s really out of order. He took the piss out of their vulnerability there. If he asked for a drink and your mum handed him £60 he should have said oh no that’s too much and handed her at least £40 back. 😡

We bought a new outside light thinking it’d be a like for like swap…it wasn’t. We called a local electrician who took off the old one and mounted and connected the new one…,£35!

Tenner, but I think I would have given him 20 cos he sounds like a decent bloke.