To not give builders food

[ThiswillDoItsfine]

Help me settle this difference of opinion. I have a company coming out in 3 weeks time to install a lot of fencing. I mentioned to dh that I will get them coffee, tea, and biscuits/cookies in to have with drinks. Dh is saying just the drinks is fine, and for me to just offer it as and when. The job is going to take 2 days. I want to give the men something to eat as well, at the very least.
DH is then saying he doesn't want them trailing through the house, which I do understand. However, I was going to set a table outside with a flask, tea bags, coffee, milk & sugar, and bowl of biscuits so that they could help themselves. I thought this would be less restricting and mean that they can get it when they want, without waiting for me to ask. I also think it saves me running around when i have a child to look after. DH is saying that this is well over the top.

Is this okay? Or is it wrong i set this up outside for them? It is an outdoor job, so I thought it would be easier all around, and they'll be working hard.

Thank you.

Oh please, of course not, that's ridiculous. Hot drinks, some biscuits and waters. Done. They're not doing the work for free.

What you are suggesting sounds perfectly reasonable & is what I would do.
Your DHs attitude sounds a bit extreme to me.

Tradespeople speak to other tradespeople you know, and word gets around about customers to avoid. You'll be top of that list.

My husband is a builder. He and his employee always come fully prepared with their own flasks, water and food. They don't expect to be offered drinks or biscuits, and would not do a lesser job if they're not offered. Not to say it's not welcome if it is offered though! What the OP is suggesting sounds really nice, but probably not necessary. They would be pissed off not to be able to use the toilet though. Other things which piss them off are: having to work in a garden that's covered in dog poo because the owners never clear up after their dog, and being told they can't start until 9.30 am, or some other late hour. Most builders want to be on site by 7.30 am to get a full day in.

Husband is being a grump haha I would always look after any workman with drinks and biscuits 😊 just a nice thing to do.

When we had builders in for a long time I set them up a little area in the conservatory. I was not going to be a tea maker for them! I bought a cheap small plastic kettle from Argos for them and they had Tupperware boxes of teabags, coffee and sage and some milk. I bought one pack of biscuits week for them. Nothing fancy, just a store brand version of something so biscuits were maybe 55p per week.

I also picked up some cheap mugs from charity shops for them and glad I did because one was knocked over and got chipped.

they didn’t expect it but they did appreciate it. But no way was I going to make 3-4 cups of tea with different sugar amounts etc.

edited to say absolutely do not cook for them! Bacon sandwiches are expensive and daffy. The beauty of setting them up a tea station is that you don’t have to make the drinks!

My dads a builder, if people make him tea and give him a biscuit he is a happy man. They do need the toilet sometimes though but will take boots off if you have carpet. Most builders and trades people are just normal people , they dont actually live in caves with no carpets :))) they will often have large or very large and beautiful houses that thry have built several extensions on and so understand about not making your floor dirty. They also love tea and coffee, offer a tea ehen thry get there and see their faces light up :) they also prefer to go to the cafe for lunch so no need to cook. People that don't offer a cup of tea or say, tou can use the loo if you need, well I would say to your face the builders will be very polite but go home to their family and say what a snooty person they worked with today, thinking they are above. Just because they are builders doesnt mean they live in council houses and drink stella. My dad doesnt drink and lives in a huge house in a nice area, building trade is actually quite lucrative and a lot of these guys are smart, well travelled and lovely people. Have a chat with them and offer tea,they will work harder for you :)

Next door just had new fences and the owners were out all day...everytime I had the kettle on I passed them one over. They were very grateful!

I’ve always wondered about the possibility of blacklists. I live in a large village, lots of tradies here but they’re very discreet about who’s a bad customer. They all drink in the same place though so I’m sure they swap stories.

Are you taking the piss? You seriously expect someone who is working in your house to get in their van and drive to a cafe (where they are not a paying customer) for a pee when you've got a toilet in your house?

I’m a gardener who often works on sites for one or more days. Please let them use your loo - particularly if you will use them again! Dust sheets are wonderful and the thin plastic stuff on a roll is mega cheap if you want things left spotless- outdoor work is invariably muddy at the moment!

I keep a mental not of people who have refused loo access - much of my work is rural and miles from the nearest public loo. We’re in a tourist area too, so parking is dreadful. I don’t appreciate climbing fences or peeing in the van bucket 🤢 AND I definitely don’t want to get caught with my ass out!!

Personally, I always bring a kettle etc with me - I have a little gas powered one for ease. Though the offer of a brew is always appreciated.

My favourite job last year was on an extremely hot day where a lovely couple brought out ice lollies!

We always give tradespeople acess to drinks and biscuits and tell them where the loo is, these are just basic things. I would hate anyone at my house to feel uncomfortable. My window cleaner also has a drink and a loo break at my house. It's just human decency in my opinion

My husband is a builder, he and others bring all their own food and coffee in flasks etc, or go to the shop at lunch, offering tea/biscuits is never expected so I don't think they would think twice about not having it offered, but it is appreciated. I personally would always offer beverages a few times throughout the day and would probably get a pack of biscuits or some sort of cake for them, it's just a nice gesture

My dad was a builder, the amount of times he had no access to kettles or toilets was outrageous. Not to mention the hot days when he wasn't offered water (people didn't carry water bottles then).

My friend did bacon butties for the workmen every morning they loved it but I certainly didn’t

from experience any workmen I’ve had in like to go out at lunch and breakfast, they sit in their vans or drive to a local shop (and don’t even ask to use the toilet they must go when they go out ) think this is standard and the way I look at it’s the same as if I am in the office I don’t want to eat lunch at my desk

my friend is a builder owns a firm. He said the lads especially the labours etc always put the extra in for the ones who offer a cuppa! They do a great job normally, and exceptional job if the host is a nice to them

I think it’s really dependant on where you live. Im rural. There isn’t anywhere for them to go at lunch. They always bring sandwiches etc the first day, but when the realise I’m cooking lunch everyday, they stop bringing stuff. But if I didn’t cook, they’d have their own food.

Come on, it costs less than £20 to buy a kettle. They can bring their own.

I've learned over the years that if I start off offering then they will expect me to continue. I then spend my time being asked for a cuppa instead of working. I haven't got time and to be honest I don't think about it since I don't have hot drinks.

Why does your H have this attitude, OP? It's a pretty miserable one. Is he like this with everyone? I had also assumed the 'food' in your title was something far more substantial than biscuits!

I had landscapers recently, I probably didn't give them biscuits as I tend not to have them (I eat them all if I do), but I did make careful note of how they like their drinks, made proper coffee for the coffee drinkers and tea with leaf tea, not bags. Much nicer. It's important to keep workers happy.

If they often work in unoccupied properties they might bring their own, as my daughter's builders did. We got in lots of snacks for them but they didn't eat them. So we did.

dh is a tradesman and what customers do varies enormously, so just do whatever ever you feel comfortable with.

Food wise he sometimes gets offered nothing (which is fine as he has his own large travel mug of coffee, and he never expects anything), sometimes tea/coffee and/or biscuits, and sometimes offers of food that can range from rolls in bacon to full meals. His favourites are customers who offer authentic India curries and he regularly comes home gushing about how brilliant they were and bags of mixed spices the customer has shared with him, but he never manages to replicate the curry at home!

Let them know where the loo is so they know they are welcome to use it, if we have tradesmen in I make sure they know where the loo is and tell them ok to come in in their boots as I've put floor covering down and/or its a hard floor and easily cleaned. You would be surprised how many customers make tradesmen who are there all day for days feel awkward about using their facilities.

What a strange thread

That is very true I live in a town not far from a city centre so lots of shops, cafes and places to get take outs etc about but suppose it does depend on where the op lives as it is the norm for all builders who come to me

When we have any workmen coming, I always ask what their favourite biscuits are. We don’t tend to have biscuits due to dietary requirements so acknowledge that workmen may have similar dietary needs - wouldn’t want to offer them something they can’t eat. Currently have a landscaper, who will be here about 3 weeks. I know his routine, when he takes his lunch/snack breaks and make him a cuppa at those times and when he arrives each day. Biscuits are left in the biscuit barrel on his workbench for him to help himself throughout the day. Told him he can come in to use the toilet. Wouldn’t dream of treating workmen any differently than this.

Can’t believe people don’t allow workmen to use the toilet.

In my opinion you always end up with a better and quicker job with “well fed” workmen

Proper coffee in a machine? Tea made with leaves? That must have taken you ages! Gosh that was very nice of you.
We don't do those things for ourselves, so it'll be instant for us. I'm not using my pod machine either as those are expensive, and the job isn't cheap. The builders probably have more money than we do! I don't have time with young dc, and work regardless.

I'll do drinks, and a thoughtful selection of individually wrapped biscuits/choc bars like I did for a job awhile back. If they're on a health kick they don't need to go get one, and I'm sure they've brought some healthy snacks themselves, with biscuits being the most common item customers offer. I know because it is such hard work, most of the workmen don't deny themselves at least one biscuit.

On a previous job the men were very appreciative of the hot teas, and thanked me for looking after them. It was as though they weren't used to it; it sounds like alot of people don't offer. It was sad because it was winter time and they were out in the cold. One of them said his son loved the biscuits, and took the rest home and he was sorry. I said don't worry, I bought them in for you anyway. I refilled the bowl for the next day. They were the loveliest workmen, and so rerespectfuldidnan amazing job, didn't make noise, super polite.

However the plasterers I didn't like. They were very loud, blasting music, scaring my toddler, and made me feel uncomfortable. They made immature jokes constantly, smirking when i came in with drinks, anr kept shutting themselves in the room, it was awful. They disappeared for hours, didnt even let me know they were going, had to stay later through dinner time because they slacked off so much in the daytime, which was tiring for us. I treated them exactly the same, regular hot drinks, snacks, and it was only an indoor job. They acted ignorantly regardless, did a bad job, and the company had to send different plasterers out to rectify the mess. Dh was at work, and when he came home h was furious.I wasn't well at the time having just collapsed a couple of months before. I think dh is clinging on to this bad experience, forgetting that thos was just a bad isolated experience.
They were the type where hospitality meant they didnt need tp do anything, and it was a bigger party. I don't always think drinks and snacks make for a good job, there are exceptions.