Do you offer your tradies food or drink?

[rugrat]

Do you offer your tradies food or drink when they are working for you?

This question was raised on a different forum I frequent, and apparrently I'm a horrible person because I don't (although I may offer water if they are working outside).

So how about everyone here?

 

[wylie]

Always offer tea, coffee, water, snack, morning or afternoon tea of they are there all day.

Used to bake scones for the builders when we had our house renovated, but those builders almost lived with us .

 

[Jamie M]

They usually just help themselves.......it's great having tradies in the family

 

[RumpledElf]

Hrm, no. When we had the kitchen done they all vanished at meal and snack times like clockwork. As did the roofing guys, both times.

When we had the water/septic done WE vanished to stay well away from the smell.

When we had the wiring done it was family and he brought his own drinks but we provided all the food.

 

[weg]

Always offer tea, coffee, water, snack, morning or afternoon tea of they are there all day.

I do all of the above as well.

I find if you go over and above what you offer tradesmen you often get the same in return... not that it's the sole reason for offering refreshments and snacks.

 

[Television]

I do all of the above as well.

I find if you go over and above what you offer tradesmen you often get the same in return... not that it's the sole reason for offering refreshments and snacks.

This was my experience when I was working as an offsider. If the customer was nice, didn't turn their nose up and was willing to offer a drink or maybe a bit of cake the tradie was always much more willing and able to help out.

 

[FormerLurker]

I offer drinks but not food - IMO being polite and hospitable results in faster/better work with less chance of gouging .....and once you have a good tradie you keep hold of him easier through cheap politeness better than with more $ again IMO.

 

[moyjos]

hmmm... Hubby and our staff are tradies and they rarely get offered food or drinks on jobs. Although most of our jobs are short duration stuff. Even a full houselot of screens takes less than a day.

 

[Jamie M]

Rugrat, if it's tradies in Casey that you're talking about, most of the time they have a beer in their hands anyway!

To be fair though, I do walk the dogs around that area after "knock-off" time.

 

[Mooze]

Yep - tea/ coffee, and have gone so far as to bake banana bread or brownies.

For me it's something that I do regularly - and I'm trying not too eat too much of that stuff myself or take it into work too often.

 

[rugrat]

Rugrat, if it's tradies in Casey that you're talking about, most of the time they have a beer in their hands anyway!

To be fair though, I do walk the dogs around that area after "knock-off" time.

I've seen them in the middle of the day, same deal.

 

[joanmc]

I always offer smoko and then a sandwich at lunch, most bring their own lunch anyway.
When hubby was on the tools he often got full meals in the hotels he was working in! He still talks about the fabulous lamb shanks he had at Caloundra....

 

[Pa1nter]

As a tradie,most offer tea,coffee or a cold drink,
I usually don't take it,unless it is a very hot day,
A beer in the afternoon is always welcomed by my staff.

The older pensioners all make tea,cake and biscuits and insist we sit with them.
I am not one to offend and during the job which could take up to a week to complete,it is a ritual I actually look forward to.

 

[Casserole Dish]

I've offered but usually it's been declined. We do have a milkbar just around the corner though and they often have their own bottles/flasks I've noticed.

Beer has been known to change hands... it's always amazing to me the worth of a 'slab' can be so much more than the $ it costs me at the shop. Once my DH has hauled it out of the car, approved the brand, and lugged it out to the recipient, it is suddenly worth about a days work (ie. welding a gate, helping moving house etc.). Aaah, you blokes

Back on topic, I do make a point of showing them the downstairs toilet and making it clear I would prefer they 'empty the tank' in there, rather than on the back fence etc.

 

[kathryn d]

We had a reno that took about 3 months..and we had coffee,milk, and cookies available for the tradies to help themselves. They did seem to appreciate it, and we still use them for our properties.

 

[travelbug]

Do you offer your tradies food or drink when they are working for you?

This question was raised on a different forum I frequent, and apparrently I'm a horrible person because I don't (although I may offer water if they are working outside).

So how about everyone here?

You're not the lady that hid in the kitchen quietly stirring her coffee so my BIL working in the next room (builder) didn't hear?

I always offer coffee or a cold drink. If they are there more than a few hours I offer cake etc if I have any. Especially if I'm having something myself.

 

[marg4000]

I always offer tea/coffee or a cold drink, and show where the toilet is.
Marg

 

[our obsession]

Yes, if there are people visiting or working around us, anyone drops in, we are hospitable, we are country, rural people to the core...it's second nature. We offer food, drink, sometimes bed for the night so they need not travel in dark..bathroom..it's just the way people do things around here. Also it's our nature, both Mr OO and myself. It is a different kind of culture to city, urban life..

 

[Deena]

Tea, coffee or cold iced water.

I have worked in various party plan sales at different times of my life, cannot believe you are doing a party with lots of people and the hostess serves, food, drinks. I found a high proportion of people who do not offer you food or drink. I think that is bad manners and rude, sure you are being paid to be in someones home but.........

An ex girlfriend of mine was one of them

 

[skater]

I rarely get tradies in, however we have had two since we moved into this home. Yes, I offered tea, coffee & bickkies to the first. He was lovely and did a good job.

The second one I was a little put off because before I had gotten around to offering anything, asked me for a cuppa, which I did take offence to. Not because I'm mean or anything, and I was going to ask him, but I thought it highly cheeky for him to presume that he was entitled to something. This guy left the place in a huge mess, AND left a full wheelbarrow of cement which he tipped into my just dug area where we were putting drainage in behind a retaining wall. I was VERY annoyed at that as I didn't find it until he had been paid and had left. We then had the task of breaking it up and removing it, as well as clean all the extra bits of cement up that were dropped around the yard.