When you have a tradesman in your house...

[feeb]

I don't drink tea or coffee but will offer it anyway. I have generally found they want a cold drink eg water, juice, cordial, soft drink as they are hot from working.

[Miss.September]

I always offer both. I find that they'll usually just take a drink, but a bit of cake or a biscuit never gets turned down! I find the same as you Traveller, DH is a tradie, and it's pretty rare for someone to offer him a drink. He goes equipped, but I think it's only a nice thing for someone to offer, especially on a hot day.

[Bumperstump Cummerbund]

My MIL was once asked to stop putting on so much food for the tradies - they were there for a week doing painting and tiling and plumbing, and she'd make this huge lunch for them which they were grateful for, but they found it too hard to go back to work after lunch!

I definitely offer a drink - the other day I gave the RAC towtruck guy the choice between a beer and a coke coz it was 40 stinkin degrees and he looked like he was dying. He lusted after the beer but took water and a coke instead I've always offered, not very often taken up on it though. I personally would not be comfortable not offering a drink, but each to their own!

[Bumperstump Cummerbund]

Tradesmen where I live earn about a dollar an hour and are often too poor to eat lunch, they would hardly ever have cake, so that's why it makes such a big difference at my place.

I read this and thought, 'Wow, didn't realise it was so bad for tradies in Melbourne!'

[Traveller]

I read this and thought, 'Wow, didn't realise it was so bad for tradies in Melbourne!'

me too

There is a huge difference in not offering something you would not have yourself, such as tea or coffee if you never drink it. I guess I am just shocked that someone would step over my husband who is fitting their flooring, chat to him as the kettle boils, then step back over him with a cup of tea without even offering one.

[AliBaby]

Traveller - you have a good workplace that provides those things for you, as I am sure many others do too - mine doesn't (my paid employment I am talking about).....

Bottom line is: if others want to offer these things, then great. But to imply I am somehow wrong or rude because I don't??? .... - it may be nice if it happens, but it is not a prerequisite of hiring a tradie.

I'm going to back Misty up here as she really does have valid points. Her bottom line sums it up. If someone doesnt offer a coffee or food, it does not make them rude.

When DF was doing conceierge/security work in a residental building a while ago 5 nights a week (10hour shifts) he would occasionally come home and say such and such bought me a coke or bought down a plate of dessert or something like that. He always thought it was nice, but didnt think the other residents were rude for not doing that.

In my workplace I dont think parents are rude for not packing me some lunch when they pack their kids lunch even though I am working with them all day and I dont think my boss is rude if he doesnt come in and bring me a coffee in the morning even though he has got himself one and even if my boss did offer me lunch or a coffee at work it wouldnt make me work any harder as I already work damm hard and would prefer a pay increase than a coffee anyway

Again the sentiment is really nice and for those who do provide this for tradies it's lovely but for people who think it is rude for others not to offer lunch or a drink other than water well thats a bit mean

Also you dont necessarily know what a persons situation is. Someone might only have enough of their loaf of bread for their family and not have $3.00 in the purse to buy another after that goes (and yes this has happened to me).

So yeah as I said earlier a glass of water- not a problem but that is usually it.

[*Sparklez*]

i offer everyone and anyone who walks in my house, even the foxtel guy trying to sell a product lol!!

but i can also see why people dont i dont think its rude i just think each to there own...

[briggsy's girl]

i dont' think anyone that doesn't offer is rude - i just do it as a matter of course. my guests probably get sick of me offering drinks. i always have water with me, so i guess i make an extra effort to make sure everyone is taken care of

i don't think many tradies (my brother excluded lol) have accepted, but particularly in hot weather, i make sure i offer a drink. i know they often have drinks in the ute/truck, but i take on the thought that, no matter how good a cooler they have, unless they pack everything in ice every day, it's not the same as having an icy one from the fridge

[beckoes]

we had the local mechanic come to fix a friends car that broke down on our drive way and we gave him a steak sandwich and a cuppa as that was what we were having and it was his lunch hour. a cuppa or a beer is a usuall offer if we have someone here! i even offer the kid who comes to clean the pool a cuppa but i think he thinks im trying to lure him into the house to have my way with him casue he always runs a mile and DH never seems to be around when he comes! funny!

[diva det]

Misty nobody as implied that it is rude not to offer
but as I stated- by offering it is showing grace and courtsey to fellow man- something that we should be modelling to our children
i look at any tradie that come into my house as my son's job in the future - i treat them how i would like my kids to be treated when they are working!
horses for courses but I firmly believe what you give out, you get in return

[misty]

[QUOTE=*det*;2645083] Misty nobody as implied that it is rude not to offer
but as I stated- by offering it is showing grace and courtsey to fellow man- something that we should be modelling to our children
i look at any tradie that come into my house as my son's job in the future - i treat them how i would like my kids to be treated when they are working!
horses for courses but I firmly believe what you give out, you get in return [QUOTE]

OMG i cant believe that some people dont even offer a drink
It doesnt matter if you are paying them or not- its just grace and courtsey!
FWIW
as soon as we have anyone come to the house they get offered a cupppa or a cold drink
they also get morning/arvo tea and lunch if they are here
do you know how many freebies we have had done extra over the years by doing this???
HEAPS
That is not the reason that we do it, but we tend to get a better job and extras done as they are treated like they would like to be.
It is also nothing for a tradie to be given a cold beer at the end of the day as well if they are hot

They way we treat people is the model for our kids!

Sorry, but I took your first post (along with a few others posts) to explicitly imply that me not offering food or drink to display a lack of "Grace and courtesy". In other words: being rude.

I just do not agree that offering food and drink are the only ways once can show "grace and courtesy". I am generally a very polite and friendly individual and have never had a problem showing grace and courtesy to anyone IRL (even some people people who probably don't deserve it). It is a HUGE part of my personality and my job in customer service (which I am very good at if I do say myself).

I have also never had a problem getting excellent service out of tradies. I beleive if they are genuinely decent people, as most people are, and if you treatly them politely and with respect, as I do, then you will reap what you sow. I don't need to offer food or beverages to do this.

FWIW - the tradies I have used and know, would much rather a good referral or repeat business, then a gesture of food and drink.

[dusty]

Depends on how good looking they are

Actually until recently DH was the one of us who could work from home so he would be the one around to look after tradies. I've no idea what he offers them but I'd say knowing my husband he would offer up pretty much anything we had and then talk their ear off LOL.

FWIW I don't think you need to offer food, but a cold/hot drink if they are around a while would be a basic courtesy.

[diva det]

yes offering a drink is displaying grace and courtsey!
i never said you were rude - that is the conclusion you came too

as i said- you get what you give out-
we are not talking about a 3 course meal- even just a drink of water
i still cant get over the fact that you can have someone come into your home to do something that you cant do yourself and you cant even offer them a drink of water
maybe by reading what other people are doing when tradies come into their houses- it might give you a different perpective to what others do when they have tradies in their houses

[Ryatha]

When I was little I knew my mum used to offer drinks and small snacks to the tradies who were at our house. I remember one summer she offered them a swim in the pool at the end of a really hot day. The tradies sometimes accepted these things, sometimes not.

We always offer the tradie who is at our house longer than an hour or two a drink, but not really snacks. I guess it just depends on how comfortable you are with strangers, cause at the end of the day, unless they are your family or friend, it is a stranger in your house. I hope this make sense...

[Floweryfields]

I offer too, I do think it's rude not to, especially on a hot day. I don't subscribe to the idea that anyone being paid to do a job doesn't deserve a bit of old fashioned courtesy - like giving the postie a gift at Christmas or the garbo - they are being paid for the service they provide, but I think it's also nice to say thanks.

[Fleur]

If they're there for a while, if it's hot, if I'm getting a drink for myself - yes. Don't know if I'd offer food...maybe if they were there all day? Never been in that situation, I dunno.

We are in a townhouse though, in a complex with an onsite manager who does most of the handyman stuff, he lives a few doors away. I don't generally offer him something every time he comes over, but as I said if it's hot or he's there for ages.

[meow]

We've had a bunch of tradies around lately for small jobs and I haven't offered anyone squat. I guess I figured they would go to work with a packed lunch They're only here a few hours though.

My "woe-is-me" cleaner asked if she could have a drink of water in a hard done by way after I got myself one. I dont mind getting her one but when she's here I'm busy with my children and playing hostess to someone who isn't a friend isn't a priority to me. I would have thought she would carry her own water anyway? I work in early childhood and I never went anywhere without a water bottle. I know what it's like to work in an active job, but surely you learn to look out for yourself?

[Joeve]

Always do here. DH gets offered lots of food and drink when he is at jobs and sometimes he get offered other things too!!! like these