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Do you feed traders working in your home

(106 Posts)
ClicketyClick Wed 19-Nov-25 19:06:06

I have a plumber and his mates in today and for next few days putting in a new boiler and other bits. As it was so very cold today I also gave them bacon cobs to help warm them up. They had brought their own sandwiches but I would have felt guilty doing hot food for just me today. Now I don't know if I should provide something hot tomorrow other than the usual drinks & biscuits. What would you do?

Nanny123 Thu 20-Nov-25 18:31:31

I just offer tea / coffee and biscuits on a regular basis

knspol Thu 20-Nov-25 17:53:52

An occasional bacon butty for nice people if working outside in the cold otherwise tea/coffee and choc biscuits. If just one workman and I happen to have any sort of buns etc then they get one of those too. never sandwiches etc I expect them to bring own lunches and snacks, anything I offer is just an extra.

Greciangirl Thu 20-Nov-25 17:40:13

Definitely provide tea and coffee, but surely that’s all that should be expected.

ClicketyClick Thu 20-Nov-25 17:23:22

Thet arrived on time yesterday and today and have worked without any breaks, drinking and eating on the go. I hadn't realised that one of them had gone to the cob shop for hot food so I needn't have been concerned yesterday. I did end up giving them hot sausage rolls later which went down well, especially with the apprentice who looked chilled to the bone. I think it was well worth looking after this crew as they went beyond what was expected - even filling in holes they found when removing cupboards that should have been done by whoever the previous owner employed so I have no complaints. I now know they won't let me down with the future jobs and they went away happy.

Lemonred Thu 20-Nov-25 16:20:58

Tea, coffee (instant) and soft drinks every few hours, with wrapped biscuits or chocolate bars. If they do weekends, I make them bacon, sausage or mushroom butties.
We often have vegetarian guys, so I always have an option for them too. It’s amazing how much smoother the job goes, easier to get them back if any problem, and to quote for a next job! I’ve had a couple of chaps last year who were happy with chilled water and a yogurt. They don’t all fit ‘the stereo type’!

Barbadosbelle Thu 20-Nov-25 16:10:34

.

Keepingquiet

Why can't he take his own food and a large flask?
.

Tooyoungytobeagrandma Thu 20-Nov-25 15:46:24

If they are know, good, tradesmen I will usually bake a cake or something to go with their tea/coffee. My carpenter loves carrot cake (mine i particular as he asked where I'd purchased it!!) and my odd job chap loves flapjacks. If not Known we'll will always offer hot/cold drinks and biscuits. Mybuildet and his 80 Yr old father (supervisor 😁) said he loved working for me because I paid immediately, supplied drinks and the best cake. Im hapoy with that as they always priced fairly and did a good job 👏

WelshPoppy Thu 20-Nov-25 15:30:41

Hubby always offers lunch to workmen in our home. He also offers it to workmen in our adjoining neighbours' properties if they are working outside 😂

Jonestownflood Thu 20-Nov-25 15:26:39

If I’m out and pass a Greg’s I buy sausage rolls , they always go down well !

Barbadosbelle Thu 20-Nov-25 15:03:33

BlueBelle

Quite right too!
.

Rosies21 Thu 20-Nov-25 14:54:52

Always drinks.mIf they are here for a few days or so then, in this weather, I would probably make a big pan of veggie soup and offer that in a mug.

Shirls52000 Thu 20-Nov-25 14:44:05

I always provide hot or cold drinks and an endless supply of biscuits but it’s up to them to provide their lunch, which to be fair they always do

Jojo1950 Thu 20-Nov-25 14:40:46

Always provide tea/coffee/water plus choice of biscuits. Always appreciated.

cc Thu 20-Nov-25 14:35:09

I've heard stories from some tradesmen that homeowners won't let them use their bathrooms whilst they are working.

Purplepixie Thu 20-Nov-25 14:34:08

Tea and biscuits are enough.

cc Thu 20-Nov-25 14:33:14

I should add that we wouldn't normally feed tradesmen, but offer tea and coffee throughout the day.

cc Thu 20-Nov-25 14:32:37

We used to have regular builders working for us to whom I gave a bacon sandwich if they arrived on time. We've moved now and the main builder still works for us, we put him up in a hotel locally when he stays so he still gets breakfast.

ViceVersa Thu 20-Nov-25 14:27:20

I always offer tea/coffee and biscuits - if I happen to have homemade soup and baking etc around, then I would offer them some too.

LovesBach Thu 20-Nov-25 14:16:59

I was surprised - it seems such a small thing, and spreads good will. However, my DiL never offers anything , and says workmen should bring their own refreshments. I've had other tradesmen working on the house and they haven't commented about customers, so perhaps the plumbers were singularly unlucky.

WithNobsOnIt Thu 20-Nov-25 14:13:41

Just a quick tea or coffee.
No biscuits or any kind of foid

I am paying them enough to work
not to sit and drink and eat which am also paying for.

CariadAgain Thu 20-Nov-25 14:09:55

LovesBach

Always hot drinks, and biscuits. When I had my bathroom refitted the men offered to install towel rails, bathroom cabinet etc. at the end of the job. They said it was because I had been 'so nice' to them. I thought that was the least I could do, to offer a drink and a biscuit, but it seems the previous customer wouldn't allow them to use her kettle, although they brought their own mugs and coffee, and they didn't usually get the offer of a drink from anyone.

I gotta ask....Loves Bach = what part of the country are you in that they're not used to being offered a drink? I've often wondered what the situation was re that where I am now - but thinking "If things werent that way before - then I reckon they're changing rapidly to be that way now (ie as this is a town that is improving/having a noticeable turnover of people now)". I can see house after house now that is having/has had work done on it and there's one house I'm aware of that looked very nice thank you on the "for sale" details after a renovation (but it was one of those "cheap surface bodge" renovations to make a profit and the current owner is now ripping it to bits and giving me the blow-by-blow account of how he's doing it properly this time - not the "Houses under the hammer" for a profit way).

None of mine have commented one way or another - but I was gobsmacked at the first workmen I had in for work on this house. Reason being I'd just chucked something out I didn't want and it would have gone off to the tip with everything else as far as I was concerned. But first one of them asked for it and then the other one did. Cue for gobsmacked me - as I'd never even heard of that before - but I gave it to the first one that had asked for it....

AuntieE Thu 20-Nov-25 14:09:08

I would nrmally only offer coffee, or in hot weather water, or something else cold to drink.

However, if I am baking buiscuts or tartlets while they are working indoors, I would feel horribly mean if I did not offer them a taste.

Norah Thu 20-Nov-25 14:05:33

Breakfast and lunch for my husband's workers, long hours and hard work. We're not near a place to buy food, easy to lay out food - so I do.

Dowsabella Thu 20-Nov-25 14:01:19

Always have a kettle at the ready for tea and coffee andplenty of biscuits. But I don't usually offer food. The last lot who put up our new fence drank pints of tea and alsmost ate us out of biscuits - the nice Ikea chocolate ones! But..... they never accepted the offer of a loo.
Piano tuner in a couple of weeks. He'll be offered a mince pie or two as well since he's a bit later this year and it's mince pie season!!
Off to Ikea later to replenish the biscuits......

LovesBach Thu 20-Nov-25 13:59:46

Always hot drinks, and biscuits. When I had my bathroom refitted the men offered to install towel rails, bathroom cabinet etc. at the end of the job. They said it was because I had been 'so nice' to them. I thought that was the least I could do, to offer a drink and a biscuit, but it seems the previous customer wouldn't allow them to use her kettle, although they brought their own mugs and coffee, and they didn't usually get the offer of a drink from anyone.