Vent - Workmen in house

phoebe1989seb

C_Mababejive wrote: »

The best thing to do if your going to have people working in the house for a while is simply set up a tray with a kettle,some mugs and some tea bags. If they are going to be there all week simply say..when youve used all that,bring your own ! simples..

When we were having our extension built two years ago this us what we did. At the time we didn't actually have a kitchen - there wasn't one in the house when we purchased - plus we don't drink tea or coffee ourselves, but nonetheless have always felt it polite to provide the facilities for the builders to do their own thing.

Trades we've had in since the kitchen went in are always offered hot drinks - but only after they've been working an hour or two (mid-morning approx) - then at regular intervals thereafter. Some accept the offer and some - our sparky for one - don't, as they bring their own in flasks etc.

The worst experience we had was not a builder helping themselves to drinks, but to my iPad :eek: DH employed a plumber he'd met through his work in interior design and I think this guy considered himself a friend rather than someone employed to do a job, although that definitely wasn't the case......

We popped out leaving him working on a bathroom, only to return to find him browsing the internet on the iPad I'd left on the coffee table downstairs......blooming cheek of it - suffice to say we got someone else to fit the other bathrooms

Cyclamen

I would be upset if someone helped themselves to the kitchen supplies without permission.

However i always offer a brew when workmen arrive and on the hour every hour from then.

The fencers who rescued us when the back fence came down in winter storms, had flasks (seems sensible if in a field), apparently they aren't offered drinks very often at houses so seemed surprised when we did.

The roofers that did the garage just looked grateful and send thanks. I think it's hot dirty work.

My last two house moves have been long distance so loading one day, driving length of country and sleeping in lorry or digs before unloading next day. Obviously no food in but brew kit was last on and first off lorry. When we went for sandwiches for us we came back with bacon butties for the movers too.

I have carers in each day to help me, and have made it very clear that they can have tea, coffee, squash whilst working. Now i'd be unimpressed if they stopped for a 10 minute sit down in an hours call, but a brew on the side whilst they do jobs and help me is fine. They rarely accept, I think it might be company policy though.

I don't have 'best mugs', I wouldnt expect them to break/damage any mug so this seems irrelevant.. after all if they are that clumsy i'd prefer them not to be on my garage roof, tiling my bathroom etc.

The thing that always amazes me is that workmen don't often nip in to use the loo.. now there are no handy hedgerows to hide behind near my house.

aqua111

Like you Cyclamen I do not have "Best Mugs"
Why do some of the posters assume that Workmen are an inferior group unable to be trusted even to hold a mug?
I have broken many a mug and have never been a "Workman"!!!!! !!!

sarahg1969

I once came home from work to find five workmen sitting on my stairs, with their workboots on on my new carpet, ALL smoking! In my house!! Actually smoking in my house! And using a coffee mug as an ashtray!

gunsandbanjos

sarahg1969 wrote: »

I once came home from work to find five workmen sitting on my stairs, with their workboots on on my new carpet, ALL smoking! In my house!! Actually smoking in my house! And using a coffee mug as an ashtray!

That would annoy me, I imagine very few workmen would do this though.

notanewuser

We were having building work outside and one of the apprentices was constantly smoking. I didn't mind, as it was outside and for his boss to deal with, but he kept dropping the butts all over the garden. I had a word about it, and he stopped briefly. Then it started again. I was 7-8 months pregnant and bending down to pick the butts up was uncomfortable to say the least. So I didn't. But I withheld biscuits and treats for the whole team until he sorted it.

likelyfran

Prothet_of_Doom wrote: »

The last workman in my house told me the 5 reasons he gets recomendations from all his customers.

1) He starts on the day he says he'll start, and finishes on the day he says he'll finish
2) He charges you what he said he'll charge you.
3) He will leave minimal mess everyday, and take all his rubbish away with him
4) He brings a flask with him, and refuses to take tea or coffee, or biscuits from the customer.
5) The quality of the job is always better than the customer hoped for.

He sounds like one in a million. Good for him.
We have gangs of workmen in and out of our small block of flats at the moment (big old house on a busy main road) and they have zero respect.
They regularly leave for the day leaving the front door of the building not just 'on the latch' but wide open, despite reminders and notes.
****heads.

Morglin

sarahg1969 wrote: »

I once came home from work to find five workmen sitting on my stairs, with their workboots on on my new carpet, ALL smoking! In my house!! Actually smoking in my house! And using a coffee mug as an ashtray!

I do tell workmen they can smoke in the garden, or in the spare room, with the window open, if it's raining, and give them an ashtray.

I smoke anyway, so it's not a big deal for us.

They should ask first though.

As for only offering them certain drinks, I never drink tea, or eat biscuits, but I have them in the house, because of guests anyway. And, I buy extra if we have workmen due.

They use the same mugs we do - we don't really have different classes of crockery in this house!

As a previous poster said, it all goes a long way - I take their details when they go, and I have a supply of cheery, quick tradesmen, who do a good job, to hand, when we need work done.

Lin

pollypenny

I have only ever come across two bad workmen: both in school rather than in my house.

After one break, I went into my classroom to find electric wiring, snd its plastic covering, running straight through a display board full of technical terms.

Another time I returned to find my radio/ cassette missing. Bad enough, but in it was a CD with the music which was integral part of the play I was doing with GCSE set 1.

I had painted my initials and room number on the machine. I eventually found it left in one of the halls. When I challenged the man he just shrugged.

Thankfully every worker we've had at home has been great, as have most in school, the regulars, anyway.

robatwork

sarahg1969 wrote: »

I once came home from work to find five workmen sitting on my stairs, with their workboots on on my new carpet, ALL smoking! In my house!! Actually smoking in my house! And using a coffee mug as an ashtray!

I presume you sent them packing!

Actually either you have an enormous staircase or those 5 people were all sat on different stairs a few apart? It's a nice picture either way.