Contractors helped themselves to drinks from our fridge

[Anonymous]

Taking the hard lemonade rubs me the wrong way. The others, not so much.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Taking the hard lemonade rubs me the wrong way. The others, not so much.

Why that one? More expensive?

Were they ESL? Perhaps they didn't know what it was.

[Anonymous]

I usually offer that they should help themselves to drinks. I think it’s petty not to consider them for another project over this. Last week was wicked warm out, too, so easy to assume the drinks were for them. Taking the hard lemonade is a little weird though.

[Anonymous]

It's been extremely hot and you're not sure it's them who took it, so personally I would not bring it up. I would have been offering them drinks, honestly.

[Anonymous]

Switch to a crew that does less reliable work but won't drink your cheap drinks when it's 97°F and you are too thoughtless to offer anything.

[Anonymous]

25 years as a homeowner and now own ten homes total, most of which we rent out. This has only happened to me once, when we sent painters to one of our units and they drank all the tenant’s beer. I was livid.

[Anonymous]

I used to provide drinks and lunch until the workers threw their trash all over the yard with bins in plain sight (which they used for other trash). I spoke with the foreman and it stopped.

[Anonymous]

wow.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Taking the hard lemonade rubs me the wrong way. The others, not so much.

Why that one? More expensive?

Were they ESL? Perhaps they didn't know what it was.

Why not ask?

[Anonymous]

OP is petty and these contractors would be better off not having your business. You sound awful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Curious if others say this, typical, and it shouldn’t be.
I would maybe just comment that any contractors should bring their own drinks and food. Of course you can’t be 100% that the workers took those items unless you have it on video (not that I don’t believe you, I do).

OP. Nobody else would drink the Celsius or hard lemonade but me. They also left a half bottle of Gatorade in the same fridge.

Like I said, I’m not going to miss any of these items, and would have even offered if they asked (my wife brought them water one day), but just the presumptuousness kind of irks me.

I won’t say anything and just go our separate ways.

Ok, this seems like a key point. One day your wife brought them water. Possibly even taking it from what is obviously not the family’s main fridge, but a smaller one near their worksite. On a multi-day job, would you really want them to seek you out to ask for something cold to drink? Each day? Each person? To make sure that it’s still okay?
Do you even know what your wife said to them when she gave them water? “Let me know if you need anything.” prompts different assumptions and expectations vs “there are drinks over here in the fridge”.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Taking the hard lemonade rubs me the wrong way. The others, not so much.

Why that one? More expensive?

Were they ESL? Perhaps they didn't know what it was.

Why not ask?

Shyness?
Perhaps you came across as unfriendly?
ESL and language barrier?
Lack of manners?
The list is long.

[Anonymous]

I always provide water and Gatorade when we have work done.

Whether to rehire….if I liked them and their price was good I would not be switching contractors over a few bucks worth of drinks. But If you want to switch contractors, go ahead

[Anonymous]

Are you sure your wife didn't infer that they could help themselves when she gave them water that one day?

[Anonymous]

I usually tip workers like this at the end of a job. Maybe I'd skip the tip in this case (and tell the foreman why if they hint).