Do you offer drinks/food to contractors?

[Anonymous]

I usually offer water, and sometimes coffee.

[Anonymous]

I leave a cooler out with various drinks and a few snacks. If I bake, I give that. Treating people decently goes a long way. I cannot imagine having someone to my home and not offering at least a drink. Manual labor is very hard compared to working in an office. I have offered lunch but several of the companies we have hired have taken their guys and paid for their lunch, so it has not been necessary. Once I did make one of the men a sandwich as he was the only one without food. The foreman told me he did not bring it to save the money to send home to his family.

[Anonymous]

I offer a glass of cold water to any repair or service person who comes to our home for a job. I offer the same to the lawn care guys, usually setting out a pitcher of cold water and cups. We don't drink coffee or sodas, so do not have that in the pantry. If someone were there for a multi-day job, I would probably stock that. In cold weather, I offer hot tea. In most instances, the foreman will tell me that they pack their own, but thanks me for the offer. Completely agree with PP that these workers are on site with little to no amenities. Being nice costs nothing - it is the best deal out there.

[Anonymous]

Water or coffee, if I am baking I'll offer some. Most of the time they decline.

[Anonymous]

of course I offer them water & a bite if I have extra food lying around. especially if I'm paying by the hour on small jobs. being nice is (1) only polite and (2) will pay dividends.

[Anonymous]

The people bitching about spending more money when you are "overpaying them" already are just unbelievable.

A nice gesture and a little goodwill goes a long way on such a personal service you are getting. I don't even think I'd need to post this question. You have to do what you think is right or nice. It doesn't matter what anyone else would do, what matters is how you feel and how you want to treat them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No. Not unless it's VERY hot and they're moving heavy stuff, then I'll offer them water.

Please let me know what constitutes VERY hot. Water at 97 degrees but not at 89 degrees?

You callous bitch.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not in this lifetime. You pay above the actual costs so let them provide for themselves.

Callous bitch#2 (in other words you are shitty)

[Anonymous]

not generally but we were living an hour away. I think one time we were there and got them coffee and donuts. We offered water after we moved in and they were doing a few things.

[Anonymous]

I worked at a moving company during summer and winter break while in college. Offering something to eat or drink makes a big difference in how well the crew treated the owner's belongings.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I made them a pot of coffee to share every morning and bought them cases of water and Gatorade that I put in their work area. On the last day we ordered sheet pizzas and beer!

What is a "sheet pizza" ?

Think of Ledo's. Large rectangular cut pizza in a box.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not in this lifetime. You pay above the actual costs so let them provide for themselves.

Is there any industry that offers services at cost?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not in this lifetime. You pay above the actual costs so let them provide for themselves.

Is there any industry that offers services at cost?

You should offer food and drinks to your mechanic since they are also hard at work and providing a personal service... But you don't, do you?

Face it, the reason you put out these refreshments for contractors is because you're bledding heart liberals and you somehow feel guilty about people doing things for you. The difference is you see the contractors, so you feel obliged. The auto mechanic is out of sight, out of mind after you drop off your car.

Pay for a service. Leave it at that. Why blur the lines by offering food? These contractors make their own arrangements for foos and drink on site. Note the enormous number of soda bottles and coffee cups they throw on thr ground at any job site.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not in this lifetime. You pay above the actual costs so let them provide for themselves.

Is there any industry that offers services at cost?

You should offer food and drinks to your mechanic since they are also hard at work and providing a personal service... But you don't, do you?

Face it, the reason you put out these refreshments for contractors is because you're bledding heart liberals and you somehow feel guilty about people doing things for you. The difference is you see the contractors, so you feel obliged. The auto mechanic is out of sight, out of mind after you drop off your car.

Pay for a service. Leave it at that. Why blur the lines by offering food? These contractors make their own arrangements for foos and drink on site. Note the enormous number of soda bottles and coffee cups they throw on thr ground at any job site.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not in this lifetime. You pay above the actual costs so let them provide for themselves.

Is there any industry that offers services at cost?

You should offer food and drinks to your mechanic since they are also hard at work and providing a personal service... But you don't, do you?

Face it, the reason you put out these refreshments for contractors is because you're bledding heart liberals and you somehow feel guilty about people doing things for you. The difference is you see the contractors, so you feel obliged. The auto mechanic is out of sight, out of mind after you drop off your car.

Pay for a service. Leave it at that. Why blur the lines by offering food? These contractors make their own arrangements for foos and drink on site. Note the enormous number of soda bottles and coffee cups they throw on thr ground at any job site.

If the mechanic was working on my car at my home, I would most definitely be offering them food/drink. However, a person working at a home I am building and a mechanic fixing my car in a shop are two different things. The contractors are at my home for a long period of time. I go to my home to check on the progress a few times a week. The mechanic fixing my car is at their own shop and generally the car is in and out relatively quickly. When it does take longer (in my experience at least) they are waiting for a part and the car sits there while they work on another one or I take the car home with me. I take my car to the dealership and do not get to personally know the mechanics.

I do not feel guilty for someone doing something for me. I just treat the people who do with respect. When I worked retail, it's the nice people who you remember and want to be kinder to. I do for others what I would appreciate having done for me. If I were to imagine what you are like in real life from your previous statement, I would assume you are an ass and would never expect someone like you to do something nice for a "worker".