Hospitality

Even though we've been in our house for over 6 months now, we've still had a steady procession of tradies visit for varying reasons. If they are here for any length of time, we'll offer them a cuppa and something to eat, if they feel like it. Many, many times, we're met with a reply along the lines of, "No-one ever offers me a cuppa!"

Are DW and I the only two remaining decent people on the planet? Of course not, but how welcoming are YOU to people who you insist on visiting your home to repair or install something?

Nope I'm with you. I'm of the firm belief that if someone is welcomed into my home.... whether it is to do a job, or to have dinner, they will be treated with courtesy.

I always offer tea or coffee but they usually ask if I have beer instead

I'll always offer the tradies a cuppa ...
Bad karma not to ...

We don't drink coffee nor tea.
We offer a cold drink only if it's a hot day, or if tradies are there for 3-4 hours or more.
If they are here for only 1-2 hours, we don't offer anything.
Chris

Our build is in a rural area, so most tradies have travelled to get there.

Usually lunch is offered as well as a cuppa, but most BYO lunch.

Just good manners, IMHO.

Always offer hospitality, I once drove a taxi and nothing made me feel better than someone showing they cared.

Ed

Unless the tradie stood you up of course

Me too ! I treat them as I would want to be treated

Yep, definitely!
Coffee, tea, softdrink or water or beer if suitable time

However, when we were having our new fence installed, I gave the 2 guys working there a couple of ice-blocks as it was hot weather along with some cold cans of coke... after they'd left for the day I discovered the ice-block wrappers and coke cans just left on the grass along with their cigarette butts!!! I was disgusted... needless to say, I didn't offer them anything the next day!

Thankfully thats the only one like that so far!

As a tradie I find Australians rather inhospitable. I find people from an ethnic background to be very hospitable. Middle Eastern and Hong Kong chinese the best.
I lived in denmark for 8 years and found Danes much more hospitable than Aussies. Often when I arrived in the morning people in denmark would show me the job, tell me to help myself to coffee etc. and then go to work. That very rarely happens in Aus. When trying to make appointments with clients or tennants here, people often want me to come after 6 of an evening.
People arent willing to leave you alone in their houses like the danes were.

Yes I like to think I am hospitable. I get a 50/50 strike rate of whether or not they accept. Often they bring their own if they are here all day, even an urn for hot water.

Though sometimes if they are only here for half an hour to an hour I forget!

vvs mand - it depends how well I know the tradie as to whether I will leave them. If I've used them before and feel I have established a relationship with them I am happy to leave them. If they are one-offs that I haven't used before I think it is prudent to make sure I am home the whole time they are here, as who knows what type of person they are?? Not trying to cast aspersions on any tradie or industry, but it's the same with all ppl - personally I cannot trust someone with my personal stuff, some of which is worth a lot of money!!! - until I know them a bit better.

When I obtained my licence, I had to not have a criminal record. It may have changed now, I dont know. My business turns over more than $280Gs a year. So even if I was that way inclined, I'm certainly sure that I wouldnt risk it all for some trinket that was laying unattended in someone's house.

Understood vvs mand. However if it's just a little job I will sometimes not bother asking about licence details and how well their business is doing

Well, youre a bit silly if engage an unlicensed tradesman, arent you?

Even little jobs require a tax invoice with ABN on it, so its somewhat difficult to engage someone who doesnt supply their details.

actually I meant that I don't bother asking whether they needed to undergo a test for whether or not they are a criminal when they did their test for their licence. Aren't you silly jumping to conclusions!!!

You should perhaps learn to express yourself clearly, shouldn't you?

My point was, that stealing a few trinkets certainly isn't worth losing one's livelyhood over and a tax invoice has all the infomation that you seem to think you wouldn't bother asking for.

Im always amazed that people think they have things that a tradesmen might steal.


But getting back to the OP, yes, I find australians somewhat inhospitable and untrusting.

Ummm weren't you the one who posted the link to the meaning of anal-retentive????


Yes and that is YOU. How do I know that every tradesperson has the same attitude?? I don't. A tax invoice has a licence number on it. Whoopee doo. It doesn't tell me what sort of person they are.

Perhaps you should move back to Denmark as you seem to have quite a chip on your shoulder about most of us here!!!

VVS there has been numerous accounts on this forum of tradesman stealing from building sites. I think Mel and Em had that happen from memory.
There are a few ******* tradesman... as there are a few dodgies in any industry, anywhere. My friend runs a house cleaning business, she put on a girl that stole from people's houses when she was cleaning. Yeah it nearly ruined my friend's business.

I don't think anyone should be made to feel bad for being cautious. And trust is a completely different issue from hospitality.

Hell, I wouldn't leave some of my relatives alone in my house!

There may be a reason for that. It's called a previous bad experience with interlopers.