New research from Checkatrade has revealed the nation’s tea etiquette, with nearly three quarters (73%) of UK adults offering a tradesperson a cuppa.
The study of 2,000 British homeowners found that plumbers (72%) and electricians (72%) are the most likely to be offered a cup of tea, followed by builders (70%) and painter/decorators (69%).
Trades who are offered a cuppa
Plumber – 72%
Electrician – 72%
Builder – 70%
Painter & Decorator – 69%
Handyperson – 62%
Gardener/landscaper – 59%
Roofer – 53%
Cleaner – 47%
Window Cleaner – 28%
Utilities worker – 27%
And while 73% of people feel offering a cuppa is a good way of showing appreciation to our trades, a further 23% would still offer a council worker or tradesperson on the street a cuppa even though they hadn’t hired them to complete the work.
Table manners
When it comes to tradespeople conducting work in and around the home, people will offer a hot drink, on average, every 2 hours 50 minutes. Those from the North East are the most attentive, pouring a cuppa every 2 hours and 20 minutes. People aged 18 to 34 were least likely to offer a tradesperson a cup of tea at all.
The humble biscuit is also the most popular accompanying snack people will give their tradesperson with nearly half of UK adults (48%) likely to do so. But for four in 10, that’s where the hospitality ends, with people not offering anything to accompany a cup of tea at all.
Tea tactics
A third (32%) of homeowners would offer a cup of tea to a tradesperson before work commences on a job, with 12% also happy for a tradesperson to make their own before they got the work started. The biggest reason for this is so trades can make a hot drink how they like it (44%) and so people don’t have to feel awkward by asking a tradesperson what they would like (39%).
A further 37% admit to deploying ‘tea tactics’ and will make a cup of tea for their tradesperson so they can build a good relationship to ensure a job well done. On the other hand, those who said they did not offer a cup of tea to a tradesperson said they did so to keep their distance so as not to blur the employer/employee relationship (22%) with a further 21% believing tradespeople should bring their own drinks to a job.
‘’With an overwhelming 76% of homeowners believing their homes have room for improvement, we can expect to see a lot more tradespeople in and around our homes conducting work,‘’ said Mike Fairman, CEO of Checkatrade. ’’Offering a tradesperson a hot drink is all part of homeowner etiquette.’’
