No less than six out of ten Dutch people find it uncomfortable to leave workers alone at their home. This is evident from research by Laminaatenparket.nl among 1,011 Dutch people aged eighteen and older, conducted by Panelwizard. This distrust may arise from how professionals behave in their presence. For instance, eighteen percent of respondents are annoyed by professionals such as painters, plumbers, and electricians in their homes.
Young Dutch people are the most distrustful of workers, as no less than 59 percent of them prefer not to leave professionals alone at their home. Among thirty-somethings, this percentage is 47 percent. It seems that young people generally do not have a high opinion of professionals, as three out of ten of them are annoyed when they receive workers at home. This percentage decreases as the age category increases. "With professionals, you bring in experts who are there for your maintenance problems, nothing more and nothing less," says Floris Jeurissen, owner and managing director of Laminaatenparket.nl. "Letting strangers into your home can certainly feel strange, but professionals come with the best intentions to do their work. Since I started ten years ago, I have encountered hardly any misconduct. In my view, the fear is much greater than the actual risk."
No coffee
The distrust and irritation also translate into behavior when Dutch people receive workers at home. The research shows that nine percent of respondents do not even offer food or drink. With twelve percent, it is mainly young people under thirty who do not come by for the coffee round. Nevertheless, two-thirds of Dutch people do give workers a tip for the work done. Men are a bit more generous in this regard with 36 percent compared to women (29 percent). Jeurissen: "I personally find it quite embarrassing not to offer professionals anything to eat or drink, so I am glad that a large part of the Dutch simply does this. Additionally, making informal small talk can do no harm, as in some cases you are stuck with each other for a while. I often hear from our floor layers that they greatly appreciate a cup of coffee or a short conversation, probably even more than a few euros in tips."
Prefer overalls to suits
Despite the distant attitude towards workers, one in twenty Dutch people occasionally flirts with them when they are around. Women are slightly more guilty of this than men (six percent versus four percent). Perhaps this is due to the 'looks' of the workers, as two out of ten Dutch people find people in work clothing sexier than those in suits. Especially men are charmed by this at 23 percent. Jeurissen: "Funny that overalls, work pants, and safety jackets are so popular among Dutch people. I personally think it has its charm as well. Although innocent flirting is always allowed, I want to point out that laying the floor or renovating the kitchen can be delayed with too much chatting. That risk is then for the flirter."
