Lol…x 
That’s funny…!
He was eating the dark chocolates too as well as sharing them with me…then he took them out of the waiting room to share with the people on the garage floor…maybe you’re right as the milk chocolates and red wine stayed behind the counter…lol… x 
Going on a car rally in Portugal, we had been advised to pack a couple of bottles of champagne.
Days went by… and OH and I were wondering when we were all expected to produce these bottles… then, the unthinkable happened… the exhaust came apart… we were miles behind the rest, doing our own thing…
Fortunately, I had noticed a side-road with some sort of garage “sign”… we noisily did a u-turn and headed there. Arriving, just as they were in the process of closing for lunch… they heard us coming and came to help.
Their “team” worked on fixing the exhaust and the only thing they would allow us to pay for were the brackets and a rubber something or another… anyway about 5 euro… so we paid that… I kissed everyone… and we handed over the champagne…
by now, we had obviously missed our lunch rendezvous with the rest of the club…but we motored on anyway. We arrived at the restaurant to find we were ahead of the game… some of the others had got lost, someone else had broken down… you name it … it happened…
Our Leader reckoned we had put our champagne to good use. Seems it was for just such a situation… these are friendly folk, he said… they enjoyed working on the car and they will enjoy the champagne… 
I ALWAYS offer any workmen coffee (or anything else if the time is appropriate, e.g. food if is lunchtime, beer if nearly end of the day) and it has ALWAYS been appreciated. Yes, way out of French ‘norms’ but hey, I am not French and it is still appreciated. 
With our builder friend Camille, we eventually ended up having lunch with him and his men - he’d spotted our barbecue and asked if we minded him using it, and eventually we suggested we buy the meat one day, he got it the next, and we had lunch in the garden while the roof was being repaired.
Not all French builders will be like him - but they are very focused: morning and afternoon are for work, not coffee breaks, but lunch is a fixed and immovable appointment.
I now have lovely neighbours who regularly lend us things including electricity when our generator’s not going, and give the weeds a going-over with Monsieur’s tractor twice a year - I try to remember always to bring a little present for them. I’ve noticed many French people really rather love Marks & Spencer biscuits and Twinings tea - ‘so British!’ - so I try to bring something for them (and don’t mention that I got it in Carrefour)…
As a french person who has been confronted to the same situation than you in my small picard Hamlet, I kindly accepted the help and kindly offered a banking note of 50 euros to the worker. He kindly refused. The last time he delivered me wood, I still offered him the coffee and added a saucisson. The dude became my new Buddy.
The best way to know the “intentions” of that person is to say nothing, let him do the job. Then discreetly offer him the “tip”. If he refuses, congratulations !!! You won your first french wine buddy
Well I am going to be out of step here. He isn’t a friend or even, it seems, an acquaintance, he is somebody who works for a living, or to supplement a retraite. I would, as somebody has suggested, definitely offer to pay him for his time and trouble. “How much do I owe you?” doesn’t seem appropriate, but an offer of something should not be. If he refuses anything then you know where you stand if he offers help again.
We had several workmen on and off for about 18 months during our renovation. Always the same ones, a local mason, electrician, plumber, chauffagiste and carpenter. We worked alongside them doing the scut work to keep costs down. Anyway it amused me hugely that they took to the idea of having tea, home cooked cakes and biscuits available. And they certainly ate them!
Since then they’ve done all sorts of things for us for free… so sometimes it’s not the money you pay that counts.
That plaque is a nice touch Jane …
Well our woodman couldn’t come this morning but he sent our neighbour to apologise and arrange another rdv.
At French class tomorrow so could be Wednesday.
Our woodman turned up at 17.45 and caught us on the hop. He tried to drill the lock out but it is still holding fast. He said he will come back again tomorrow afternoon, it was getting dark, so we offered him a pastis. Luckily I had olives and crisps and we sat around the table for about 40 minutes conversing in French as best we could.
Our woodman seemed to enjoy the chat and nibbles and seems keen to return.
One of the joys of living in France!
I do love the fact I can go visit my landlord to drop off a piece of paper and come back 2 hours and a bottle of wine later… really caused by him asking me what I thought the best local wine was, and after hearing my answer he ran off and came back with a bottle of something else and did the “if you liked that, check this out” thing so we polished it off over some random conversations about wine in as much French as I could muster. He’s a vigneron so I guess talking about wine while having some is … oddly poetic.
Not a good idea for English/UK people to offer a Frenchman wine! Very Non U.
Unless this chap has experience of lock repairs( which I doubt) then I would not take him up on the offer. Just stick to his wood collection services!Such people are good to know and support with kindness and mutual help/money.
Richard B
No idea what you are on about… 
Googling made no sense of it… 
I suspect you lead a different life to mine… vive la différence 
When a relative wanted to borrow a French neighbours concrete mixer he was told that the best way to say thanks was with a couple of bottles of decent wine
Of course you should tentatively offer him some form of payment. He can always say ‘No’, but will probably appreciate the fact that he is not expected to carry out the favour for nothing. No one gets offended by being offered money for services rendered.
@Legaleagle
Why is it not a good idea for english people to offer french people wine? We have long discussions about wine with friends. When we are invited for a meal we always take a bottle with us, which we choose with care. And it is always appreciated. With some close friends we even give them english wine, and they have agreed that english sparkling wine is pretty good!
And as for U and non U, I’ve not heard that used since 1965!
On the subject of non-French giving wine to French people, I try not to on account that most people I know around here are vignerons, and know much, much more about wine than I ever will (or care to). My landlord is a bit of an odd duck who likes getting wine from other countries, and really digs foreign beers, so I usually show up with some beer from Belgium and Dutch cheese. Odd, but it works >.>
Slightly different problem but would appreciate any ideas !!!
My front door is also unopenable….not because the lock is broken but because the opening mechanism will not retract from the frame when the handle is used. I can’t see any way of fixing this unless I pay someone (a lot of money !!!) to remove the door and frame !!! Any other ideas ???
Jacqueline… are you able to open the door at all?? Might it be the handle… rather than the mechanism inside…
We had an on-off problem. Finally, we took the metal bar/strip which fixed on the door itself… and went to buy a replacement. Had to leave someone guarding the house as the door was only wedged in the meantime…
Hopefully, someone else will chime in…