You're a sound skin @ablaze. I do the same with everyone I work with and it has helped me along the way. Everybody has a story. I remember working in Germany and I was pretty young for the position I held. There was a huge divide between the cleaning staff or low level labour so to speak and my management team so there were wide eyes when I used to have coffee with some of the cleaner who were mad Dortmund supporters. Him and the cleaners would do anything for me so it was important to get them all on side. The bloody place used to be sparkling because they were not just "The cleaner".
Another Irish manager used to be in stitches as it was like a scene from the film " Coming to America " where the two boys are mopping the floor smiling all the time.
They used to get me tickets for the Dortmund games in the stand the "Gelbe Wand" which is fairly hard to get into. Football was their life. Telling ya bud. It's nice to be nice and it doesn't cost anything. A guy told me once. You always met a person twice in your work life. So never burn your bridges the first time around. Never a truer word said.