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AIBU?

aibu to find it a tad annoying when my cleaner is 40 mins early?

48 replies

peanutbuttersarnies · 07/11/2013 17:49

I sense i may be being unreasonable. But it does annoy me slightly.
I have a cleaner with a large local cleaning company not an individual person. Its supposed to be a 1-3pm slot but they are arriving early. Sometimes 40 mins early.
In some ways i think fair enough they are ahead of schedule and keen to get on with theirs day work. But they are booked for 1pm not 12.20.
It means i have to wake my toddler really early from his nap and get out the house with nowhere to go til our toddler group starts at 2pm
I'm probably being a bit petty though? We wnader the supermarket or streets to get out their way. So its not a massi e inconvenience. Toddler is a bit overtired from short nap.

I could of course change slot. But they didnt have many available. This one was quite a good time for us.

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Mintyy · 07/11/2013 17:50

Yanbu. It is annoying.

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spongebob13 · 07/11/2013 17:50

why have you to leave the house?

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Nancy66 · 07/11/2013 17:50

you're not being unreasonable at all. You are the client, the service is to suit you - not them. If they are coming too early and it's inconvenient then tell them so.

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TotallyAddictedToLurking · 07/11/2013 17:50

YANBU if you're having to wake your toddler and go out when you've got nowhere to go.

Just ask them if they can stick to their time slot.

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HopLittleFroggiesHopSkipJump · 07/11/2013 17:51

Have you mentioned to them?
Why not just stay in, and go to a different room when they need to clean where you are?

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peanutbuttersarnies · 07/11/2013 17:54

I dont have to leave the house i suppose. But with a 4yoand 1 yo i feel its the only way for them to do the job properly. And they tend to waken the 1 yo as hes a light sleeper

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PoppyWearer · 07/11/2013 17:56

YANBU.

I have a similar set-up and also prefer to leave the house. I am also usually running round tidying up before they arrive, and every minute counts!

I hate hate hate it when they show up early. Luckily not often in my case!

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peanutbuttersarnies · 07/11/2013 18:01

Thanks everyone. I may say something next week.

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peanutbuttersarnies · 07/11/2013 18:03

I think they normallu clean when people are at work all day. So it doesnt matter if they turn up early. Nobody would even know.

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Tailtwister · 07/11/2013 18:06

YANBU, you are paying for a particular time slot. They probably don't realise it's tricky for you. Just say something along the lines of your toddler's nap times get disturbed if they come before 1 and could they make sure they don't come any earlier in the future. It's not a lie and should get the message across.

I'm just grateful when ours turns up at all! She has a disturbing number of hospital appts/funerals etc. It's irritating as she does ironing too and if she doesn't turn up it means I have 15+ shirts to do and I hate ironing.

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Mim78 · 07/11/2013 18:10

YANBU.

If you stated at the beginning that you wanted the clean at a particular time, and that was arranged, then they shouldn't turn up at 12.20.

When I arranged for my cleaner through a company, I specified that I didn't mind what day of the week they came but I wanted the clean to be at 10am. This was to make sure that on a usual day everyone would be out, or if someone was in (working from home etc) they would be ready for the cleaner, not using the kitchen/bathroom etc.

Did take time to get my cleaner to understand that she couldn't turn up at 8.30 because we wouldn't be ready for her.

I think you are allowed to specify a certain time at the outset and expect people to stick to it.

That said, if the cleaner lets me know in advance she would like to come at a different time on a particular week I try to be flexible. Often it's fine. If you have little ones that nap they need to understand that just turning up at 12.20 does not meet your needs, and is not in line with your agreement.

Does seem a bit U to me when anyone who is going to call round to your house (builders etc) can't agree a time and stick to it. If I am going to have a business/ work related meeting etc I don't just turn up at a different time than arranged and assume that will be fine. Don't expect many of us do. Why would things be different if the job involved calling at a domestic premises rather than an office?

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Coupon · 07/11/2013 18:20

YANBU

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YoureBeingASillyBilly · 07/11/2013 18:25

Im a cleaner and would never do this! It's an appointment to start at 1 and end at 3. They dont get to just turn up whenever suits them. Imagine if you had company in or were working at home til 1pm. Definitely speak to them and say that you need them to stick to the 1pm time slot.

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coffeeinbed · 07/11/2013 18:26

No, it's not fair enough.
You've booked a slot, they have to keep to it.

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Alibabaandthe40nappies · 07/11/2013 18:43

YANBU at all, it is a total pain and why I do not use an agency any longer.

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Bonsoir · 07/11/2013 18:46

Tell them to stop.

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Lilacroses · 07/11/2013 18:48

I think arriving 40 mins early is very inconvenient. 5 to 10 mins not so much but I think most people would agree with you. Definitely tell them.

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Viviennemary · 07/11/2013 18:50

If the agreed time is 1 pm then that is the time they should arrive. I'd ring the agency and tell them you are not happy.

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RaspberryRuffle · 07/11/2013 18:51

I would firstly mention it to the agency which gives them a chance to rectify the problem. Then, if it persisits, don't answer the door at 12.20 and if they ring you say you'll be back home at 12.50 for the 1pm slot, or that you're in the bath or whatever excuse you like. Or the more truthful "I'm sorry the baby is asleep, come back at the allotted time".

Anyone turning up that early is a PITA if you are doing other things. Maybe I have a bee in my bonnet, friends turned up for lunch recently 45 minutes early (with 2 toddlers so was difficult to tell them to go away and come back, but I told them to walk around the block as I had been busy cooking, cleaning etc and wasn't showered yet!).

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whois · 07/11/2013 18:54

Is it the same cleaner each week? Just ask her not to arrive early. If it changes ask the agency. Shouldn't be a problem.

I think lots of people are out at work all day so don't really mind when the cleaner comes, as long as they come on (eg) Thursday.

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MrsGarlic · 07/11/2013 19:03

If it was a regular occurrence and not just a one-off, I wouldn't wake the baby, no way! I'd just ask her to come back when he's woken up. I am mean though.

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Mim78 · 07/11/2013 19:08

It's the sense that the company appear not to give a s**t about the time you have chosen that would annoy me.

I agree that 5 - 10 minutes or so early would be fine.

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peanutbuttersarnies · 07/11/2013 19:41

I thought it may have been a one off but its getting earlier and earlier. I think the only time they arrived at 1pm was the very first clean! I hoped they would get thehint cos i say baby still sleeping can you start upstairs.. but they always end up waking him anyway. They try to be thoughtful and knock on window rather thsn ringing bell so they sre obviously remembering he sleeps st that time
Its the same 2 cleaners. I think i will try snd speak to them. I assume they eould prefer that thsn me go to the boss. Although i would probsbly prefer to speak to the head office.

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Mylovelyboy · 07/11/2013 20:16

Why do you have to leave the house. Why do you have to wake your toddler. Get the cleaners to clean toddlers room last. And if you are worried about the sound of the hoover. Get cleaners to do all the cleaning first and the hoovering last. Simple really, non issue.

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Mylovelyboy · 07/11/2013 20:21

I would't care if the cleaners turned up early to be honest. Sounds like you are running your life around your toddlers sleep. How many times a week do cleaners come in. If its every day then ok fine. If once a week then dont worry about it. Toddler will soon get used to it. I personally think kids have to fit in with the parents not the other way round.

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