To fire my new cleaner this quickly?

Oh we had this. The constent chopping and changing drove me mad! We cancelled her within a month and have someone new who is so much more reliable.

I would look for someone else first, you may not find anyone else and you may prefer to stay as you are. I have been doing this job a long, long time, running a proper cleaning service, albeit alone. Many people who do house cleaning do so "on the side" and I have no thoughts on that either way as it doesn't impact what I do - all I know is that people who have used such cleaners say they either had one who was the best ever in every way, or was the worst in every way.

Frankly, with the OP, it all sounds 6 of one and half a dozen of the other - yes, you need to get used to a cleaner and it takes time, and unless you've got something rigid going on that means you require the same time and same day each fortnight, you may have to expect to offer some flexibility on the both points. After all, when someone isn't cleaning for you, they have to be doing something else, and it's not always possible to commit to the same day like they might with a weekly clean. This said, they should be giving you plenty of notice.

However, I will never ever understand people who charge an hourly rate for anything and then leave early. If they think they can get the work done in a certain time-frame then they should be charging a set price for each cleaning visit. I have never charged by the hour (because if the international franchise brands who've been doing it all over the place for over 45 years don't then I'm going to look to them for inspiration) and that way no one can say I left "early" and if they have a complaint about the cleaning then they can be explicit and say "this wasn't done" or "could this be done better?". Not that I've ever had many complaints and I've got clients now who I've had coming up to 20 years in some cases.

Mind you, I prefer to work for people who've had cleaners before, as they invariably know what a crap service looks like, and they know that I'm very much not it.

Just say no, Tuesday is no good..... I'm at work and hubby in office so noone will be home I'm afraid. If she's not free on Wednesdays then she can't come 😂

I'd say 3hrs for a full clean once a fortnight is a lot. Have you done a list of the areas you want doing specifically?

So say - this week concentrate on Kitchen/bathroom deep clean, vacuuming carpets, dusting.

Next visit - concentrate on doing all skirting boards, once over the kitchen/bathroom, deep clean lounge, quick hoover.

It could be that she's overwhelmed trying to do everything. If you ask for say the kitchen scrubbed and there's still bits missed. You have your answer.

IMO they’re all con artists anyway.

My first cleaner was caught on her mobile phone with the vacuum running on the landing and the house being less than well cleaned.

Meanwhile friend’s cleaner of many years was caught stealing from him.

I employed another cleaner and after a couple of weeks she sent me a message telling me she was sick and then started saying how hard up she is and could I help her out by lending her several hundred quid and she’d pay me back honest.

I’ve now given up bothering because I think that there are far too few honest one out there and I don’t have time to keep changing cleaners.

This. I wouldn’t pay for 3 hours. It’s not a service service like a hair dresser for example who mayb be quicker the next time you go in for foils but you wouldn’t pay less. You are paying a cleaner based on time. Less time less pay. I’d be paying less to make the point that you are paying for what she does and she does less than agreed = less pay

I do think you’ve got to work at it sometimes with cleaners. Take the long view and gently reinforce your boundaries. She’s turned up every week that she’s supposed to so far and you trust her so that’s a massive plus.
Tackle one thing at a time week by week.
Firstly the time/leaving early would be crucial for me.
The language “please include x in your routine” has worked for me as well. Maybe “the limescale under the radiator in the bathroom is really stubborn. Please make tackling it part of your weekly routine” or whatever.
Plenty of praise every week too so she feels valued
This is working great for me with current cleaner and she is doing everything exactly as I like it now: I’ve had enough cleaner to know there are very few that turn up every week on time and stay the whole time
and do an impeccable job.

I'd transfer the pro rata payment and send her a message to say I've paid you x for the 2 hours 40 minutes this week. Thank you for cleaning for us over the last couple of months, it's not really working out for us with the change in days/times and you not being able to do the full 3 hour clean, so thanks again but we wo t be needing you from now on.

You want a cleaner to clean for 3 hours. She isn’t cleaning properly and she isn’t staying 3 hours! Just tell her the ad hoc timings aren’t working for you and find someone else. I’ve worked as a cleaner before, staying for the time you’re paid is the most basic requirement.

I think you should ask her why she went home 20 minutes early expected to be paid up to the three hours. But if she then says well all the work was done, you can say well actually no it wasn't done to a very good standard, you were obviously rushing which is why you finished early full stop you should also only pay her for the two hours and 40 minutes. And start looking for a new cleaner.

Ok so I see both sides to this.. It would be kinder to no longer require her services anymore and find someone else rather than keep on going and not being happy with the standard.. I did cleaning work some time ago. some of the people I cleaned for were lovely others not so much the not so much bunch that couldn't even be arsed to use my name but happy to shout 'cleaner' to get my attention but thats a whole other story ! BUT.. In terms of her asking to be paid I don't think she was asking to be cheeky its just that unfortunately there are people out there that promise to pay and don't (via bank transfer in particular.) I had one women have me there on a job for 5 hours who thought it would be ok to pay me 2 days later without telling me this was her plan. You are told by the company that I worked for that when you do the clean you should be paid instantly and you have to remember this is a form of income for this person and regardless of if your not too happy with the standard they have technically been and done the work although she shouldn't of left early and expected to be paid in full for this.. The advice would be to use someone else, not having a go just giving another angle on one of your points made.. good luck op 😊 x

But OP paid promptly after each visit! I can understand if she'd delayed by a few days and needed chasing previously, but she didn't!

Am I correct that 2 out or 3 visits, she has called and changed the day? Then arrived late with no message about the supposed broken down car. Oh, and the below par cleaning on every visit? Anything else?

I'd be speaking to her about the poor clean and changing days etc. IF, before her next clean, she changes the day yet again- cut.

YANBU with regards to the cleaning and not doing the full 3 hours but YABU about being pissed off because she got asked to be paid. My sister used to be a self employed cleaner and the hassle she had getting paid from some of her customers was bad so I think you need to have a thought for her point of view in relation to your payment comment.

You can't fire her as you're not her employer.

But yes, just stop using her services.

I think of you have reservations already, don't continue with her. I've never been lucky with cleaners so I've given up and do it myself.

With mine I found they started out fab but after a while became complacent and standards started to slip. I haven't bothered to find another yet, not sure if I will either.

I would find someone else. You need a cleaner to make life easier not harder.

Changing days, not arriving on time and not doing a good job are not things contributing to you having less stress to make up for your extra working hours. Get rid!

Get rid immediately. She has set the standard (low) and it will get worse.

We had the same cleaner for a few years. She was lovely, kind and trustworthy but she didn't clean the house to the standard I wanted. Our house is always clean and tidy, I want someone to finish it off to the high level I can't manage with two under 4 around me. I felt awkward asking her to stop but a change in our circumstances meant we needed to cut back for a few months. As soon as we could, I found another cleaner and she is wonderful. So professional, works hard and I trust her to do a fantastic job every time. We really value her. I'm so much happier now and regret keeping the other cleaner for so long. Having the awkward conversation will make you happier in the long term. I would either be honest and say it's not working out with the change of days/ times (or even mention the cleaning standards) or tell her it can't be a long term arrangement. Then find someone else and ask them to do a trial session before you confirm you're happy with asking them back. Lots of companies offer this type of process as standard.

I wouldn't be happy with the constant changing the days this early on. Fine as a one off but she's already making a habit of it.

I’d not blame you. I had someone who I was paying 2 hours and they’d do 1 hour and I feel it wasn’t even that good. With the excuse of some life changes I got rid of them at the end.

id not blame you for doing the same

No point giving her more chances. We employed a cleaner via an agency and one time the agency sent someone else as our regular cleaner was ill. The quality of the clean was poor on the very first visit (acceptable but some areas clearly weren't cleaned as well as we had hoped) so there wasn't any point in continuing. We told them we will do without until our regular cleaner is well enough to return.

You're paying her for a service that not being completing properly. Nor is she staying the requisite amount of time.

I'd hate to think how long she'd stay (or rather, not stay) if DH wasn't home and still expect to be paid the full amount!

You can either pull her up on the areas she's lacking, or fire her. Personally, I'd hate to have the conversation telling someone they aren't doing a good enough job, so I'd probably just text her and say we don't need her any more. Then hire an actual professional who does their work to a high standard.

3 hours is quite a long time. I could do every room in my house in that time. Not a full top to bottom, skirting boards and doors and windows clean, but mopping, hoovering, dusting, tidying, bathrooms, changing sheets etc. It would certainly be clean enough to invite guests over without any embarrassment.

If you're not happy, I don't think you should feel like you have to continue paying for her services. Or lack of. There's no point paying someone when you have to finish what she should have done.