Cleaner didn't lock front door

[shivs1974]

Used a cleaning agency for a number of years & have been reasonably satisfied with them. DD2 came home from school on Thursday to find the front door closed but unlocked.
Contacted the owner who apologised and said that she'd understand if we wanted to leave.
I have no option, do I?

Am I missing something? You weren't burgled. You've already complained (quite rightly). The cleaner in question will be checking a zillion times from now on she's locked up.

But you weren't burgled so all the insurance co questions are irrelevent (somewhat).

Locks only keep honest people out. We went on holiday for a fortnight only to come home to our door being accidentally left unlocked, nothing happened, a friend of my parents lived in a Fort Knox with alarms and everything and they got burgled.

I understand people make mistakes - we all do at some time or another.

However, I would feel as OP does now as when she asked company owner/manager whether, if the worst had happened, THEIR insurance would have covered her, OP received a far from satisfactory response. 😡

Focus on what did happen rather than what could have happened.

The cleaner left the door unlocked, you complained and they will no doubt be reprimanded. Nobody burgled your house, nothing bad happened as a result of the error.

Even if you change cleaners, there's not a chance that you are going to find one that guarantees a mistake won't be made.

Wow, this is really over the top dramatic. It was a mistake. We all make them. Why do you want info on the Insurance, you were not burgled.

If you’re not happy with the service generally then find a new cleaner, but your reaction to this one incident is over the top.

Do you often over react?

Locks only keep honest people out.

So true. If someone really wants to get in they will do regardless of locks.

*RefuseTheLies

Why so dramatic? She forgot to lock your door, she didn't shit in your kettle.*

Locks only keep honest people out

True. Also, it's usually only front doors that have yale locks. Most burglars break in through less secure back doors, patio doors, internal garage doors, or even windows. An intruder would much rather use an entrance that's slightly hidden than one in full view of the street.

Dont even need a screwdriver to unlock a Yale lock. You can do it with a bit of plastic (from a coke bottle) in under 10seconds.

Yale locks are a piece of piss. My brother got locked out and in a panic called a locksmith who got in inside 20 seconds using a bit of plastic. (And promptly charged him £85)

OP you didn't get burgled. You told the agency. That's the end of it surely?

Would never rely on just a Yale. Can be removed within seconds by anyone wanting to get in.

We had all our locks changed to anti snap locks a while back after a break in. Cost more and you have to lock them yourself to secure them. But they are by far safer.

Take much longer to access your house - I know. We had an issue when away and needed to get a locksmith to access the house as an alarm was going off. No one had a spare at the time. Cost a lot of money and also took the locksmith almost an hour to 'break in' - cost a lot to have them rolled again after too!

I think they mentioned you leaving because they want you to tbh. I would so that they get a bit of a break from you.

Accidents happen and phoning up demanding hypothetical insurance answers is ridiculous.

I've stopped using an agency cleaning company for similar in the past. However the back door was left wide open. Thankfully there was a guy working at the house behind who spotted us open for an unusual amount of time and kept an eye open, and told me what time he'd noticed it open from as soon as he saw me in the garden closing it.

To be fair though, there'd been other niggles like in the few weeks leading up to that which I wasn't happy with, and this was the final straw.

Also doesn't your door lock automatically?

Well, clearly not or the OP wouldn’t have posted. What a stupid and pointless comment. 🤦🏼‍♀️

I've left my door unlocked before. I didn't get burgled either. I think you are overreacting tbh. If you aren't happy overall with the company then leave but I wouldn't base it on this one incident

Thank you for responding. Interesting to get a spectrum of responses.
For those of you who commented that I didn't get burgled so effectively what does it matter, you're right in that I didn't get burgled. However what would your response have been if I had of been or if someone had been in my house when my daughter came home? Sadly it's because of such hypothetical scenarios that we have insurance to deal with the "what if" scenarios.
I haven't plagued the owner with phone calls. I called once and there was no response. All further communication has been via text. I would have assumed that in the cleaning business where reputation is everything to at least have had a phone call.

Thinking further about this I'd be more concerned that with an agency you rely on them to vouch for the cleaner in the first place. Do you always get the same person?

For me that would be a risk, I'd have someone by recommendation.

If you do decide to change your lock you can always have an outside lock box with a key in for the times when someone forgets their key.

They still would have been liable if you had been burgled. Whether that’s from their insurance or their own pocket that’s their problem. I would let it go. They’re much less likely to make that mistake now than anyone new

Nothing bad happened.

You could come up with many different scenario's about what may have happened, but the simple fact is nothing did.

I would teach your daughter though that if she goes home to an unlocked house ever that she is to phone you or go to a neighbour etc before going in.

I can understand that you're not happy your door was left unlocked, but it was a mistake. We're all capable of them and if you can't come to terms with that you'd probably be better off not letting anyone else have a key to your house.

As many others have pointed out, their liability insurance would have covered any losses arising from the actions of their employee