Is this normal for a cleaning company?

[Coffeeandcrochet]

Earlier this year I started employing a cleaner via a local agency. I've never had a cleaner before so I'm not sure what's normal. The clean is booked for a specific time slot but they're often late - currently 90 minutes and counting. This bothers me because I try to make sure we're all out of the way while they're here which is hard when they don't stick to the agreed time!

There have been other annoyances so I'm not sure whether I'm overreacting to find this a problem because it's been a cumulative set of issues. But I don't want to go through the hassle of finding a new company if this is normal.

No they should be on time (or say a 12,30 -1start. So you can plan around the expected slot to not be in or at least not be in main rooms they clean.

10 minutes ok but not 90! Can they send someone else?

It's not normal for a cleaner to be routinely late. Same as it isn't for any other profession. Especially if there are specific slots.

Tell the agency you're unhappy with the lateness and whatever other issues you have and request another cleaner. That's the beauty of an agency. They should have several people on their books.

Could you write out a checklist of tasks you want doing, run it by the agency and make sure you're booking enough time for all of them to be adequately completed?

I don't think it's a problem with the individual cleaner(s), I think it's the agency themselves who keep changing the time slot and not communicating it to me.

I (mostly) haven't had a problem with the standard of the cleans - I ran through my asks with the owner before the first clean and we agreed the number of hours based on that, and it has been working ok from that perspective. It's just the reliability of them actually turning up when they are supposed to and the fact that although they promise the same person, we must have had about 9 different people and I have to show each one around, explain where everything is etc.