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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Have I paid for previous smoke breaks???

35 replies

onemoreforgoodmeasure · 02/08/2012 17:58

I've not posted here before but I don't know where else to put this and am basically looking for your thoughts as I've not been in this situation before.

My OH moved in a while back and added to the mess of the house many times over and I was getting really put out by it every week and he agreed to go halves on a cleaner. £14.50 per hour, at 2 hours a week, plus tax. My house is not huge, two bedrooms, one bathroom. All she has to do is the surfaces and floors, I make sure there are no dishes to be washed or put away and that surfaces are available to her.

Now, it has to be said, as much as I want the help I am not entirely comfortable with having someone in the house. I am house proud and have high standards. But since we've had the cleaner I no longer get grumpy with OH so it's good for our relationship and that matters a lot. It also has to be said that I gave up smoking only 2 weeks ago.

Now, here's the problem. I don't think the standar is very high, it's fine, I'd be really glad if my OH had done it. I even once cleaned 1/3 of the house myself so that she could focus on the remaining 2/3 and her standard didn't improve. Today she arrived late, clearly wasn't expecting me to be there, popped a mint in her mouth pdq, and spoke loudly to herself the whole time, mostly about what she was doing like "this is a nightnurse box" (I was home because I have a cold btw) but wtf? I was wondering how she was going to manage the 2 hour commitment as they don't work past 5. WELL, at nearly 5 pm I smelled smoke and went to investigate and found her half in / half out the back door having a cigarette!!!!! Now, the floors were not spotless, by far, one looked only partially hoovered.

She comes to us via a company so I've written to them to say what happened and that we need to talk and that I don't want her to come back. She's nice, but aibu to think a smoke break is out of the question?

OP posts:
squoosh · 02/08/2012 18:00

Hanging's too good for her!

wheremommagone · 02/08/2012 18:00

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
onemoreforgoodmeasure · 02/08/2012 18:10

Squoosh, are you serious (I don't mean about the hanging obviously) or being sarcastic? I'm really on the look out for opinions so don't want to misunderstand yours!

Honestly, it made me so angry. I told her to go outside and close the door as the house was smelling of smoke.

And wheremommagone, my worry is I'm overreacting as I'd like to find someone cheaper and could be looking for reasons to get rid of her.

OP posts:
hOLYMolyPICSofteamGBwinning · 02/08/2012 18:16

I work as a cleaner ( and smoke ). Our company charges £13 per hour. It sounds like yours would be a lovely house to clean in two hours, tidy and able to find the sides!

I would never have a cigarette whilst cleaning, I would have one driving between house, but never in one. We may be a little late for some cleans, just depending on what jobs are on that day, traffic etc, but would always stay for the full time even if it meant working past five.

At the end of the day you are paying for a service and deserve that service to you individual wants. If you are not getting that service you should change cleaners.

LindyHemming · 02/08/2012 18:24

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Virgil · 02/08/2012 18:36

Sounds like you can find someone much better. My house is large and my cleaner does a kitchen, six beds six bathrooms, two living rooms, dining room and hallway/landing for £54 a week.

Virgil · 02/08/2012 18:37

Plus my house always looks like a bomb has hit it and so she has to find the surfaces first Blush

LemarchandsCoxlessPair · 02/08/2012 18:40

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Musomathsci · 02/08/2012 18:42

The advantage of going through a company is that you don't have to deal direct with her. You could probably get someone for a lot less (eg my cleaner charges £8.50 an hour), but you would have to do the hiring and firing yourself. Sadly it's rare to find anyone who actually does the job to the sort of standard you would yourself - basically I look on it as keeping the worst at bay, so that if I have time, I can do some extra jobs that wouldn't otherwise get done. You definitely shouldn't have to put up with someone smoking in your home.

wheredidthesungo · 02/08/2012 18:44

YANBU. We pay £10 an hour for two hours a week, for our two bedroom, one bathroom, one toilet flat and it's spotless by the end of it. Our cleaner was recommended by a neighbour and we don't use a company. Any chance one of your neighbours can recommend someone trustworthy?

ENormaSnob · 02/08/2012 18:48

Yanbu

Original poster
onemoreforgoodmeasure · 02/08/2012 19:14

Holy, thank you, that's very helpful. And Muso, that's how I was thinking of it too, but looking at what others have written I think I could be getting a better service, and one of our friends has said the same, that we're paying a lot for it to be just "fine". I went with a company because I wanted to know that the cleaner was getting a fair deal and they'd have policies about keys, etc. I'm now though partly tempted to show up there tomorrow and ask to see my key because they are supposed to be returned to base each night and I'll bet you anything it hasn't been as they close at 5!!! Now I'm thinking I don't want to stay with the company, this cleaner is a representative of that company so to my mind if they are happy with her then...

OP posts:
lisaro · 02/08/2012 19:17

She'd have been out on her ear letting smoke into my house, the filthy skank!

Downandoutnumbered · 02/08/2012 20:49

YANBU, I'd be really wound up about this. I wouldn't use a company if you can avoid it: it's always more expensive and usually less good, so personal recommendation is by far the best if you can get one. The people we bought our house from recommended their cleaner and she's great. We pay £10 per hour.

EllenParsons · 02/08/2012 20:53

YANBU. I would be really annoyed.

ilovesooty · 02/08/2012 20:54

The company probably has a no smoking policy, as logically your house is her workplace and it will be illegal therefore to smoke inside the building (you said she was half in, half out)

usualsuspect · 02/08/2012 20:57

Call the police.

MadgeHarvey · 02/08/2012 21:02

Bugger the Police. Call MI5, the SAS, The Paras and the massed forces of the Welsh Male choirs for good measure.

iscream · 02/08/2012 21:24

Yanbu. She was out of order taking any sort of break on a 2 hour job. If she arrives late, she should stay late. But she doesn't sound like she is any good at cleaning anyways, and I would tell the company you want someone who does a better job or else switch companies.

iscream · 02/08/2012 21:26

Not counting an emergency bathroom break.

SilkySmith · 02/08/2012 21:28

YANBU you don't need a break in a 2 hour shift!

WithoutCaution · 02/08/2012 21:57

You don't have to give her a break unless she works over 4 hours and I'm sorry but if she turns up late she should be staying late to make up the time.

You are within your rights to complain about poor quality work especially at that rate of pay and to request someone who can actually do the job

WithoutCaution · 02/08/2012 21:58
  • Over 4 hours in one shift
Original poster
onemoreforgoodmeasure · 02/08/2012 22:00

She's nice, it's uncomfortable. I have to say I felt a bit had by the whole thing from the start and am probably over reacting a bit because of it. This woman, the face of the organisation, came to the house initially and talked about getting the house up to their standard and then maintaining that, and I was really excitied about that. And the first two cleans were pretty good (still wasn't bowled over). And since then I've just been trying out different things to make it easier for her. My OH says my standards are too high so I worried I was just being critical (but honestly, if you pay someone to hoover a floor you don't expect to see several bits of crap left behind). I think I'm just going to cancel the contract. I'm motivated to find an independent cleaner now. Thanks guys!

OP posts:
ZonkedOut · 02/08/2012 23:13

If you gave up smoking 2 weeks ago, you are probably extra sensitive to the smell, which won't help! But I would not be impressed with someone smoking half in your house like that.