I have had a contract cleaning some offices for about a year. Last week my mum died unexpectedly so I asked one of my staff to stand in and clean it for one day. She stormed out early as a member of staff was very rude to her. She has worked for me for years and is not over sensitive and has dealt with some difficult clients in the past and never stormed off. She said that a member of office staff said she could not believe the state of the cleaning cupboard and could not believe a cleaning company owner could leave it in a mess like that. I hold my hands up to the fact it is a mess but it is my cupboard only, no-one else goes in there and if I clean that area no-one sees it means less time to clean customer areas. I often do unpaid overtime there as it takes a while to get round all the customer areas and the client has always been really happy with my work.
As my cleaner refused to return to the site (she has never done this before) I went to clean it but had a word with her boss that I was unhappy at the way my cleaner had been spoken to. I wanted to carry on cleaning the site despite the bereavement as I find it therapeutic and better than sitting at home crying.
When I went in this woman collared me and launched into a diatribe about this bloody cupboard. Normally I just smile and thank someone for their feedback, but in the circumstances just broke down in tears, sat sobbing in the staff loos and then went home 7 minutes early-the first time I have ever left a site early.
Now I do not want to go back. I take constructive criticism all the time and do not have an issue with it but this was a nasty diatribe when the woman was aware I had just lost my mum.
I know it is unprofessional but am tempted just to pitch up Monday, collect my property (eg vacuum, mops etc) and just go home.