To be annoyed when my clients are still in pjs when I turn up for work?

[missjenniferhoney]

I'm a self employed domestic cleaner, have been for a number of years. I've recently taken on a few new clients (since Oct/Nov) and have been surprised to turn up to work at their homes to find them still in nightwear. It happened at 2 appointments last week, both at 9.30 in the morning. I turn up at the same time on the same day each week, so I'm not unexpected, and I always knock on the front door for them to let me in before using my own key as I think it is just polite. I honestly didn't know how to react, so just ignored it and got on with the cleaning after a quick 'Good morning, how are you?'

AIBU to wish they would get dressed before I arrive?

there was a thread couple of days ago on style & beauty regarding "do you get dressed up for your DH" with loads of people proudly saying no..why is my mind imagining that, these are the people who would look spruce for the cleaner...she's an OUTSIDE person you see, so it actually matters I don't have to bother about anyone INDOORS

What a load of bollocks!

I am with you, OP. YANBU. Standards must be maintained. These are the sort of people who wear nightclothes to drop the kids off at school. I mean, how long does it take to pull on a pair of jeans?

"sack them instantly" well don't you sound nice Gahbuggerit?

There must be very few professions where you think it's acceptable for someone to be sacked instantly just for a being a snob, which is a subjective word at the best of times.

TBF, Mintyy, maybe Gah doesn't mean 'being a snob' per se but 'saying something snobbish'. If a cleaner or anyone working in my house actually said something about me being in PJs I think I'd be happy to politely tell them they needn't bother coming back; but if my cleaner has been silently judging me for years and thinking snobbish thoughts about me, I don't mind, because she keeps them to herself.

Eurgh at the 'it's fucking lazy to still be in pyjamas at 11'. Hark at you, oh keeper of the schedules. I'm an insomniac. I often don't get to sleep until 6am. Before I had my DD, that would frequently mean I wasn't dressed by 11 if my work schedule allowed me to sleep late.

Yes. My comfy t shirt and pj bottoms. Which look like joggers.

Who said nightie?

like these

This is really bizarre.

I open the front door to our gardienne in my pyjamas at any time of day and as for our cleaner... Of course she sees us in pyjamas - she arrives before breakfast!

I like to float around fragrantly in this little number when my butler serves the 1928 Krug.

There's a misunderstanding going on. When you speak of them not managing to get dressed it makes it sound like they should get dressed, but can't. In reality I'm sure they are perfectly happy as they are.

You probably should stop working there as they probably sense your disapproval and will be made to feel uncomfortable.

I think you're being precious. Presumably a client pays for cleaning because they want to spend their free time in other ways - including sleeping in and relaxing. Surely that's an attitude to life that you benefit from!

How do you know they aren't ill or haven't been up in the night for whatever reason? I work late shifts and don't get home till nearly midnight sometimes. It means i start work later, so i will bloody well make the most of a slower than usual start to my day.

I would also assume that as your job requires you to clean a person's house, which could be regarded as quite an intimate thing to do, so a person in their pjs can hardly be the most offensive thing you've ever seen?! Perhaps it is good in that it shows they are relaxed around you and trust you in their home.

In answer to your question - YABU, and you should react by saying good morning, ignoring your annoyance at their state of dress and getting on with what they are paying you for.

This thread is hilarious

OP, I think we've established that people have different values about this sort of thing. There's no point arguing about who's right or wrong, is there? In Barbados (where I have family) I've heard gossip about when Paul and Linda McCartney had a house on the island, they were always walking around naked and the staff found it really offensive. Now, on that I agree with the staff, because I think the McCartneys should have been aware that their behaviour was NOT the norm, especially in this rather socially conservative country, and they were relying on their privilege to get away with it. (If they had asked at interview: do you mind if we walk around naked? That would have been different.)

In your case, though, there is clearly a majority who think PJs are fine, so you can't really be offended. You still have the right not to like it, though, and to decide you'd rather not work with it.

You should not be so judgemental of people who buy your services.

If people preferred to clean their own homes, you would have to find something else to do for a living.

Sadly, domestic cleaning means going to be peoples homes, and perhaps not approve of how they live their lives.

My sister does not get out of her pjs and dressing gown until it is time to leave the house, if she is going to be somewhere at 10 or 11 am. She does not want to wear "going out clothes" around the house. Her choice. I get dressed as soon as I get up.

YABU - if I happen not to be dressed when my cleaner arrives, I still amble down in my PJs to make her tea. And if I am home, it mans I have a day off and there is no way I am getting up early.

My current cleaner (who is also a friend) is awesome. Without her, our house would be like the student squat from hell. She comes when she thinks she needs to and does what needs doing. I have, in the past, had cleaners who were judgemental (as a family we are domestically challenged so there is a lot to judge) but I generally don't ask them back.

I have a growing cleaning company which currently services 55 domestic clients, we have seven cleaning staff, I have been in this industry for 17 years now and have not really come across this myself, the vast majority of clients go out before or when the teams arrive so that they can service their property thoroughly but just recently one of our teams has told me that a client hasn't been dressed a couple of times when they went!

I found it unusual rather than offensive apparently the husband does it too in that particular home, it made me chuckle a bit actually! I would only take issue if the clients were using the house in an obstructive way whilst the teams were trying to service it like cooking or showering etc, however, now this has been raised it has made me think about it and, since we have strict uniform dress codes and make every effort to make sure our staff are smart at all times so that our clients are comfortable in our presence then possibly it should work the other way too since their home is our place of business during service?

Not sure to be honest - this has made me think about it now! I don't think it's a serious issue though and, in my experience, I doubt it will come up very often, most people just don't do this!

Having said that though OP I'm sure you will find that if ever you don't like something any client does you can always quickly replace them.

There is far too much demand for quality cleaning services to ever tolerate anything if you personally do not consider a client to be a good match for yourself.

I don't think in this case I would worry too much but if it does bother you, since you sound well-established, you can pick and choose who you work for in the domestic cleaning industry, demand far outstrips supply!

For example, I have always said I will never keep a client who is rude to my staff, most clients are really lovely though and we wouldn't swap them for the world for all their eccentricities!

I am usually at work when our cleaner arrives at 8am but the two 12 month periods of maternity leave I took I would be at home when she arrived. The first 3-4 weeks she would open the door to find me in my in PJ's in floods of tears trying to breastfeed. She was an absolute star and I would have given up without her encouragement.

The whole point of a cleaner is that it's meant to take some work/stress from your life, so some of the attitudes here are a little sad.

When I was awarded DLA for my disabilities, the first thing I put in place was a cleaner. The idea was to take some of the pressure from my informal carer (who has become injured herself looking after me), and take away some of my guilt for not being able to contribute fairly.

I'm usually up all night in pain or with insomnia. I usually sleep for a few hours between 7am - midday, i.e. sleep a bit, wake up, sleep a bit more. So I'm usually extremely sleep deprived and exhausted. My cleaners are from an agency, and they send different ones every week, so they don't know me.

They just let themselves in and get on with it as I'm always in bed when they're here, so of course not dressed. I already worry they judge me enough for this (they don't know I'm disabled, although they may pick it up from clues around the house!)

On another issue of judgement, I did once overhear some cleaners loudly complaining I'd left some crumbs on the side. (I had spilt something, but couldn't stand any more so I'd had to leave it. It wasn't a total mess or anything, just needed wiping up.) They, not knowing I was there, were complaining about lazy people and people like me not having any pride in their homes. One of their other complaints was that in the shower I'd left some shampoo/conditioner residue on the glass. They're not to know that showering is utterly exhausting for me, and I just try to get through it the best I can, without scrubbing the door after - but even if I was healthy, isn't that what cleaners are for?

I always make sure the place is tidy, and it's never in a state - just normal weekly mess. (I did complain in this case, and they sent an apology and have never returned.) If I'm meant to clean up though still despite having a cleaner, then it's kind of pointless!

Sorry, this has turned into a long feelings post about cleaners, but there always seems to be a constant judgement.

Glitterbelle - that is an appallingly unprofessional attitude of your cleaning company's staff!!

Personally I will not hire staff who I feel will make value judgements about our clients, one of our company's key values is kindness. I am rather appalled at what you overheard their staff saying about you- please consider a private company rather than an agency or a franchise, they are more likely to offer a more personal service, and take more of an interest in staff training, I know i do, this sort of thing is covered in our training manuals and reiterated by myself when we train a new employee!

Your post has me annoyed and disappointed with a certain element of our industry! How very unkind of them! :-(

I think that on balance most people would rather have a cleaner who treats their home as somebody's home, not a place of business.

Equally, builders who work on a project for more than a day usually accept that they are working in somebody's house and meals need to be cooked and children got ready for school and sometimes they will arrive before everybody is dressed.

I think you are limiting your market if you only want to work for people who have a standard 9-5 schedule and don't want to use their house as a home while you are working.

I am working from home, and I am usually on my computer most of the time my cleaner is here. We try to stay out of eachothers way, and I know when to leave my study to make tea so that she can mop in there. We have a nice routine! She has been my cleaner now for 4 years, and she also babysits for us, so it is working great.

However, there was this ONE time I was not working when she arrived, I had taken the cushion coveres of all the cushions to wash, and she found me in a bit of a mayhem of cushions and covers. She looked mildly bemused, and said "lucky you, I never have time for such indulgences myself"

Thanks, Proclean.

Sorry, I think I used the word agency incorrectly - they are a private company that employ staff directly. Or if that an agency? Having a daft moment!

Sadly, I'm limited by cost. I would love to go elsewhere - since getting rid of those members of staff they've been very good cleaning-wise, but my main issue is they cannot stick to an appointment. They're due at 8.30am, but often don't turn up until 10.30am. We ask them all the time to stick to the appointment - they do it one week, then it's back to whenever suits them.

However, it's probably a case of you get what you pay for, but I'm a very low income and they're the most reasonably priced in the area.

I'd normally go to someone who is self-employed - but I do like the fact they send two people for one hour so it's over and done with, rather than having someone here for two hours.

If you cover the Essex area, do let me know please!

My builders used to let themselves in and call upstairs to make sure I was awake and getting ready for work. . They found it funny and I need my beauty sleep.