Evening everyone.
Cleaner worked for me once a fortnight for a few hours (wish I could afford weekly cleaning!) and did a pretty good job. I usually had to go out though, as for one half hour out of the 3 or 4, she'd want to chat. I'd be more likely to entertain this with an older person or loner, but she's a young woman with lots of friends and an active social life!
She let me down at the last minute several times in the year I'd had her. I'd be getting the kids ready for school and making sure the house was tidied for her, money left out etc, then I'd get the text 20 mins before she was due to say that she had period pains and couldn't come, or whatever. I tried to be understanding and considerate towards her but the last time she did this, I explained that I really did need someone reliable who wouldn't cancel on me at the last minute, and that if it happened again I would have to find someone else.
I received a really stroppy text in reply, saying that she couldn't believe I'd sent her that message, that cleaning for me was a hassle for her as it was only fortnightly, but she tried to be 'good' by agreeing to clean for me. She said that it was my decision if I wanted her to hand my keys back.
I replied that it was in fact her decision, that I would be happy to have her back if she didn't cancel on me at the last minute. I said that I was sorry she felt that way about cleaning for us, and that perhaps she shouldn't have said yes to doing so if it was a hassle to her. I asked her to let me know if she'd like to come back.
A few days went by and I heard nothing at all, so I made the decision to end it it there and find someone else. I let her know that I'd assumed by her silence that she didn't want to continue working for me and that I was sorry it had ended this way, but I had decided to go with an agency as I really did need a dependable service.
She wrote back that she understood, I thanked her, wished her the very best, and politely asked her if I could have my key back. She replied that she was really busy now and offered to meet me near her place to get it back. I suggested that it might be less hassle all round if she were just to pop it in an envelope and post it. She rejected this option, saying that she wouldn't be paying for postage now that she wasn't working for me, to which I offered to send her a SAE if she would give me her address.
I got a shouty upper-cased reply from her saying that this was a very strange suggestion, that she would drop the key off at mine, but that it was MY responsibility to get the key from her, as it's MY key. She also made it so that I couldn't reply to the message, as apparently she's upset every time I get in touch.
A part of me is gutted that I have made someone feel this way. It wasn't my intention for it all to end so badly. A part of me thinks that she's being stroppy and immature, and that I (who am on the same hourly wage as her, but in childcare) would never let my boss down last minute like that or speak to her in such a mardy way.
I think I am probably a bit depressed these days, so am unsure if it's my judgement that's skewed. I guess I have lost my confidence a bit in my dealings with people (in my personal life at any rate) and hate falling out with people! Please could you let me know who is in the wrong. Many thanks.