To complain about this cleaner?

[nameinlights]

Yesterday we hired a cleaner through an agency. We specified this was for a one-off spring clean for 3 hours, to do things we didn't get round to doing ourselves. The cleaner could barely speak a word of English. I had expected to be able to have a discussion with her about what could be achieved in the time she was with us, what cleaning products or methods were appropriate for different tasks, and check with her what she had got round to doing in tht time. All of this was impossible. We used google translate to communicate but this wasn't good enough for those kind of questions, and of course communicating in this way was quite time consuming. For example I asked her to clean the nappy changing mat but I wasn't clear if she had cleaned both sides and wasn't able to ask her. I specifically asked her to use the hoover to remove the dust from a particular area but she used a cloth instead which was not as effective. I saw her doing jobs that I didn't specify but I would have rather she did other tasks. What she did do was to a good standard and she worked fast, but tasks I wanted doing weren't done, or not done in the way we wanted.

The agency want feedback, AIBU to say that her English wasn't good enough for the role? On one hand I am annoyed that the cleaning did not go to plan. On the other hand this woman probably has a tough life, working in low paid physically demanding work and is probably on a zero hours contract. Negative feedback would not be nice for her and might affect her employment opportunities.

People on MN are such snobs about paying for a cleaning service. If you had complained the plumber didn't have good enough English, or the car mechanic you wouldn't be told to 'book annual leave and do it yourself'.

Unfortunately with agency cleaning you very rarely get someone with good English. If you want things done a certain way it's best to get a regular cleaner and build up a relationship and routine with them.

Or as others have suggested communicate via the agency about exactly you want done. I have to communicate via the agency with our cleaner because although her cleaning is great, her English is extremely basic.

If you ask somebody to work on your things, and they cannot understand, there is a problem. Not being able to read the labels, maybe not treating particular surfaces as they should be unless instructed, not understanding what is a priority or not is a bad job, no matter how much you try to do the rest correctly. OP is a paying customer, not an humanitarian.

In your place, I would say that the cleaner was trying, and was not awful, but her lack of English understanding led to losing time instead of working, and that she could not do completely what really needed to be done.

If you ask somebody to work on your things, and they cannot understand, there is a problem. Not being able to read the labels, maybe not treating particular surfaces as they should be unless instructed, not understanding what is a priority or not is a bad job, no matter how much you try to do the rest correctly. OP is a paying customer, not an humanitarian.

In your place, I would say that the cleaner was trying, and was not awful, but her lack of English understanding led to losing time instead of working, and that she could not do completely what really needed to be done.

If this was me I would be massively disappointed that a service I had paid for did not go as plan.

Tell the agency for sure.

Instead of working full time and affording to pay someone, cut your hours and have more time to do it yourself, problem solved

Was that a joke eveysdad? You realise not everyone can just reduce their hours just like that, nor may they want to?

Instead of working full time and affording to pay someone, cut your hours and have more time to do it yourself, problem solved

so if she was rich enough to not work at all, and still afford a cleaner would that be ok?
Or is every richer person who can afford "staff" wrong as well?

I had such situations. So I changed the cleaning agency. I found a new house clearance service. These guys are amazing. Working fast and professional. I even left some tips and of course they deserve a positive feedback.

but I think you also you are better to move to a cheaper house or even apartment

instead of working full time and affording to pay someone, cut your hours and have more time to do it yourself, problem solved

This was clearly said tongue in cheek! The poster wasn't serious at all!

This thread really is one of those ones where MN loses all semblance of reality and enters the twilight zone.

OP, you're perfectly entitled to hire a cleaner (obviously). You're perfectly entitled to ask for specific jobs to be done, although in the future it would be better to specify these directly to the agency

You should tell the agency about the communication issues. If you don't, and the cleaner goes on to work for someone else who is an utter arsehole about it and kicks up a massive fuss then that will do much greater harm to her than you having a quiet word to the agency that you found the communication issues frustrating, and in the future could you feel back specific cleaning requests directly to the agency

You've had an unfairly rough time here OP!

TwinklyMusic and whois the agency said just to tell the cleaner on the day what I wanted doing.

DanglyEarrings cedricsneer LondonKitty TwinklyMusic it wasn't a full spring clean I asked for. Of course it would not be possible to have a full spring clean in 3 hours. I was paying a higher hourly rate for spring cleaning type tasks, things that DH and I haven't got around to doing in a while such as cleaning windows. The agency told me that they thought it would take 7 hours to do a full spring clean which we couldn't afford at the moment.

TiredButFineODFOJ, Bumshkawahwah and toastyarmadillo thank you, your comments have helped me rethink the situation. It was the agency who was at fault here. My AIBU unreasonable should have been AIBU to complain to the agency. I had made it clear that I wanted some spring cleaning tasks doing (not a full spring clean) and they told me to tell the cleaner on the day what things we wanted doing. Even so, they sent a cleaner who couldn't speak English, so I could not communicate easily with her. So it is the agency who are definitely at fault here, and there is no point in complaining because they knew the cleaner's language abilities, and they knew what my requirements were. I had discussed with the agency that I wanted her to clean the oven and I would provide oven cleaner, but actually I didn't ask her to do it as I was worried she could hurt herself because she couldn't read the oven cleaner label. I won't be using that agency again.

Thanks for the lots of useful feedback. I think the way forward as many have suggested is to try and find someone who can come on a regular basis for a short time rather than doing occasional one off cleaning. This the only the second time I have hired a professional cleaner, and both times it was through an agency, and it has not gone well either times. So being able to build a relationship with someone is better. Or if I can't afford that and I just do the occasional cleaning, then I will ask the agency to pass on the list of tasks in advance.

Instead of working full time and affording to pay someone else. Cut your hours and have more time to do it yourself. I think money may come into play there. Everyone would be working PT if finances allowed for it.

I must say I had a gardener like this. Everything I would say he would just say "yes yes" and then do the opposite. It was too frustrating, but as I got him from my waxing lady (he was her family member) I just let it go and didn't ask him back again. As it goes I see him around and his English has improved tremendously.

Well if the communication was an issue then say so. You can also say she did a good job if she did. the agency are at fault really though.

And if you want to spend your money on a cleaner then that's your choice too.