AIBU to ditch the cleaner?

[welshpolarbear]

I haven't posted before so please forgive me if things aren't done correctly, but I am in need of opinions!

A friend recommended a cleaner 4 weeks ago, she came to see me and was to start on the Friday. Friday came, she cancelled (childcare issues) , she came last week and did a so/so job. I still had to run the hoover around after . Then this morning, she cancelled again (her bathroom had flooded so needed to wait in for plumber.)

So fair enough, the two reasons are valid, but she's cancelled 2 out of 3 cleans and it's not a great start.

She spent most of last week chatting and not cleaning, I need the rest, which is why I can't do it all myself so didn't need someone telling me what I should do for my little ones cough, where he should sleep, that my house is small, and also was noseying in my things asking me about them.

What should I do, I feel unreasonable to ditch, but who wants someone so unreliable?

PS: Never had a cleaner before so this might be a fairly usual problem???

[welshpolarbear]

Thanks everyone, I appreciate the comments, either way. I think I'll give it a couple more weeks but I think first impressions are really important and she's not made a very good one. Im not happy with the way things have gone so far and I do have a right to who I pay to help in the house. Im also a fair person so I'll give her the benefit of the doubt...for now.

Harsh - you're wrong about the self-centred label you're giving me. But I can see you're that kind of person. Posting on AIBU doesn't mean you want to get slated - or praised - just asking AIBU.

Thanks to the other posters, whichever way they've posted, I will still consider posting again. I thought this was a friendly forum and I'm happy to see most people are.

[welshpolarbear]

Hmm, twist to the tale. Seems she was in Ireland partying until yesterday and her public facebook status says, "nice chilled Friday and out tomorrow too" don't think I'd be chilled if my bathroom was flooded...........

[Marynary]

She doesn't sound at all committed. If her reasons for not coming were genuine she would probably have tried to clean at some other time in the week. I would give her one more week and if she doesn't do a good job or cancels then don't use her anymore.

[FoundNeverland]

Go with an agency. They are a bit more expensive but a lot more reliable as if there are any absences they will send a substitute. No issues with snooping at personal items as they are at least a team of team of two. I love my agency. Normally get the same two cleaners and they do a fabulous job.

[Looobyloo]

I'd get rid & not just because of your last post. As a self employed cleaner I wouldn't dream of letting my clients down at the last minute unless it was an emergency or I was very poorly, even then I'd swap them to another day.
She shouldn't be going through your stuff & commenting on your house neither.
If she's like this now imagine what she will be like in another few months.
In 9 years of cleaning for a clients I've not once let them down. I'm too aware they want to come home to a nice clean, tidy house after working hard.
Sack her!

[welshpolarbear]

Thanks Marynary, FoundNeverland and Looobyloo, all points I've been thinking about today. I apprecite your comments.

[derxa]

I have 2 cleaners who turn up every Monday at 10.00. They seem like a husband and wife team. They stay for 2 hours and my house is clean and tidy after they leave. All I have to do is leave the cheque. Sack her!!!

[Roussette]

welsh YANBU. If she couldn't clean on the day she is committed to because of an emergency, the first thing she should be doing is re-arranging and 2 times out of 3 when she has just started re-arranging, is just taking the piss!

You don't sound the slightest bit self-centred. You are paying for a service and I agree this doesn't bode well for the future. You can find someone far more committed to doing a proper job. Good luck, dont be put off by this experience.

[londonrach]

Id let her go and find someone you feel comfortable in the house.

[Roussette]

when she has just started without* re-arranging...

[shinynewusername]

Ditch! If she is like this now when she should be trying to impress, imagine what she'll be like once she relaxes..

[navytides]

If get rid of her. She sounds unreliable and not committed. She will keep cancelling and the longer you leave it the harder it will be to get rid of her. I would text her and say she's no longer required but thanks anyway.

[ProfGrammaticus]

(I do have a cleaner.)

She has got off to a bad start and I'd get rid now and start again. There may be minor things you would want to do after a cleaner has gone, if you employ them to do a basic clean of a number of rooms. But all the hoovering, dusting, bathroom cleaning should be done.

I'd only be left with "extra" type things - maybe dusting the plumbing pipes, scrubbing tricky bits of grout, cleaning light fittings, wiping switches. Not hoovering.

But basically, you need to be comfortable having her in your house. That's not going to change and she's lying about why she's skiving work

[DanglyEarOrnaments]

This does not sound like a good service provider and I would not be happy as a client, I would take my money elsewhere, seriously.

I would also not be happy in reality, as a cleaning business owner, if this was the calibre of service an individual provided for my clients, they would be long gone!

Cleaners can charge good rates (when they charge what they need - which they can if they are good!)

Take NO notice of all those 'poor little cleaner' posts! Poor service is poor service - don't pay for it! This is very poor service.

[ohtheholidays]

Let her go OP and I'd tell her this weekend and don't feel guilty it sounds like you have enough going on as it is!

Get someone else that will actually turn up and do the job properly that they're being paid to do.

[expatinscotland]

Let her go. Don't feel guilty! 'This isn't working for me. I need someone I can count on every week. So I'm afraid this means I cannot employ you any further.'

[welshpolarbear]

Thanks all, I've wasted so much time worrying about this. I feel better that a lot of you dont think IABU. I know I will get walked all over if I don't do something about it. Worrying about it isn't going to do me any good either!

[SaveSomeSpendSome]

I had a cleaner once who came to the house talked about what needed doing etc and then was due to start the next week.

Next week came and 20min before she was due to arrive i got a text saying she had to pick her son up from school as he was unwell and basically she would come the week after.

Well thats not good enough for me. It was her first day and she showed herself to be unreliable so i texted back telling her that i wanted some who was reliable and therefore i will look elsewhere and i hope her son recovers well.

She sent a very narky message back. I didnt reply.

I found a cleaner who didnt have childcare issues in the end and had late teenage children.

[Sparkyduchess]

You're right to look for someone else. My cleaner isn't perfect but she deals with all the obvious stuff so I just deal with the small bits that are left. She's reliable, quiet and very pleasant so a couple of minor niggles are fine. Reliable is key though, and yours is clearly taking the piss.

[SaveSomeSpendSome]

When you work you have to make other childcare arrangements and i expected her to do that.

[SaveSomeSpendSome]

Tbh as it was her first day i could see it as a sign of things to come and i just didnt want to go there

[MsVestibule]

YADNBU! I am a self employed cleaner and think her lack of professionalism is pretty bad. IF you felt the two absences were genuine and IF she'd done a good job on the day she did turn up I'd say maybe give her another chance, but I think a 'Thanks, but I won't be requiring your services any more' type text is the way to go.

I hope you have a speedy recovery and good luck finding another, more reliable cleaner - there are plenty of us out there .