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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To get rid of our cleaner like this?

31 replies

HuckleberryGin · 26/04/2017 21:26

We've only had her for a month. Never had a cleaner before. She's lovely, but the cleaning isn't brilliant and we have got to spend more put on a car than we planned.

She comes when we are at work, so was thinking of leaving a note with 2 weeks money saying that our circumstances have changed.

And ask her to leave her key .

OP posts:
PurpleDaisies · 26/04/2017 21:27

That's the equivalent of dumping someone by text. Do her the courtesy of speaking to her and giving her a bit of notice.

teaandcakeat8 · 26/04/2017 21:29

What's the reason you can't just tell her?

If it's because you're nervous then yes yabu

WoopWoop200 · 26/04/2017 21:29

Can you ring her instead? Or email?
She should understand circumstances have changed, but a note isn't the best way to do it

Original poster
HuckleberryGin · 26/04/2017 21:29

Ok, how much notice? I hate talking on the phone, but I suppose I have to.

I wish we'd never got someone, I hate this stuff.

OP posts:
Original poster
HuckleberryGin · 26/04/2017 21:30

The reason is I hate talking to people on the phone and I never see her in person. But yes I know I should.

I will. I'll write down what I have to say.

OP posts:
DanglyEarOrnaments · 26/04/2017 21:35

Did she have you sign an agreement of terms when you started with her services?

If not then that is fine and is enough notice to be fair, although you are under no obligation to give notice if she didn't have you sign anything, it is kinder to do that.

She certainly wouldn't expect all of her clients to be requesting meetings to tell her they no longer need service, just a notification should do it. I think I would email to cancel a service rather than text but if you have established a 'text relationship' with her then I guess that's ok too.

We always ask for as much notice as possible to cancel services in order to schedule the spot for another client but two weeks is fine.

DanglyEarOrnaments · 26/04/2017 21:37

Oops sorry, you never mentioned sending a text at all Blush

I should have said 'I think I would email instead of leave a note!'

Apologies

Original poster
HuckleberryGin · 26/04/2017 21:38

We've no written agreement.

OP posts:
DanglyEarOrnaments · 26/04/2017 21:48

Then I think you can do it because you are being generous with the notice paid and that's the main issue.

She has enough notice paid and so time to fill the spot so you are doing nothing wrong and seeing her right. The note vs email thing is not really of too much importance as long as she knows and can afford to have the spot empty for now.

InvisibleKittenAttack · 26/04/2017 22:04

Call her, say that you are very sorry but your financial situation has changed and you can't afford a cleaner anymore. You'd like to give her 2 weeks notice which she doesn't need to work, can you pop to her house/her come over to yours to collect the money and give back the key, what would be best for her?

Original poster
HuckleberryGin · 26/04/2017 22:10

Yes I'll call her. Last week she emptied the dishwasher (not a task we've requested) of DIRTY dishes and put them away in the cupboards. Took quite a while to find them all to washing them! Some things were really obviously dirty too.

OP posts:
selsigfach · 26/04/2017 22:55

Yuck, for the dishwasher alone I don't think I'd be so generous.

EatSpamAmandaLamb · 26/04/2017 23:00

She put dirty dishes away? In that case I wouldn't give her any notice and text to say
"I am afraid your service is not meeting our needs (dirty dishes put away, other example) so we will have to let you go."

Then change your locks.

Downtheroadfirstonleft · 26/04/2017 23:00

It's decent to give her notice, but there's no reason not to have her work out her notice.

ProseccoBitch · 26/04/2017 23:26

I hate talking to people on the phone too. I dumped my cleaner by text, she was as bad as yours so I didn't feel bad about it.

AnathemaPulsifer · 26/04/2017 23:34

If she has a key to your house I'd meet her there next time she's due to clean, reclaim the key and pay her for that session without requiring her to clean. I wouldn't give someone notice while they still had free access to my house. One of my ex cleaners got really nasty when I terminated our arrangement, fortunately before I'd given her a key.

TheMysteriousJackelope · 27/04/2017 00:01

You need to tell her in person and get the key back then and there. This is a business decision, it is absolutely not the same as 'being dumped by text' but you don't know her very well and you don't want to leave her with unrestricted access to your home.

Original poster
HuckleberryGin · 27/04/2017 15:45

Argh, wish we'd never got a cleaner. Really don't want to have to use up a day's annual leave to have to do this. I barely have enough to cover DC being ill etc.

So i'll try and get the day off next week and be there to meet her. And have the awful, awkward, cringey conversation in person.

And then I am never employing anyone ever again.

OP posts:
TheMysteriousJackelope · 27/04/2017 18:51

How much would it cost to change the locks as EatSpam suggested? Is that worth not having to go through with the conversation and not having to take a day off work? Can you or your DH buy new locks and change them yourselves?

Sunnydaysrock · 27/04/2017 18:55

I'm a cleaner and i wouldn't necessarily be bothered if i was given notice over the phone. I have finished jobs before where the client isn't home and just left the key on my last day. I really wouldn't stress so much especially as you haven't had her long. Don't take a day off, just call her, it's not a big deal Smile

itsmine · 27/04/2017 18:55

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Sunnydaysrock · 27/04/2017 18:57

Hmm just read what pps said about not knowing what she might do...Could have a point..

Sunnydaysrock · 27/04/2017 18:58

Agree with itsmine, better way to do it. No day off required.

Livedandlearned · 27/04/2017 18:59

Agree with Sunnydays it's not a big deal, email, ask her to return key and pay her if you want to.

Pinkheart5915 · 27/04/2017 19:01

I think a phone call at the very least, I think I'd also be honest about why your letting her go if she's a cleaner that isn't cleaning properly surely she needs to know?

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