to cry over my cleaner

[Sloven]

I posted this morning about today being my first day for having a cleaner and I was really nervous about it. I have joint and mobility problems and have been struggling with a 3 bed house and a DC for some time. Mess makes me stressed and depressed, and i work full time and thought it would be a good use of my income.

I stripped the beds, did a couple of hours of tidying this morning, wrote lists, went and got cleaning materials, and know that tomorrow I will be aching all over from doing a pre-clean but got on with it because I am houseproud and didn't want her to think I am a slob.

She was due at 1pm and I sat in and waited for her. I booked through an agency and did not have her phone number.

At 130 I left a message with the agency asking if everything was okay as I was concerned she hadn't turned up. I know things overrun sometimes so I wasn't annoyed, just enquiring. I have to leave for the school run at 250 and wanted to make sure we had enough time to chat first.

She turned up at 150 saying she needed to find somewhere to park. I pointed out some of the places where there was parking this time of day and went and sat back at my dining table to wait.

At 2:20 I got a call from the agency saying she had decided not to take the job on as the free parking in my area was too far away for her to walk. (It is 2 streets away for gods sake).

I was very nice to the agency - who are charging me £70 a month with £140 upfront to broker this 5-hours-a-week cleaner, and that does not include her £40 a week fee. I politely asked them to arrange me another cleaner for next week as I am working away all week this week now.

I put the phone down and burst into tears. I have been looking forward to this so much, having a clean home again, not feeling worthless or useless, being able to breathe without worrying about carrying a hoover up the stairs, etc. I was genuinely excited, put a pot of coffee on, bought a nice handover book. It seems ridiculous but having a neat home is very important to me and I was so looking forward to it.

And the gall of her not bothering to tell me herself but calling the agency to get them to cancel the job - 80 minutes after her agreed start time!

I am sad and cross and sore and disappointed and now have to live in this shitty hovel for yet another week. And I just need some flowers and a hug.

Tempted to take the £40 I would have spent on her today and buy myself some gin and roses.

[Jaxhog]

That is so, so unprofessional. The agency should at least make a partial refund to you, and find another cleaner ASAP.

I'd personally put an ad in my local newspaper shop. That's where I've got all my cleaners from. Ask for 2 references, and follow them up. There are lots of very nice cleaners out there.

[EvelynWardrobe]

Is the cleaner going to be using your hoover and materials? Otherwise I can see that parking two streets away is impractical.

[Sloven]

@evelynwardrobe Yes I provide all materials

[Vitalogy]

I wish you lived near me, I could do it for £12.50 an hour, I'm not with an agency.

[beesandknees]

I'm really confused as to why you are going through an agency? Is there a reason for this?

[amibeingaprude]

Why are you going through an agency?? What on earth are they doing for your money?? Reputable cleaners will be insured.

I'd sack the agency off and demand your money back.

Put an ad on FB or ask local friends for a cleaner recommendation.

[Sloven]

@beesandknees I thought it would be easier.......

[TatianaLarina]

Cancel the agency as they’ve failed to provide the service they promised - they must be in breach of contract.

I’ve had a regular cleaner for years through an agency, if she is ill at the last minute, they send someone else.

The parking excuse is pitiful.

[VladmirsPoutine]

I understand the frustration but I think your response is very dramatic as to be quite over the top. The agency is in breach. It's a cleaner, not a cancelled hysterectomy operation.

[Sloven]

@ami I don't want to put on facebook that I need a cleaner, some of my family and friends were vey rude about it when I first mooted the idea
I'm quite a private person really

[TatianaLarina]

Thing about agencies generally is that they provide sick cover to you and also to your cleaner, insurance, and they sort out all the cleaners’ tax etc, plus provide work. So from cleaners POV it can be beneficial.

[Sloven]

@Vladmirs Sorry for being a human being with feelings.

[MrsMcW]

You poor thing! Agree with everyone else, cancel your contract with this company and go privately. I have the most amazing cleaner whom I found by word of mouth - she is the cousin of my neighbour's cleaner. Can you ask around and see if anyone you know in the area can recommend someone?

[TatianaLarina]

When you have mobility and health issues - this morning’s events are a much bigger deal than to a healthy person Vladimir

I don’t really get the OP’s worry about having a cleaner in the first place but then I’m entitled middle class and have no qualms about paying other people to do stuff I don’t want to.

[Sloven]

@Vladmirs I am generally hard as nails. I employ people, I negotiate contracts, I fire people, I'm firm, I have a reputation in my industry for being fierce as fuck. But my home is my sanctuary and accepting that I need a hand with it has been a long road. It is not dramatic to feel let down when someone lets you down ffs

[MovingOnUpMovingOnOut]

Goodness me you do need to stop being such a martyr about this.

Being upset about it is understandable but these self pitying posts where you imagine people on here are having a go at you are not helpful. People are trying to be helpful by telling you that you are not the problem but the agency is taking the piss.

Big girl pants on and sort it out. You've told us how capable you are, now you need to tell yourself.

[Athome77]

A handover book for a cleaner?!?

I have had lots of cleaners and used two agencies. I usually just tell them to crack on and then if there’s anything they missed I leave a note. This has worked in three different countries. I don’t see my cleaner for months (but I know she’s been).

Maybe there was more said than your letting on between you and the cleaner and she thought ‘this ones way too much work’.

[Santawontbelong]

Are you near me op?
(Cleaner with a few hours a week available) Sorry you haven't had a good experience.

[beesandknees]

OP I think you need to channel some hard-as-nails into the idea that you ARE allowed to have a cleaner and can ask around on FB or in person for recommendations.

Just as you would at work. Would you blindly go through an agency to source a new employee (and accept poor service from them and cry about it), or would you tap your network first? If someone criticized you for needing the employee, you'd give them this face and carry on doing what you're doing.

Do that for yourself now.

I think YABU to let other people's opinions of you, affect your life so much that you get taken for a ride by a cleaning agency and are left in tears afterwards. The knock on effect of caring about what others say has left you in what sounds like a really emotional state, are their opinions really that important?

Ask you friends and neighbours for their recommendations. Reach out, and fuck anyone who has anything stupid to say about it. Do the right thing for you.

[TatianaLarina]

You were quite snippy MovingOn and rather implied OP was stupid.

[fizzthecat1]

I am generally hard as nails. I employ people, I negotiate contracts, I fire people, I'm firm, I have a reputation in my industry for being fierce as fuck

You sound like a bit of a bully

[MovingOnUpMovingOnOut]

No I did not at all Tatiana. Why would you assume that?

I'm sorry you read it that way. It wasn't implied by me at all.

[Sloven]

@athome

"Hiya, you must be Janet*. I'm Sloven."
"Is there parking here?"
"I don't have parking, sorry, but there is usually space on Next Road or Around The Corner."
Janet sighs
"Right I'll be back soon then"
"Okay! See you shortly"
Janet fucks off never to be seen again

That is literally it. And I am unfailingly friendly and polite, I meet people every single day with my work and see no point in being any less than nice to folk. My DP takes the piss out of me for being overly nice and polite. I'm pretty sure I didn't do anything wrong...

[MovingOnUpMovingOnOut]

I don't think you did anything wrong either.

I think the agency is at fault here.

[Sloven]

@fizz What?! I don't fire people willy nilly fgs, just have done when it's been absolutely necessary. I'm nice as pie generally, but yeah, I have sacked people, as most people who employ people have had to at one time or another.