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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Cleaner question

16 replies

Tryingtoconceive2years · 10/02/2018 17:46

I am a cleaner - new to the business as I got let go from my job and needed an income.

Have a few clients already and no issues until today.

Got a call from a client who had a 2 bedroom house and we agreed it would take me 2.5-3 hours to clean. She said she had a bedroom that was out of control and she didn’t know where to start. I agreed that this would be on top of the time as it would take extra time to sort and she agreed.

Went today and the house really needed a deep clean so took me longer and I cleaned the bedroom she mentioned. It took me 4 hours in total.

Finished she walked around was happy with the final outcome but stated she wasn’t going to pay me as I’d taken longer - we’d agreed this was going to happen.

I had to knock half hour off the total cost so she would.

Aibu to think she should of paid? That house bloody sparkles, not sure if it’s pregnancy hormones making me feel like it’s unfair.

Also any tips on stopping this from happening again?

OP posts:
RoxanneMonke · 10/02/2018 17:49

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

AppleKatie · 10/02/2018 17:50

Tips to stop it happening again:

  1. Agree beforehand that the first clean takes twice as long as the regular weekly clean and is charged accordingly.

OR

  1. Down tools after the agreed time and ask if the client would like you to continue (and pay) or not.

It isn’t on for you to agree 2.5-3hours and do 4 and then expect to be paid.

Ratbagcatbag · 10/02/2018 17:50

That's awful. Is she paying anything at all? Or just the extra time you took she's refusing to pay?
I pay what in quoted for the job rather than per hour. But I'd never be that rude.

MatildaTheCat · 10/02/2018 17:51

YANBU. You worked extra hours as agreed so should be paid. Text her and say so. You presumably won’t be going back so nothing to lose.

RoxanneMonke · 10/02/2018 17:52

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Snowydaysarehere · 10/02/2018 17:54

I have quite a few customers now - don't let her put you off op!!
I do the initial basic cleans that people want, extras by list with negotiated extra time /price. Mostly 3 hours each week with either extra hour for ironing or monthly windows + an hour. Discuss who supplies the cleaning products. A distant customer gives me a fiver for fuel!!

NewYearNewMe18 · 10/02/2018 17:55

I would have either priced the job, or stopped after 3 hours.

Original poster
Tryingtoconceive2years · 10/02/2018 17:59

Thank you - it was agreed the room would take extra time on top on the 3 and she agreed. It was a wardrobes worth of clothes to sort for a start. She did pay me but after I’d knocked off the 30 minutes.

Luckily it was a one off clean so I don’t have to go back

OP posts:
Original poster
Tryingtoconceive2years · 10/02/2018 18:01

She was there during this time - she could see me cleaning. I didn’t stop during that time

OP posts:
He11y · 10/02/2018 18:05

You’ll probably have to put this one down to experience and start putting agreements in writing. I’m a cleaner but for an agency, so I don’t deal with payments but I know some customers will try it on any chance they get - they’re the minority though, thankfully.

I have to say 2.5-3 hours for a two bedroom house is a lot once it’s in order, or was it just a one off clean? If you’re cleaning it weekly, I’d say leave it if she’s agreed to pay you for that amount of time as that’s generous in my experience. If it’s a one off, you could take it up with her but do you want the hassle when you’re trying to build your business? She sounds the type to dig her heels in so you may just end up feeling worse.

It’s hard to take when you know you’ve done a good job but you live and learn and you’ll know for next time. A friend of mine is a self employed cleaner and learnt this the hard way too.

YANBU at all, she is Flowers

He11y · 10/02/2018 18:07

Ah, more messages while I was posting so you can ignore some of mine! lol It’s good you don’t need to see her again - try and see it as a valuable lesson.

AppleKatie · 10/02/2018 18:11

Ah ok I misread that you had said upfront about extra time being needed sorry.

I think in that case she was being a CF but in future (because people are CFs!) you should always price up the whole job before beginning and only do the agreed time.

lesDeuxAlps · 10/02/2018 18:13

"It isn’t on for you to agree 2.5-3hours and do 4 and then expect to be paid."

This

Original poster
Tryingtoconceive2years · 10/02/2018 18:15

lesDeuxAlps if you read the post it was agreed that there would be extra time needed because of the bad room

OP posts:
kissbeforelippy · 10/02/2018 18:20

I think that's really mean of her and I'm glad this was a one-off. Lesson learnt and hopefully no-one else will take the piss again if you follow some of the advice upthread.

Original poster
Tryingtoconceive2years · 10/02/2018 18:23

Thank you everyone this has really helped

OP posts:
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