Cheeky message from cleaner

[EllJ]

I recently hired a cleaner to do a good clean of the bathrooms and a general hoover and dust round. She seemed nice enough and I thought she seemed trustworthy so we agreed to start her.
We had nothing but problems from the get go... she couldn't work the hoover, couldn't work the steam mop (despite being shown both more than once), didn't move things out of the way to hoover or dust around and just seemed to find a new problem each week. One week, the bathrooms were ignored completely as she "forgot her gloves", despite being told they were our absolute number 1 priority and that she just had to ask for any cleaning materials she wanted/needed.
Anyway, after giving it three weeks in the hope she'd settle in and then receiving a particularly cheeky note after the last clean, we decided not to continue with her. My DH sent a polite and to the point message explaining that we won't need her anymore and can she please return our key.
She has just sent back an incredibly rude message insulting the cleanliness of our home! I'm absolutely fuming and having to really hold back sending a rude message in return, which i know is the wrong thing to do.
Aibu to ask if anyone can help with a well worded message to send in return explaining that the specific items she has complained about being dirty were actually things we were paying her to clean!

Sorry for long post

@thecatsthecats wonder if she'll come over and give mine a once over? 

@AjasLipstick nope, not at all. She actually said so herself on her initial visit too. Cheeky mare

As many have said, I’d change the lock, I wouldn’t trust her not to have made a copy as she’s so bloody barking.

I’d want to be the bigger person and ignore her comments, but it’s just not me 🤣. I’d send a reply that was pretty clear that a cleaner is there to clean not whinge about cleaning...batshit bint.

She's from an agency? I hope they know about her message to you?

Tell them you're waiting for your key back and that if you don't receive it by x time and date, you'll have to change your locks and you'll bill them for it.

Well that’s abit short sighted on her part - you’re not exactly going to recommend her/business she works for off the back of this.

You have to laugh at her cheekiness - you monster @EllJ expecting her to dust!

Does your name begin with O? If so send the message I composed for you this morning and get off MN

@AnnieAnoniMouser it's so not like me to sit back quietly either, I'm itching to respond with some of the wit delivered to me further up the post, but will resist for now

Glad I posted as it gave me a
Chance to calm down and some food for thought with the key/lock situation.

Just out of interest, did your DH send his message to her directly, or via the agency?

I agree with PP.

Save up the money in a 'Holiday Fund' and in two years you will have £5K! It really makes a difference! Holiday to the Caribbean perhaps> This sort of behaviour is never just for you. Others will have equally as frustrating issues with this lady. I wont call her a cleaner because that insults cleaners everywhere!

@TomRavenscroft yeah the agency are aware, have spoken to her, and will facilitate the return of the key and any communication going forward

@Loyaultemelie nope, not an O. O, if you're reading... your boss is on to you 

@MissClareRemembers DHs message was sent direct as all of our dealings have been directly with her since she started. We did inform the agency in plenty time before the message was sent though.

She sounds crap!

Or maybe it's different in the US and cleaners don't expect to actually do any cleaning?

It would be out of order to leave a cleaner to sort out an absolute pigsty but what you're talking about just sounds like normal cleaning to me.

(Apologies if you're not in the US, I just took it from you saying 'get go' that you probably were).

@Loyaultemelie I did add a wink to that, not sure why they're not showing up for me

I understand you, I’ve had it with cleaners, they seem to think they are doing you a huge favour rather than a job and being paid for it. Move on a think nothing more of it.

Oh well in that case there's two crap cleaners with bad attitudes to make you feel better EllJ and the other one did get a message back

yeah the agency are aware, have spoken to her, and will facilitate the return of the key and any communication going forward

Good!

Thank you!

She sounds unhinged and very well may make a copy of the key and return when you're not there. Just get the lock changed.

Oops, I left this tab open for ages and got to the bottom of the thread and it had a few replies. I now see that the lock thing has already been mentioned several times lol.

OP what was the reaction of the agency when you told them about this woman (I can't describe her as a cleaner after all, because instead of doing any cleaning in your house she just complains that it needs cleaning!).

@InsomniacAnonymous DH called the agency and they apologised, said they would arrange a replacement ASAP and they called her to ask her not to contact us (other than to return the key). The woman on the phone agreed the message sent was totally unprofessional. We had been in touch with the agency preciously to give feedback and forewarn then that we had been having issues, so they did have that on our/her file already.

She actually lives fairly closeby to us, so I'm very much hoping I don't bump into her in the local Tesco or something. If I ever see her I'll hide in the cleaning products aisle until it's safe

For future - if I ever need to sack a cleaner - I wait until their next session and tell them at the end of that we don’t need them back. I get the key then and there so they don’t have a chance to copy it.

@ittakes2 great advice, thanks. A lesson has definitely been learned on this occasion

(Once you have your key back)

“Thank you X for your message and opinion on my home should you know any GOOD cleaners do let me know”

Personally wouldn’t reply, she’s obviously lazy, incompetent and downright cheeky- you’d just go backwards and forwards.
And the cleanliness of your home? What she was paid to do and didn’t..so ignore she’s plain trashy. Any further correspondance will have her take to social media and relay or show her friends ect publically humiliating you..best ignored just get ur key backs and next time get a reputable cleaner by asking online maybe Facebook for any good cleaning companies in the area

No nasty message, learn your lesson & change the locks (for your peace of mind) 😊