Cleaner charge problem...what would you think?

[achoocashew]

I asked on a local facebook page for a new cleaner as my previous had to stop due to sickness. Several people volunteered and recommended others and i contacted a lady, lets call her Tina. I wanted a good going over of my kitchen, inside and outside cupboards, cleaning tiles and scrubbing floor etc plus all the regular stuff.

This was the conversation we had on messenger:

T - Hi, I can help you, I have my own cleaning company, I’m fully insured and supply all the equipment ... I charge £20 an hour and there’s always two of us x

ME - Hi, thanks for messaging me. Were you talking about the one off clean or regular cleaning?
Can you supply references and are you dbs checked?

T - We can do both? Yes dbs checked and I can ask my old company for a reference as I don’t have any regular ones

M- I meant do you have other people you clean for who I could just have a quick chat with?

T -Yes sure I can give u a number for one ?

M -Great. And when could you do the deep clean? Two people for £20 ph? I'm not sure how long it would take tbh

T - So if we do 4 hours it would be £80 ( an example) I’ve just said to my customer u want a reference and he said you can call him now if you want to his name is Andrew and his no is ‭xxxxx, can do it for you on Friday?

M - Thanks. Friday is about the only day that isn't good for me! Could you do another day?
I have space on thursday at 1.15pm ? U have probably heard this so many times but we are very reliable, will do a brilliant job for you, I invoice at the end of each month so u can either pay, cash, cheque or into my business account.

M -That would be great, thank you. Would you want to pop round so you can see how long it might take or just see on Thursday?

I can pop round tomorrow ? etc etc arranging times.

She popped round a couple of days before, looked at the kitchen to see how small etc, looked at the other rooms . Tina and another lady arrived at 1.10pm today and left just after 3pm.

How much would you expect to pay?!!! She has popped the invoice through my door and i was a bit flummoxed! I'll get to the AIBU when i tell you what she asked for!

140
20 For looking
20 (possibly Twice one lot for each person for travel)
80 for cleaning

£40

she has charged £80, for 4 hours cleaning....i

But does that not contradict what she's already said where she extrapolated her fees

She can't v possibly mean £20 per person. That c is double the going rate where I live.

Well, that is what she quoted OP

i was there when she cleaned. they arrived at 1.10 and i left at 2.55pm to do school run and she was starting to pack up then.

Hmm, what to do now?

Ah, it's not as clear as I thought

Could it v possibly be a mistake?

2 people doing 2 hours makes 4 hours. So she's charged 20 per person.

Oh, I see. She charged you for the 4 hours and didn't do them. My mistake.
Was the invoice broken down?

£20ppph is almost double the going rate! And she didnt finish properly but i was going to overlook that.

She said in her example: "So if we do 4 hours it would be £80 ( an example)"
They did not work for 4 hours, they worked for 2!

I think you’ve misunderstood her but I can see how as it could be interpreted either way. I would chalk this one up to experience and pay the £80.

Glad it wasn't just me @fuzzyfozzy

She has actually put this on Messenger: So if we do 4 hours it would be £80

She hasn't done 4 hours. She hasn't even done 2 hours. You need to copy and paste what she said to you. And don't pay her £80, ffs, and don't have her back again. She doesn't have your keys, does she?

i have messaged her to say this is a bit awkward but i wasn't expecting to pay £80 and quoted what she said to me and what i understood.

She has quoted herself back at me! EEK"

i would email straight back.
Thanks for your invoice. I calculate I owe you 40. 20 per hour for 2 hours. Can you please reissue the invoice so that I can make payment?

But 2 x 2 hours is four hours worked...

They did four hours but it’s really expensive!

You have to query it because she gave a specific example.

Don't pay her, she's a cf! £80 is extortionate, for that I'd have to do 8 hours, 8 hours! Wow, tell her you'll pay £40.

Where are you best? I've paid as much as 15quids per hour for fancy agency but never 20quids per hour per person thats ridiculous

Shamelessly placemarking

I would pay her and not have her again.