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!

@Rocinante1 I think you missed the bit where I said that I used to be a cleaner. I understand perfectly the points re holidays and sickness etc, but you can't compare the daily rate of a cleaner with someone in a more skilled profession. I say that as one who knows...

I charged £12.50 per hour and took all my own materials. My friend, also in South East, is currently charging £11 per hour and using her customer's consumables. She also has a job working through an agency and depending on the customer (they have different contracts) she gets between £8.50 - £9.50 per hour. Cleaning just isn't that well paid a job. But if you work for yourself at least it's flexible and you can sack customers who are arseholes.
Pleased you've sorted this op and not paid way over the top.

I have a cleaner who charges £15 an hour. We agreed a two hour clean weekly, and she was clear that they send 2 cleaners so it £30 for one hour ( 2 people cleaning). Sounds like communication from your cleaner should have been clearer.

She sounds like a bit of a con artist. No wonder she has no regulars (also weird in itself, surely good cleaners are always in demand). She probably does this con all the time knowing that most folks will pay up rather than query it, particularly elderly ones. Good for you standing your ground OP! And yes, 'Andrew' is bound to be a relative or friend.

@MoreCoffeePlease123 I don't think OP misunderstood. I think the cleaner deliberately misled her.

@YearOfYouRemember but the quote said 'we' implying it is £20 for 'them' not each. If we do 4 hours it would be £80.
The fact the quote said just as an example. Rather than this is what I will charge you is weird.