The cleaner never invoices on time

[heyhoonthehighway]

Major first world problems but, we've recently started to use a cleaning agency once a week to sort out our house. I'm self-employed with two small kids and my dh works bizarre hours.

The agreement between my husband and I was that if we were going to get a cleaner was I was going to pay for it. He doesn't really agree with it, thinks we should be able to do it ourselves but it's just not possible.

The nature of my work is sporadic and even though I try and save as much of a buffer as possible often invoices will get unpaid for ages and I'll have to chase for a good length of time before eventually getting paid.

The cleaning agency told me that they would invoice on the 23rd and I would have 7 days to pay. Not a problem. I can deal with this.

However in the three months that we've had them I've been invoiced on the 1st of the month, the 28th of the month and, as of yet, not at all. Then these invoices state I need to pay pretty much that day. The cost of the clean can vary based on month to month and I'll always try and have this money ring fenced but this month in particular I've had to spend out on kit for my work and things are tight. When I have the original schedule it gives me a chance to put things in place and get everything sorted but the way this has been done it's incredibly stressful and my husband panics is we're one day late they'll send bailiffs (I know they won't but it's more the aggro his belief causes).

As a cleaning company they are fantastic, the girls are great and they do a brilliant job. However whenever I've broached the subject with the owner she just apologises and says that she'll sort it etc etc.

If they invoice me late am I within my rights to keep the 7 day payment window rather than the expectation I pay it immediately. It's just making it so hard to plan around.

Also so as to not dripfeed we've just had to replace our car so all family money is mainly tied up in that.

Yes surely payment is received within 7 days of the invoice.

I would just pay within 7 days if invoice being received. If their organisation is so random I doubt they will notice if you pay on the day or not

You know how much your cleaner costs. Just keep that money until they invoice you, then pay it?

@FemaleDilbert you've got a point. I swear they've undercharged me in the past as well.

Yes, but the problem isn't the cleaner, is it?

@meadowmeow that's the thing, they do a deep clean on a rotation of a certain amount of weeks and it varies from month to month (4 week/5 week, what's fallen in the calendar month etc) so I'm never quite sure of the cost until it arrives. Plus it's never what I expect it to be either.

If the terms are 7 days from invoice date then yes.

I am always stunned by these men who make their partners pay for the cleaner. Mainly because 'we' should be able to do it 'ourselves', whilst simultaneously, not doing it himself. Almost as if it is the woman's responsibility to sort out.

YABU to find this incredibly stressful.

Irritating if you like order, yes. But there’s no need for it to be even mildly stressful.

Either use cash or a separate bank account. Transfer for your cleaning money on a set day of the month, or on the day it’s done - whatever suits you. It doesn’t matter that your own income is sporadic - either you can afford this or not. Then, then money is always there whenever you get the invoice.

A far bigger issue is your husband deciding that it’s up to you to pay for it, and then getting involved to the point of stressing about bailiffs. He’d annoy me far more than the cleaning company.

I would speak to the agency and say that no matter what date they send the invoice, you need the 7 day window to settle the bill. If you can't reach an agreement and it's causing you problems, just use another agency. I know you like your current one but there are plenty of good ones out there (depending on where you live of course). If your dh doesn't think you need cleaners, tell him he's welcome to do the lions share of the housework but I'd bet the shirt on my back that he never did/doesn't/won't. I also bet that he's not picking up the task of organising payment for the cleaners.

@IncrediblySturdyPyjamas in dh's defence he pays the mortgage, all bills, childcare costs, car insurance, tax etc. I pay for groceries, holidays and "extras".

When you say you pay for it, do you mean the money comes out of your personal money or do you mean you do the online banking?

OK, just read the update about not knowing how much it will cost / when they will come.

Why are you MAKING your life stressful? Decide what you’re prepared to pay, and get them to work that number of hours (or deliver agreed tasks) on a schedule that suits you. Why create the variability when you find it stressful.

£20 for 2 people for an hour a weeek and in the first week of the month £60 for deep clean. Or whatever. Take control of it!

Personal money. Everything else comes out of online banking.

You should have a contract that states what you pay for each type of visit. If you keep a record somewhere of what job has been done and when, maybe stick it inside a kitchen cupboard door, and how much it cost, then you'll know exactly what needs to be paid. Cross check this against the invoice, I would be expecting the invoice to have the dates and type of cleaning done, if it doesn't, then request it. I would pay the invoice within seven days of receipt.

I think your other problem is the length of time it takes you to collect payment for invoices you are sending. If you are having to chase them this is taking up your time and brain space. Would it be simpler to employ a specialist company to manage your invoices? That way you can let go of all that effort and concentrate more on your work and family.

@Ellisandra you're right. They don't charge by the hour, they do it based on jobs. If it takes 1 hour or 3 hours it's the same (I think to encourage quickness or something). I'll send them a message and have a chat about setting a monthly cost so I know what to expect. I've actually asked for them to rearrange our normal day next week (as it's my birthday) and they've still not got back me on it.

Thanks everybody for your advice.

@Allycumpooster just hired one! And I've put some scary wording in my invoices that seems to have done the trick as well. Normally I'd be more flush at this point but I've just had to shell out £400 on tech for a job this weekend and, although I'll make the money back, it's left me a bit anxious. That's probably more what's causing me anxiety than the late cleaning invoice. My job doesn't normally involve so much outlay and, even though it's tax deductible, I'm panicking how long it'll take me to recoup.

It doesn’t actually sound like you (personally) can afford a cleaner if you don’t have the buffer to cope with week late invoices and having to buy car / work tools.

As your husband was against the idea anyway, I’d rethink whether this really is a good use of your money - or whether you want to agree with him that you should do it yourselves - and agree his tasks to make that happen. Having a cleaner is great (I don’t have one, but do use a gardener) and I’m not against them. But very very few people NEED them. Bizarre hours isn’t a reason. That’s why I have a gardener - I can’t mow my lawn at 3am. I can mop my floors though.

@Ellisandra definitely something to think about. The house was getting so bad and it massively started to effect my mental health and when he finally agreed (the main thing is he doesn't like having strangers in the house) it was like a weight was lifted. However now it seems to have shifted elsewhere so definitely have to have a big think about things.

The car was unexpected but totally necessary and the nature of what I do tends to be feast or famine sometimes.

I don’t understand your reply, why it’s variable if the cost is based on jobs? That’s already fixed then. Is the variability just because you have more than one job set so more than one cost? Occasionally a deep clean? In which case, take control and fix the deep clean to first week of the month, not some 4/5 week rotation. You’re the customer!

I think you’ve hit the nail on the head that you’re stressed about thr business outlay and letting this get to you as a result.

I know it’s not easy, but you can make a choice... from the 23rd, you can choose every day to wonder where your invoice is every day and stress about it. Or you can shrug your shoulders, stick the predictable cost aside and don’t give it any thought until the invoice lands!

What would your DH do if you were in debt? If you couldn't afford to pay the cleaner one month? Would he let the bailiffs come and take goods?

I have a cleaner for our business premises. She has a schedule that she follows so the jobs change every week and it takes her different times. She didn’t what the hassle of invoicing me so we agreed a monthly fee and she does everything on a rota but it costs the same every month. I have a standing order set up for her. It’s a simple system but it works for her and, although invoices would be good for the accountant, it works for us too.

@Pengggwn it wouldn't get to that point thankfully. We've got a savings pot set aside for a big job we're doing on the house and shares etc. So financially we're ok. It's just because my own personal income varies more than anything.

I just don't get it, OP. Why don't you have a shared income? Why are you struggling to pay a cleaner to deal with his mess?