To pay for the time that cleaner actually took?

[Ireallyneedtonamechangeforthis]

We have had a temporary cleaner in last and this week, as our usual cleaner is away and I have just had an operation. When I asked in advance how much she charged, I was told that her rates were 15 pounds/hour. On that basis, I asked her to do 5 hours. She did this last week, with no problems, and cleaned all the things I would have expected.

She was meant to come yesterday and didn't turn up, then when I texted to ask whether everything was ok, she replied last night asking whether she could come today. I explained that we had visitors this afternoon but we could do this morning. We agreed she/they would come at 10am. She turned up at 1pm, with two other ladies, and stayed until 2pm - so the equivalent of three hours' work. They did work quickly while they were here, but there were lots of things that weren't done in that time that they would presumably have done if they had stayed for the full time. The kitchen work tops weren't cleaned, they didn't do any dusting, they didn't take out any rubbish etc. I appreciate that this was because they were short of time, but that was a situation that they had caused, and that I had no control over.

At the end, I paid her for the 3 hours worth of work that they had carried out, and she got very annoyed and told me that they had cleaned the whole house and wanted to be paid for 5 hours' work, because they had done everything that they would have done in 5 hours, just more quickly. I was perfectly polite, but said that there were some bits they didn't seem to have got to that I would need to clean now, so whilst I was obviously very happy to pay then for the hours they had worked, I wasn't happy to pay for 5 hours. She was really annoyed and stormed out. Wibu? Should I have paid her for 5 hours? I am doubting myself, and also am slightly embarrassed because she was recommended to me by a friend and I don't want her to tell my very lovely friend that I have in some way short changed her.

She's a CF. arrives late, brings 2 others, work an hour each, don't even clean the friggin kitchen counter and expect to get paid for 5 hours - not on your nelly! Be sure to tell your friend too.

She's taking the proverbial. You are in the right here.

She turns up 3 hours late, with 2 additional people you don't know and expects to get paid for 5 hours! You are totally reasonable to pay only 3 hours. Her whole attitude is totally out of order!

Don't worry about your lovely friend. If she thinks this is reasonabl;e behaviour, then she's a not so lovely mug. Is she really the sort of person who would take the word of a cleaner over her lovely friend?

I would have taken major issue with this person turning up with two random people without having received your prior approval. In fact I would have said to the main person, that they could do the cleaning but I wouldn't give permission for the other people to come in.

I was badly stung by a cleaning company who tried to bring a couple of friends in to help unannounced - never again! One of the randoms dropped a mug into our sink and cracked the bowl, didn't admit to it and then the company refused to claim on their indemnity insurance. It really isn't worth the risk, they could have stolen one of your belongings - they have no loyalty towards you whatsoever.

I've had a lovely cleaner for several years now and she wouldn't dream of trying to 'subcontract' the work out, because she knows it's our home, not a commercial office!

This is precisely why I no longer have a cleaner. started great for a few months, then it was - is is OK if I finish a bit early and make the time back next week (never did), then when I unexpectedly came home cleaner seemed to be on her mobile phone all the time (rather than cleaning), and the last straw was the scenario you described above -pitched up with another cleaner but did less time than contracted (even when I took the two of them into account) and tried to argue all the work had been done. CF

I bet she paid the other two a pittance out of her 45 pounds!

This cleaner is in the wrong on so many levels … didn't turn up on the right day, then - only after you contacted her - arranged to come another day at a particular time, only to turn up 3 hours late. She brought 2 total strangers into your home … they did 3 hours work between them, and not to a great standard - but expect to be paid for 5. YA definitely NBU!!! Don't use her again.

YANBU.

You can be absolutely sure that if you had paid her, you would never have gotten anything like 5 hours from her for the money ever again.

Absolute CF!! YADNBU.

Takes the prize for the most unprofessional cleaner ever. No show, then late, then turned up with randoms, didn't do the work properly, wanted to overcharge you and was rude to boot. Really takes the ...

If the cleaning is on an hourly rate then YANBU. If they did it in 3 instead of 5, that's their lookout and shows that they overestimated the time they would need, or didn't do a good job, one or the other!

If I paid a cleaner for 5 hours, I would expect 5 hours work. There are always extra jobs that can be done to make the time up, one off cleaning bits etc.

To be honest, if someone turned up to my house 3 hours late and with two other people I didn't ask for- I'd have sent them all away. And that's without the fact that she didn't turn up the previous day. Of course you can't pay her 5 hours when only 3 were done.

Cleaner wrong on so many levels!

Thanks, all - I feel much less guilty now!

3 hours work was done and that's what you paid for. End of.

Takes the prize for the most unprofessional cleaner ever.

Oh no she doesn’t!

@ShagMeRiggins sounds like you've had worse... Do tell!!

So 3 of them did 3 hours so 9 hours total? Or have I misunderstood?

She did 3 hours, you paid 3 hours. She turned up 3 hours late . You paid her for hours she did . They only bit in question is if 2 other cleaners helped her, how were they paid? If they all worked flat out for 3 hours then that was 3×3 hours = 9 hours so that was a bargain at 5 hours for one cleaner

In fairness, the OP used lots of big words and made it very complex:

She turned up at 1pm, with two other ladies, and stayed until 2pm

Am I the only person thats read this as 3 people turn up to do an hour (3 hours) 1 has stayed another 2 hours... therefore 5 hours pay?
Having said that, if they’ve not done what’s expected, then no I wouldn’t be paying it.

Sorry I’ve just reread it and seen that they all turned up late... apologies

Yet more CF cleaners!!!

They did an hours work each. End of.

Chancing fuckers.

They were lucky to get in the front door after being told to come morning as you had visitors coming in the afternoon.

Make sure you leave a review father shoddy service, attempt at fraud and bad temper.

@donquixotedelamancha

PPs have gone way past that. Why are you quoting a very early reply when it's been subsequently swiftly corrected? Can YOU not RTFT rather than half of it?? It was corrected very early on!

Idiot