Cleaner has over charged, WWYD

[MintyMabel]

I've had a new cleaner started the last month, doing 3 hours a week.

When she came round before she started, we discussed the number of hours we thought she would need to do the work and we agreed she'd need 3. She said if she ever did less than three hours she would only charge me for the hours done. (I didn't ask this, she said that was how she worked)

The first few times she was here, she did three hours (or two of them did an hour and a half) But this week she turned up alone, and only did two hours. She's charged me for three.

She did all the work to an ok standard, I have no complaints about the clean and normally I'd just pay three hours. It's the fact she initially said she'd only charge for the hours she actually did but obviously isn't sticking to that. I also don't know if she realises the camera doorbell lets me see when she arrived and left.

WWYD? I'm leaning towards just paying because I'm happy with the work and cleaners aren't paid a brilliant wage, but there is a bit of me that says she offered to only charge for the hours but is clearly not being honest about that!

She might have made an error if doing invoices for several clients,or she may be testing you to establish if you noticed.
So yes I would mention it.

I think some people have a problem confronting their cleaner because they feel uncomfortable having someone doing what they regard as menial tasks for them in their home

Not an issue for me. I’ve been a cleaner and don’t consider it menial. Confrontation isn’t a problem for me, but I wouldn’t want to piss her off as I’ve struggled to get a new one since the last one just stopped turning up after two years!

I don't understand why you're planning to raise it when it happens the second time, and not the first time. It is going to happen again. No doubt about that. If you're genuinely going to be happy to raise the issue the second time, why not do it now? What are you gaining by delaying the conversation?

Did she actually send you a bill or say directly that she did three hours?

Or did she just not tell you that she had only done two?

Either way, you are not being unreasonable as you agreed to pay her by the hour not by the job. So i think some of the 'did she do the job' comments are not so relevant.

If it was 15 minutes short and she did the job fine then I would ignore it. But a whole hour short? No, you need to say something.

I have previously had the same issue and sometimes kept quiet but then i end up resenting everything. I think it is far better to say something now.

Good luck!

Pay the 3 hours and see if she starts to make a habit of it - if she does find a new cleaner - she isn’t honest

I’d query it, just say you noticed she was only there for two hours but has charged for three.

I had 3 cleaners from an agency in the space of about 8 months. First did her hours but was maybe a bit slower. The second was like a whirlwind, didn’t do 3 hours exactly but it was always at least 21/2 and on the odd occasion we agreed 2 in advance. The 3rd took the piss and didn’t do the same standard as the others and basically did 2 hours for 3. I cancelled my contract. You’ll know if yours is like my 2nd or like my 3rd.

I'd probably pay up until she got really sloppy, cancel, and then if asked send a hysterical message about how I've been so unhappy for months.

What you should do is ask her to make up the time/tasks the following time. I'm presuming those extra if you have time tasks after things that need to be done one or twice a month.

Things being ok, fine, good enough, aren't really.

If you're genuinely going to be happy to raise the issue the second time, why not do it now?

Good point.

Did she actually send you a bill or say directly that she did three hours?

The invoice says 2 cleaners x 1.5 hours.

Things being ok, fine, good enough, aren't really.

I've had to pretty much accept that OK is as good as I'm going to get with cleaners! I've only had one who was really good and I was totally happy with! She left to have a baby. It's not easy for find cleaners where I am, let alone really good ones!

Is there any way you can get home at random times so you can see if shes there and playing candy crush or doing what she is supposed to?

As the invoice clearly states the usual, maybe you could ask if she accidentally sent you a standard invoice when you’d noticed it was her alone for two hours so she forgot to send the revised one. Then say some thing about the ring doorbell disturbing you or something similar otherwise you wouldn’t have noticed.

Would take careful wording. It I’d say it before it becomes a habit.

Good luck!

I would pay it but send them a message telling them you've paid, but you can see from your cctv that on X date they only worked 2 hours.

Ask them to credit this hour onto your next bill.

PepsiLola has a good option.

I track my cleaner's hours through Alexa. The most she's ever cut short is 20 minutes but has been there for 15 minutes longer more than once.

However an hour is an hour! You need to speak up or she'll take the piss every week. You'll never get that hour's pay back.

How do you do it via Alexa @Hittapotamus ? Via lights coming on when someone enters a room?

OlaEliza there's a list of additional jobs. Usually she does one. This time she didn't.

Personally I would watch the situation for another week or so and see if she did it again

So surely the invoice is completely wrong then as it was actually one cleaner for two hours?

Also curious how you track with Alexa!

Essentially your issue is that she is a bit untrustworthy. Now you need to decide if it's just over hours worked or if she's going to start nicking your stuff

It is pointless to focus on hours charged for eg make her sit on your sofa for an hour drinking coffee. A petty cleaner will just start doing that if you make a fuss. Maybe point out you are happy she managed to do the job in 2 hrs this time but increase the number of jobs you would like her to achieve so it takes 3 hours? Focus on tasks is easier to monitor. She sounds a bit untrustworthy though, so whether you choose to accept that or not .

I would query the invoice because it's completely wrong.
She billed for 2 people working 1.5 hours when it was 1 person working 2 hours.

I’d query it now so she’s aware you can track who’s at your house and for how long. I’d also query why there’s 2 cleaners noted on the invoice when only 1 was there. It doesn’t have to be confrontational, just say you always check your notifications when they go and noticed the timings and number of cleaners don’t match what happened and has she mixed up your invoice with someone else’s? Could also add that if 2 hours is sufficient, you’re happy to amend the contract. That gives her the opportunity to explain what happened without feeling you’re accusing her. But no way would I wait for it to happen again as then she’ll know you suspected her and were waiting to catch her out again, just nip it in the bud now.

I would pay her the three hours. She achieved the standard required and may have had to work like crazy to do so.

I wouldn’t because that wasn’t what was agreed

I fired my last cleaner exactly for this. She did an ok job and keep leaving after 3h instead of 4, there is always things that can be done! Move things to do some more dusting than usual, clean inside the fridge or the bin, clean some hard to reach areas that are not regularly cleaned etc

After @ThePants999 made that good point, I decided to bite the bullet and email.

She gave no explanation, just a “sorry, my mistake” and an offer to pay it back. Hopefully she won’t do it again. Thanks for all your comments.