To get rid of my cleaner

[Lotty456]

I’ve had a self employed cleaner (same person) for about a year now & I’m generally happy with his work but last visit he was on his phone for about half hour. I asked whether calls could be made outside work hours & his response was that sometimes calls are unavoidable as it’s lockdown & childcare is an issue so he needs to take calls, he also said that as he is self employed he may needs to take calls from other potential clients although he will be quick. I don’t know whether I’m over reacting but I feel that he shouldn’t be on his phone when he is supposed to be working (although he doesn’t stop working he just carries on one handed)

@Lotty456

I understand that having a cleaner is a trigger for some but it’s my choice & my money so I’m totally unapologetic. Nail was hit on the head in an earlier comment that the trust has gone. He is due tomorrow so I will definitely have a quick conversation with him about it. I’m not happy about it & he’s in my home so hopefully he will understand my motive for lack of trust

Ah yes, it's having the cleaner that's triggering people, not your disgusting attitude towards said cleaner. Why come and ask if you don't care about the response? You are being unreasonable

It's absolutely your choice. You pay for a service, if you don't like the results it's fine for you to stop paying, do they will not longer provide that service.

The only part that I find surprising is that you don't seem sure of the results. I love it when our cleaner has been, the whole house sparkles. It's really not about wondering whether I have missed checking any individual surface.

If you are not 100% happy with the results, I'd suggest you find someone else. It's so worth it to find the kind of service that works for you. If you try lots and lots and no one seems to suit you, that would be a completely different thread.

I didn't notice for ages that the cleaners were letting dust build up on the glass shelf on the reception desk and also not cleaning properly in the toilet (it was actually filthy and someone else who knew about cleaning drew it to my attention).

This baffles me. How you not notice a dirty toilet? Was it a bathroom no one ever used?

I don't think you're being unreasonable. I know I would get a lot more done and a job done more thoroughly using both of my hands rather than holding onto a phone and working with one hand.
It's not on being on his phone for 30 minutes. A quick call yes but not that long.
Fair enough if he was using airpods or even on speaker phone but not if he's holding it for 30 mins

@Lotty456

Bookriddle Classy

A lot classier than your stinking attitude.

Get a fucking grip of yourself. A previous comment about 'putting the menial worker back in his place' rings very true here.

Are you paying him an hourly rate if so it is wrong for him to charge you when he's making phone calls
Are you paying for a set task regardless of the time spent to achieve the task , then it's annoying but not really something to get overly worked up about

I'm a self employed cleaner. If my phone rings whilst I'm working if its nearby I'll look to see who it is. If its family I'll answer it in case its an emergency. If its an emergency then fine, if its not I'll say I'll call you later I'm working. Personally I think its unprofessional. Speaking for half an hour isn't on

I think that many people on this thread are putting their shoulder chips into a communal bag and handing them to OP.

There's nothing snobbish about expecting respect in your own home, employed or not employed, friend to friend, tradesman to client, client to tradesman, poor to rich, rich to poor, "posh" to "common" and likewise. There is so much reverse snobbery on here it's unreal. WHO CARES who it is or how the relationship is categorised.

It's not unreasonable to ask for a pair of hands cleaning, when paying for one's home to be cleaned. OP is not requesting something above what is due. I've never heard of cleaning the house with one hand as being the preferred choice .

I'm sorry that most of you have such low standards of common courtesy. That's nothing to be proud of, by the way. I know you think it makes you "down to earth" but really..... you know you just don't want to be open minded enough to see that not everyone categorises people into boxes like you do, and then makes a very special effort to pretend that you don't, by saying "look at me, I treat the cleaner like my best friend, I'm salt of the earth, me."

I think your real question is whether he COULD have done a better job?

I'm sorry that most of you have such low standards of common courtesy. That's nothing to be proud of, by the way

😂

Aww

I do wonder how many of the people on here casting doubt on his citing lockdown and childcare as reasons to be needing to take/make phone calls have been fortunate themselves for the restrictions not to have had any effect on their own families' lives at all. Bearing in mind that self-employed/tradespeople have been particularly badly hit through it all. As for it taking two minutes to find a solution to what can be a tricky multifaceted dilemma, involving the safe care of young humans, it can take longer than that to phone and order a pizza.

It reminds me of the people who wouldn't dream of trying to drive themselves when there's a foot or more of snow on all the roads - but still expect buses and taxis to be running completely normally.

@UhtredRagnarson

I'm sorry that most of you have such low standards of common courtesy. That's nothing to be proud of, by the way

😂

Aww

I think your real question is whether he COULD have done a better job?

As a PP said about paying by the hour, it can be a minefield. If it's a very physical job, a 25yo gym-bunny is likely to be more productive than a 60yo with the usual aches and pains. In fact, you could even potentially argue that male cleaners should be paid more than female ones as they have a biological advantage as to how hard/strongly they can move and scrub, reach higher without 'wasting time' fetching a step ladder etc. I don't think any of us on here with any sense of justice would be campaigning for this, though.

Also, some people might be able to work extremely hard indeed for a couple of hours but then be completely worn out afterwards, if they don't pace themselves. Is it fair for the first client of the day to get much more work for the same price than the last client does?

Personally, I think the hourly rate is probably the best starting point for setting a fair price, but can't be set in stone with the constant expectation of somebody's absolute maximum capacity. We're talking about human employees, not machines.

My view is that if he is cleaning with one hand for a big percentage of the time then you are only getting half a jobsworth if you pay him hourly. Cleaning for 30mins with one hand will not be as good as the same with two. It might well be that instead of the for example 3 hours you pay him that actually the job only takes 2.5 hours with both hands. I see it as overcharging. The cleaning may have been done but it took longer than necessary that you had to pay for as he was on the phone.

But do you use both hands to hold a hoover? Scrub two different parts of the work surface simultaneously? Of course, there are plenty of tasks where you would need to use two hands, but by no means all of them.

Ask him to use AirPods but try and have some compassion for someone who is doing your dirty work during a pandemic, on top of childcare and probably income issues as well. As PP have said, he's not your personal slave.

Of all the things to get worked up about. You say he's still doing a good job - what's there to stress about? I don't understand why you're getting so worked up about this.

Even if he wore headphones he'd still be chatting away and you'd be able to hear him, so not sure what the point is in asking him to do that.

@babbaloushka

Ask him to use AirPods but try and have some compassion for someone who is doing your dirty work during a pandemic, on top of childcare and probably income issues as well. As PP have said, he's not your personal slave.

"Doing her dirty work" is his job! Would you say the same thing about a chef who tried to cook with one hand in a restaurant? What about a seamstress who was constantly on her phone?

@WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll

But do you use both hands to hold a hoover? Scrub two different parts of the work surface simultaneously? Of course, there are plenty of tasks where you would need to use two hands, but by no means all of them.

Wax on, wax off

Would you say the same thing about a chef who tried to cook with one hand in a restaurant? What about a seamstress who was constantly on her phone?

I don't think anyone would give a shit as long as their meal/outfit turned out well.

@UhtredRagnarson

I have never had, or seen, a stylist speaking to a colleague or another client whilst doing a client's hair! (mine or someone else's) They focus to the client they are currently styling. Apart from possibly a quick hello, but not a full on chat.

I don’t believe you.

Where are all these rude people working?

Friendly hairdressing salons.

I don't know where you go, but all the hairdressers I used concentrate, and chat, with THEIR current client.

I have never seen them starting a conversation with someone else across the room, or even worst their colleague.

I can't imagine someone doing my hair while discussing somebody else's holidays or children. It's not even rude, it's weird!

If the work is getting done then the least you can do is to let him be a dad and bring in a bit more business!

@WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll

I do wonder how many of the people on here casting doubt on his citing lockdown and childcare as reasons to be needing to take/make phone calls have been fortunate themselves for the restrictions not to have had any effect on their own families' lives at all. Bearing in mind that self-employed/tradespeople have been particularly badly hit through it all. As for it taking two minutes to find a solution to what can be a tricky multifaceted dilemma, involving the safe care of young humans, it can take longer than that to phone and order a pizza.

It reminds me of the people who wouldn't dream of trying to drive themselves when there's a foot or more of snow on all the roads - but still expect buses and taxis to be running completely normally.

It's very obvious if someone takes an urgent call and book an appointment, discuss an emergency or some childcare issue

or just has a chat with someone.

I would not pay for someone to natter with their friends - again, I can pay my own kids for that frankly, no need to employ a third party.

Why can’t he use ear phones and put phone in pocket so both hands are free?

We love our cleaner he takes calls we have no problem in fact he’s one of the family now, he a godsend.