...to feel a bit disappointed in our cleaner?

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Maybe more of a WWYD. Our cleaner has been with us for around four years. She's lovely, and we have a good relationship, but if I'm honest, she's not very thorough and will use excuses like "oh the door was closed so I didn't think you wanted me to do that room . . . " I pay her £12 per hour (plus agency fees by monthly direct debit to her agency).

Our normal arrangement is 3 hours a week, which is £36. I don't usually have £36 exactly so end up leaving £40 most weeks - which is fine, it's not her fault if I don't have the correct change, so I accept that she takes the full £40.

A couple of weeks ago, I asked her if she would be able to do a full-day "deep clean" - inside cupboards, skirting boards etc; eight hours at her normal rate of £12 per hour. She said yes, and that she'd like to do a weekend and split it over Saturday and Sunday (four hours each day). Perfect, great, thank you.

DH and I went away for the weekend so I left £100 (8 x £12 = £96) but noticed on the security camera that our cleaner only spent six hours at the house on the Saturday (which would be £72) but when we got home, we saw that she took the entire £100 even though there are several things that could have been done to take the time up to the full 8 hours we agreed.

It just rankles a bit. She already leaves 20-30 minutes early on a normal week (we never get the full three hours) so this is a scaled-up version of that; I feel that if she only worked six hours, she should have taken cash for six hours and left the rest.

However my gut feeling is just to leave it and say nothing, in the grand scheme of things it's not that important . . . what do you all think?

We’re you happy with the finished result?

Tell her you noticed she has only came Saturday and did 6 hours and ask when she will be available for the other 2 hours.

Get a new cleaner and tell her why, or talk to her about it.

I'd be pissed off too.

Did you ask her to do Sat/Sun as she should have charged more for the weekend.

Ask her when she is planning on doing the remaining 2 hours.

This is more than just a tip, that's taking the Mick.

Exactly what Ytrigging says

You need to pull her up on it or it will only get worse.

If she not doing the job or the hours I pay her to do I’d get rid of her and get a better cleaner. She’s also effectively stealing from you if she’s taking the money and not doing the work. If she behaved like this anywhere else that’s what would happen.

I would have let her go based on her regularly leaving early. She's taking the piss out of you! I wouldn't say anything, because there's no point at this stage IMO and I couldn't be bothered with the aggro, but I would find someone else and then give her notice.

I've had the same cleaner for the past 11 years. I have never known her leave early, she does a brilliant job and if she runs out of things to do before the end of her hours then she finds another job eg tidying up a cupboard etc. There are good cleaners around!

She’s taking the piss and you for a ride. I’m sorry but I would be having a word and asking her why she only did six hours for a start and then why did she take all of the money knowing she hasn’t finished the job? And I would also be ensuring you had your full 3 hours weekly . Only pay her for what she does.

She’s taking the Mickey!!!

Definitely get rid! I pay £20 an hour (South east) and she is worth every penny and often stays a little longer.

No, if she's charging you for 8 hours of work but only cleaned for 6 hours, that's a form of theft. If the cleaning was perfect, that may not matter so much, but given that there were tasks left undone, I would raise it.

Talk to her, saying you notice she only came on Saturday and when will she be coming to finish the other jobs?

Tbh, sounds like you need to have a word with her anyway about her hours. If things don't improve, ask the agency for another cleaner.

You aren’t a charity. It’s ridiculous to keep someone like her who is dishonest. Man up and end it.

I wouldn't bother saying anything to be honest and just find a new cleaner. If she asks why you're letting her go, be honest about it.

All of those “small” amounts add up. She’s taking the mick. It’s not nice at all and really OP, the trust has gone. I’d find a new cleaner.

I’d keep her if you like her and are happy with the actual cleaning but start having the right cash on you and if she only works 2.5 hours pay her £30. You rounding up her pay when she’s rounding down her hours makes no sense.

You need to grow a pair! Why wouldn't you ask her why she isn't completing her agreed hours. Plus leaves 20-30 mins early most weeks??? WTAF. She's onto a winner with you and you've allowed her to walk right over you.

If you left work early every day they would soon pull you up on it. I would say something, if not to her then the agency.

Give her a chance to right it I should have added

Okay, this is reassuring, I thought I might be a bit petty for feeling annoyed about it and was fully prepared to be taken down a peg or two on here! I think if she were a great cleaner (a bit more thorough) and ordinarily did a good job, worked her full hours etc. I wouldn't mind a one-off overpayment; it was the creeping ongoing feeling of being a bit of a doormat that was getting to me.

I'll grow a backbone and ask her when she's coming back to do the remaining two hours as I noticed some unfinished bits and pieces. Thanks everyone.

Sorry, you need a new cleaner. You don't like her work on the normal days. She leaves 20 mins early on these days. She has basically lied about how many hours she has done on the larger clean. Just get another cleaner.

I just wouldn't bother being too confrontational about it. She's not going to change her ways and the trust has gone. Ask the agency for another cleaner. Say you want someone who does the hours agreed or something if they ask why. She'll be doing this with everyone she cleans for.

I think the change from £40 relies on you saying you want the change. I don't think you can blame her for that. She probably thinks you're delighted by her work.

So op in reality you pay her £40 a week for 2.5 hours work. Which isn't as good as you would like it to be. She has also taken £100 which should have been for 8 hours work but only did 6.

Look it's your money but I personally wouldn't have the spare cash to just fritter away like this on a service I'm not happy with.

@Ytrigging

Tell her you noticed she has only came Saturday and did 6 hours and ask when she will be available for the other 2 hours.

I agree with this.

You have not asked her to do a particular task but you have asked her to work a set number of hours. She hasn’t done what you have asked.

Having been in the same boat, I do realise how difficult it is to actually say something though. I think the suggestion above is a good one.

I'd probably just contact the agency and let them deal with it. That's why you pay them
It's not t like she doesn't know she's short changed you several times

Having had a cleaner we caught rifling through our desk drawers and coat pockets (so def not looking for a cloth) we got rid immediately. We also paid £12ph and we let the odd ‘leaving early’ bit go. When I was here occasionally I’d pop out but come back before her4 hours was up and she’d gone - like 20-40 mins early.
It’s all being untrustworthy and it sits v badly with me so we haven’t had a cleaner since.
Will have to agsin one day, but it’ll be by strict recommendation only.