CF Cleaners?

[veevee04]

Been with the same agency 18 months same cleaners for around a year. I have 2 hours a week so 1 hour as it's 2 of them they are supposed to be here 12.30 for a few months they have been showing up whenever they like 3.30pm recently ! . Annoying as I have to tidy then pick DD up .I prefer she's out of the house when they are cleaning.

Also I have timed that they been here for only 20 minutes one time and another time I caught them parked outside the local shop smoking on my paid for time. The cleaning lately has also been hit and miss some weeks good some weeks bad This is my second cleaning cleaning company do they always turn into CFers after a while ?

I’ve now decided to just do it myself. Genuinely less hassle than finding a decent cleaner. If anyone of thinking of starting a business there is a massive gap in the market for a reliable cleaning agency.

We've tried a few. They've not been good for various reasons. These sound awful though, I do hope you've complained to the company and not paid for the time they've not cleaned!

I've read so many threads on MN about cleaners not doing the full time and arriving late and leaving early.

I'm sure there are good cleaners out there though.

I have a brilliant cleaner. She's a one man band. She occasionally has to leave early but then she charges me less. I've come back to a lovely sparkly house and she's said she left after only 2 hours and knocked the other hour off my monthly bill - I wouldn't have known so she's very honest!

YANBU, I’m not sure why you are letting them make a mug of you really, what did the company say when you reported them? Just get rid! Hopefully you can find a better company

I've seen so many adverts on local social media pages recently for people advertising their services as cleaners. I think it's something that people think they can just do to fit in around school hours - which they can, but it doesn't mean they're good at cleaning or indeed honest and reliable. I know of one who started advertising but we live in a rural area and she doesn't drive so most of the enquiries she got (visible on SM) she couldn't get to. Totally pointless not to put 'jobs in X village only' in the ad! Friends who have cleaners seem to do nothing but complain about them. I'd rather do it myself and live in a slightly less sparkling house.

YANBU. Our cleaner only charges for the time she spends working - like pp, if she has to leave early she’ll reduce her cost.

I’d speak to the agency if I were you, and ask them to either have a word with the cleaners or to give you new cleaners.

My cleaner is amazing. She does 2 hours a week, stays for 2 hours (sometimes a little longer if we chat too much), and the house is spotless when she's left.

She works for herself.

I feel if people work for an agency they perhaps don't have the same impetus to work to a decent standard as they will likely still have a job if someone stops having that company.
Whereas someone running their own business will want to keep their clients long term and maintain their reputation.
I know my cleaner has very stable, long term clients. I feel very lucky to have found her.

They sound rubbish. Good cleaners are so hard to find. We have a run of bad ones (stealing) before finding our current one. I overpay her asI don’t want her to leave! She often says longer too.

Ask around for recommendations?

In my experience, agency cleaners or ones who work for someone else in any way, tend to be CFs. My current lady is a one lady band and she is amazing. She does 3 hours a week on average and does a spotless job. She's also generally lovely, not long ago I was feeling poorly (not covid!) and she dropped around with Epsom salts, snacks and paracetamol even though it was out of her way.

What did you say to them when they went to leave after 20 minutes?

@PattyPan

What did you say to them when they went to leave after 20 minutes?

They didn't even say bye just shut the door and left 🤣😂 didn't get a chance to say anything.

Well you clearly know that’s not good enough!
I’d be getting rid and asking for recommendations.
Our cleaner is a godsend miracle worker. Came home today and my house feels like a lovely home. Best feeling in the world.
I pay more than she charges, I can afford it and she’s totally worth it. She’s so committed to her job and I trust her 100% in our home.
If she has ever needed to leave early (rare,
Maybe twice in 5 years) she’s let me know and offered to refund me or do more next week.
I’d never take her up on either of those things, people work better when they feel appreciated and valued.
I imagine your cleaners cleaning for an agency don’t feel their value reflected in their wages. It’s not an excuse, it’s just how I see it. Maybe I’m wrong and you’re paying extortionately!! Either way though, they’re definitely being cheeky and I’d be speaking to the agency about it. It’s not good enough.

I pay £13.50 an hour which I wouldn't say was a poor rate in the northwest . A newly qualified HCPs hourly basic rate can be lower than this.

Talk to their bosses - that's the first thing you should do!
I've never used an agency just someone recommended. They know that if they don't do a good job they won't be working for long.

Agencies tend to treat their girls like shit. Aware that seems sexist but that’s what the women who work with me call ourselves. Most don’t get breaks either paid or unpaid, any type of leave really. Don’t get travelling time, wages can be quartered (one min late means lose 15 mins wage) etc. hire one that’s self employed. We are doing this alone so know we’ve got to make it work.

What about looking for a local company or something rather than an agency? They might be more professional as they are relying on the return business and hopefully being recommended to other people if they do a good job

I’ve been tempted to go direct with cleaners rather than through an agency, but we did have an issue a few years back when a cleaner broke something quite valuable in our home - we didn’t have a problem with the fact she’d broken it (accidents happen, and I’m usually the clumsy one in our house!) but she lied about doing so, so we had to go through the agency to get it replaced. I’m also a bit wary of insurance implications - if a cleaner hurt themselves in our house, I’d be worried about them trying to sue us!

@veevee04

I pay £13.50 an hour which I wouldn't say was a poor rate in the northwest . A newly qualified HCPs hourly basic rate can be lower than this.

If you are going through an agency, what you pay and what the cleaners get will be very different.

But in general,YANBU except that it sounds like you haven't been mentioning this to the agency at all and there have been multiple issues. If people don't give feedback it's going to be hard for any agency to manage performance well unless they double the cost and send a supervisor everytime.

They won’t be receiving £13.50 if they’re working through an agency!!
Speak to them and let them know you’re unhappy and then ask friends/family for a recommendation.

Our cleaners give me a fixed price quote for the job and then the time it takes is up to them.

I did once fire a cleaner I was employing on this basis though, for a combination of patchy work and putting very little time in.

Yours are being cf. get rid.