Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

If your cleaner offers you a half price clean to make up for cancelling last minute

28 replies

GlowUp2022 · 05/05/2022 20:51

There’s no way in hell you can accept it, is there? I think absolutely not, DH says if they offer why not

OP posts:
Wherearemymarbles · 05/05/2022 20:54

Nope.

LadyWhistldown · 05/05/2022 20:56

Why did they cancel? An emergency or couldnt be bothered? It makes a difference doesn't it.

Original poster
GlowUp2022 · 05/05/2022 20:57

@LadyWhistldown accidentally double booked and (probably correctly) assumed I was the person less likely to me cross about it

OP posts:
Chasingsquirrels · 05/05/2022 20:57

I agree with your DH

NoSquirrels · 05/05/2022 20:58

Depends - are they usually reliable, why did they cancel?

Rainbowqueeen · 05/05/2022 20:58

I’m a little torn. On one hand I think if you pay the normal rate they will be extremely grateful and prioritise you as a client forever. But then it could go the other way and they think you’re a mug and treat you badly forever.
The fact that they offered it suggests they are a good person who values their professional reputation.

I’d probably pay the full rate but keep an eye on future behaviour and find a new cleaner if I felt taken advantage of in the future

Lazypuppy · 05/05/2022 20:59

Why would you not take the half priceclean?

NoSquirrels · 05/05/2022 20:59

GlowUp2022 · 05/05/2022 20:57

@LadyWhistldown accidentally double booked and (probably correctly) assumed I was the person less likely to me cross about it

Will they double-book again - was it a regular booking?

FusionChefGeoff · 05/05/2022 21:00

Maybe they feel really bad and the way to make them feel better / remove the guilt is to accept?! If you turn them down they might feel forever awful for letting you down and not being allowed to make up for it....

Comedycook · 05/05/2022 21:00

Maybe take it but when you pay, add a generous tip

PrincessRamone · 05/05/2022 21:00

From a larger cleaning company, yes. From an individual, definitely not.

Original poster
GlowUp2022 · 05/05/2022 21:01

@NoSquirrels they’re kind of flaky to be honest, but competitively priced for where we live and really nice. Got me a card when I had a baby in December. To be honest I don’t want to pay them less than a fair rate to work.

We’re not rolling in money, but weekly cleans are something it feels worth stretching to because I struggle to keep on top of it all with a toddler and baby. I can certainly think of better ways we could save the cost of half of a clean.

OP posts:
Original poster
GlowUp2022 · 05/05/2022 21:04

NoSquirrels · 05/05/2022 20:59

Will they double-book again - was it a regular booking?

Show quote history

I don’t know, probably. Honestly they’re pretty flaky but usually it’s just wanting to move to a different day a couple of days later which I normally only find slightly inconvenient.

They’re nice, competitively priced and do a decent job but I think they’ve definitely mentally put me in the category of someone it’s easier to mess around than some of their other clients, if that makes sense.

OP posts:
Original poster
GlowUp2022 · 05/05/2022 21:04

Rainbowqueeen · 05/05/2022 20:58

I’m a little torn. On one hand I think if you pay the normal rate they will be extremely grateful and prioritise you as a client forever. But then it could go the other way and they think you’re a mug and treat you badly forever.
The fact that they offered it suggests they are a good person who values their professional reputation.

I’d probably pay the full rate but keep an eye on future behaviour and find a new cleaner if I felt taken advantage of in the future

I wouldn’t describe it as taking advantage as such, but I think they see me as more flexible as some of the other people they work for.

OP posts:
Springhassprung86 · 05/05/2022 21:06

Given the update I would accept it, or at least not be so nice about being messed around in future.

Original poster
GlowUp2022 · 05/05/2022 21:06

PrincessRamone · 05/05/2022 21:00

From a larger cleaning company, yes. From an individual, definitely not.

Oh yeah if it was some big company employing people on a set hourly rate I wouldn’t think twice

OP posts:
NoSquirrels · 05/05/2022 23:15

they’ve definitely mentally put me in the category of someone it’s easier to mess around than some of their other clients

Then I’d sway to taking the money off!

Honestly, I think I’d say something like “Look, you’re great and we like you but it is difficult to be messed around with times and I appreciate you’ve offered money off to reflect that. I’ll say no on this occasion but if you need me to be flexible in future maybe we should discuss a reduced rate as part of that agreement?”

Kite22 · 05/05/2022 23:22

I would pay the full whack.
You've said she is competitively priced, and does a good job. I'd been willing to take the odd poor organisation hit for that combination.
Cleaners don't generally earn much anyway - it would seem wrong to pay half of what they do.
Either pay the full rate, or say - "no, that's not convenient, we'll have to leave it this week and I'll see you at the usual time the week after."
That way, you aren't paying her a really poor rate, but you are clear the time you have arranged is the time that works for you.

WomanStanleyWoman2 · 05/05/2022 23:26

Of course you can take it. Why wouldn’t you take it?

knowinglesseveryday · 05/05/2022 23:30

No

declutteringmymind · 05/05/2022 23:44

My initial thought was no way but I'd accept a voucher for a free hours clean, like I would accept a voucher from anywhere else if they'd messed up. Maybe because it's such a personal service, and it's not a big company that can afford it, plus it's likely to take her under the minimum wage which is basically modern slavery. So it's still a no, don't accept it from me but can't think how she can redeem herself. I'd just put her on a final warning.

Meadmaiden · 06/05/2022 00:09

For a half price clean, would you be paying under minimum wage? Or under living wage?

I don't think you could reasonably accept this offer, given it would deprive a low paid individual of income

WomanStanleyWoman2 · 06/05/2022 00:17

Meadmaiden · 06/05/2022 00:09

For a half price clean, would you be paying under minimum wage? Or under living wage?

I don't think you could reasonably accept this offer, given it would deprive a low paid individual of income

Hang on though - normally if anyone on MN talks about ‘employing’ a cleaner, they get told that unless they are paying National Insurance and have provided the cleaner with a contract, they are absolutely not an employer and that the cleaner is self-employed. If a cleaner is self-employed, minimum wage doesn’t come into it - they don’t have a wage at all.

SammyScrounge · 06/05/2022 01:24

Cleaners are low paid and work very hard for what they get. I agree with the OP - she can't really accept her offer. The cleaner made a mistake, that's all. The OP's instinct is to be generous and I think that:s right.

Bunty55 · 06/05/2022 02:02

To offer to clean for half price is a generous thing, and shows she wants to make amends for letting you down but you couldn't possibly let her do this !