Bizarre experience with cleaner

[Purplelemon7]

I just had a replacement cleaner from
the agency because my regular cleaner is on holiday. The replacement cleaner asked for gloves which I gave her and she complained that they are dirty. I told her they are just fading slightly not dirty. She said she needs other ones. I told her I’m sorry I don’t have others but she is free to use or not use them. A few minutes later she started shouting on her phone and crying. I went into the kitchen and asked her to keep her voice down because I’m working. She came in to the lounge and started screaming at me for not providing kitchen towel and then started packing her things up and stormed off. I’m a bit shaken by the whole thing. My husband thinks she has mental health issues and we shouldn’t complain in case she loses her job. I’m not sure?

The OP and the agency should have clear ground rules about what she is expected to provide and the agency and the cleaners should have clear ground rules about their employees working conditions.

I haven't the faintest idea if the cleaners who come to my house wear gloves as it's simply not my responsibility to provide any equipment.

Exactly! I only had these gloves because I once had a manicure that I needed to keep fresh. Wore them for 2-3 days and then washed them and put them away. Never used gloves otherwise and nor have my cleaners ever asked for them.

They were clean gloves, what do you think was going to happen?

She sounds mad, but I’m confused about the gloves. Were they fabric ones? Because you wouldn’t wash rubber gloves.

My last cleaner used to bring her own disposable gloves that she wore to clean the toilets. Never used the new rubber gloves that left for her.

We really only have one side of the story here.

Compensation?!?!? For what exactly?!?! 🤣

This truly is strange. You have been compensated for what?

I'd write an email with word for word what was said and set it out like a script
They are probably aware that she has issues and have probably had complaints in the past

Maybe by "compensation" OP means a credit for the clean not done?
It would be a pretty usual thing to do in these circumstances, and it's not as if she said she was taking them for millions

Compensation?!?!? For what exactly?!?! 🤣

@SlatsandFlaps what's funny about that? Cleaning businesses, just like many others, are heavily reliant on positive reviews/word of mouth.

If OP has been a happy customer for the past 3 years and suddenly has a terrible experience which causes her to go with a different company, or leave a public bad review, then their business will suffer.

It's therefore logical from their perspective to offer a token amount in compensation as a gesture of goodwill for the bad service OP received today.

@SlatsandFlaps

for the inconvenience.

op has sourced a cleaner presumably to make life easier for herself. This is not it.

it’s totally unacceptable and unprofessional

The compensation will be because the OP booked and paid for a cleaner to come and the cleaning was not done.

The cleaner was unprofessional. If she has specific glove requirements - ie. doesn't want to use ones which someone else has worn, then she should bring her own. The OP obviously has to provide the cleaning supplies as part of the agreement with the agency. Gloves were provided. The cleaner did not want to use them.

If it was the gloves which triggered the entire situation then the cleaner needs to think about how she can deal with that in future. She can't go to people's houses behaving like that. And then claiming the client spoke to her in a derogatory manner.
If it was the kitchen towel then she also needs to think about that - not everyone wants to provide kitchen towel to clean for cost and environmental reasons. If kitchen towel is a deal breaker then she should have her own "emergency" supplies in case a house she visits doesn't have it.

I cleaned for quite a while for a business and we were expected to clean with the supplies they provided.

"It's all on the counter in front of you" is passive aggressive and rude. Even with the glove thing you could have just as easily said "sorry those are the only ones we have". I get she was annoying but you also did not deal with the situation brilliantly. It sounds like you were a little patronising and demeaning.

That said she over reacted and yes - probably has things she is struggling with.

She was paid to do a job and didn't do it. Get a replacement or a refund and change cleaning companies if that's an option.

Really is that all you have to worry about!!

As you're paying over the odds for an agency, they should provide all materials and PPE! I do a few hours with a cleaning company and they provide everything, the hours I do off my own back I use my clients stuff as I'm £3 an hour cheaper than the going rate locally. Definitely complain and ask for a clean you have already paid for

She has mental health issues and yet has access to people’s homes? All the more reason why should not be doing that job. I would have complained the moment she left the house.

Missing the point completely, but £10 per clean for them to bring their own materials??

Thats an insane charge! Any cleaner that was able to genuinely use £10 worth of cleaning products within the space of 2-3 hours could probably win themselves an Olympic medal instead.

Wow...sad. she sounds like a loony.

I would explain to the cleaning company that you were surprised by the woman’s attitude and bullet point what she asked and said to you.
Then say ‘I have used your company’s services for 3 years and I have never had any issue with my usual cleaner nor any replacement.
Please could you ensure this lady is not sent to my address again and refund me?

Presumably your normal cleaner has never complained about how you treat her. You need to reply stating exactly what happened and point out how nobody has complained about you previously.

My response would be ‘I’ve had the cleaner you usually send for xxxxxlength of time with no problems. This woman was rude to me about the gloves I provided then came into my office workspace and began screaming about no kitchen roll’. If you are unable to find a stable replacement for my regular cleaner, I am happy to engage another agency. I did not put in a formal complaint about Ms xxx because I assumed she had mental health issues. Please ensure if you wish to retain my business, to provide pleasant individuals not given to screaming. See what happens….

No you're not the only one thinking that there is more to this and that possibly the OP was rude and condescending towards the cleaner. There is a bit of a clue in the statements:

I told her I’m sorry I don’t have others but she is free to use or not use them

Sounds a bit like OP made it clear that it was take it or leave it - which could easily be construed as being rude instead of just a fact. She could have stopped at 'I’m sorry I don’t have any others'. Again, tone of voice could make a huge difference to how the OP was coming across

I went into the kitchen and asked her to keep her voice down because I’m working.

I wonder how it was worded? And what tone of voice was used?

And in a later post:

In fact the attitude seemed to start when she asked where the detergent is and I said “It’s all on the counter in front of you”

That is plain unhelpful, unkind and rude - again the tone of voice could be an important factor

So yes - We can't be sure either way, but given the statements OP makes as to what she said I would strongly suspect that she had a rude and condescending attitude to the the cleaner from the get go which the cleaner decided was unacceptable. The cleaner may have had other things going on in the background which meant that her tolerance for customers being rude and belittling her was low

But there is more to this than we are being told IMO

Umm fair enough it was just an idea...
No idea to be frank. It sounds like you did talk to her like she was an 'employee' lack of please and thank you and would you mind terribly if sort of language, although that may be just how you've written it here. But not an 'equal' is not the same as rude and certainly not the same as derogatory, as well she was working for you - so that is certainly not unreasonable in my opinion.

I agree with Silvers11, OP’s response sounds quite condescending and rude. I’m just reading between the lines, but my feeling is your wording/tone were most likely not kind. As a foreigner ( is your cleaner originally from UK?) I’m definitely detecting unfriendly vibes from your, so was possibly the cleaner….

Why would you think it's ok for her to use second hand gloves 🤢 I do think she overreacted and is a little cra, cra but get the cleaner some new gloves