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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To cancel my cleaner

64 replies

ImJustMadAboutSaffron · 03/02/2023 12:09

I've been thinking about this for a while - it costs me almost £100 a month and I can do a better job myself. I had a different cleaner to begin with but she is now an area manager. I received this in my inbox today

RE: Rise in the Living Wage.
As you will probably be aware the National Living Wage is due to rise on the 1st April. It has always been our priority to reward our hardworking staff with a rise at this time of year to keep them in line with the National Living Wage.
Last year we only increased our prices by the wage increase despite the prospect of all other prices rising. The consumer price index has increased by 9.2% in the last 12 months, For us fuel has increased by 20% so with these increases in mind I have no choice but to increase our prices up too 11% from the 1st April.
If you pay by Direct Debit or you are a business that pays on invoice then this increase will be reflected in charges from your March invoice.
If you pay by standing order please find attached a S.A.E for the return of the enclosed form detailing your new monthly payment.
I would like to take the opportunity to wish you and your families well in this challenging period and to thank you for your loyal custom.

I'm not the employer of the cleaners, the agency is.

OP posts:
toastfiend · 03/02/2023 12:16

If you don't want to pay the prices, have the time to do it yourself, and feel like you could do a better job yourself then cancel. Without wishing to be snarky, I'm not sure why that would be unreasonable, if you're not getting the service you want, are happy to do it yourself, and you feel it's overpriced then seems like a no-brainer to me.

I used to have a cleaner, then we moved out of the area the agency covered. I was going to look for another but I haven't bothered in the end. We were paying £170 a month in our old house and were quoted quite a bit more for the new one when I approached agencies. I've found DH and I can do a better job and keep on top of it more easily just doing it ourselves anyway, so I'd rather keep the money in my pocket.

Or look for a different agency or independent cleaner who charge less if you feel you're paying a premium?

GreaterStickle · 03/02/2023 12:17

YANBU. Of course cancel.

MelchiorsMistress · 03/02/2023 12:18

If you can do a better job yourself and you feel inclined to do your own cleaning, you’d be crazy to keep paying that much. I wouldn’t expect cleaners to earn as much as the living wage, especially when there are so many semi skilled jobs that only pay minimum wage or just over.

Ihatethenewlook · 03/02/2023 12:18

If you want to cancel, cancel. You don’t need permission 🤷🏼‍♀️

Bonjovispjs · 03/02/2023 12:18

Definitely do it yourself if you have the time and energy.

SmileWithADimple · 03/02/2023 12:20

Of course YANBU. Having a cleaner is a personal choice.

Starlightstarbright1 · 03/02/2023 12:23

I wonder why you are asking Mn...price of everything is going up so no surprise in message.

If you don't want to pay then don't 🤷

HerculesMulligan · 03/02/2023 12:26

MelchiorsMistress · 03/02/2023 12:18

If you can do a better job yourself and you feel inclined to do your own cleaning, you’d be crazy to keep paying that much. I wouldn’t expect cleaners to earn as much as the living wage, especially when there are so many semi skilled jobs that only pay minimum wage or just over.

God, this is so meanspirited and depressing. I'd like everyone to earn at least the living wage. I certainly couldn't begrudge it to someone working in my home. A decent cleaner is pretty skilled, I'd say.

OP, if you can't afford it or don't want to pay for it, cancel. I'm not sure why you need more input than that.

Tiani4 · 03/02/2023 12:27

Yanbu to cancel

You're unhappy with the quality of service (standard of cleaning)

You are unhappy with increase in hourly fees

You also feel you can do the cleaning better yourself - but whether you employ another cleaning agency or not , you still have right to cancel this cleaner service if it's no longer working for you.

The agency isn't unreasonable for putting up fees as cost of fuel has risen and COL has risen so they have likely put up their cleaning staffs wages

It doesn't say what the hourly rate is going up from and to, which is annoying as that's an awfully vague letter. I wouldn't want to have to get out my calculator to work out what 11% pay increase is. They should be advising you that. (But your £100 bill pm will go up to £111 pm)

Very few essential workers have got pay rises of 11% .. since last Apr 2022.

butterfliedtwo · 03/02/2023 12:28

I would keep if I could afford and valued the time I didn't spend cleaning. But of course YANBU if you don't think they're doing a good job.

WhatsitWiggle · 03/02/2023 12:32

The agency is not unreasonable to increase their prices so that they can pay their staff more.

If you don't want to pay it, whatever the reasons behind it, then don't. Having a cleaner isn't an essential service.

StarsSand · 03/02/2023 12:37

The agency is entitled to raise their prices and I think they've explained well how they arrived at that decision.

If you don't want a cleaner anymore then cancel the service.

Some people consult the internet about the strangest decisions...

SheWoreYellow · 03/02/2023 12:40

If you have the time and inclination to do it yourself, then yes, cancel them. I don’t think £9.50 an hour is a lot to earn though, so I wouldn’t begrudge them that. What do you pay the agency, out of interest?

Hoppinggreen · 03/02/2023 12:46

It’s up to you.
Do it yourself, find someone else or agree to the increase.
As for paying cleaners the living wage I pay mine £15ph with no agency involved

Movinghouseatlast · 03/02/2023 12:48

If you would prefer to do it yourself then of course cancel. Do you think they shouldn't put their prices up perhaps?

Cleaners are £20 an hour where I am and you can't actually get one.

unsureatthispoint · 03/02/2023 12:50

Do you know how exactly how much the cleaners get paid and what portion of the increase will actually end up in the cleaners' pockets?

Sazzling · 03/02/2023 12:53

Maybe contract with one directly? The middlemen will have their expenses and profit which can easily make the deal a bad one for both the cleaner and the client.

I know that would involve having to talk to a "working class person", which is probably a scary prospect for some, but it will get easier over time! ;)

Tangerinie · 03/02/2023 12:55

I'd definitely like cleaners to be paid a living wage. It isn't an easy job (or else everyone would just do their own cleaning I imagine) and it's a pretty essential service in public places like hospitals and offices.

But yanbu to cancel if you aren't getting value for money. It isn't down to you to provide custom to the agency.

maddening · 03/02/2023 12:56

Yanbu to cancel

Yanbu to ask the agency to address the poor work done by their employee. You can't charge top rates and expect customers to put up with low quality work.

Goldpaw · 03/02/2023 12:56

Cleaners also £15 ph plus here, and good ones are few and far between.

Goldpaw · 03/02/2023 12:58

maddening · 03/02/2023 12:56

Yanbu to cancel

Yanbu to ask the agency to address the poor work done by their employee. You can't charge top rates and expect customers to put up with low quality work.

But the cleaners themselves are getting NLW, so what's their incentive to do a better job. Far better to pay an independent cleaner the whole lot.

thirtysixpercent · 03/02/2023 13:06

If it's the agency putting the prices up, I'd be interested to know what they're actually paying their cleaners. I have a cleaner but she's a small, independent service and I pay £18 an hour. Obviously she's got to pay tax/costs etc but I'd rather pay a person directly than go through an agency.

blueskylie · 03/02/2023 13:11

Anyone who is actually working should earn at least the living wage rate, surely. Saying cleaners don't deserve a wage they can live on is a bit shit,

maddening · 03/02/2023 13:12

Goldpaw · 03/02/2023 12:58

But the cleaners themselves are getting NLW, so what's their incentive to do a better job. Far better to pay an independent cleaner the whole lot.

Show quote history

That's what I do personally but I am responding to the ops actual circumstance, what the cleaner is actually paid by his or her employer is nothing to do with the op.

If the cleaner does not wish to work for an employer and therefore lose the benefit of paye etc holiday and sick pay etc then they can go self employed so that surely is swings and roundabouts.

If the cleaner chooses to work for an agency then they either clean to appropriate standard or are not employed, that is their incentive and not the ops problem, this is why the op employs an agency I assume - to handle issues with performance, provide cover when clear is.on holiday or sick etc.

Sugarplumfairy65 · 03/02/2023 13:22

MelchiorsMistress · 03/02/2023 12:18

If you can do a better job yourself and you feel inclined to do your own cleaning, you’d be crazy to keep paying that much. I wouldn’t expect cleaners to earn as much as the living wage, especially when there are so many semi skilled jobs that only pay minimum wage or just over.

Everyone should be able to earn a living wage no matter what job they do.