Who's unreasonable - me or window cleaner?

[HugATwat]

My dog is petrified of the window cleaner.

The reason I started using my current window cleaner is because he always texts so I know in advance when he's coming.

On Friday evening, WC text to say he was coming on Saturday morning. But I was going to be out Saturday morning so I texted him back and said to leave it for this month because the dog would be home alone and wouldn't cope. I said I'd still be happy to pay but please don't clean the windows.

No reply.

I texted again first thing on Saturday morning. No reply.

I called him on Saturday morning. He didn't answer. I left a message. No reply.

I texted him again before we went out saying please don't clean my windows today.

I went out because I couldn't avoid it. I'd asked a couple of friends if they could sit with the dog but they couldn't, far too short notice. When I came back, the windows had been cleaned. The dog was in a right state and had pissed and shit all over the floor.

So I spent an hour or so calming the dog down. Then another couple of hours cleaning everything up. And the living room carpet will need a professional because the piddle has stained quite badly.

I texted the WC to tell him I wouldn't be paying because I'd specifically asked him not to clean the windows.
This time, he texted back. Quelle fucking surprise.

I'm holding firm and not paying. Needless to say I've told him to take me off his books for the future.

It's a weird situation because I was actually willing to pay him for NOT doing the work. But I'm not willing to pay for work that he's done that I specifically asked him not to do.

Am I being unreasonable here? I'm still so pissed off.

No, however, the point of that post still stands, if a business like Window Cleaner cannot come and just clean-get paid. Then it's quite likely they'll be saying sayonara.
Customers who a pita are charged more that is a business fact.
No one cares about your dog.
His reply is unprofessional, however, you were noted as a nuisance customer.
They'll be sat in their van saying thank goodness we've got rid of HugATwat.
Entitled.

But this doesn’t make any sense. If he wanted to get rid of her he could have responded to her text by saying, ‘Sorry, I’m not able to accommodate cancellations. I won’t be able to clean your windows anymore.’ Instead, he cleaned her windows anyway, upset the dog and lost a customer who has always paid him reliably in the past.

The dog (who sounds lovely) is immaterial in all this. The OP chose to cancel a service. People cancel services all the time for all sorts of reasons. It isn’t ‘entitled’ to do so, particularly if you are still offering to make payment for a service you aren’t receiving.

Upset the dog, and lost a customer.😂
Total loss of business over 12 months less than 0.0000001%
I'm sure the WC will be having counseling as we speak and ringing Alan Sugar for advice.

Why on earth would OP be a nuisance customer for cancelling once? That's ridiculous.

When I get the text from my window cleaner telling me which day he's planning to come part of that text gives me a number to text if I need to cancel.

There is absolutely no indication that if you have to cancel you would be deemed a 'nuisance customer' and he would withdraw his window cleaning services.

Clearly some of the people posting on this thread have never had the need to cancel anything ever in their lives. Very strange.

Or he could have remembered that he knew all along about the dog and the basis he was hired on, you absolute melt.

Everything you've posted in this thread is complete and utter nonsensical drivel. At least you're giving everyone a good laugh, I'll give you that.

OP is his client. She made a reasonable request. She was even going to pay him so he doesn't lose out.
When you run a business, you work around your clients and their needs.

Maybe just maybe he didn't want to do it.
Now he isn't.
Go make a cake or something useful, you quite clearly feel as a customer you're entitled to an extra level of service for 2p.

@Mumsnet Can this thread please go to Classics? It's glorious.

My favourite part is about the window cleaner sacking the client because they are toxic for wanting him to omit their house this one time and still pay him for it.

PS clearly there is a precedent for dogs cleaning windows.

🙄

@Hurrahhurrah
Maybe just maybe he didn't want to do it.
Now he isn't.
Go make a cake or something useful, you quite clearly feel as a customer you're entitled to an extra level of service for 2p.

How is "Please don't clean my windows tomorrow, I'll still pay you" an extra level of service for 2p 😂

Sounds like a daft hill to die on. I'd pay and leave it at that but I guess letting it become a debt to be passed on to debt collectors works too. With their fees added on.

If he took it to court he would end up even more out of pocket.

Asking a service provider to provide the service required and compensating the provider financially for said service, is completely reasonable.

It's you @Hurrahhurrah who is batshit.

The dog is irrelevant here. The OP could have had an orgy arranged, so "what the window cleaner saw" might really have made his pole curl.

I read the OP, thought nah YANBU at all but I am interested to see how the ‘OP must be wrong’ brigade will spin this, and they did not disappoint.

Signed a lazy twat married to a lazy twat neither of who want to clean our own windows.

I can only speak for the the building trade but many will do it as a matter of principle fully expecting to lose money. They just care about "winning" and making sure that the other party loses even more.

Some trades can be pretty tight knit too so might struggle finding another. I'd just pay.

@countrygirl99

DH likes Suzi - so do I. I might save that for my next DCat!!

Or he could have cut to the chase and texted, "fuck off, I don't want your bloody business anyway...

@JackadooJackadee DH works in a minority but fairlly low income trade where they all know each other. They love getting work off someone who is a dick to customers.

I was going to suggest what your friend said i.e. put a sign actually on the window saying DO NOT CLEAN that he'd literally have to remove in order to clean the window - however that would be because I'd assume if he wasn't answering any texts or calls he might have lost or broken his phone.

But given that he managed to text you the day before coming and reply afterwards that's clearly not the issue so he doesn't have a leg to stand on.

Say you're spending the money you would have paid him with on getting your carpet cleaned!

If he runs his own business involving customers he will have his phone on him the vast majority of the time. He got the messages but chose to ignore them, more fool him.

My window cleaner charges £26. I don't think it would be very cost effective for him to go after me for that. He just wouldn't come again. In any event the OP is out of pocket because of needing to sort out the mess caused by the dog, So arguably the OP is owed more than the window cleaner is. Best for the window cleaner to call it quits I think.

What I don't understand is if you offered to pay him anyway, why would he still clean them this makes no sense to me at all. Surley, he would just take the money and not do the work he wouldnt clean them anyway

Update on the window opening inwards, catchy things on the side situation.

Yes, I have a catchy thing which lets me open the open-y bit of the window wide but it won't let me flip it around. So cleaning my own windows is totally out of the question. Not that I'd entertain the idea of doing it anyway 😅