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.

All the “it’s the dog’s fault/OP’s fault” posts are ridiculous. The OP is the customer, she gets to cancel a service she pays for whenever she does not require/want that service. Husband and I used to run an on-site tech service (I did scheduling, mgmt., etc. and he fixed the equipment) and there is no way I would have a. ignored a cancellation & subsequent contact attempts, and b. then had husband show up anyway. OP, you are NOT in the wrong whatsoever.

This empty room... could I leave my dog in it for a couple of hours?

And also - she originally agreed to use his service because he understands about the dog...

Only if you agree to clean the windows and piss in the garden like the rest if the family

Deal!

Wife of a window cleaner here and you are 100% NBU

No he doesn’t, the mobile access is supposed to be for him to call out or for me to get ahold of him. In our case we have an advertised landline for our business clients…

however that isn’t my point. My point being is that texts are not a reliable way of ensuring someone is going to get an urgent message in a timely manner. It certainly will be delivered but not always at the acceptable time such as this example…

If he's sending you a bill for the windows, send him the bill for cleaning up after your poor dog.

"After all, let's not forget whose working for who here."

I'd rather not forget who's working for whom" tbh!!

You're taking my dosh, you're doing as you're told!!

I'd just tell you'll be deducting the cost to professionally clean your carpets because he ignored your multiple texts, he knew about your dog's issues, and came anyways. And it works out that he owes you money!

Such an ignorant comment PacificallyRequested. It’s pretty damn common for dogs to go nuts/freak out at window cleaners. They don’t understand why someone is seeming to ‘attack’ the house, what do you expect them to do, wave??

How is "please don't clean my windows - I'll still pay you" a ridiculous expectation?

I also got rid of my window cleaner because he upset the dog (He kicked her and I witnessed it, She was a 19 year old west highland terrier - almost completely blind and deaf, who climbed out of the dog flap and "yow yow" - ed at him. She could hardly walk and was no threat - the bast*rd!)

Anxious dogs are hard work and we do all we can to keep them feeling secure.

And yet he picked up "I'm not paying" within a short enough time . . . .

Small heads up.

This particular poster would argue that the black is white if it meant going against the grain.
I wouldn't rise to it.

I agree it shouldn’t have been necessary but it is what I would have done in that particular instance.

🤣🤣🤣🤣

What a bloody scumbag 😡 what is wrong with people??

My dog normally just wags his tail 🤷🏼‍♀️

It’s not as if your were in some sort of contractual arrangement. He would text you the night before to alert you that he would be coming, thereby giving you the opportunity to decline a service. You did decline the service, but generously still offered to pay for it. This may have confused him, so he thought that he had better clean them anyway, maybe he has a misguided understanding although you did make it clear about your dog and had had previously discussed your dog with him. In my view, he deliberately went against your wishes even though it was a brainless thing to do since he would have been paid for not doing your windows. I would offer to pay him after he had paid for the carpet to be cleaned, necessary because he didn’t follow your instructions. Then look for another window cleaner.

I was unaware that people have window cleaners every month! I was my windows once a year. Everytime I log on I learn what a disgusting pig I am! But anywya, have you thought about taking your dog to a doggy daycare every day just in case a wc shows up? Or maybe aking for the wc address so you could personally confirm his attendance? Maybe invite him and his wife for dinner as a thank you the weeks he comes over?

Defo! Especially if you pay normal window cleaning rates. 😁

.. or doesn't!

Wow... asking someone NOT to provide a service is about the minimum level of flexibility a business could possibly offer.

Asking them not to do the job AND paying them anyway... I really can't see how anyone can have any issue with that...

I know many people who have their WC let them know in advance and will skip a clean if necessary, because the dog can't cope with random strange man appearing at windows where people don't normally appear. Its a very common thing for dogs to not tolerate well.

I have had this arrangement with window cleaners for going on 15 years and have only ever once had an issue -where a new window cleaner found out EXACTLY why I told him not to come through the back gate if we were out (just do the front, we'll pay for the full lot anyway). He climbed over the locked gate... using our out-shed roof to shove his ladders onto and then pull them off once he was over...

He then spent by his reckoning, an hour, stuck up a ladder with two of our dogs very very keen for him to come down and play... I think it was more like ten minutes but I wasn't the one up a ladder too terrified to come down again.

He did admit it was entirely his own fault, no one actually got hurt nor would they have but he was scared of big dogs!

For years after and for every other window cleaner we've had, its been no bother at all to follow simple instructions.

OP - if he comes back with further demands send him the bill for carpet cleaning.

Thank god for that, I thought I was the only one! If I didn't have DH to do them ours would be done less often than that and we live in a ground floor flat!

I'm now hoping that my upstairs neighbour doesn't get a window cleaner as we'd need to give access to our back garden as we have a locked gate as we have cat proofing. This could get complicated...

This thread is crazy 😂