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.

I was thinking this too!

OP, are you sure he’s actually human? Maybe he malfunctioned.

I always love reading the utterly batshit responses to a fairly straightforward OP on Mumsnet. We must find a way to make it the OP’s fault no matter how tenuous.

@SalmonKnicks I've read it and it makes no sense. He texts her when he's coming. She texts back asking him not to come. She's not expecting some extreme level of customer service. She's doing him a massive favour, if anything.

What if you were getting work done. It doesn’t matter the reason for cancelling- windows cleaner was asked not to clean - the end. If you run a business it’s the risk you take.

OP offered to pay him not to clean them!

OMG you make it sound complicated! How much easier for him would it have been to get paid for NOT doing the work?!

Right. So I have to have my windows cleaned every month regardless of anything happening in my life, do I?

If my dad's funeral is scheduled on the same day that the WC plans to show up (with 12 hours notice), is that just tough tits?
Just carry on the wake as usual, ignoring the WC and trying not to get deionised water on our heads as we walk from the hearse to the house.

I'm the customer. I get that its tough running a small business but I'm a customer.

And, in the long-run, it's a pretty bad business decision because I've cancelled him totally now so he's lost a loyal and reliable customer completely.

@SalmonKnicks if your boss texts you tomorrow morning and says "we don't need you today but, don't worry, you'll still be paid" would you go to work?

I sure as shit wouldn't!

You asked to cancel and offered full payment, but then never paid him. I wonder whether he thought you'd just never pay and was trying to make sure he would get his money.

If that's his logic, he must end up doing a fair few unpaid jobs! I can't imagine many would pay up in the OP's shoes. Fair enough response for him to take the OP off his future rounds if he feels she is messing him around. Surely he must encounter customers who need to miss a weeks for various reasons, work being done on the house etc? Seems daft to be that inflexible, especially if the OP has a track record of paying him promptly.

You said for him not to come and you would still pay him. You texted him more than once and you also called him. Can not see what more you could have done in this case. You had to go out and couldn’t get anyone to sit with your dog.

It’s strange that he still came when you said you would pay him but he is in the wrong not you.

You don’t have to pay as you have messages as proof you cancelled beforehand if he does decide to take it further.

I would hold my ground on this one.

This is one of the most ridiculous things I've ever read.

You don't 'need' a window cleaner; you just can't be arsed to do them yourself.

You can't event be arsed to call him rather than text. You sound like a nightmare client and he's better off without you.

This is one of the most ridiculous things I've ever read.

She called him and he didn't answer! She also text him numerous times before and after the call. There's nothing else she could have done aside from board up her windows.

But you haven’t read it. Or you’d have seen OP explicitly state that she did in fact ring him.

clearly you can’t be bothered to read the posts as the op did try to call him in the morning!

I think Crumpetdisappointment has changed her usename 🤣

She called and left a message.

Bloody hell people can't read anymore, she clearly says in the OP she called but he didn't answer!

Genuinely hilarious response.

Too fucking right I CBA to clean my own windows. Fuck that for a game. I'd much rather pay someone to do it. I've never denied this.

If you read the thread then you'll see that I did call him.

I'm a good client - had him for three years. Always pay on the same day that he does me. Never cancelled before.

He could have been driving when you called or had the phone on silent so wasn't even aware anyone had called. I don't always look at my phone.

Its unfortunate he didn't see the text or missed call. Pay him for his work he has done. And then decide if you want him to continue or the hassle of finding another window cleaner (very much in short supply here).

Out of curiosity does it take a genius to read the ops posts?

LOL

Are you actually serious?

So, at a wake I'm to keep an eye out for my WC's giant blue van pulling up outside my house? Then I'm to excuse myself from my grieving relatives, walk up the garden path in all my funeral finery and politely ask the WC to please leave?

Rather than, like you know, text the night before and tell him not to come.

Mental

How would you suggest grabbing the wc? Travel round rhe area to hunt him down? Or wait til the actual day & go out in the middle of a wake to talk to him? How bloody ridiculous. Do you live in the real world??