To cancel clean and expect not to pay?

[Purplepricklesonherback]

DS has come down with vomiting bug. Our cleaner is due tomorrow. I have messaged her ti cancel as would hate her to pick it up.

she has replied saying her policy is cancellations with less than 24 hrs notice is full payment for the clean (£60).

I understand this - I really do - but in last six weeks she has cancelled the clean on the day of twice. Once due to car trouble and once because her partner was ill of something. Both times I said no problem as understand things do come up.

I haven’t ever signed a contract. She’s been cleaning for us for about four months.

I will pay - not worth upsetting apple cart and I do get things are tough at the moment - but AIBU to feel a bit miffed? Can’t work it out!

Cleaner here.. I never charge for cancellations.. Tbh she is a cf given her track record...

I’d just tell her to come and keep out of your son’s room or stay away and not be paid .

I'd tel her to come. I wouldn't lose £60 because your worried about her getting sick. If she is worried she can cancel on you.

YABU. Yes, it's most unfortunate that she has cancelled twice on the day. Inconvenient and annoying, but you weren't out of pocket financially. If you want to get rid, do so on the premise that she's unreliable.
However you honestly can't expect not to pay her when you cancel with a day's notice! A good compromise would be to have her over in a few days when your son is over his bug. That way you get your cleaning done, and she gets paid. Or you could have given her the choice to come this time/not have her clean his bedroom.
But YABU because what you're talking about here is two separate issues.

YABvvvU.

If she cancels, she doesn't get paid.
You cancel at short notice, she should be paid.

That's how it works at my hairdresser and my other appointments.

I wouldn't pay. I would say that you didn't realise there is a cancellation policy as she has cancelled with short notice herself. I would say come by all means tomorrow then bit I was trying to prevent you from being ill.

I would them cancel for next week and not have her back

I think this^ is very good non confrontational advice. If she doesn’t worry about catching the bug why should you?

If this happens with my cleaner, she comes fortnightly, and it has, she fits me in another day but still comes for the week she was due - so house is cleaned once a week and she doesn’t lose her income

I think you should have given her the option to come, even if it was fewer hours/rooms, and you kept ds out of the way. Or reschedule. As you just cancelled you need to pay unfortunately, although she should have t and c agreed up frost,

A lot of my customers have health issues and have appointments. It would be unfair to charge for cancelled visits. I never cancel.

There is a contract. It may be verbal but it exists.

I cancelled the day before and gave my cleaner half the usual cost. She didn’t want it but I made her take it. We don’t have a contact and I am flexible if she needs to cancel.

If you have no contract she can't charge you, and it should be through an agency, not cash in hand she is probably not declaring it. £60 is what 4 hours cleaning? Offer her to come another day.

The verbal contract doesn't cover anything about cancelling within 24 hours or when payment would be made. If the cleaner wants to enforce such rules she needs a physical contract which the OP would read and sign otherwise she could make up all kinds of nonsense rules and terms.

Yes, but you also sound like a decent person!

I’d tell her to come and just focus on upstairs then you can keep kids downstairs.

Thanks everyone. DS2 started with illness now so just keeping my head above water. Will just bloody pay but right now need to focus on kids. Wish me luck!!

The idea of putting the child in their room and have her clean is a good one!

If she's going to charge you anyway let her come and do whatever she can, if she catches anything really her fault for refusing to allow you to cancel. There must be some things she can do if you would be paying anyway.

Tell her you are not cancelling, you are rescheduling for when he is better and it is safe for her to come. It's not loss of income, it's a delay due to illness. If she gets fussy say these things have to work both ways - if she cancels on the day for valid reasons, as she has, twice, then she must allow you to.

I worked as a domestic cleaner for a decade and never received payment if I didn't work, regardless of the reason. I suggest she works as usual or ask her to work extra hours some other time to make up her wages.

YANBU OP you’ve been flexible with her so she could have let this one slide. If she was reliable then I’d have more sympathy for her position. I’d also ask her to come in that case. If she would rather not then she can cancel.

This
Op, you should pay up.You have cancelled the cleaning with less than twenty four hours notice. She may will be out of pocket this week.
You have said that she is good at her job, so don’t upset the apple cart.
Personally , I think that a clean house would make you feel a lot better

If I cancel the cleaner at the last minute I expect to pay. It hadn’t occurred to me that anybody could think it’s acceptable not to.

I'd say for her to still come then. She probably won't want to and cancel herself!