To wish my cleaner would stop with the reminders?

[JMSA]

I have a cleaner who cleans my flat on a fortnightly basis. Usually I'm at work when she comes, but we've always got on really well on the occasions I've caught her. I'm really considerate and always have my place tidy and ready for her to clean. I'm always flexible and genuinely really appreciate her.
One thing I've genuinely never let her down with is payment. The money will always be transferred on the evening of the day she has come. I've never let her down on this, not once.
Today I bumped into her as she was leaving my place and I was getting home from work. Two hours later, when I was in the middle of making the kids' dinner, there was a message from her asking me to pay. I don't think there's any need for this, when I'm trustworthy and reliable every single time.
I don't set up a standing order because I'd rather just pay on the day she comes. This keeps me right in case she ever has to change day.
AIBU?

Sometimes I do need it urgently, believe me, but I still consider it rude to harass my clients after just a day or two. I’ve had to resort to already maxed credit cards or juggling plans etc because I really need that £30/£40 but I still wouldn’t chase unless it had gone beyond maybe a week 🤷🏼‍♀️

What's the point of having an argument about this though or about what is 'late'? It probably makes no difference to the OP whether she pays when the cleaner arrives or hours later. But it certainly could make a difference to the cleaner. I think it's entirely reasonable for any cleaner to want the money in their bank or hand directly on completion of their work.

Why would you do stuff that makes your cleaner's life hard for no reason? Why wouldn't you just do the decent thing, treat her with respect and make sure she's paid on completion? To me it seems arrogant 'you'll wait til I decide to pay you'.

@Airspice there is no way I'd treat you like that if you cleaned for me. It would be bad manners.

Why should you have to put stuff on credit cards whilst people who owe you money are sitting on it?

This is your opinion.

If a customer left a hair salon at noon and informed the owner that she would return to pay (or transfer the money) later that evening, I think the salon would consider it a late payment.

If you didnt leave cash out, and didnt pay her when you saw her, then you didnt pay her on time.

Yes to this

And why make cleaners wait? They’re likely to be relying on the money and not want any anxiety over when they’ll get paid

With a hair salon the customer is physically present, and they have a till and a card reader.

This is not a comparison for OPs situation.

Do you only pay her after the reminder or before it?

If before it, it naught be a bit annoying but so what.

If after it then you clearly needed the reminder.

I know @MyopicBunny but some of them are older, 70+ and I don’t like to harass…I know they WILL pay and it is normally within a few days. Maybe I’m too nice!

YABU

Just leave cash out so she’s paid at the time she provides the service… You wouldn’t leave the hairdresser and say, I’ll pay you tonight.

Why don't you leave her cash so she doesn't need to text you? I sometimes have to chase my clients but most of them pay on the day or the day after.

I do a bit of private tutoring - cash in hand - for 3 families.
One hands me cash as I'm leaving.
Another pays me online while I'm still in their house.
The other I have to chase every single week. Honestly, it's really annoying. And while I don't really "need" the money, I think it's bad form. I fulfilled my end of the bargain, and having to be chased to pay for a service is so rude imo.

What a strange thing to say. Where I live, not the UK, garages fixing your car generally send a bill. It seems to me more as though you are living in 1965 - these days people send accounts for services such as fixing cars, plumbing, electrician services. I've never heard of anyone here getting their car fixed and paying at the time!

This is good practice for her. If she has a written record of asking each and every customer to pay as soon has done the work. When a customer dies or doesn’t pay she can start chasing with minimum delay.

I think it's odd of her to send that text especially if paying her in the evening is the norm unless the time has past when you normally pay her.

Send her a text and say I'm sorry I haven't gotten round to it yet, you've not forgotten and it's usually paid in the evening.

But OP doesn't need to be chased she's said she never misses a payment and always pays that evening.

Until she doesn’t need to be chased. Having worked contract and freelance you never know when a clients finances are about to go tits up. You invoice as soon as you can so if it happens you can send the second reminder etc asap and have a “paper” trail. The cleaner is probably fine with being paid like this and OP should just accept it’s what any small business will do once a service provided.

It’s grating because it’s assuming a level of mistrust with no evidence. I get it, but it’s draining.

To be fair your post did imply she had messaged you the once

Having said that I understand the irritation. My window cleaner messages after doing the windows. I can't pay automatically as he often cancels with the weather. But it is annoying if I have been at work and not even seen the windows but he probably sees it as friendly reminder, along with card through door

If it bothers you then offer to pay by cash. Then cleaner gets paid promptly and you don't feel hassled?

@YerArseInParsley

But OP doesn't need to be chased she's said she never misses a payment and always pays that evening.

But the OP also says that she is sent reminders regularly.

How is the cleaner supposed to know she didn't need the reminder?

The cleaner sends a reminder then the OP pays. Of course the cleaner thinks the reminder is needed.

Maybe she needed it right then, as she was going out or buying something.

Alternatively, let her have the money for that week - asking someone to do a job for you and not ever get sick pay is a little harsh.

The window cleaner; someone who comes to fix an appliance; builders. In fact, any self employed person who comes to your house to do a job is usually paid as soon as they E done it.

She isn’t a business and the cleaner isn’t working for a company. This is an individual doing a job for an individual. In those cases, paid on completion or arrival is the norm.