Cleaning client

[Tootsey11]

If a client text you out of the blue asking do you know where a certain item is in the house, saying they have gone missing since the last time you were there.

What would you think?

They are only asking if you've seen it? I often text me cleaner this 🙈

I really like our cleaner/housekeeper but she does tidy stuff away into random places and we have to hunt for things.
Sometimes I have almost texted her but I haven't yet.

They are asking if you know where it is, moved it when cleaning. I assume you think you have been accused of theft?

I would think they are giving you a chance to be honest if you’ve taken it tbh (not in anyway suggesting you have) but that’s the sort of thing I would message my children if I’m not with them and an item of mine has gone (make up for instance) also they are teenagers. But I’m sure others will have different opinions.

A lot would depend on how they asked. If they were polite I'd assume they just couldn't find it. If they were rude (and it was valuable) I'd wonder whether they thought I'd taken it.

Do you remember seeing that item?

I don't put things away in any house, and certainly not in this one. I don't tidy, just clean. This is something I don't clean, don't need to.

I would presume they think you may of put the item away somewhere different, or if its a pice of paper / bill / letter / card etc that you threw it away thinking it to be rubbish

X post

I quite often ask our cleaner to keep an eye out for stuff. She doesn’t take offence.

It's not something I would throw out either. Highly cluttered house, so I'm not surprised they can't find anything. But it stays in the one room, always see it. It has next to no value and no I didn't take it. It's the way it was written.

Depends on item. Heirloom jewelry? Accusation.

Book about gardening? Can't find it wondering if you have seen it.

I sent this to my cleaner many many times 😂😂😂. She knew it’s only because my mind is crap and I can’t find anything

It has no value, but it's functional. We all have them and they stay in the same spot in the same room. It's the way it was written.

She thinks you have filched her remote? Tell her it's down the side of the sofa.

I wouldn't like the implication nor being contacted out of work hours

If possible I wouldn't work for that family again

Toilet brush?

I often ask my cleaner if she has seen/ moved things… she has been with me for over 12 years, and more often than not she hasn’t seen it…

Can you post the exact message so we can gauge the tone?

I don't think there is anything wrong woth asking...

Just reply ‘Hi Julie, happy new year, hope you had a good one. No, not seen the XXXXX, last time I was there it was in the usual place. Will see you on Jan 10th. Sarah x’

I've texted my cleaner quite a few times to ask where something is. She (or her staff) have an annoying habit of moving things and not putting them back in exactly the same place. It drives me nuts and I waste so much time looking for things that they've usually moved without thinking. At no point when I text am I suggesting they're stealing. I just want to know where my stuff is! (last time it was a mosquito repelling plug-in, previously it was my make-up bag, but the list can go on and on...)

If they aren’t thinking you’ve taken it, they should’ve said they can’t find it / we’re wondering if you moved it. ‘Gone missing’ does seem badly worded as I personally would only use this to describe something that I think has left my house. However, it might just be clumsy wording on their part, particularly since it’s not valuable. You could reply saying you haven’t moved it and you’d have soon noticed if you’d accidentally picked it up so it must still be in their house somewhere. If they have any manners, they’ll let you know when they’ve found it.

Her tone with me the last time was quite cutting. Not about this issue. It's contacting me when I'm on holiday instead of just looking for it.

Maybe she's already looked for it and can't find it which is why she's texted you. Reading a text and sending a quick reply is hardly the big drama you're making out if it. And if she was already unhappy with you prior to this 'incident', you having the arse is hardly going to improve things.

@HundredMilesAnHour im not making a big drama out of anything. I simply asked others opinions. I've cleaned there for years, no issues. But I saw a different side to this person, quite eye opening, and since she has been quite sharp and cutting with me. Was expecting me to be working today as well.

From the family I work for, that one of them had moved it but wasn't admitting to it so it was "lost" 🤔🤣