To object to being paid like this

[carparker]

I need a sense check really, I'm so annoyed and I'm not sure why. I'm a cleaner, work in people's homes, they usually pay me cash. Most leave it out for me and I take it when I'm done,

This one client though, I have to find him and ask for the money every time, I say ok I'm finished, he says oh are you, then I say yes can I have my money please, then he gets out his wallet and takes it out note by note, so one fiver, holds it out till I take it, rinse and repeat. Always £5 or £10 short so he says oh I'll transfer the rest. 24 hours later I text to ask, he pays a few hours after.

It's driving me nuts, how hard is it to just have £30 ready? Why does he do it? I need the work so i don't want to complain but I'm living on my nerves waiting for the last £5 or whatever, and the note by note thing is just weird. Should I say something or am I being a princess?

Sounds very odd of him, I wouldn’t continue working for him

I never have cash (DD steals) so would only pay by BACS but if I had to pay by cash I wouldn’t be counting it out bit by bit!

Stop working for him. He's a wrong'un.

No that's horrible. I'd look for another client to replace his time slot. I always pay my cleaner for the whole month when she comes on the first week. I leave the cash out on the dining table and let her know.

Time to introduce a £5 late payment fee. Used to volunteer for an organisation and we got so many late payers we introduced a £5 late fee which stopped all late paying

Start telling him 15 minutes before you've finished that you'll be finished soon and could he please get your money ready asap so you can leave promptly.

Failing that - dump him. There's a huge demand for cleaners nowadays, you'll soon find another client.

Do this! Brilliant 😂

I’m self employed and would find this very annoying and a bit demeaning to have to ask for money like this every time. I think in this situation I would tell this client that you are no longer accepting cash payments and payment must be make by bank transfer.

'Here, let me help you count that money. I'm good at mental arithmetic.'

Show him up for the twat he is.

Fair enough. Then they should make sure have a stash of £1 coins to return to the paying customer

Thanks for all the replies, I've taken everyone's advice on board and decided to bin him off. Just deciding that has made me feel better, I'll do his last clean tomorrow then after he's paid me tell him I'm not doing it anymore. To answer a few questions I'm a bit ashamed to say I ask for cash because otherwise it disappears into my overdraft which I'm paying off. So cash means at least I can do the shopping every week. (I do my tax return so no worries there).
He is older but not elderly and seems to cope with life fine but yes I do understand it might not just be him being a d--k but he may have some difficulties.
It's just nice to know it's him and not me, I'll look for a new client to fill the gap.

Completely unfair of him as you need that cash once finished to feed yourself. Try to find a new client but in the interim as you come into clean just say hi as you arrive and ask for the envelope of money (full amount) to please be on the side shortly as you need to leave promptly as you have an appointment.

I don’t understand why people behave like this it’s so disrespectful. The only person I pay for anything, low income myself, is my window cleaner once a month. I put the cash for him in a drawer the month before, ie the day I have just paid him, always have a friendly chat and pay a bit more when I can as he’s doing me a real favour cleaning my windows as I can’t do them myself due to a disability.

Let us know his reaction when you tell him you won’t be cleaning for him anymore.

It's not that onerous to collect four pound coins or two 2-pound coins each week, though, is it?

It's not in the same league as charging you, say £16.99 and demanding exact money!

This is a waste of your time and disrepectful I would NEVER do this to our cleaner.

Tell him he needs to prepay by bank transfer (ie pay by Monday for a Tuesday clean) or pay you on arrival.

explain if he doesn’t you will drop him as a client.

I used to work as a housekeeper for an agency many years ago so I feel your frustration. Please fire him. This sad excuse for a man is a misogynistic prick who is enjoying lording it over you as he throws you a few scraps for all your hard work. You deserve so much more.

Glad to hear you've binned him off, OP. And no shame at all in sometimes needing to bypass the banking system to avoid your money disappearing into the overdraft black hole - a great, great many of us are there or have been.

With him clearly resenting paying you what you'd rightfully earned - as agreed with him - it's always dodgy ground. A good transaction should leave both parties happy that they've got themselves a fair and worthwhile deal.

You don't want people with self-invented grievances and false feelings of being ripped off around you when it comes to needing reviews or word-of-mouth-recommendations. Even if the sum total of their beef is "I agreed to buy an optional service at an agreed price, but I don't actually want to pay that price that I claimed to be happy with - and that's somehow their fault."

@SirAlfredSpatchcock true

But since covid I hardly spend cash Ever in shops so don't Regularly break notes and keep the change.

So shall go and get £20 worth from the bank assp

What a dick. Charge him £40 cash.

Yes, I’d love to know his reaction too.

Ah, OK - if you prefer not to use the cash ecosystem, then cash will be more difficult to obtain!

ah its not that i object to cash - just since covid i am WFH and thus - don't go to the shops every lunchtime for a sandwich. And don't pop to pub a few times a week with colleagues. So just less chances to spend notes.

I always think the cash in an envelope is a bit weird - i'd want to check 100% that it contained what was due - and do that in front of the giver so mistakes can be rectified/proven asap. But opening up the envelope and checking in front of someone also feels rude, like you don't trust them. All alkward!

My designer friend would charge what she calls ‘the twat tax’ for behaviour like this. Suggest you do the same.

@SirAlfredSpatchcock I rarely have cash unless go to the bank

Then would need to buy something to get the change

I would find a new client - I'm sure heres plenty?