Our cleaner got offended

[Hocuspoc]

I am confused.
We have a cleaner for a couple of months now, a nice lady, but doesn't exactly stick to a schedule.
We agreed on 2 hours per week after her own assessment how much it would take her to clean the flat on weekly basis.
With the exception of first two times, she started leaving earlier, for a couple of weeks now she is staying no longer than hour and a half.
Yet, she always says at the end - 2 hours done hence x Pounds for today.
Because I don't find money on the street and because there are more things left to do every time she announces she completed the work, we decided to make a list of tasks so there is enough work to use up the 2 hours (which we are paying for).
She was absolutely livid when I introduced this plan. There was nothing out of ordinary on that list, nothing that she didn't do the first time she cleaned the flat. Yet she stormed through the flat for 2 hours to the minute and left without saying goodbye - assuming she is not coming again 🤷🏼‍♀️
I really don't understand people anymore,sigh...

I’ve given up on cleaners. I used an agency last time and it was still a bloody nightmare, just more expensive. Leaving early, not doing basic stuff just being generally useless. Last time I got help because I was caring for my dying father. It was supposed to be helping me but it just caused me more stress.

I used an agency once - never, ever again. The "staff" were all self-employed, which in principle I have no issue with, however, they earned a pittance really, so I never felt I could expect a lot from them for what I was told to pay them. Then again, most self-employed cleaners seem to have no trouble at all finding their own clients and don't need to go to an agency, so the fact that some do is "interesting", to say the least.

The agency were totally disinterested in managing the people they sent, to the point where I couldn't see what I was paying the agency fee for, other than for finding me someone...even that became impossible after the third person they sent me seemingly disappeared into thin air.

I got more consistency when I used a big-name franchise who employed all of their staff, but I never saw the same people twice, and the quality of the cleaning was very, very low for the very, very high price I was charged. I persevered with that one until I found someone who came recommended, because at least they always turned up.

I would suggest you get a new cleaner.

YANBU

She thinks you are rich and too soft.. So pushing your boundaries.. easy money

We've got a wonderful cleaner who gets shit done.

Some weeks she's done a little early (maybe takes 1 hour 50 mins instead of 2 hours), but the house is spotless so it's not an issue.

We've had a CF cleaner before who would leave sometimes 40-50 mins early, and there were still things to be cleaned. No thanks.

You are technically right, but housekeepers do what they do and if you dare to ask them to adjust it at all - or god forbid criticise them, be prepared to have your keys returned! Just pray that they haven’t sold a set to professional burglars before they return them. Cleaners also prefer to work when you’re out of the house and generally do a better job.

It depends whether you want to try to fix the situation or just want to stop using her

if you just want to stop, then a simple 'As of now/x date we no longer require your services, thank you'

no need to say anything else.

iF you have a contract then obviously meet the terms of it unless you want to cause a big hassle!

Someone always trots that shit out. Yes people could. But if someone wants to outsource the cleaning & other people want to earn money cleaning - what's the problem??

the issue is people not being willing to make a commitment & not doing an honest amount of work for the agreed price.

I had a cleaning woman just like this. She'd say 'I've finished' after 1.5 hrs and then I'd have to spell out the other fucking obvious things she could do to fill the remaining 30 mins, e.g. clean fridge interior, windows, mirrors, tops of picture frames, behind radiators, finger marks on sockets and switches - really so many areas that need attention but less often than once a week.

I think the only way to deal with this 'I've finished' [early] syndrome, is to spell it out right at the start. You're here for 2 hours, I pay you for 2 hours, and if you finish the floors/bathroom/kitchen in less than that time, then here's a list of other things to clean.

I go through a company and have one for home and office. Home is ok..but the man i had for our office i knew he wasn't doing 2 hours. Was paying for 1.5 hours but said he needed 2 to do it all. We are also paying the most i know of in our area. So my daughter and i drove past the office and he did 1 hour and 10 minutes and then sat in his car for the rest of the time. I refused to pay that bill. Have another guy start last week.. but week one and desks were still dirty. It's not a big clean. I could do it in 30 minutes 1 hour at a stretch. Sent thoughts back to company and hopefully it's better or i'll cancel.

We finally gave up on cleaners. Seems to be they do a good job the first time then the performance deteriorates and the time they spend reduces. Until the situation is ridiculous. We would be quite happy to pay above the odds for someone that actually did the job properly.

I've found that both ways can be problematic, unfortunately. When I hire someone by the hour, I find that they often dawdle over the tasks and take twice as long as necessary in an attempt to get paid more money without doing more work. When I hire by the job, they tend to cut corners, rush through the job and do poor quality work, in an attempt to do less work for the same price. It's usually easier to just do it myself.

This.

Let her go, my cleaner is amazing and I’m grateful for it, I can leave my keys with her when I’m on holiday and I always tell her to only come in one day but still pay her for the hours she would have done if I were there, plus xmas bonus of two weeks wages.

I don’t know why people don’t consider that a) you get more business for doing a good job, more leeway when you have to take time off, more likely to make more money because people like me who are heavily reliant on you will pay more to retain you.

We’ve been incredibly lucky with our new cleaner. (Let’s hope it stays that way…)

she cleans really well, she shows up everytime. And the price is always the same (small, local company).

reading all these stories has made me appreciate her even more!’

anyhow: OP’s cleaner got stroppy because she was called out. It sucks. I would try finding a new one…

I had cleaners years ago that pulled this. They started coming later and leaving earlier and standard things just were not done or done badly. The whole point of a cleaner is that you don't have to do it yourself or keep an eye on things.

My last cleaner was excellent but she retired.

I don't have a cleaner but have known cleaners - it definitely works to have a list at the start, every visit jobs and a few jobs which are either weekly or monthly (on different weeks obviously). If most people would take 2 hours but she's super fast yet still thorough, then slightly under 2 hours might be ok, but not well under the alloted time.

I find NOT having a cleaner too stressful. 😬

Honestly find another cleaner. Go on recommendations. We pay ours when on holiday just to keep our regular slot. A good one is worth their weight in gold.

I had a cleaner years ago. I always asked her to do the ironing if she had any time left over. Turns out she loved ironing and would spend all her time doing that instead of cleaning. I live in filth now. It's easier.

This is typical of my experience I’m afraid. The first clean is always the best. I would let her go, it won’t get any better. Once you find a good cleaner hang onto them! My current cleaner will empty the dryer etc if she’s finished and stick a load of washing on. She’s brilliant.

Yes, I got a cleaner and she was fantastic the first time and then spent most of the time on her phone after that.

I’ve had a few cleaners over the years and they have all ended up doing less hours than I’ve paid them for based on the per hourly rate. As you say, there will always be more they could do but as long as you are getting a clean to a decent level then that’s a reasonable exchange in my view. Whilst my cleaner quotes per hour I just see it as a price for the job so don’t clock watch but if I felt she’d missed something I expected her to do I might say something. Finding a decent cleaner is hard so it’s worth keeping one when you find them. If have had quotes from companies that offer cleaning for a fixed price but it’s always been very high so I prefer my approach.

edited to add - I know my cleaner works hard as I’m working from home. I wouldn’t be happy with a cleaner on go slow or one that was constantly messaging/using the internet. Mine sometimes chats to people on the phone or listens to music but is still working hard.

Similar happened to me but after 4 years of the same cleaner she was brilliant but started finishing. 15-20 mins early. She herself said to me to let her know about other tasks that need doing every time she finished early. She'd often catch me working and I could never think of anything neither did I have time to inspect.

I suggested some things to her via text and then said if you regularly finish early then that's fine let's just pay for what you've done. She accused me of not appreciating her and all she's done and took offence. Ultimately she was finishing 15-20 early every week and she was charging me £20 an hour. So that was at a minimum £20 a month, I would always give her a big Xmas bonus too cash and a gift. Anyway she sent me an emotional text not feeling appreciated. I did feel bad as she was a brilliant cleaner. We parted ways.