To not pay cleaner in full?

[Cheesybroccoli]

I hired a cleaner at the end of last year for a fortnightly clean via a cleaning company. The actual cleaner keeps changing due to staff leaving, so I seem to have a new cleaner every time which is frustrating but I appreciate this can’t be helped.

A new cleaner came yesterday and all seemed well until I went up to the bathroom, the glass shower screen hadn’t been touched and was still covered in water marks and the tiles hadn’t been wiped down, with a blob of shower gel foam still on it. Everything else in the bathroom was clean, including the shower taps, so it was odd that it was missed.

I spoke to the woman who owns the company and brought it to her attention who said she would speak to the cleaner. However, she’s still invoiced me for the full amount. DH thinks I shouldn’t pay in full since the job wasn’t completed properly, but I feel awkward asking for a discount. What would you do in this situation?

Agree - a shower screen is a major item. Most hate cleaning it and leave it for the cleaner I would imagine!

Yeah the issue though is that if you cut your payment (any reduction from the full amount) you open yourself up to retribution from the aggrieved party. Bear n mind they know where you live, do you really want them coming knocking and demanding money (or worse?)

This happened to us and honestly the hassle (and nasty threats from the person involved) wasn’t worth the small discount the company offered off the clean. It sucks, but at least they only missed 1 area, rather than whole rooms which is what happened in my case 😬

@Cheesybroccoli

Based on the size of my house, small amount of furniture and the fact that I leave it tidy before a clean, I don’t think 10 mins for a non-wet room is unreasonable. For example, items to be dusted include in the living room one sideboard and a coffee table, coffee table has nothing on it and the sideboard just a lamp and a couple of candles. Master bedroom just has two bedside tables, again with just lamps on, and nursery has just a small chest of drawers. That’s literally it for dusting. The whole house can be dusted in 10 mins.
So they don't have to vacuum? 10 mins to vacuum and dust a living room is not enough time

Ok, so while I generally agree that leaving shower screen uncleaned and the tiles also uncleaned is not at all good…

I do think you’re probably underestimating what a typical cleaner would do in a standard room regardless of furniture like tables, cupboards.

Things you’ve missed which I’d normally attend to (and not just as a ‘deep clean’ ) include:

Light switches - they get filthy quickly
Door handles and touch plates - ditto
Hoovering not just floors but corners of ceilings and under valances on beds for cobwebs and dust (former get filthy, it’s remarkable how quickly …)
Dust skirting boards, windowsills, TV screens,
Bannisters, Staircases, Mirrors and mirror surrounds

If none of those things are important to you then tell your cleaner and they can spend more time on the things you do really value and come to a sensible agreement.

But also, I’d ditch any agency, because you’re paying their profit margin on top of the cleaners’ hours. Find your own cleaner who wants to please you, not an agency.

For cost/time comparison I do a post/pre client AirBnB clean on a teeny tiny one bedroom house with a shower glass clean, including bin emptying, checking/polishing crockery and appliances, as well as general cleaning and descaling of sinks, surfaces etc, plus changing beds and towels, in two hours for £35. South East. My client is getting pretty good value for money I reckon.

None of these are included in my clean, it’s literally just a very basic run the vacuum around, mop the tiled/hard floors, dust surfaces, clean the kitchen (which is just wiping down the sides and cleaning the sink) and the the bathroom. This is why I’m so frustrated that the entire shower was missed as it’s a big part of the clean.

Ok so if you’ve specified what you need, and what they can disregard then I wouldn’t be happy with that either. Just a bit sloppy.
Seriously, just get a good reliable independent cleaner by recommendation. They won’t be constantly changing nor forgetting to clean xyz because Henry Hoover wouldn’t switch on or wouldn’t come apart or whatever

How far away is the bin that she can't take it?

How much would you be wanting knocking off for this ? 🙄

Many cleaning agencies use the star system. Its not nice to be given an absolutely huge house to clean in 2 hours, to be presented with coffee and chat and then stabbed in the back.

I'd be annoyed, but would wait and see what happens next time. If they're constantly missing things then that's different to a one off mistake.

When we used a company, their policy was that they would send a cleaner over to make right anything that was missed or not done to standard.

How could you miss it!

It’s not worth the hassle of not paying in full unless you’ve got skin made of Teflon. But if it were me I’d be cutting ties with the cleaning company. They should be providing you with a the same regular cleaner, with substitutions only when your regular is on holiday/ill.

Absolutely, you would be surprises how many clients have massive houses andcexpect you to do miracles in the minimum time

I did a trial for this woman who lived in a mansion who had water and very specific list of rooms and how long they should take...for example, bathroom 10 minutes. Her house was an absolute pigsty! There was crap EVERYWHERE and I literally did half of what she had listed it was so ridiculous

Surely some discount is justified, it might be a minor infringement to you but if you are paying for something it should be done, why should OP pay and also have to do it herself?

I’ve never known that happen, in my experience cleaners quote you and tell you the length of the clean it will be or if I have said I’d like a 2 hour clean they look around and let me know what they can get done

But it’s wiping a shower screen. It’s not like she missed the whole bathroom.

How much does that one shower screen even represent in the scheme of things? £1? 50p?

And does everyone have money docked if they forget something once in a while at work?

I mean, each to their own but this seems pretty petty to me.

None of these are included in my clean, it’s literally just a very basic run the vacuum around, mop the tiled/hard floors, dust surfaces, clean the kitchen (which is just wiping down the sides and cleaning the sink) and the the bathroom. This is why I’m so frustrated that the entire shower was missed as it’s a big part of the clean.

If it's so easy and basic and you have such a small house, why aren't you doing it yourself?

I don't know why you asked because you're convinced you're right, but I agree with most others that it's ridiculous to expect a reduction for this.

My experience is very different from yours.

Different cleaners may have different approaches to it

If I paid someone to clean a whole bathroom and they left the shower area (not just a screen) I would be annoyed, I’ve paid for it so it should be done. If OP leaves her shower area to be cleaned by the cleaner it’s not going to be a case of a 2 min wipe of a screen, there’s all tiles etc to do, clean the plug and whatever else we do to clean a shower. I’m not sure if I’d pay then give them another chance, pay and find someone else or ask for it to be done or discounted but it’s definitely not petty to expect something done. People don’t always get docked pay for forgetting something but unfortunately in some businesses you will.
eg if I paid for a 3 tier cake and only received 2 tier should I pay for 3 tiers because they forgot? Why is this different 🤷‍♀️

If it was free I'd feel the same, but as she's paying for the service it's totally different.

I’ll accept I am probably a bit relaxed in this area. But as a first offence, honestly I wouldn’t want a refund.

But the cake thing is different. You wouldn’t have enough cake to go around. There’s no forgiving that.