To feel annoyed I have to pay?

[Babablacksheep12]

Cleaner…

We have a cleaner who does every 2 weeks. She’s lovely and does the house well.

I have been in hospital for a few weeks following an operation that was planned.

I messaged her to cancel a clean whilst I was in hospital, ages ago - way more than the required notice time. I cancelled it as she cleaned the day I went in and then my house has been empty with me being in hospital so it’s perfect and not been touched and no one’s been in it so there would have been nothing to clean since she was last in.

In my contract I am allowed to cancel 2 cleans a year and she allowed 2, without payment which is very fair.

I got back from hospital today and noticed from my ring door bell that she’d been and cleaned despite me cancelling it , as per the contract and her acknowledging the cancellation.

I emailed her to ask if she had been , thinking she’d say no she was just dropping something off type thing and she just said yes, whoops she’d got confused. So now I need to pay. I’m slightly upset. I’m very short this month as I’ve had to have unpaid time off work to recover from my op so I don’t have the spare money and I feel like I’m literally throwing away money I don’t have when the house didn’t need cleaning.

There was also no apology just an oops type thing.

I value her so much so I know I will pay but I feel slightly miffed about the lack of accountability and that it’s on me to just pay.
I mean I know id pay as I respect her time and work but If it was me I would have said … I’m so sorry it’s my mistake please pay half etc and I would try and find the money to pay it all. But it was the lack of apology and just dizziness of whoops

Surely she didn't stay for her full allocated time if she didn't have anything to clean? Unless she decided to do jobs that she normally wouldn't get time to do?
I think this is naughty and when she walked in she would have seen there wasn't nothing for her to do.
I can see why you're annoyed.

My ring door bell cut off so I couldn’t see (dodgy WiFi) but yes - my house was perfect. I have it like a show home as I can’t cope with clutter or mess. And it hadn’t had anyone in it what’s so ever. I feel a bit miffed! It wasn’t my mistake but I’m paying the price for it!

But if you have in writing that she confirmed your cancellation then don’t agree to pay it. How can it even have been dirty if no one has been there.

I can understand if you don’t want to sour the relationship, but I think she’s ridiculous expecting to be paid. She acknowledged you cancelling. She can’t just do extra cleans and expect people to pay her for them.

Surely it would have been blindingly obvious
when she walked in it hadn’t been touched since her last visit. So no I wouldn’t pay. You said no to go. She decided to go. She said oops. Doesn’t mean you have to send money.

@Babablacksheep12if this is 100% her mistake and you really can't afford to pay her you could tell her that and maybe offer to pay something for goodwill.
On the other hand she might be short of money too, especially if a few people have cancelled for holidays etc.
And good reliable cleaners are hard to find and keep, so might be worth writing off even if not fair.

But why do you need to pay?

Has she actually invoiced you or reiterated an expectation of payment? Surely you just play back to her the confirmation of cancellation.

You will have got SSP and no don't pay her

Would you risk losing her for 2 hours pay?

I pay my cleaner if I cancel, as her bills don't reduce because I'm doing something. She comes when we on holiday, and does things like clean out kitchen cupboards that there's not time to do usually.

When she is on holiday I pay her, as well as at Christmas, so she can be with her family, which I think is only fair. If she cancels for other reasons I don't pay, but I'm happy to be flexible about timings if she needs to go to the dentist or something.

Yeah I have it in writing clearly. I think good cleaners are hard to come by and I don’t want to lose her. But taking no real accountability that it was her mistake…

My email were as follows…I’ll copy and paste them. She’s not on here I don’t think!

Hey Laura, hope you’re well. I have got back today from hospital and noticed on the ring door bell you’d been round. Just checking, as I’m sure it would be you picking up the cleaning mop you left behind, but just checking you haven’t cleaned that day as I panicked as it was the day I cancelled. Thanks, Sally

Email back from Laura

oops 😅 I did clean , I must have just got confused!! It didn’t take as long so you only owe for 3 hours not 4 as the house wasn’t too bad! We can always cancel one of your future cleans to make up for it. Laura x

email to Laura from me -

Oh ok. That was the clean I had cancelled as I haven’t been in the house since your last clean- which is why I cancelled it and the house was so clean. I will need to transfer when I’m paid as I’m short this month but I expect it’ll be this Thursday. Thanks, Sally

I’m follow the contract- I’ve had other cleaners where you pay but this one I get 2 weeks a year I can cancel a clean for illness holiday etc and she does the same

so that’s not my problem

Why on earth did you agree to pay?!

Felt weird. She had cleaned my house on her time and money and I felt morally I couldn’t not pay her. I would feel awful in a few months time when I’m earning normally again to look back and not to have paid it

She’s spectacularly missing the point with her ‘cancel one of her future cleans to make up for it’ ; the whole point was it didn't need doing and you’d cancelled! Maybe negotiate half (2h rather than the 3) and it doesn’t count as one of the 2 annual cancelled cleans.

Had you already had your two free cancellations before this? Or would this have been one of the cancellations?

I would tell her you can't afford to pay.
She hasn't got a leg to stand on, she can't demand money for unwanted services.

She says you can cancel another clean, so ask her not to come next time perhaps? Not great at all, but if youd like to keep her I wouldnt make a fuss over it. If not fussed then Id dig deeper and ask what she did for 3 hours in a house she had cleaned before

I would not pay for my house to be cleaned when I’d clearly asked for it not to be and that request was ignored, even if it was a mistake. I just wouldn’t. I’d tell her nothing needed doing

You’d asked for no cleaning and you can’t budget for an unwanted unnecessary clean due to her getting mixed up, but you’ve paid so there’s nothing you can do now.

What on earth did she do for three hours of the house was clean? That’s a long time!!!

you would not have been unreasonable to have been annoyed that she expected you to pay as per her message, but you were being unreasonable to agree to it!

She's cheeky as fuck saying 'you only owe 3 hours' and the 'because the house wasn't too bad' is extra rude. I would have said 'um, no, it's your mistake so I don't owe you anything, and I'm a bit confused about it 'not being too bad' as literally nobody has been in it since you cleaned 2 weeks ago (which was why I cancelled), did you not do a full clean then either?'

No first one. To be honest first time I’ve ever cancelled one as I always need it doing normally. She always cancels twice on her side when she goes on holiday which is fine and no problem.

Unbelievably cheeky of her. Sorry OP.

Unfair to charge you for 3 hours when you'd cancelled - a compromise is needed. Would she have only charged for 3 hours if you hadn't emailed having seen her on your door bell or would she have charged for the normal 4.

Doesn't sit right with me but you know your cleaner

Unless you'd already missed your two cleans for the year and this would be the third one, then it's her mistake not yours. You shouldn't have to pay. If it's the third cancellation then you should pay, as per contract, as cleaners need reliaibility for their income too.