Client assumes I will clean if I have down time. How do I handle this?

[someonestolemynick]

I've NC'd for this and will keep things as vague as possible.

Basically I'm a tutor who occasionally does childcare/babysitting. As a favour to an excisting client I took on a new client for a regular after school babysitting gig. The dc are around 10 years old so won't require constant supervision.

I have to say as babysitting goes, my rates aren't cheap. But as i don't need to prepare for babysitting, they are cheaper than my tuition fees. So I get that hiring me to sit in your house while the dc get on with stuff. I pointed that out to get, but she was happy with the fee.

I want to an initial meeting with her. All really great until the mother said: and when c happens, they'll probably just be upstairs playing, so you can do some cleaning. I didn't react at all. I think I probably looked quite put out. She proceeds to show me where she keeps different things including showing me subtly where the cleaning products are.

I know I should have said something at the time but I was incredibly stunned. I have been in this job for almost 10 years and I've never been asked to clean someone's house. Of course I tidy up (with the kids) after a session and will clean any mess when It comes up, but I am not a cleaner.

You can probably tell, that i am not happy with this. I'm actually quite offended that she would simply assume I would because
F

1. I'm doing her and an excisting client a favour.
2. I am shot at cleaning and hate it. For that reason I employ a cleaner in my own home.

So how do I deal with this?

1. Have a conversation with her stating firmly and politely that she needs to hire a cleaner, if she wants someone else to clean her house.
2. Get on with my job and wait for her to comment.
3. Tell her that my commitements have changed and I won't be able to babysit for her again.

Or am I being previous and should just clean.

What do you charge?

Just been paid. The exact amount I quoted her.

Piss taker can piss off!

OMG so she was essentially two hours late and didn't pay you for that extra time?!

This explains why she sounded desperate to have you as she's clearly burnt her bridges Ruth everyone else she's used if this is her M.O.

Are you going to ask her to compensate you for the extra time?

Did she not pay you for the extra time? Bloody hell!

Ruth = with

So, she didn't pay you the extra time?

Do send her a message asking for it. Preferably at over time rates.

Arfar

Am I fuck?

I want to be done with this. Waiting for the red most to settle so I can send a calm and measured e-mail that give her any ammunition over me.

I'm amazed she paid you at all. You're better off out of there. Good luck with your new clients. I'd be tempted to text and say sorry I'm not available to do cleaning and unpaid work, but I wouldn't, I'd probably just wimp out and say sorry I'm not available any more.

I can see this thread has moved on but my children would be mortified if the babysitter tried to interact with them!
I say to him here is the sky remote I'll see you at 11pm
glad you got paid!

Don't thank her for paying you, the bitch.

Just one message along the lines of, 'Unfortunately I am no longer available for any further engagements with (names of children). Kind regards, some.'

DO tell your client exactly what this person did.

'Sadly, I'm not able to provide service to pisstaker. She told me to clean her house whilst there, came back two hours late with no warning and then didn't pay me for the extra time. ' That's what you tell the client who asked you to help her.

I completely agree with expat.

To be clear: I never thought you should be doing cleaning, and your charging rate is your business - I was just expressing what I thought she might be thinking.

She is extremely rude - and she has underpaid you.

I've done some tutoring, and people who take the mick don't get better, they get worse.... I second what others have said, cut this woman off. She is totally unreasonable!

I must say this thread has really helped me not to crazy. Thanks everyone sometimes it's good to hear that it's really not you.

In the past I encountered some piss takers. I'm normally assertive enough to say boundaries. Her level of entitlement is just from a different planet

Thanks cat, i understood your post in the spirit it was intended and agree that i am an odd choice for what she needs.

The message is out. I thanked her for the payment, apologised for the short notice and pointed her to some online agency that would be able to sort out cover at short notice.

You are very polite and restrained. Hope this never happens to yo again.

Oh, no, you mean you haven't pointed out the underpayment? You missed your chance to correct the "mistake" when she took the piss about cleaning. Not pulling her up on underpayment immediately is another potential lost chance!

Woah! She didn't pay you for the extra 2 hours?

It sounds like she's really not making the most of your skills which given your ability is very short sighted.

If I had a tutor "babysitting" my kids I would be very much hoping to maximise her strengths (without crossing the tutoring line) by asking for help with homework, structured or creative activities etc etc.

I think it would be worthwhile semi formalising your agreement if there are differing expectations here. You should do this in advance of your meeting.

You should say, "further to our meeting, I wanted to confirm key duties and responsibilities we discussed" and write out a list of all the duties you discussed and are happy to take on.

At the end you could simply say "I know that you also mentioned you would like help with cleaning, unfortunately that's not something I carry out in a professional capacity as I feel my experience is best applied to coaching children which I would be glad to do through play or other activities with x and y".

If she thinks it's odd, just tell her you do it for all jobs as in your experience it's best to be up front about expectations

You really need to tell your other client exactly what she did. She's using people and your client friend needs to know this before she sends someone else to her.

Ignore my post all... Somehow I missed the last two pages of thread??!!

Tell your client friend, and reply to this woman did she withhold the rest if your payment as she wanted clarification of your quadruple unplanned, un contacted overtime rate?

I would have confirmed next weeks dates. Asked for the extra 2hrs

Got payment then said due to unforeseen circumstances I can't work those dates