Do I cancel the cleaning company?

[Aroundthebendz]

I've been using the same cleaning company for 3 years and always been happy with them until recently. I've always really trusted all of their staff- always all very pleasant including the new one.

They hired a new cleaner who has been coming to my house for 3 weeks as the old one left. The new cleaner is a friend of the owner.

I haven't been happy so far.
The first week she left 20 minutes earlier than the finish time and in my opinion there is always something still to clean. There were still marks on windows, still dust on door panels and skirting boards, furniture had not been moved to clean underneath or around, so she could have done that.

I wasn't compensated but the owner offered to come over and do 20 minutes of cleaning. She seemed a bit irritated by my complaint if anything. Finding 20 minutes for her to come over seemed silly so I said no.

Then this week I stayed at home in a separate room which didn't need cleaning whilst she was here, the cleaner said she had finished 20 minutes early. I asked her to stay and double check glass and door fronts so she did and cleaned my back door thoroughly.

After she left I realised my floors were bone dry apart from a small section by the back door where the dog comes in and out. It seems unlikely that she had mopped all the way through and I have all hard floors in my house.

I messaged the owner who responded "other customers have been very pleased with new cleaner so far and have been very complimentary of her cleans but I will speak to her..."

The response felt a bit gaslighty. She then got back to me and said the cleaner told her she had mopped all through. I can't prove it but straight after she left all floors were dry apart from that one section...

She's very nice but seems to be ticking off a checklist given to her by the owner (owner told me this) and isn't actually seeing what needs cleaning for herself or doing any extra when she has time left. It's a big area to clean in 2 hours: 3 reception rooms, a conservatory, fairly large kitchen and hallway and lots of windows. My old cleaner would pull out my kids corner of toys and clean behind the boxes and put it all back more neatly etc she doesn't do any of that. Just a surface clean it seems. They would also pull out and tidy up the area under the stairs as there is no door on this area, but again that was left and there were some papers on the floor in that area which had been knocked off that morning and were stil there.

I don't like the response about other customers being happy with her cleans. I think if I flag anything else up, it won't be taken particularly seriously. Would you cancel and find a new company?

If you feel you can, ask for a different cleaner , but I would probably just find a different company.
Unless you are that customer who complains every week, then the fact that you have had to complain should suggest to the owner that the complaints are justified, and she should not be trying to excuse her friend with the ‘other people are happy’ nonsense.

Yes I think she went a step too far with telling me her other customers are pleased @Dearg . I've flagged 2-3 things up in the past but definitely not anywhere near weekly. Always complimentary of one cleaner inparticular who fills in sometimes when other cleaners have been poorly. But she only fills in around her other job which is a shame.

Can I just clarify something Op.?
You have the cleaner for two hours?

Yes 2 hours is correct

That is not a lot of time to do a decent clean Op tbh.
I don’t know how she managed to actually leave twenty minutes early
My cleaner comes every two weeks. She cleans three reception rooms , kitchen , two bathrooms and downstairs toilet. It takes her five hours. The reception rooms aren’t even dirty tbh.

With the mopping could she have used a steam mop? They dry very quickly.

Is it heavy furniture you’re expecting her to move, things like bookcases, or do you mean more like moving chairs and pulling sofas out? I would think pulling heavy furniture out wouldn’t be realistic in a two hour clean.

You’re not happy. They haven’t dealt with your complaints in a way that makes you happy. Doesn’t matter why. Get a new cleaning firm, this isn’t a good fit for you.

Ask for a different cleaner or leave.
Follow through.
Shame the good person left. Wonder if you could track her down in her new cleaning company?

PS if I pay for a cleaner fur two hours I expect to get that. They don't 'finish early'. They should ask for more work if they get through what was allocated.

Get a damp white cloth and wipe the allegedly cleaned floor first at the obviously cleaned bit and check the cloth and then at the allegedly cleaned bit and check the cloth. and see if it's dirty. That way you'll know if it's been done or not.

Cobwebs is another one. I spent 20 minutes yesterday going around the ceilings with my vacuum getting rid of them. Surely if she's finishing 20 minutes early then this should be done? I just don't think she's seeing what needs to be done for herself and going off a list.

No definitely not heavy furniture @Hugmorecats thinking more along the lines of clutter. Light boxes of toys, chairs, sidetables, umbrella stand etc.

I don't think she's using a steam mop as my own mop was wet after she left so I think she had used mine.

I agree @Lampzade I don't understand why/how she could possibly have time to spare.

She is very young and I would definitely have had the same standard of cleaning at her age. I wouldn't have even thought about doing any more than was on my list so I do get it. The issue really is the owner's response.

If no improvement after the owner speaks to her it sounds like you need to insist a different cleaner is sent or change company unfortunately

Thanks all. I may look into hiring a different company. It's just a massive pain isn't it as it takes so long to find a decent one in the first place. I don't see things changing as the new cleaner can't see what needs doing for herself as lovely as she is. Ive enquired about a different cleaner but she says there is no availability for anyone else in my area.

It's also potentially expensive. Round my way they charge an expensive first time price to 'bring it up to our high standards, which we then maintain'. So I'd presumably be charged extra.

I have to say I didn't get them in the end as my circumstances changed but if that's normal be prepared!

If you really want to persist you'd have to have the supervisor come round after the cleaner is done and show her the things that have been improperly done or missed some she understands the scale of the problem and can address things going forward. I suppose it would be doing her a favour too as she will lose business if her 'friend' the cleaner does shoddy work elsewhere and due any understand about asking for more work if she finishes 'early' etc

2 hours is not very long for all of that but nevertheless you've paid for 2 hours. I'd suggest just saying that rather than a checklist provided by the owner, you provide a list. Make the list longer than is possible in 2 hours and then say work your way through that until the 2 hours is up. You can vary the order each week or just have the same list. If the cleaner doesn't know what you want then just be clear about things eg mop the whole floor I want that done every week.

That’s a very annoying response from the owner. If I was you that would make me cancel and go elsewhere.

This might be a good option actually. I'll give her my own list. Save myself the hassle of finding someone new. They can always cancel on me if they're not happy with the list and the extras I'll put on there.

I wouldn't expect a thorough clean in two hours. I have a large house with all solid floors downstairs and there is no way I could clean that properly in two hours.

I think leaving after 1.hor 4o mins when you pay for 2 hours is cheeky. Especially if there's more to do. I think you need to either direct her a bit, or if she's leaving early - say if you are finishing early I'm only going to pay for the time I'm getting - especially if you are finding that more needs doing.

Leaving 20 minutes early on a 2 hour shift really is taking the micky, and I'd suggest focusing on that. Tell the cleaner and the owner that you need her to stay for the time you've paid for and ask the cleaner privately if there's some problem that means she needs to leave early. Then give her a list of priorities. The jobs you've mentioned sound too much to be done properly in the time available.
Or you could just look for another cleaner!

If you've spoken to someone and nothing has changed walk away. There is no excuse for not listening to an unhappy customer.

I really wouldn't bother - this industry is incredibly transient and staff can be impossible to find. Cleaning company owner is probably tearing her hair out having lost a great member of staff (which is obvs. not your problem), and tearing her hair out that a new person does not meet the standard (also not your problem). But for the company owner to say what she has is all that you need to know about how she values your customer (or rather doesn't value it). There are plenty of customers around, so she won't be afraid to drop you.

All you can do is wait to be dropped, cancel, or carry on with the service you are getting until you can find another service provider. The fact that someone can do all your work in 1 hour and 40 minutes is quite telling, as in, the person doing the work clearly wants to be in & out. I've cleaned for people way, way back in the day, and you really have to love the job (and the customers) to want to do it. I didn't mind the people I worked for but I was incredibly choosy, and I found all my own customers, I didn't work for a company or rely on an agency as I earned way more on my own.

People are crying out to hire cleaners 1-to-1, so you have to ask yourself why anyone doing the job would prefer to work via an employer or agency - from what I can make out, it's because they don't really want to do cleaning at all, let alone manage the customers on top of that. It's a horrible job if you don't enjoy it.

Not expecting a thorough clean.
This isn't what the post is about