Window-cleaner dilemma

[UnquietDad]

We had a window-cleaner for the past year but he was a bit rubbish, to be honest. When I've worked from home I've got to see how little time he and his mate actually spent on the windows. Anyway, it's one of the cutbacks we have made and we asked him a month or so ago, when we last paid him, not to come again.

Since then he has been twice and cleaned our windows again while we were out. Last night he came to claim his money. DW told him firmly that we had asked him not to come again and sent him away without paying him. Then she spent the evening feeling bad because she had done that at Christmas and even drove up the road to seek him out to pay him half (unsuccessfully).

I told her not to feel bad - we had asked the guy not to come again, and we are probably one of 100 houses he is cleaning. Yes, he'll have suffered a drop in income, like everyone, but that's not our fault - right?

Right.
You told him you didn't require his services anymore - he was chancing his luck.

He probably was just trying to get an extra Christmas tip out of you before he went for good. If you told him and he didn't listen, that's his own fault really. Times is tough for all of us.

What's your dilemma?

There are no grounds for feeling guilty, especially if he wasn't doing a good job. And he ignored your request to stop coming.

If he had been doing a good job but you had to cut back anyway, you could have given him a Christmas tip for past service.

Yes, I thought he was after a "Christmas box". Fair enough if we were still technically on his list, but we had asked him not to come again!

Would you have needed to give him some notice though?
If you'd told him when he collected for the month, surely a month's notice would have been in order?

In a recession, window cleaners are the first to go....

eachpeach - he cleans, he puts a card in, he collects. We told him he didn't want him to come any more so why would he come and do our windows again after that unless he was chancing his arm? Don't get it...

ilovelovelmydog - aagh, look what I have done. Oh god, this isn't going to turn into a "oh, I'm so worried about money, I've had to let my CLEANER go, and my GARDENER, and the lady who does my IRONING " type thread, is it??

Sounds like he was trying it on. I dont think he is due any notice. It isnt as if you have a contract with a notice period with him.

Don't give it another thought.I'm a gardener & have lost 2 customers due to people cutting back.No way would I go back after someone had told me not to,and I'm really struggling ATM.Sounds like he is just trying it on.