5th cleaner sacked

Barny1979

With regards getting someone local in to do the work, got a local person in from the same village and ended up letting them go, as there was so much dust etc left over after their visit.

[Deleted User]

Have now changed the lock barrel. Just to be on the safe side because Im sure shes not 100% stable.
Have also checked the valuables and its all ok.

Yes very weird. If you're caught 'at it' then surely the approach is either to do your best to make amends or act a little sheepish knowing its all over - not act all indignant that someone dares to complain!

I must admit I'm pretty sure that the actual cleaner had some sort of family relationship to the company owner which is why they went a bit weird on it. Otherwise, if it was me and cleaner I employed did this, they'd be looking for a new job next day. Also, I am wondering whether the company has taken on too much work and the cleaners were encouraged to shave time to get on to the next job.

Unfortunately, Ive had the same experience as samyorks. They all start brilliantly but after a few months things start to slip. I too have had the holiday thing - they know you're not there so its like an open invitation it seems to do no work and expect you to pay.

I have a theory that there must be a lot of people out there who pay for a cleaner and just dont check or are not bothered about the work and dont miss the money. Which is why they all get away with it.
For me, I'm not loaded and cleaner is a necessity due to wifes illness - so last thing I need is wife stressing and making herself ill because we cant rely on someone.

I dont like making generalisations but we've had FIVE cleaners now and every single one has been the same. Started off great, then within a few months the standards have dropped and they've started shaving time off. Starts out at 5-10 mins and then ends up they're there for half the time (or in this case, 25 mins not 2 hours!).

Very sad comment on people work ethic today that you can't trust anyone. I genuinely feel that good cleaners are an exception to the rule and that skiving lazy sods are the norm.

[Deleted User]

BTW. Tried all sorts. Agency, local company, local person, recommendations. All the same - lazy sods who want something for nothing.

JReacher1

There must be one cleaner out there who will be able to clean your house to your satisfaction.

Are you sure you don't just have a very high level of expectation which are impossible for anyone to meet?

[Deleted User]

JR. I hope there is.

My expectations are:-

1) House gets cleaned to at least the standard I can do it (and I'm awful at cleaning so its not hard). Should be no problem at all to someone who makes a bit of an effort.

2) If you can't make it give me notice. If there is an issue then that's fine but don't make up every excuse in the book when you can't be bothered.

3) If I pay you for 2 hours, then be there for 'most' of that time. 5-10 mins is not an issue but turning up 45 minutes and then saying sorry I didn't have time is not acceptable.

Don't think these rules are unfair?

wary

Many years ago, we had a cleaner who came into the house when we were at work, and she was crap. So we sacked her ... and later heard from a neighbour that she was only staying for about half the time we were paying her for. The real sting-in-the-tail was when we got the phone bill, double what it should have been but alas we sacked her the week before itemisation was introduced into our area so couldn't prove anything.

Podge52

When you next employ a cleaner consider paying them for the job done rather than the hours worked.

People don't always work at the same pace and what one might achieve in an hour could take another two hours.

[Deleted User]

I see Im not the only one to experience issues with cleaners. Way too easy for them to spend a fraction of the time they say they are when they're coming into someones house when that person is not there.

The last company were just plain crooked. IMHO they knew full well what they were doing and were maximising income by squeezing jobs in (like a quart into a pint pot). Theres definitely a market for it I think because Im sure a lot of people dont complain/ dont notice.

And like I said we did complain twice before it all went off. The owner of the company was VERY good at worming out of it, telling us it'd be sorted.

To be honest, all they had to do was improve a bit, not skive off quite so much, and I wouldnt have noticed maybe. But instead they got greedy and tried the 30 mins work for the 2 hours. Maybe because I'd been so nice to them before when complaining they though I was a soft touch (they found out subsequently I wasnt!).

I dread to think how many other customers of theirs just dont notice/ dont complain/ are given excuses and they're getting away with this.

Next cleaner we're getting a key box. No more giving them a key to take away. If I could get away with a factory clocking machine too I would!

JReacher1

[quote=[Deleted User];66798028]
Next cleaner we're getting a key box. No more giving them a key to take away. If I could get away with a factory clocking machine too I would![/QUOTE]

why will a key box help?

If they're honest then the key box has no benefit.

If they're dishonest then once they've got the key out of the box they can get a copy made (£2 in asda) before returning the original.

I don't see why this makes things better?

On a side note I look forward to the 6th cleaner sacked thread

gettingtheresometime

JReacher1 wrote: »

On a side note I look forward to the 6th cleaner sacked thread

I thought I was supposed to be the cynical one!