my cleaning lady dumped me!!!

L

lynne12

Cathlete
I am so angry & I bet its because our house is an absolute sty! I love my cleaning lady - she cleans everything - closets, drawers, fridges stoves - even the hair out of my hairbrush - she even changes sheets and folds laundry!

I love her so much, I've referred her to seven other clients, including my next-door neighbor!

last week, I get a phone message from her assistant that she will no longer provide me with the service because I live just too far out of the way (which is true but she increased my fee recently to make up for the gas.)

If that's the case, then why is she still cleaning my neighbor's house? obviously, she's lying & it must be because my house is a mess beyond belief! I'm so embarassed! BTW - I've never been late with a payment, so that can't be the reason either!

I know this is a small issue compared to what others are dealing with, but it sticks in my craw...!!
 
I had the same thing happen to me a few years ago!! I go soooo angry!! I felt like she was saying that I was a bad Mom or something. No notice, just that she couldn't come back anymore. I had referred her to 4 clients, also. My best friend dropped her as a way to defend me. Oh well.

My house is actually cleaner now, because I don't rely on her coming. I just do it myself (imagine that!) and I do a better job. And I spend the money on myself, since I am the housekeeper!!

EE
 
Wow, your cleaning lady has an assistant? LOL!

Well, that sucks. I got mine just by asking friends until I found someone who really loved hers. But she's only OK--she doesn't really follow directions. After specifically telling her never to touch my laundry (I'm very particular about my clothes & most of them never go in the dryer) she took the load I'd put in my washer befor I left for work Tuesday & put it in the dryer. I was furious--I had undies & bras in there that were not cheap that I ALWAYS line dry. Two of the (padded) bras are now totally misshapen.

OK now I've hijacked your thread. I just needed to vent about that a little. Good luck in finding someone else! :)
 
I'm sorry you got dumped by your cleaning lady. Did you try telling her how much you appreciate her and that you would like her to come back? It's worth a shot if you really loved the work she did.
 
thanks everyone !!

Maximus - that sucks about your bras and undies - you should make her pay!

I am just so upset because I'm feeling like I'm a bad housekeeper (which, I sort of am, because I'm soo busy & my DH could care less if a bomb exploded in the kitchen - he'd just walk by it without even blinking an eye!)

Anyway, I'll try out that link - but I live in Canada and I doubt it provides service here!

I'd like to hear other cute/funny/complaints about cleaning ladies!
 
Lynne,

Maybe you should've straightened your house out before they showed up like a couple of the other women here, LOL! :)

You know, this is just going to encourage them to keep doing that :D
 
I know - it's kinda funny actually! I'm now going to have to clean before the cleaning lady comes - oh brother! LOL - ok, now I'm laughing about the whole thing!

BTW - I am going to encourage my friend to dump her out of protest too!
 
Lynne,

I own a housecleaning business that is small in comparison to the big companies. I keep everything very personal and indivualized to cater to the clients needs. I have never ever dumped a client because they were too messy. If my girls are reporting to me that a house is gross with filth then yes I talk with the client and tell them that we have time limitations and may have to increase price. I would never dump them and especially if they had given me so many referrals. I doubt your house is filthy or gross. I have dumped clienst for being too difficult but even that was only after going out of my way to resolve the issue.

She has an assisstant? I don't even have one! I have girls that work for me so maybe that is just as good :) I handle all client contact on my own though. Like I said we cater to the clients needs so for those of you who have problems with your cleaning people I suggest you find a company that does. Also one that values you as a client. Without clients I don't have a business so I take the attitude the Client is always right.

I wish you luck with this Lynne. I would call her personally if I were you.

Terri
 
yes, I've left her a few messages - she returned one of them but I was out. she just said "hi, I'm returning your call" and that's it.

My house is not gross with filth - just not tidy, that's all. And, yes I have referred her to at least 7 clients because she's so good. Not once has she complained about filth but I'm betting she's thinking its far too much work to clean around the toys and other things that are out etc.

My DH has a habit of leaving all breakfast dishes in the sink when the dishwasher is clean and he doesn't have time to unload it - things like that. ( I leave far earlier than DH so breakfast time is his time with kids and yes, he doesn't really clean up after... and she comes in and has to do the tidying)

She doesn't really have an assistant, i think. SHe has a woman who answers her phone occasionally & I think she's does the books. she's the one who called, which was really upsetting!!! thanks for your help. I wish you lived near me - you could do my house!!
 
I wish that I could too Lynne! You would love my service if I say so myself. We even will house sit and dog watch for our clients:) For a select few we even run errands!

Terri
 
After 11 years with various cleaning people and a theft of jewelry, I went to flylady.com and became my own housekeeper. It is worth a look at the website and the book sink reflections.
No offense to the wonderful woman who owns a cleaning business. I just had the misfortune to not ever find a good fit with a cleaning service.


Judy
AKA "Likes2bfit"
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I don't get it. Someone who cleans for a living, and gets paid for it, wants to quit a job because she has to clean? Does that make sense to anyone? If it's really filthy, messy crappy dirty (à la chez moi!), then she would just spend more time, and get paid the equivalent.

I once asked a lawn service/landscaping dude to hand weed a small plot in the back, and he said "I don't have time for that." WTF? You just charge for the time it takes!

Could your cleaning lady have some other, undisclosed reason for not continuing. Maybe something that in her mind bothers her about you beyond your messiness. Maybe she was offended by seeing the types of magazines you read, and took a dislike to you? I'm just throwing out something here. People can be strange and have motivations that make no sense to anyone else.

And how stupid of her to say that the reason was because you are too far out of the way, when you could easily find out that she is still working for your neighbor. (Maybe have your neighbor casually bring up in a conversation somehow why she isn't working for you any more. For example, she could say, "oh, by the way, are you going to see Lynn soon? I have (some bogus excuse for needing to know). " Then cleaning lady may say she is no longer working for you, and neighbor can ask why. Sneaky, isn't it?;-) )
 
Yes - sneaky. I will try. HOnestly, our house isn't filthy as in bugs, mice and other infestations! we just aren't super tidy! My closet is a tad messy but for the most part, our beds are made every day etc. toys are a bit out of hand and children's socks seems to find themselves into every nook and cranny or corner...oh and, yes sometimes we bring tea or coffee to our room and we have, on occasion, forgotten the empty cups there. that's the sort of thing we're talking about - but infestations or bad smells or mould in corners don't happen.

Thanks for all the replies! By the way, to the woman who owns the cleaning service - what exactly is filth in your opinion? tell us!
 
Lynne.

From what you described your house is far from filthy! Sounds lived in and there is nothing wrong with that.

Filthy is when there are dishes that have been left sitting around too long and has mold. Or animal feces left to sit on the floor and you just wannt to throw up! Bugs would be another reason that I would deny a client. I cannot risk taking roaches from one house to another. We all know how fast they multiply! I have had clients with mice but I tell them and they usually call someone to take care of it. Filth is exactly what you would think. Things that have been left unattended for too long. From what I can tell there is no reason for her to dump you (as far as your tidyness goes). I would call her and be straight forward until you get an answer.

I will admit we all like the houses that are super neat as it is less work. We can get straight to the cleaning and not worry about picking up first. It is rare, especially when there are children though that we don't have to pick up at least a little. People hire my company for a reason is how I look at it. If they wanted to clean then they would't need us. To what degree we go to all depends on the client and how I have bid the job. Some need more attention then others and we go the extra mile too make everyone happy.

I wish you luck and let us know if you find out her real reason!

Terri
 
Wow Terri -- where do you live?

When I first moved into my house, I asked my neighbor if she used a cleaning service. She told me about this wonderful housekeeper she has and that the price is much cheaper than a cleaning service. Even though I was hesitant (something uneasy about a stranger coming into my home, touching my stuff), I tried her lady (who works with her sisters and neices). I came home to the cleanest house I've ever had. Talk about a good first impression! I've used her ever since. Yes, we've had some "issues" on occasion (had to tell them to stop doing my laundry -- like Maximus, I lost a couple of items to the dryer, a couple of broken things, and for some reason they keep unplugging the electronics!). They still do the towels, sheets, essentially the stuff you can't mess up. My house is one of the easy ones, so I think she likes me too. She has a key to my home (which I didn't give until I trusted her). I've even left money laying out and it is still there when I get home.

I recently told her that I'm moving and would like her to clean my new house. My former SO also wants her to clean for him -- so I had to tell her that we are splitting (we haven't told our neighbors because we'd like to avoid the whole "what happened?" talks). So I asked her not to tell our neighbor (the one who had told me about her). She said "absolutely" and went off on a tirade about how terrible my neighbor is to her and hasn't given her a raise in over 10 years! And follows her around making sure everything is done "just right". And she threatens to tell all the neighbors not to use her service if she quits.

Wow...so now I'm wondering if she thinks something bad about me? I think I'm a good customer (I tip them even) and my house is nearly spotless anyway most of the time (except the bathrooms...they always get a little dirty with the soap residue ... ick). I guess she would have refused to work for me at my new house if she didn't like me. Now I'm a bit paranoid!

I think Kathryn said something that was "dead-on" -- sometimes people have their own reasons for quitting. Don't take it personally. Your house doesn't sound that bad too me!

Shonie
 
Shonie-I live in denver colorado....so if you know anybody who needs a cleaning service in the metrop area here, let me know :)
 
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