*sigh* Looks like I'm going to be looking for another housekeeper!

I found the most amazing cleaning help in January of this year.  She's fast and she's thorough, and after she's left, it really looks like the place has been cleaned.

However, she's proven herself to be less than reliable.

Let me start from the beginning:

When I hired her I told her specifically that for the the first 2 months she would be coming on Saturday, but after that the day would be changing to either Thursday or Friday (her choice), because I wanted my apartment cleaned for the weekend so that I could have my weekend back to myself.

I planned on having her come for the first couple months, on Saturday while I was home,  so I could get to know her before giving her a key to my apartment. This was a huge inconvenience to me because that meant one of my 2 days off during the week was tied up with me babysitting the housekeeper.

After only 3 weeks she tells me that Saturday isn't good for her anymore because of her other job and she wanted to come on Fridays.  I had gotten to know her a little, so I was ok with giving her a key.  She came twice on Friday, then one day she tells me that she can't come the next week because of her other job and asked if she could come on Saturday!   I reminded her that she told me Saturday wasn't good for her, and that Fridays were.  Then she asked if she could come on Tuesday.  I repeatedly told her that I wanted her to come late in the week on Thursday or Friday so that my apartment was clean for the weekend and that Monday or Tuesday wasn't good because I want my apartment clean for the weekend, not after the weekend, and that Wednesday is not good because it is my medical day off from work and I am often sleeping much of that day.

For awhile she was good. Thursday without fail.  Once or twice she sent me a text telling me that she was sick and couldn't make it, but would be there the next day, which was fine.

Initially I was having her come every week but then I reduced my hours to part time at work so I talked to her about that and we arranged for her to come every 2 weeks (on my payday week) on Thursday.

A few times she again asked about coming on a weekend, or a Monday or Tuesday. I've told her repeatedly that I hired her for either Thursday or Friday.

A month ago she texted me that she was sick and couldn't come.  Things happen, so I asked if she thought she would be able to come the next day on Friday. She was working the Friday so she asked again about coming on Sunday. I told her again, weekends are not good for me, and that she can come the next week on Thursday.  She was agreeable to that.

The next Thursday comes and I get home from work and my apartment is the way I had left it.  I texted her and she said that she forgot to send me a message and that she was busy with her son's grad and couldn't come.  No apology, nothing.

She was due to come this past Thursday. I sent her several texts over a few days to check if she was going to come.  She never answered.  Finally I phoned her at her home # which I had luckily hung onto.  Turns out her cell phone is either broken or disconnected, not sure.  But she was using her husband's phone now so she wasn't getting my messages.  She came on Thursday as planned (a month since her last visit), and I told her that the next time she comes on the 17th (her usual day), to be prepared to stay for the full 4 hours, because I'm on vacation that week and I want her to help me with some additional things around the house.

She sent me a text today saying that she is working at her other job on the 17th and can't come, and again asked about Monday or Tuesday or the Saturday.

Not related to her days of work, but in April she asked me if I could advance her money.  She wanted me to pay her for that day, but in advance of her next visit, which meant that on her next visit I wouldn't pay her anything because I had already paid it to her in advance.  I didn't want to get into that kind of stuff, so I politely explained that I was on a tight budget now that I was working part time and couldn't afford to do that.

Anyway, I'm frustrated with her.   When she comes she does a good job, but I feel like she's taking advantage of me.  I'm not a difficult person, I don't make a lot of demands on her. Every time she comes I leave her a note thanking her for doing such a good job, and periodically I leave her a gift of some sort: Bath and Body Works hand lotion or shower gel, a gift card to a coffee shop etc, to show my appreciation.

I just sent her a reply to her message saying that Thursday the 17th is supposed to be her regular day to come, and that she started to come Fridays but couldn't come most Fridays because of her other job. Then she changed it to Thursday.  Now she's telling me that Thursdays are a problem too. And I again reiterated that I want her to come either Thursday or Friday and that she picked Thursday as her day of work for me.

If she doesn't come on the 17th, I'm firing her.  I am providing reliable work, cleaning a 2 bedroom apartment (only cleaning one bedroom, so bascially a 1 bedroom apartment).  I'm paying her $80 for work that takes her only 2 hours to do, and it's tax free cash under the table for her.  And I expect her to be reliable too.

Uhh! Natalie, I'm so sorry you are having to deal w/ this. She doesn't sound very professional to me. It almost sounds as if she might be trying to get fired.

To not even text you when she missed that time (because of her son's graduation) is so wrong. Personally, I think that kind of thing should have been a phone call anyway.  If she is just doing this on the side w/ another job, she should be firm in what days she is only available from the start w/ clients. (& stick to it).

(& have a set schedule at her other job!).  

Sounds like she was wishy washy w/ the dates for the most part. 

I would try to find someone who only does cleaning for a job, & has those days you want available.

Ask around. maybe you will get a referral from someone who uses a cleaning person.

That's how I built my buisiness in one year!  I had two clients refer me to a neighbor each, & one client referred me to a fellow teacher at the same school.  

It's been a yr. & 3 months sense I started, & I am pretty much all booked up!

I have 9 biweekly clients & 2 once a month clients.

(& have only ever had to "call in" when not feeling well once, & was able to do it the next day, & because it was my biggest house, an old historical downtown,

my mom went w/ me the next day to help me).  

 I may be looking for one more small job to add on the same day I do another small job. (If you lived here, I would gladly add you into my schedule!) 

I wish you all the luck in finding a new person!  Ask around, coworkers, friends, you never know.    

Angels mommy said:

 
Uhh! Natalie, I'm so sorry you are having to deal w/ this. She doesn't sound very professional to me. It almost sounds as if she might be trying to get fired.

To not even text you when she missed that time (because of her son's graduation) is so wrong. Personally, I think that kind of thing should have been a phone call anyway.  If she is just doing this on the side w/ another job, she should be firm in what days she is only available from the start w/ clients. (& stick to it).

(& have a set schedule at her other job!).  

Sounds like she was wishy washy w/ the dates for the most part. 

I would try to find someone who only does cleaning for a job, & has those days you want available.

Ask around. maybe you will get a referral from someone who uses a cleaning person.

That's how I built my buisiness in one year!  I had two clients refer me to a neighbor each, & one client referred me to a fellow teacher at the same school.  

It's been a yr. & 3 months sense I started, & I am pretty much all booked up!

I have 9 biweekly clients & 2 once a month clients.

(& have only ever had to "call in" when not feeling well once, & was able to do it the next day, & because it was my biggest house, an old historical downtown,

my mom went w/ me the next day to help me).  

 I may be looking for one more small job to add on the same day I do another small job. (If you lived here, I would gladly add you into my schedule!) 

I wish you all the luck in finding a new person!  Ask around, coworkers, friends, you never know. 

  

Click to expand...

I was looking for someone for over a year. I wanted to get someone who someone already knew, but was unsuccessful.  So I did a google search for companies, and found one where I can advertise for hired help myself.  So that's what I did.  Got a ton of responses.

It's a shame though. She's really good at what she does.  Her other job is something on the side too, tax free cash under the table.

What I think I'm going to do is let her come on the Tuesday that week, and after she's done,  ask her for my key back and tell her that this isn't working out. I don't want to give her a chance to make a duplicate.  But yeah, I'm done. 

Good idea! Hopefully she's not that kind of person, but you can never be to safe!  

I sent her a message saying she can come on the 16th, which is one of the days she had said she was available.  Funny, she's available for any day other than the 2 that I hired to work on.  I'll sit down and talk to her then and get my key back.

If she's picking up additional work, she should be making them work around her already existing schedule, not juggling existing clients like she has been doing with me.

If she asks me if I'll give her a reference, I'll be honest and tell her that I'll tell people the truth; that  she does a good job, but that I didn't find her to be very reliable when it came to her days of work.

Yes, I agree. When I talked with new clients about starting & days available, I let them know what days I was available because other days were already booked w/ regulars, etc..

My clients have SET days, & a regular schedule. The only time that is deviated from is when we have to work around the holiday schedule, (Thanksgiving & Christmas), or if they are going out of town, etc..