For the last six months or so, I've had someone coming to clean my house weekly. She gets the house acceptably clean and charges an amount I consider reasonable. Financially, it's about a wash for us to pay her to do it vs me working a few less hours a week and cleaning the house myself.
However, there are weeks she can't come or we can't be here (someone's sick, out of town, whatever). I know she relies on the income, so I've always offered the opportunity to make-up the appointment, or to stay longer the next time she comes and work on more occasional cleaning (windows, ceiling fans, washing walls, inside appliances, etc). She says she appreciates it, we schedule a time and I arrange my schedule to be home, and then she doesn't come. No call, no nothing, we just don't see her until the next time she's scheduled
She lost her part-time day job, and I know she's been looking for something full time. If she finds something full time, she won't come and clean for us anymore, probably with about a week's notice.
She's always running 15 minutes late, such that I've arranged for my daughter to go to after school care on the days that the house gets cleaned because otherwise I'm late to pick up. We've tried moving the schedule earlier or later or to another day - but we couldn't find a time that worked better for both of us.
Recently her parents were in a car accident and her father was very badly hurt. I have no problem with her taking as much time as she needs to help her family. The first week I knew she wasn't coming. The second week I hadn't heard anything and guessed she wasn't coming (and she didn't, but I stayed home in case). The third week she called to say she was coming, then emailed to cancel that morning. The fourth week she said she was coming and came. I have no idea what week five (this week) will be. I know her dad has a few more weeks in the hospital, and then is going home.
So - what would you do? In general I think that we're a bad match, but not a terrible match. At what point do you start looking for someone new to clean? I know how I'm going to handle the situation, I'm just curious how other people make choices like this.
However, there are weeks she can't come or we can't be here (someone's sick, out of town, whatever). I know she relies on the income, so I've always offered the opportunity to make-up the appointment, or to stay longer the next time she comes and work on more occasional cleaning (windows, ceiling fans, washing walls, inside appliances, etc). She says she appreciates it, we schedule a time and I arrange my schedule to be home, and then she doesn't come. No call, no nothing, we just don't see her until the next time she's scheduled
She lost her part-time day job, and I know she's been looking for something full time. If she finds something full time, she won't come and clean for us anymore, probably with about a week's notice.
She's always running 15 minutes late, such that I've arranged for my daughter to go to after school care on the days that the house gets cleaned because otherwise I'm late to pick up. We've tried moving the schedule earlier or later or to another day - but we couldn't find a time that worked better for both of us.
Recently her parents were in a car accident and her father was very badly hurt. I have no problem with her taking as much time as she needs to help her family. The first week I knew she wasn't coming. The second week I hadn't heard anything and guessed she wasn't coming (and she didn't, but I stayed home in case). The third week she called to say she was coming, then emailed to cancel that morning. The fourth week she said she was coming and came. I have no idea what week five (this week) will be. I know her dad has a few more weeks in the hospital, and then is going home.
So - what would you do? In general I think that we're a bad match, but not a terrible match. At what point do you start looking for someone new to clean? I know how I'm going to handle the situation, I'm just curious how other people make choices like this.
