Tell me how to fire my cleaning lady

[isabel]

I don't really know what to say, I guess. Today was kind of a final straw. She is supposed to clean every other week. Started out being Fridays, she asked if she could switch, so it became Wednesday. There have been at least 5 times that she's just not shown up and hasn't responded to texts until much later. She cleaned last week, so she wasn't scheduled to come today. Well, DH texts and says the lady who helps her is there. This girl doesn't speak any English, so H ended up talking to her son. The son said that our normal cleaning person was cleaning someone else's house and had sent the helper. H told her to just stay and paid her, but we're both irritated. It sounds like our cleaner has too much on her plate and is having a hard time managing her schedule.

She's made it too hard to count on her for cleaning when she's supposed to and I'm certainly not ok with paying for cleaning every week when that wasn't the arrangement.

So, give me the words to tell her we're dumping her.

[blondemoment123]

Following this. I'm thinking of letting mine go too.

[sarahbear]

Are you going to call, text or email?

[janegold]

I would just tell her it's not working out and you won't be needing her services in the future.

[janegold]

I mean, with five no shows, this shouldn't come as a shock to her.

[vanillacourage]

"Hi ___ - we appreciate what you've done for us in the past but have made other arrangements for housekeeping moving forward and won't need you to come by again. Thank you."

assume she doesn't have a key, or other complicating factors?

[VeryViolet]

I am a wimp and would tell her we are tightening the purse strings in the new year and she didn't make the budget.

[shopgirl07]

Just keep it simple and tell her you don't need cleaning services anymore.

[thinkofthesoldiers]

"Alice, we appreciate your service, but we are going to find someone more reliable going forward."

Or if you don't want to tell her why, just lie and say you are going to save that money and clean yourself.

[isabel]

Jan 13, 2016 20:48:46 GMT -5 vanillacourage said:

"Hi ___ - we appreciate what you've done for us in the past but have made other arrangements for housekeeping moving forward and won't need you to come by again. Thank you."

assume she doesn't have a key, or other complicating factors?

Oh, I like this!

[sandpiper]

Jan 13, 2016 20:50:04 GMT -5 VeryViolet said:

I am a wimp and would tell her we are tightening the purse strings in the new year and she didn't make the budget.

Ditto.

[sapphireblue]

I agree with the other posters who would just make up a reason like "Our financial priorities have changed and it isn't in our budget anymore."

[flex]

So this stranger had a key to your house, just showed up and started cleaning?

[Deleted]

I would just tell her you've noticed she doesn't have time to clean for you, so you're going to make other arrangements.

[isabel]

Jan 13, 2016 22:05:48 GMT -5 flex said:

So this stranger had a key to your house, just showed up and started cleaning?

No. My MIL is almost always at our house with DS when they come to clean. If she's not, she has her own code to the garage and we leave a key inside the garage for her. We don't leave the key unless we know she's coming.

DH works from home when he's not OOT, so he was also at the house.

I will obviously be changing the garage door code.

[flex]

Yes, what 11d said. I think having someone else come over on a day that your house was NOT scheduled to be cleaned is reason enough to warrant a discontinuation of services.

[bugandbibs]

A simple "we no longer will be needing your services" is fine. By text, email or phone- however you normally communicate.