What would it take for you to fire your cleaning lady?
Moms View Message Board: General Discussion Archive: Archive January 2006:
What would it take for you to fire your cleaning lady?
Ok, this is a question / small vent...
First of all, let me say that I really like having my cleaning lady come every other week!!!! I mean, if dh lost his job, I'd probably sell blood, sell a kidney or my first born to keep the help!! ROFL j/k
Here's the deal. She started in August. Sometime in July or August we *lost* a portable DVD player out of our home. Now I have no proof it was her and it certainly could have been 2 other people that happened to be in the house for other reasons. And it could be that dh and I just did something stupid with it and cant remember. So, I have never thought to much about confronting her or firing her over that.
November is the last time I saw an Emerald and Diamond ring that my dh had made for me our first Christmas together (my birthstone)... Now, we did go on vacation and I cannot for the life of me remember if I took that ring in my jewelry pouch in my luggage or not? So, again, I *could* have lost it at the hotel, could have gotten stolen by luggage handlers at the airport or could have just misplaced it here in my home. I have had it for 6 yrs tho and never lost it? Again, *could* it have been the cleaning lady?  I have NO proof. I just feel sick that I lost *that* ring.
Then in December I notice the decorative wooden *finial* that sits on top of my grandfather clock had been taped together. She knocked it off while cleaning and it broke, she taped it and put it back. She also has scratched the wood floors dragging table across it.
Then she took off for 3 weeks to go on vacation, etc... no problem with that at all.
She came back yesterday and cleaned... she chipped paint off the wall (i think) and then put a planter in front of it. When I moved the planter last night I noticed the chipped paint. Pretty sure it wasnt like that before. Then this morning I noticed that my brand new fish bowl is cracked all the way around. argh!!! She cleaned it and put fresh water in it, which I appreciate, but have NEVER asked her to do for me, and she broke it. I just got that for Christmas.
It takes alot to get to me. She is getting to me! I am ready to tell her not to come back.
I would definitley tell her not to come back. Just one of those incidents isn't a big deal, but all of them together! It sounds like your instincts are telling you to let her go, so I would do it. And, it isn't really that she broke something or scratched something, it is the fact that she doesn't tell you and covers it up. I think I would be looking for a new cleaning person.
Ditto Debbie. We went through three cleaning ladys in Panama trying to find a good fit. It never happened. One didn't like dogs and we had a big one! The next couldn't respect the kids and I got tired of telling her the same thing over and over. The last one was just lazy. I think she thought she was more of a nanny than a cleaning person. NOT what we hired her for! Good luck. If you find a good one, hang on to her for everything she's worth! 
I agree. Your gut is clearly telling you not to continue having her in your home. Listen to that little voice.
Yeah, I knew it would help if I wrote it all down and got your opinions. Thanks ladies! I just feel sick about all of it. I am such an optimist, I *really* like to give people the benefit of the doubt. lol It's clear that she has crossed the line several times now.
Thanks!
Conni, I know how you feel about the ring. I had a beautiful ruby and diamond ring that my Grandmother passed down to me(she had boys, and I was the oldest Granddaughter) Well, my neighbor, who was going through a divorce and financial problems) watched my boys one day. I noticed a few days later that my ring was missing. I was so upset. I kept thinking maybe I misplaced it, maybe one of my dks took it. Dh, to this day, thinks our neighbor took it. I think when somehting like this happens, we don't want to believe that someone would do something like that to us.
Does she have a key to your house? I would just tell her that you can't afford the service any longer if you need a reason to let her go.
When we hired a cleaning lady we installed an extra deadbolt to the front door and gave her the key for that one only. On cleaning days I would lock the new lock but not the regular one. This way she did not have access to our house at any other time and making a duplicate of the key was non-issue as she did not have the key to the lock we use everyday.
Our cleaning lady did a few things, broke a vase, but she left me a note. Once she left the sliding door unlocked and Dh and I were both away on busness then denied it when I called her. She left my shoes out in the rain and would throw the dog bed on my bed to clean the floors and she would put my shoes on the bed as well. Sometimes she would only dust half of the wall unit. Strange stuff like that.
I think sometimes it's better to go with a service, this way if you have complaints you don't have to deal with the person directly and you can avoid a confrontation.
Good luck with finding someone new.
Give her the boot!
Ditto Debbie & Melanie!!!!
If you have any doubts about her at all, I would find another cleaning lady.
Boot her.
From the stories I hear from *so* many people, many "every other week" cleaning ladies steal.
Ugh, I agree that your "gut" is telling you something as well.
My cleaning lady is pretty lazy around here, but she doesn't steal stuff! She just needs to get off her butt and do the cleaning! (me!)
My voice teacher was one of the wealthiest and busiest women I knew. She would not hire a cleaning person. She feared that her jewelry - which she had many very fine pieces - would walk away or that the cleaning person would talk about the lady who lived alone and had such beautiful things - ie inviting a theft.
So - give her the heave ho and do it yourself - or get another person, but make sure valuables are locked up in a safe.
Oh - and I had a similar experience. I had an installer come in to put in window blinds. I did not shadow him and left him alone in my bedroom where I used to keep my jewelry.
Well a few days later, I was looking for a ring and was "sick" that I couldn't find it. I thought the only possible explanation was that the man had taken it - and several other pieces that were missing.
Well - eventually I looked in the safe - and there they were. I'd forgotten I'd put them there.
My lesson was never assume anything about anyone, and to keep my valuables safe from then on.
I hope your ring turns up.
You could always say you misplaced it and ask her to keep an eye out for it while she cleans. She may "find" it.
Ame
Definitely fire her, and find a safe place to keep your valuables before you hire the next one. And get references.
We had several things go missing when we had home health aides for my dad, and didn't miss them until it was too late to know which one to blame. Very, very frustrating.
I'd fire her too. No suggestions. but this is one of the many reasons I could never have anyone else to come in and clean my house. I don't want strangers going through my stuff, knowing what I have, and having total access to it.
Is she from a service or a personal hire? Most cleaning people working for a business are bonded. They know that one strike and they're out. I'd feel much safer using a licenced cleaning service.
Too much... She has no respect for you stuff.
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