sharlag
Drama Llama
I like my artsy with a little bit of fartsy.
Posts: 6,580
Location: Kansas
Jun 26, 2014 12:57:48 GMT
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Post by sharlag on Aug 12, 2015 21:36:35 GMT
My mom has someone who breaks something about every other visit. Mom describes her actions as going at it with great zest. (Like Tom Cruise on Oprah's couch).
Items broken are a vase, a picture frame she knocked off the wall, and a coffee mug that was hanging on a cup hook.
What would you do?
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Post by lucyg on Aug 12, 2015 21:38:45 GMT
Hide the good stuff or find someone new.
I would never expect a housekeeper or any other hired help to replace things they broke. It happens sometimes. If it happens too often, get someone different.
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Post by beachbum on Aug 12, 2015 21:40:42 GMT
I would first have a talk with her, ask her to slow it down a bit. If it happened again I would be finding another housekeeper.
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StephDRebel
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,692 
Location: Ohio
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Post by StephDRebel on Aug 12, 2015 21:44:05 GMT
I'd get my Donald on. "You're Fired"
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Post by lancermom on Aug 12, 2015 21:44:54 GMT
1st time an accident, 2nd time hmmm??? And a chat. 3rd time I would re-evaluate the relationship and find someone new.
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anaterra
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,082
Location: Texas
Jun 29, 2014 3:04:02 GMT
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Post by anaterra on Aug 12, 2015 21:52:54 GMT
I agree after a couple times shes obviously not that worried... i would speak to her as a warning.. and next time shes gone... its not easy to find someone you trust who does a good job.... but this one is definitely not doing a good job...
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Post by mrssmith on Aug 12, 2015 21:54:13 GMT
If you/she haven't said anything to the housekeeper yet, it's time to do so before she breaks something special/expensive!
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Post by Miss Lerins Momma on Aug 12, 2015 21:56:39 GMT
put away anything breakable/valuable or let her go. If she was a good cleaner, I would just try to put away anything she could break. Some people are just naturally clumsy!
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Post by papercrafteradvocate on Aug 12, 2015 21:58:07 GMT
Isn't that what they are bonded and insured for?
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Post by papersilly on Aug 12, 2015 22:03:58 GMT
my cleaning lady cleans hard. sometimes things get dinged, rarely broken. it's not enough for me to fire her because she is so good and trustworthy. almost 30 years trustworthy. a few broken things wouldn't bug me and if something is that valuable, I would just put them away or put them in a "don't clean here" zone.
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katybee
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,448
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Post by katybee on Aug 12, 2015 23:12:41 GMT
My cleaning people have broken three sets of blinds. They are cheap blinds – but still. I wondered how it happened until I stayed home one day while they were cleaning. Man – did they clean those blinds. I feel like they were attacking them, not cleaning them. They also made a shower curtain fall to the floor, and scrub some wall so hard the paint is starting to come off. I guess I'm just used to cleaning "gently" and they are a little more aggressive. I did talk to the company and ask them to be more gentle with the blinds… We'll see…
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Post by chrissypie on Aug 12, 2015 23:24:10 GMT
I would have a gentle "warning" talk with her and then if it happens again gently "let her go". Awkward, though!
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Post by cherrie on Aug 12, 2015 23:29:46 GMT
My daughters cleaning lady breaks things now and then. It was a great excuse for the grandchildren to take the blame off themselves "Susie broke it"
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Kerri W
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,790
Location: Kentucky
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Post by Kerri W on Aug 12, 2015 23:30:58 GMT
I let my last cleaning person go for mostly this same reason. It started with her melting the shower curtain in the dryer after she washed it. Fortunately the dryer was fine. Then she washed some curtains, dried them and shrunk them all to heckfire. Then we noticed how many light bulbs we were replacing. Usually 2-3 each time she came. She was washing hot bulbs with a wet rag and shattering them. THEN...she dropped a glass soap dispenser in the sink and broke it so badly the sink had to be replaced. Along with the reason below, it was too anxiety inducing for me to have her continue. I was more stressed about her coming to clean than just doing it myself. I'm on my second cleaning lady now and I'm guessing she has probably broken something small here or there but NOT every time she comes and it's something minor.
(The other reason is she refused to use cleaning supplies and would only use Dawn dish soap. Like a large bottle a week. On the carpet and wood end tables which both ended up gummy...it was weird and kind of gross.)
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Oct 6, 2024 10:20:47 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Aug 12, 2015 23:35:26 GMT
1st time an accident, 2nd time hmmm??? And a chat. 3rd time I would re-evaluate the relationship and find someone new. Been there. Done that. Threw out the broken stuff.  That is exactly how I handled it. As an on-going pattern, I really think that it can't be anything but careless or care.less. Either way, the cost of replacements and/or repairs quickly outweighs the cost of the service and the convenience to our household. |
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Oct 6, 2024 10:20:47 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Aug 12, 2015 23:40:24 GMT
I had a cleaning lady break the handle on my shower once. IMO, that's not clumsy...that's just careless and not really giving a rip. I wasn't happy, but it was the only thing she broke.
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akathy
What's For Dinner?
Still peaing from Podunk!
Posts: 4,546
Location: North Dakota
Jun 25, 2014 22:56:55 GMT
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Post by akathy on Aug 12, 2015 23:41:52 GMT
My mom has someone who breaks something about every other visit. Mom describes her actions as going at it with great zest. (Like Tom Cruise on Oprah's couch). Items broken are a vase, a picture frame she knocked off the wall, and a coffee mug that was hanging on a cup hook. What would you do? I've had cleaning ladies for a long time and a few things have gotten broken over the years but the things that broke were things that would've broke if I were cleaning it myself. And by a few I mean like three things over 25+ years. I keep my treasures in a curio cabinet that only I clean. If I were your Mother I would talk to her cleaning lady about it and tell her that if it continues she's going to have to let her go. That is too much breakage in my opinion. |
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Post by ~summer~ on Aug 12, 2015 23:44:10 GMT
Has she said something to her? That is always the first step. Does she need glasses?
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Post by bigbundt on Aug 13, 2015 0:38:03 GMT
Definitely say something to her but be observant afterwards in case she breaks things and then hides them. We had a cleaning person once who would break things and hide them. Most of the things he broke weren't valuable and we wouldn't have cared but the fact that he hid the breakage pissed me off. We ended up letting him go the next time we found something broken.
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Post by anniefb on Aug 13, 2015 1:17:56 GMT
If you/she haven't said anything to the housekeeper yet, it's time to do so before she breaks something special/expensive! |
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Post by txdancermom on Aug 13, 2015 1:58:08 GMT
mine breaks things from time to time - it is accidental and not often, she feels bad when it happens.
if it happened every time I would be talking to her, and warning her that she needs to be careful, or we would need to part ways.
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georgiapea
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,846
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Post by georgiapea on Aug 13, 2015 1:59:22 GMT
I'd get a new cleaning lady. One broken thing ago. They are supposed to know how to clean without wrecking the house.
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Mary Kay Lady
Pearl Clutcher
PeaNut 367,913 Refupea number 1,638
Posts: 3,082
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Post by Mary Kay Lady on Aug 13, 2015 2:15:15 GMT
I'd have a talk with her and tell her that the next thing she breaks means that she's no longer working for me.
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Post by maryland on Aug 13, 2015 2:40:35 GMT
I have never had a cleaning person (that's me!). But if she/he was generally careful, I can understand an occasional accident. My family accidentally breaks things too. But if he/she seems reckless in their cleaning, I would talk with them first and if it keeps happening, look for a replacement. Or if there are shelves with a lot of knick knacks, and that's where they always break things, then I would just have them skip that shelf. Especially if they do a great job otherwise!
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anniebygaslight
Drama Llama
I'd love a cup of tea. #1966
Posts: 7,402
Location: Third Rock from the sun.
Jun 28, 2014 14:08:19 GMT
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Post by anniebygaslight on Aug 13, 2015 7:06:29 GMT
Sack her. She is more trouble than she is worth.
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anniebygaslight
Drama Llama
I'd love a cup of tea. #1966
Posts: 7,402
Location: Third Rock from the sun.
Jun 28, 2014 14:08:19 GMT
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Post by anniebygaslight on Aug 13, 2015 11:53:19 GMT
Then we noticed how many light bulbs we were replacing. Usually 2-3 each time she came. She was washing hot bulbs with a wet rag and shattering them Wait...what? I have never washed a light bulb in my life! Does that make me a slattern? |
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Post by ktdoesntscrap on Aug 13, 2015 12:15:01 GMT
Hide the good stuff or find someone new. I would never expect a housekeeper or any other hired help to replace things they broke. It happens sometimes. If it happens too often, get someone different. I would get some one different.who wants to hide the good stuff? I had a cleaner who always blamed it on the cat.. odd the cat never broke a thing when the cleaner wasn't there. She often wouldn't even tell me... I would just notice the broken item in the trash. |
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mallie
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,253
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Post by mallie on Aug 13, 2015 12:28:59 GMT
Honestly, that much breakage is not normal. time for a cleaner. The reason to hire a cleaner is to save time, effort, stresses. How is this person doing that for your mother?
And there is now way in hell I'd be going to the trouble of and spending the time hiding my good stuff to prevent breakage from the hired help.
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Kerri W
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,790
Location: Kentucky
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Post by Kerri W on Aug 13, 2015 12:30:36 GMT
Then we noticed how many light bulbs we were replacing. Usually 2-3 each time she came. She was washing hot bulbs with a wet rag and shattering them Wait...what? I have never washed a light bulb in my life! Does that make me a slattern? Well if you're a slattern then I am as well. Of corse there were many times my deck would be scrubbed to gleaming while she completely forgot to even broom sweep the kitchen floor. Like I said, her breaking things was only one of the reasons she had to go. |
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sharlag
Drama Llama
I like my artsy with a little bit of fartsy.
Posts: 6,580
Location: Kansas
Jun 26, 2014 12:57:48 GMT
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Post by sharlag on Aug 13, 2015 13:36:17 GMT
Then we noticed how many light bulbs we were replacing. Usually 2-3 each time she came. She was washing hot bulbs with a wet rag and shattering them Wait...what? I have never washed a light bulb in my life! Does that make me a slattern?If the shoe fits, "dirty lightbulb woman"!  |
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That is exactly how I handled it. As an on-going pattern, I really think that it can't be anything but careless or care.less. Either way, the cost of replacements and/or repairs quickly outweighs the cost of the service and the convenience to our household.
