[fayellen]

I've worked for a customer for over 3 years now starting at 6.80 an hour and still on 6.80 hr, the thing is this particular client makes out she is struggling for money but from my point of view I am being offered 8 ph elsewhere yet would feel guilty for giving her a payrise. also how often would you say self employed cleaners give their client a payrise.

[davep]

Make up a pretend company and leave a flyer on the mat saying cleaners form £12 per hr, tell her the next day due to increased materials costs you need £10 per hr.  Job done 

[Bartosz]

Use to work for one company (not cleaning) 4 years 6£ ph  NIGHTMARE

[gordonswindows]

Never an easy one this

If you have been with her long term, she and you will look upon the relationship as "friends"

Friends don't take advantage of each other and she is of you

If your not friends it is purely business

You began working to make money and this person is stopping you from doing this. Stop feeling awkward about the situation as she has had more than her moneys worth out of you.

Three years THREE YEARS and not a thought of how your expenses have risen, not a jot about how much more work you do now than in the begining, not a moments concern for your business growth, and not ever any consideration or support for the loyalty you have shown towards her.

£6.80 huh we pay some of our employee cleaners £7.85, you are not only supposed to get paid for your services but you are supposed to make a profit.

Having done some public speaking to local business I have found the most common problem they all share is ...............................................................................they won't ask for the money.................ASK FOR THE (YOUR) MONEY

They are scared to chase a late payment in case they upset a customer well a customer is someone who pays for goods and services so if they dont pay they are not a customer. Ask for the money and if you lose them they were never a customer that you would want anyway

£6.80 an hour and feeling guilty ?  No way.  Sit her down tell her how you feel and have felt , tell her the new price (dont be scared to ask for what you want) and then it is up to her to decide.

Go get them tiger IT IS YOUR MONEY

Good luck

Gordon

[suffolkclean]

Well said Gordon. Tell her you can no longer afford provide the service at the current price, the new rate is £10 per hour (or whatever you want but I'd say £10 min per hr). If she is happy with your service she will pay it, if not there will be others who will.

[fayellen]

Thanks all.. like your way of thinking Gordon!! yes your right have been thinking about saying I've been offered other work for 8 ph elsewhere so you can either pay it or I'm off and about the friends thing it is kinda that way but then again she gave me an hours notice a few weeks back that she didn't need me, would you treat a friend like that!!
To be honest I've just been doing 15 minutes to 30 mins less to make up the money that way.. naughty I know but I'm kinda feeling resentful towards her... bad I know should just have it out!! I will !!
£10 per hour in Yorkshire you having a tin bath!!

[suffolkclean]

Do you actually run this as a business or not? I take it you don't have insurance incase you break anything or wreck someones carpet. I'm sorry but its because of people like you people expect to pay £7 per hour & don't understand the expenses involved in running a business.
Think about it - if gordonswindows is paying his cleaners £7.85 per hour + extra on top of that for Insurance, NI/Tax/Uniforms, his time for managing all their work & wages mmmm if he charges the customer £8 hr he'll be making a loss.
You increase your prices to £8 an hour I'm sure the £1.20 extra will make a huge difference to your lifestyle

Good Luck

[fayellen]

I'm self employed and i don't employ anyone so I thought 8 an hour is fine. I do ok from it and the amount of people that say to me 8 ph you earn more than me!!! and your a cleaner...don't agree with the last bit as cleaning is hard work but seriously it's getting very tiresome the shock of people when they know a cleaner earns 8 ph....maybe that's the problem I need to spend more time with people who realise the worth of a good cleaner!!
People like me... a bit harsh, obviously if I was running an agency then 10 ph would be too low but it's just me myself and I

[Daria Taylor]

Fay,
I'm not going to say much ( or at least as much as i wold like to) on this subject but i have read few of your posts and it's quiet obvious to me that you just see yourself as a cleaner who gets paid a good wage, you don’t see it as you run a business, which is pretty obvious that you don’t, just like i said you work for yourself to make a living.

Let’s put it this way in the last 3 years i have seen dramatic price increases in food, petrol, cleaning chemicals and many other things. So your 6.80 is worth a lot less than it did 3 years ago. You should have increased your prices ever so slightly every year and you wouldn't have been in this position now.

As regards to what Barbara said people like you give people idea that 8ph is too much to ask of a cleaner which makes our lives ( business people )much harder  as we are the ones that have to explain to our customers why 6.80 for a cleaners is not what they should be paying. Plus you have mentioned that you sneak out half an hour earlier, which is very “unprofessional”. The reason why you don’t get paid 8ph is because you have not asked for it, but what you have promised to a customer when you have agreed to clean for her is that you will provide a good reliable and honest service, what you are doing isn't honest!

I apologize for ranting, but i wish people like your self would value themselves a little higher and accept that they run a business and that they are not just "CLEANERS" on £8 an hour.

I'm very surprised Diane not had her say on this yet!
 

Regards
dash t

[suffolkclean]

Well said dash - fayellen I'm sorry if I've seemed to be rude towards you but I just get so frustrated having to try to justify the prices for cleaning when people like yourself are charging silly cheap prices as it mostly goes in the cleaners back pocket while they claim benefits (not saying you are)

When you say your self employed are you properly self employed as in keeping books of expenses, money in, money out, insurance incase you damage anything, pay national insurance & tax?

[dianegreenwood]

hmm can i wade in without ranting??

Fay, I'm sure you are just trying to make a living but as others have said its very difficult for those of us running a business to stomach when someone is charging as little as you are.  I understand that you are working for yourself, but are you aware that if you were getting minimum wage at macdonalds you'd be earning £6.65 per hour including holiday pay?

As for not being able to charge £10 per hour in Yorkshire, trust me a sole cleaner should be charging at least that and companies like mine charge far more (in Yorkshire!).  You should also get yourself some insurance as you are putting yourself at risk.

I pay my team more than you are charging plus they get holiday pay and mileage allowance, uniforms and all the equipment and materials provided so you are selling yourself really short.  They get guaranteed hours per week and if clients go on holiday/cancel etc they still have work whereas a sole cleaner usually gets short notice to cancel and simply loses the money.

I often wonder why people have such a low opinion of cleaners.  They are prepared to give someone their house keys and alarm codes but expect to pay peanuts?  Cleaning is a responsible job.  You are taking care of someone's most expensive possession so value what you do and others will too. 

And when people are surprised you earn more than them, smile sweetly and tell them you are bloody well worth it 

Cheers

Diane

www.freshlymaid.co.uk

[fayellen]

I can fully see where your all coming from so I'm having a right good think I'm either giving them all a pay rise or giving 1 months notice to all my clients. To be honest I hate the school holidays kids and parent, nannies everywhere in my way so was thinking time to give up & try pasture new. And yes i do just see myself as a cleaner a moaning cleaner at the mo 
Thanks all wish I could have a get together with you all then you could drum it into me us cleaners are worth the money!!!
For the record I don't sign on and do declare my earnings but don't have insurance afraid to say