[anders]

Hi i wondered if anyone could help me with this sensitive issue - Ive had a cleaner working for me for years who has never caused me any worries at all. This year she has fallen upon hard times and has had to help her mother out with some money and has had serious money problems. I took on a client 4 months ago, and she is particularly disorganised and messy. Her house looks like its had burglars in whenever Ive seen it, it is really terrible. But now she has complained that 2 pairs of size 6 ladies boots have disappeared, and despite having "turned the house upside down" searching, they cant be found. She says the cleaner is the only person who has been in the house except family members and her children/their friends and is blaming the cleaner - who I know has size 6 feet!!
I dont want to accuse her outright and deduct the money from her pay (£110 in total) but I will lose the customer if I dont come up with the boots!!! Any ideas??

[steve doyle]

hi,

I would as you say aproach this very carefully, "Falling on hard times" is no reason to think people will turn to steeling (rather insulting!), you have years of good service from your employee, that should count for something?

I would caution you to not fall into the trap of putting a few facts together and coming to the wrong conclusion (size 6, money tight, customer cant find some shoes, Hardly convicing IMO) . There may well be 100 other reasons why she cannot find the shoes, Kids took them, she lost them, she might not even be being genuine!

Only a suggestion, but could you switch cleaners for the customer (find reason like change of day/time etc) and tell the customer your staff has been with you for years without a problem but as a gesture of good will if they dont turn up in the next 3 months you will refund the money!

 the cleaner would in my opinion find other items to "take" which she could sell, not be spotted wearing in the street, but you never know!

My own take would be to protect my staff member initially and then diffuse the situation without accusing anyone of either stealing or lying.

[glenda hollis]

She says the cleaner is the only person who has been in the house except family members and her children/their friends and is blaming the cleaner - who I know has size 6 feet!!
I dont want to accuse her outright and deduct the money from her pay (£110 in total) but I will lose the customer if I dont come up with the boots!!! Any ideas??

I am wondering what evidence you have that would stand up to a tribunal if you decided to deduct the money off the cleaner for the loss of the boots. Would it be a huge loss if you and the client parted? Why don't you want to lose them and why if this cleaner is as good as you say has this sort of thing never come to light before? Also, is a client of 4 months a long-term or short-term client by your standards? I ask this as when i worked on my own I had some clients for years and years, but when i managed a cleaning company the average client stayed with us between 3 and 9 months. There was an ulmighty turnover of clients but then there were always more clients wanting work done. Not that i am saying that anyone can afford to lose a client but it doesn't have to be that you keep them at any cost. On my own my clients were the most important thing to me - working as a manager it was my staff that i needed more.

[Fox]

This is a very difficult and sensitive situation, have you spoken to the cleaner about the missing boots?  What does she say?  If you haven't spoken with her, definately do not accuse her of taking them just say the client can't find them and ask if she had tidied them away somewhere.  See what her reaction is, even if it is her she will know that people have noticed this and probably would not risk taking as much as a button again.   

There is obviously no proof to the theft of these boots, I would be inclined to say to the client that you can't just go around accusing people and that if she feels strongly about this and knows it to be the cleaner then the best thing would be for her to call the police to investigate, it is not your job to interrogate staff.  However you can take this cleaner off this job if that will satisfy the client but I strongly recommend giving her hours elsewhere to compensate so that you are not making her a 'victim'.

Fox

[cml]

In addition to Fox's advice above update your client with the outcome on speaking with your staff.  The aim is to ensure her that you have taken this matter seriously and have made enquires on her behalf. 
Nonetheless you cannot be sure that your client will feel at ease with this cleaner around. Switching her with another member of staff may cure this.