Clean It Up

UK Floor Cleaning Forum => Carpet Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: spindle on September 22, 2007, 06:44:03 pm

Title: harressment on the job
Post by: spindle on September 22, 2007, 06:44:03 pm
not had this happen b4 so not to sure how/what to do next........

the wife runs a maid service...........

one of the cleaning staff has made a complaint against one of her clients

that when the cleaner is cleaning in the bathroom he decides to use the facilites (shaving/using toilet/washing)

apparently according to the cleaner last week he shaved then washed face and hands............yesterday(fri) he came in to the bathroom and urinated .

this made the cleaner very uncomfortable.......

the question is how should my wife approach this subject with the customer and what further problems could arise if nothing is reported/recorded

 should they keep some sort of record/details of any reports of harressment

what should she do??


thanks in advance

Title: Re: harressment on the job
Post by: David_Annable on September 22, 2007, 06:52:28 pm
Hi

This is a can of worms.

Customer needs to be told this is not acceptable behaviour.

Keep a record of all incidents, plus records of all conversation with you staff and you & the customer.

I only do Carpet Cleaning but would drop said client asap.

Dave
Title: Re: harressment on the job
Post by: DREAM CLEAN on September 22, 2007, 07:02:57 pm
Hi,

Is this really happening?

Staff and do and say the oddest of things

Change staff and see what happens

Nick
Title: Re: harressment on the job
Post by: john rees on September 22, 2007, 07:03:08 pm
why not just tell the member of your staff to leave the bathroom as soon as he enters? and for them to tell him they will continue to clean in there as soon as he's finished using the room?

                    just a thought
                          
                             All the best
                                  
                                               John :)
Title: Re: harressment on the job
Post by: Mike Osbourne on September 22, 2007, 07:09:31 pm
Get some expert advice. All these comments make common sense to you and I but when you the employer get hauled up you wish you had sorted it proper.

Title: Re: harressment on the job
Post by: ianharper on September 22, 2007, 08:26:37 pm
dump the client, and move on, loads of clients out there. good cleaners harder to get. you also did not say if cleaner was on own or with a second cleaner? just one very good reason to send them out in teams of twos or threes

Title: Re: harressment on the job
Post by: Robert Parry on September 22, 2007, 08:38:49 pm
Although not in the domestic market, we had the same problem on a commercial contract, the gentleman concerned was fired the following day, we still hold the contract.

Behaviour like this is unacceptable, and must not be tolerated, the staff member concerned could file a complaint against you and your customer, you because of a failure to monitor the safety of your staff, and the customer due to harrassment, or even worse.

Also agree with Ian, cleaners out in pairs, lone working regs inclusive  ;D

Regards,

Rob
Title: Re: harressment on the job
Post by: Susan Dean (1stclean) on September 22, 2007, 09:51:48 pm
i was out cleaning in a custy home near durham when the husband walked in legless , he then sat down in the front room and started to make comments on my bum and how big my boobs are  then he started swaering at his wife and getting angrey

me and a  young member of staff were a little worried ,  now i can take a joke and alaff like anybody else but theres a line ,  i couldnt ring hubby because he would of just flipped , kicked the front door off to get me and the gear out  and two wrongs dont make a right

 after removeing the gear bit buy bit  takeing one piece out at a time by me saying to the lad we have finshed with that ,  and then saying a had to change the porty has the brushes were burnting out and i had to  get the other porty out the van we put the gear in the van and drove off at speed , i lefted the job half done then reported him to the police !

they did bugger all ! but i got out safe with all my gear and will never ever do that street again ,

i would just bin the work and move on but that easy for me to say if you can afford too do it then thats ok ,  but if its a big job and you need the work its going to be hard , can you not put the lady  on anthor job and do it yourself ??? 
Title: Re: harressment on the job
Post by: carpet guy on September 22, 2007, 10:21:29 pm
Drop the client.
Title: Re: harressment on the job
Post by: Fintan_Coll on September 22, 2007, 11:35:49 pm
Yes, fire the client on the spot. Full Stop.
Title: Re: harressment on the job
Post by: Mike jones on September 23, 2007, 11:29:38 pm
Did the cleaner really stay put while the bloke performed an ablution.....? seems odd.
Title: Re: harressment on the job
Post by: Mike Halliday on September 24, 2007, 08:18:56 am
without the full detail you should'nt jump to conclusions, talk to his wife, how old was the client? perhaps he suffers from Alzheimer's or is not mentally 100%.

Mike

Title: Re: harressment on the job
Post by: lands on September 24, 2007, 08:58:42 am
As always Mike, the voice of reason.
Title: Re: harressment on the job
Post by: spindle on September 24, 2007, 09:28:21 pm
mike halliday

the guy is married with 2 kids

i have done cc for him b4

he is sri lankan----english wife...............an eccentric millionaire......

mike jones

the cleaner stayed where she was out of pure terror..........

the cleaner in question is a good employee with nothing to gain by starting telling stories



thanks guys for your wise advice!!(will get wife to read your comments )
Title: Re: harressment on the job
Post by: Mike Halliday on September 24, 2007, 10:50:22 pm
do sri lankan have different values to us? perhaps he sees it as normal, but this is no excuse he should respect the customs of this country

Mike
Title: Re: harressment on the job
Post by: Bertie Boo on September 24, 2007, 11:23:39 pm


the cleaner in question is a good employee with nothing to gain by starting telling stories




You obviously belive the cleaner (you know her, we dont, so we can trust your judgement on that one then) and you obviously want to keep her, so it seems to me that the only option is to loose the customer.

Unless you decide you want a quiet word with him, but it's his word against hers and there's no guarentee he wont do it again. is your wife's company under any legal obligations to continue working for him?

Don't mean to sound flipant, but to me it seems very simple - there is little evidence to back-up what the cleaner has said and you dont want to lose. What else can you do but drop the client?

Stephen
Title: Re: harressment on the job
Post by: Bertie Boo on September 24, 2007, 11:30:30 pm
Sorry, just re-read your post. Question is how does your wife approach it with the customer? Could she not write a general letter (as if to all her clients), explaining that bed and bathrooms MUST be vacant whilst being cleaned?

Even so, will you ever be fully able to trust this guy again (even if he's inncoent). Sounds to me like the damage is already done. Is your wife ever going to feel comfortable sending her staff in their again? Does she have any male staff that can do the job?

Stephen

Title: Re: harressment on the job
Post by: spindle on September 24, 2007, 11:32:44 pm
yes mike it may be possible that he see's no error in what he has done?

which is why the wife would like some other opinions

but he should at least understand the basic values/customs.............

i wonder if the  sri lankans are anything like indian culture where women are seen as lesser beings?? ???     and even lower for being his cleaner??

any ideas?

bertie

i think that a quiet word from the wife may suffice ......there are no contracts/ties so dropping him wouldnt be a problem

i have suggested to the wife that she documents events and conversations for her companys protection



she could send me in to clean :o :o

wife will talk to him tomorrow .............



Title: Re: harressment on the job
Post by: Bertie Boo on September 24, 2007, 11:38:16 pm
Well if you think that there is enough evidence to warrent a 'quiet word' then hopefully it will do the trick.

Will your wife be comfortable sending people there though?

Stephen
Title: Re: harressment on the job
Post by: spindle on September 25, 2007, 12:02:04 am
i have to admit i am not comfortable about sending any staff in although as suggested by ian harper send them in in pairs.......thats an option

but i dislike the idea that the wife sends in cleaners and something similar or worse happens........

the guilt would be unbearable not to mention the legal implications

i am in favour of ousting the client.........but its the wifes and biz partner decision to make.
Title: Re: harressment on the job
Post by: turneylogan on September 25, 2007, 03:20:44 pm
We won't let our staff suffer what we won't put up with ourselves. We've had a naked vicar with dementia, faeces on floors and on the bed, and plenty of complete s***holes with maggots, vermin, and insects, used condoms on floors, used sanitary towels dumped straight into bathroom bins. We don't put up with it and we refuse to come back. One member of staff lifted the lid on a toilet and found it full to the brim of excrement. She then had to rush to another toilet to be sick, only to find it too, was full of the same stuff. I went to verify and was angry that the customer had not told us that all 4 WCs were the same and had been for some time. We're fortunate enough to have a waiting list of customers though.
Title: Re: harressment on the job
Post by: Ian Rochester on September 25, 2007, 05:37:51 pm
We obviously don't know all the facts, but if it was me I would:

Have an immediate meeting with the client and discuss what has happened to your cleaner.

Find out the facts and if it happens again .......... walk out no question.
Title: Re: harressment on the job
Post by: stevegunn on September 25, 2007, 05:41:22 pm
Had a 70+ lady go and put her bathing costume on with her tights over the top because it was warm :o :o
Title: Re: harressment on the job
Post by: Ian Rochester on September 25, 2007, 05:49:37 pm
You get all the good ones ;D
Title: Re: harressment on the job
Post by: John Kelly on September 25, 2007, 06:13:17 pm
I bet she was South of the Tyne.
Title: Re: harressment on the job
Post by: spindle on October 08, 2007, 09:11:54 pm
the wife had  a little chat with him.............

hopefully problem resolved!!


the cleaner that he had on friday had nothing to report.

it maybe that the cleaner was making a meal of it


thanks for your help guys