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I have been set an impossible task

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benion

My firm started cleaning a solicitors office last year when most of the rooms were vacant. Since then the number of staff has TREBLED and evey room is full. We have been given an extra hour up to 3 a day but it is just impossible emptying the bins alone takes 90 minutes. The office manager has demanded I sack cleaner after cleaner even though some of them are good and is now demanding we draw up a rota of what we do every day. I have a new girl starting tomorrow and I predict she will last 49 hours until madam decides she needs to go. We need a minimum of 9 hours a day to carry out this monumental task and nothing I do is good enough. Considering talking to the head solicitor about this what would you do?
 
If it really needs 9 hours a day, then I would say you need more cleaners to get the job done quicker. If the budget is not there for more staff, then your firm has underquoted and you need ro renegotiate the price so you can provide the service your client wants. If the job has changed since you started, then so should your prices. Failing that, get out and chalk it up to experience.
 
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benion said:
My firm started cleaning a solicitors office last year when most of the rooms were vacant. Since then the number of staff has TREBLED and evey room is full. We have been given an extra hour up to 3 a day but it is just impossible emptying the bins alone takes 90 minutes. The office manager has demanded I sack cleaner after cleaner even though some of them are good and is now demanding we draw up a rota of what we do every day. I have a new girl starting tomorrow and I predict she will last 49 hours until madam decides she needs to go. We need a minimum of 9 hours a day to carry out this monumental task and nothing I do is good enough. Considering talking to the head solicitor about this what would you do?
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How many rooms? Cleaning offices is no where near as arduous a task as cleaning a home ( kitchen and bathrooms for example) and if one cleaner can clean a house once a week four bedroom top to bottom including two lounges, etc. etc. in four hrs, I can't see what is taking s long to lightly dust, Hoover and empty a few bins. Ninty mins to empty bins?? Three hours a day sounds more than enough to me. You have nine??

In my youth I did a spot of cleaning for Tescos, me and around four others cleaned the entire store, shop floor, staff room canteen, loos the lot in two hours. I did the entire upstairs myself! Their canteen included kitchen and a dining hall akin to school dining hall. I think your boss is quite right wondering how you spend your time.
 
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There is a MASSIVE difference between cleaning a 4 bed house and offices with at least 150 staff in them. The rooms I am talking about as not for one worker, some have up to 40
 
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To be honest I am thinking of walking away from the whole business altogether. I have a severely disabled husband and beautiful toddler I hardly see. I feel like a "busy fool" grafting and grafting for a pittance.
 
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Also cleaning companies get treated like sh*t. One client said last week he thought I was lying about my doctorate as people with my qualifications should be doing better than this. I left medical research as I hated killing and cutting up innocent animals.
 
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benion said:
There is a MASSIVE difference between cleaning a 4 bed house and offices with at least 150 staff in them. The rooms I am talking about as not for one worker, some have up to 40
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Wow, never seen a firm of solicitors that huge. Hence important for us to know room numbers :) most sol firms near me are smaller than four bed house lol. I guess they aren't doing that well.

Meanwhile when I was Pm for health centre, we also only had two cleaners for maybe six hrs a week total. And that was a pretty huge centre. It took up a third of the street.

I wonder if your client feels a similar sense of bewilderment? I would try to satisfy her bewilderment not by replacing staff at a whim but by inviting her to perhaps observe your team at work so she can see what they're doing and how long it takes. She will either willingly and gratefully accept the offer or decline and shut up about it hence forth.

When I cleaned Tescos all those moons ago I did have to tell my boss to ' clean it herself' if she thought she could do better than I did cleaning entire upper level of Tescos in two hrs. It did indeed shut her up! I had to clean all the table and chair legs to make the steel all shiny and mirror like as well as all the traditional stuff and on forty plus tables and chairs that was no mean feat. People DO expect too much of cleaners that is a fact but I have also kNown many shirkers.
 
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Sorry post cut off just wanted to say the sacked lady works another site for me and they think she is excellent
 
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You need to stop being pushed around by your client. If you have excellent cleaners and they cant do the job as specified then the spec is wrong and your cleaners are not.

There is little point in sacking good cleaners as you will very soon run out of good cleaners.

You need to respecify the job, and re- negotiate if necessary. Or just run the contract to the end of term with your current team, then walk away.
 
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I think you just need to put your foot down and say she gets what she pays for. If she wants a better job done, your staff need more hrs to complete it. If that is you feel it is definitely the solution and you are confident in your team. Don't sacrifice a good team for anyone.
 
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When I sacked the last cleaner she said she was surprised she had lasted as long as she had and complained some solicitors spoke to her like she was dirt. She was glad to go.
 
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I'm sorry, it sounds so tough for you.
But I would certainly put in your contract that your staff need to be treated with respect.

The difficulty in what you are doing is that although companies need cleaners, they will not perceive it as contributing to their performance only a necessity and cost.

After seeing solicitors in action when I was taken to court once they seem to have few scrupples about applying unjust pressure on people. Even their for own clients they went to court when there was no chance of winning but charged fees for doing so. The adversarial system of law seems to bring out the worst.

Don't let this ruin your life, or spend your weekends in tears. It might be time to review where you are getting your clients, your terms and conditions, or failing that whether your skills would be used better elsewhere.
 
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If the client changes the parameters of the contract then they have essentially broken it. You would be legally entitled to perform your original contract unless you had it very badly drafted. Any abuse of your staff by the client could see you in trouble and would certainly backfire when you in return put the firm of solicitors in the dock.
 
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I would go with the general gist on this one - it's tough getting work, but you cannot work for nothing

Sit down and calculate what is realistic & reasonable for the job.

Re-approach the employer and point out that they have breached the original contract and here is what you propose moving forward.

Stipulate that you are responsible for delivering results and will recruit as appropriate to do that.

Also point out, politely but firmly - that you cannot tolerate rudeness or abusive behaviour towards your staff.

They will either let you go and employ another mug to do it at your rate = win

Or they will back down & agree to your terms = win.
 
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With regards to the lack of respect for your cleaners, personally I'd be taking this up straight away with the company itself.

They've changed the parameters of the contract as previously stated, they've taken on more staff and expect you to cover the costs? You're running a business not a charity. You need to stick your business head on and deal with it professionally.

As someone who has a partner who runs her own cleaning company I can assure you if anyone disrespected her on site she'd deal with it there and then. She isn't a pushover. as I'm sure you're not... I think you're letting your personal life control your business head to be honest...

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying you're a bad business woman at all nor am I having a go, what I'm saying is that when other things get on top of you such as your husbands health, missing your little one and anything else...it is only natural to stress out and leave things till "later" - as most know in business later doesn't always come around.

I think you should get your business suit on, get on over to the company in question with a new contract and tell them that they are expecting too much for the price that they're paying... take them a copy of the old contract or any emails/letter discussing the work entailed and show them how it's changed on their behalf therefore in order to continue your level of service the contract has to be changed, present it and see what they say/do.

IF they come back at you with anything you don't like, let them know... you're there to provide them with a service afterall, how can you provide them with the correct level of service if they've made changes without including your services to them?

Go get em! :)
 
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It must be difficult if this is your biggest client. I'm sure you don't want to loose the business but it sounds like its having a terrible effect on you and people who work for you.

If you are stone cold convinced it can't be cleaned any faster and the goalposts have been changed then it's obvious you'll need to take this back to your client.

If they have expanded so much, one must assume they are making the money to pay you.
 
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Started a lovely girl this morning who did a good job. She has just resigned (by TEXT something that does pee me off) saying she loved working for me but felt very pressurized and felt there was no way anyone could clean that place in 3 hours.
 
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Benion,

With all due respect chuck, this company is causing your business harm.

You're now losing staff! Your staff know that what they want is an impossible task, you know it is - it's about time they knew it too.

You need to get in there and sort it out as soon as possible before you end up losing more staff - Despite this lass resigning so soon, is there no other work/contract that you could get her to do?

Seems a shame losing someone because of a clients actions.
 
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I have told the office manager it is an impossible task but I am getting nowhere with her.

Am speaking to the head solicitor tomorrow. Just fed up. It is a waste of time and damaging to my other contracts which end up being rearranged around it
 
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It sounds to me that keeping this client could cost you all your staff and maybe even your business. Either renegotiate or give them notice.
 
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if you are seing the head solicitor take some stats with you, don't go in half set. Have dates and times, mention the amount of work as agrteed at the time of the contract acceptance, then mention how the company has grown and how it is now simply impossible for you to carry the increase any longer.

Tell them, no TELL THEM what you want, and that unless that is agreed to you will only be able to provide the contracted hours going forward, that being 3 hours, and that they will have to provide you with a list of tasks they want done, you will then confirm the time taken for each task, and they can mix and match tasks to time as required.

Do NOT let them walk over you, you are a well educated person, as well qualified as they are, you are their equal, just because they employ your services, it doesn't make your position weaker.
 
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that is brilliant advice! I will get the new cleaner to time every task and then ask them what they want done and on what day.
really they should be paying me a recruitment/training fee for the cleaner i have just lost
 
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My experience of legal people and contracts is they work like this...


A promises to do make or provide something to B
B promises to pay A so much for doing so.

B is not at all concerned about how A does what they promise or how much it costs A to do so, B is only concerned about whether A did what they promised (and of course that can include quality, delivery schedule and so forth)

So really you need to focus on what was agreed. If you quoted on empty offices and the whole scene has now changed that is what you need to say to them.

"I promised to clean an empty office for £xxx, This is not what you are presenting and therefore does not relate to the contract." possibly if you want to quote, "To clean the offices as they are now occupied it will be £xxxxxx, and the terms will include a) b) c)... including the way your staff are treated."

Avoid going down the route of justifying your workload and keep it to what was agreed. Otherwise they will run rings around you, imply you do not manage properly and insult your staff. All of this will wear you down. It in a way is none of their business how your staff do the job, just that they are doing what you promised in amount and quality in a particular environment.

As for them harrassing and abusing your staff, this is entirely unacceptable. If you can I would walk from this company. It is just not worth your stress and loosing good staff. You will end up loosing your business.
 
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Your staff will see you as the person in the wrong, not the solicitors. They look to you to protect them and ensure they can do their jobs in the time allowed, also to protect them from harassment or bad treatment.

I want closure.

When are you having the meeting? Report back ASAP. I need to know you are going to be OK.

PS I once had a solicitor complain of only getting 99 balloons in a bag of 100. Who paid for him to count those I wonder? I sent him the one extra balloon.
 
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I am in floods of tears again today and was going to collect my stuff and just leave but husband thinks that is a stupid move. New cleaner today had to go as she was not good enough in fairness I would have sacked her anyway as she was useless and then the head solicitor (not the office manager who has so far been the pain) got me into the office and gave me an almighty rollicking and threatened to cancel the contract. I have offered to do 5 hours unpaid overtime but why the hell should I. If it wasn't for speaking to my husband on the mobile I would have just walked out. I have bent over backwards for these people and seem to spend more on this contract than all my others combined.

I really just want to tell them to piss off and find another mug.

I started this cleaning firm after years of drug addiction and bipolar as some form of rehabilitation and just wish I had never bothered. Just want to be at home with husband and lovely son


I st
 
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Would it not be better to be out of this contract?

The head solicitor is taking the mick, you say he gave you a rollicking, it sounds like you should have given him one for letting his staff treat yours badly. Just because he thinks he is right doesnt mean he is. Remember solicitors try to bluster their version of the facts as truth for a job.

Dont offer to do overtime, get to the facts that the variation in contract needs to be addressed and see what they say. Its not in anyones interests to have you in a contract that is not possible.

How is the contract worded? Are you supplying them with x hours of labour or is it a list of jobs?

Dont be afraid to lose the contract, it sounds like this will be the best solution for you. Sometimes it is a good thing to lose the bad customers - how much time and effort is wasted on this that could be used more productively elsewehere?
 
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bovine said:
Would it not be better to be out of this contract?

The head solicitor is taking the mick, you say he gave you a rollicking, it sounds like you should have given him one for letting his staff treat yours badly. Just because he thinks he is right doesnt mean he is. Remember solicitors try to bluster their version of the facts as truth for a job.

Dont offer to do overtime, get to the facts that the variation in contract needs to be addressed and see what they say. Its not in anyones interests to have you in a contract that is not possible.

How is the contract worded? Are you supplying them with x hours of labour or is it a list of jobs?

Dont be afraid to lose the contract, it sounds like this will be the best solution for you. Sometimes it is a good thing to lose the bad customers - how much time and effort is wasted on this that could be used more productively elsewehere?
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Explain to them you are happy to supply a Rolls Royce level of contract but you require Roll Royce money .
Just tell them to sling their hook and wash their own cutlery
 
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benion said:
I really just want to tell them to piss off and find another mug.
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And there you have it :)

They are solicitors for goodness sake. They would know full well that when you entered into a contract you did it on the basis of empty rooms and that the need would change later as it filled up with people but you neglected to take that into consideration with your commercial contract with them.

You need to think not only about what money you are losing here with your time and effort on the actual cleaning side but also your business reputation and word gets around that you recruit cleaners for impossible tasks, and also what else you could be working on and spending your time doing instead of putting your effort into something that sounds completely not profitable and unpleasant to boot.

But make no mistake about it ... running a business is not easy. If it was then everyone would be doing it :)
 
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Here is what you should do.

First and foremost ring up this Office Manager and tell them the following.

Who on earth do you think you're speaking too exactly? You are not my Manager, if you wish to speak to your staff the way you spoke to me then carry on, but in future you will refer to me as Mrs [insert name here].

Secondly, my offer of 5 hours unpaid is no longer on the table. I've thought about your actions and you can seriously get off your high horse and this is what is going to happen from now on.

MY staff will clean the offices as per contracted the 3 hours. Any additional time spent on site and it will be chargeable as per the requirements and changes within your site.

Thirdly, I'll be making an official complaint to your superiors about how you and your staff treat my staff.
 
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bovine said:
Remember solicitors try to bluster their version of the facts as truth for a job.
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That's what I was trying to say, bullying is a way of life for them. I've even heard that from a friend who became a solicitor and could not square it with his sense of justice and left.

Please realise this is nothing to do with you or with your staff. It is all about their attitude being all wrong. Let them find another. I have a sneaky feeling that will end in tears too.
 
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Give them their final bill and walk away. You will come back from this, just not with this lot as clients.

Best of luck.
 
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I honestly think I need to walk away but husband says I am a fool to do this.

I am jeopardizing my other contracts while spending ages there.

I nearly punched the head solicitor today.

They are a bunch of tw*ts
 
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