Monday, March 12, 2007

Vacuum Rejection

All writers get rejections from editors. There’s no writer who’s been in this profession for a long time who hasn’t gotten rejected at one time or another.

But I got a new kind of rejection last week. My maid service rejected me because I didn’t have the right kind of vacuum cleaner attachment. I’m not kidding. I had a substitute for my regular maid, and she complained that she didn’t like doing the rugs without the beater attachment. Well, I have had maids who HATE that attachment. I’m sure a maid broke mine years ago, and I never replaced it.

The day after the cleaning, the owner of the service called to tell me she couldn’t possibly send anyone else to my house until I got a new beater attachment.

I said, “You’re kidding, right?”
When she said she wasn’t kidding, I said, “so we’ll just leave it that way.” Then I hung up, none too gently.

I was just going to never get the attachment. And never communicate with her again. And I sent dh off to start calling cleaning services to find a new one that brought their own equipment so they wouldn’t have to break mine. But I decided to have a conversation with the owner. She apologized to me. And I would have taken her back. But it turned out dh was more bent out of shape than I was. He said we were going to try another service. So here I am in the brave new world. I think the house is cleaner. I’m not perfectly sure.

Have you ever noticed that house cleaners always start off with a bang? They clean within an inch of their lives. Then things deteriorate. So I’m still waiting to see how it all shakes out.

Rebecca

9 comments:

Vivi Anna said...

Do you find you always have to clean up before the cleaners come over?

I always feel that way.

Rebecca York said...

Well, I don't actually clean. But I straighten up. I do thinkgs like try to get the piles of books, papers and magazines off the bedroom floor. I put away all the dishes in the dish drainer. I pick up shoes and clothing I've left around. I try to get some of the laundry off the floor in front of the washing machine.
Rebecca

Rebecca York said...

Wow, what is it about vacuum cleaners? I didn't know that guys still came around selling them.
Ruth

Rebecca York said...

I had a house with one of those vacuums in the wall. It didn't work as well as you might expect, and when it broke, it was hard to get parts.

Rebecca York said...

Why pergo instead of wood? I've mostly got wood floors--with oriental carpets. (Some brought by my son from his State Department tour in Kazakstan.)
Rebecca

Teresa D'Amario said...

Well, the new floor is installed, and it's gorgeous. The dogs, they aren't quite as happy as the rest of us. The old one can't get on the bed now, he slides too much. I'm going to get him a set of "stairs" at petsmart I think this weekend. The younger one lost his "pig ear" treat under the bed, skating across the floor. Ooops. They'll get used to it, and I want to put a throw rug near where they are fed, to ease up on the spins the older dog gets into when food is around.

But oh it's so much nicer now! I love not having to vacuum all the time!

Oh, BTW, this is a new screen name for a new blog, so pardon me if I confused you. This is MsIsis. That old screen name is now defunct, well, mostly.

Rebecca York said...

Teresa, thanks for clueing me in!!!

Yes, it's great to have a new floor. I remember when I had old cats and I had to help them up on the bed.

I just went to Home Depot yesterday and got a rug runner to cut up because one of my bad cats doesn't like the sisal scratching posts. She wants carpet, so I covered one for her. Let's hope she uses it.

Ruth

You've Got MAIDS said...

Dear Rebecca:

If your maid service couldn't afford its own vacuum, what other line item expenses do you think they were skimping on?

How about workers compensation insurance in case your housekeeper gets hurt in your house. How about 3rd party bonding in case they break or steal something?

Perhaps you lucked out that your maid service fired you.

Best regards,

Frank
http://ygmfranchise.blogspot.com/

Rebecca York said...

Frank, there really are two kinds of maid service. One always brings their own equipment. And the other always uses yours. I've had both. It's just a different approach.
Rebecca