Earlier today, we had a last minute cancellation from a customer, Jenny (not her real name). As always, we refer her to our cancellation policy which states that we are unable to offer a refund for same-day cancellations. At the time, we were not aware of the situation surrounding the cancellation. Only later did we learn she has a sudden meeting she had to attend.
Jenny was very upset that no rescheduling or refund could be offered and was very vocal about it. Perhaps it is timely for us to explain the rationale behind our cancellation policy.
Not offering any refund on last minute cancellations isn’t something that we like to do. It is, however, a common practice also applied in other cleaning agencies and in other industries where the cost of the service cannot be mitigated, even if the service is not performed.
When there is a cancellation on the same day, the cleaner who is supposed to attend to the job will lose her income for that particular day. Our independent crew who work on a part-time basis often rely heavily on this source of income to support themselves and their family. This is why we decided that they would still earn their share for the day despite last minute cancellations by clients.
Jenny argued that it would be better for her to just reschedule the session with the cleaner directly instead of contacting Maideasy. Yes, the cleaner might agree to the last minute rescheduling, but the key point here is that the effect remains the same. She has lost her ability to earn her expected income for the day, a big chunk of her weekly earnings. Our cleaners, many of whom come from lower-income background, may say yes to last minute changes because they feel that they are in no position to negotiate. Despite the severe hit on their financial situation, they are often polite about it to the clients.
Understandably, this is not an ideal solution for all parties involved, and we understand that cancellation is sometimes unavoidable. We work very hard to improve our processes and policies for your convenience and will continue to find solutions to handle situations like this better. Perhaps one day, we will be able to offer full refund on last-minute cancellations, and if we do, we’ll be more than happy to announce it.
Thank you for your understanding and for continuously supporting our local cleaning crew.