I’ll leave the House Maintenance to Steve
I’ve talked about the communication challenges I face in Singapore in a recent blog, and recently we had a great example. We are living in a serviced apartment for a few months while we sort ourselves out. In the deal we get everything thrown in, including the apartment cleaned twice a week. The problem is they are cleaning it on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Enah, our cute little cleaner, who was donning a lovely fresh tight perm this week, is doing a great job. However I was a bit concerned about the impact on the environment caused by beds being changed two days apart, as well as fresh towels at every servicing. So I asked Enah if it would be OK to only change the beds once a week and the towels if deemed necessary?
That was Tuesday.
Thursday no Enah.
I called housekeeping and asked when the apartment would be serviced? But mam, you told our lady you only want the apartment serviced once a week. Ummm why would I do that? It defies all logic. If she doesn’t come, it means we clean - do you really think I want that. So I said no, that is not the case, I asked Enah not to change the beds and towels. OK we will get back to you.
Fine but please don’t call or knock on the door between 1-4pm as that is the time when our children will sleep. No problem lah.
I’m at a meeting and at 3pm, the door bell rings. It is the head of housekeeping. Steve’s had a hell of a time getting Lex off to sleep, and now the boys are fully awake – Jax sleeps for two hours in the day typically. He loves his sleep that one.
“Sir the mam told Enah only to service the apartment once a week,” the lady explained as both boys were running crazily around the apartment.
Steve said “no she didn’t, she asked her not to change the bed linen twice a week and only to change the towels if needed.”
“No sir, mam said only once a week.”
I think that was my favourite part of the engagement, Steve being told what I said, when he had actually heard me say otherwise. So Steve tried to explain what his environmentally conscious wife was trying to get across and then said, “you know what. Let’s just keep it as is. Two servicings a week, change all beds and all towels. That would be great.”
When I got home, Steve told me what went on leaving me feeling terribly guilty, and then he suggested that from now on, all discussions on any variations to the servicing agreement of the apartment, or any changes to any plans related to the household are firmly his responsibility.
I happily agreed and said OK lah.
Yours, without the bollocks
Andrea
Enah, our cute little cleaner, who was donning a lovely fresh tight perm this week, is doing a great job. However I was a bit concerned about the impact on the environment caused by beds being changed two days apart, as well as fresh towels at every servicing. So I asked Enah if it would be OK to only change the beds once a week and the towels if deemed necessary?
That was Tuesday.
Thursday no Enah.
I called housekeeping and asked when the apartment would be serviced? But mam, you told our lady you only want the apartment serviced once a week. Ummm why would I do that? It defies all logic. If she doesn’t come, it means we clean - do you really think I want that. So I said no, that is not the case, I asked Enah not to change the beds and towels. OK we will get back to you.
Fine but please don’t call or knock on the door between 1-4pm as that is the time when our children will sleep. No problem lah.
I’m at a meeting and at 3pm, the door bell rings. It is the head of housekeeping. Steve’s had a hell of a time getting Lex off to sleep, and now the boys are fully awake – Jax sleeps for two hours in the day typically. He loves his sleep that one.
“Sir the mam told Enah only to service the apartment once a week,” the lady explained as both boys were running crazily around the apartment.
Steve said “no she didn’t, she asked her not to change the bed linen twice a week and only to change the towels if needed.”
“No sir, mam said only once a week.”
I think that was my favourite part of the engagement, Steve being told what I said, when he had actually heard me say otherwise. So Steve tried to explain what his environmentally conscious wife was trying to get across and then said, “you know what. Let’s just keep it as is. Two servicings a week, change all beds and all towels. That would be great.”
When I got home, Steve told me what went on leaving me feeling terribly guilty, and then he suggested that from now on, all discussions on any variations to the servicing agreement of the apartment, or any changes to any plans related to the household are firmly his responsibility.
I happily agreed and said OK lah.
Yours, without the bollocks
Andrea
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