Key findings
- Missed spots are the most common complaint, about 1 in 6 of all complaints (17%).
- Time problems (late arrivals, cleaners not coming at the agreed time, rushed cleans and last-minute cancellations) together make up about 1 in 7 complaints (15%).
- Money problems (hidden fees, surprise card charges, high prices, price rises and growing bills) make up about 1 in 5 complaints (21%).
The 10 most common complaints
| Rank | Complaint | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Spots get missed | 17% |
| 2 | Hidden fees | 9% |
| 3 | Slow replies | 9% |
| 4 | No-shows | 6% |
| 5 | Complaints not fixed | 6% |
| 6 | Shallow deep cleans | 5% |
| 7 | Surprise card charges | 5% |
| 8 | Last-minute cancellations | 5% |
| 9 | Rushed cleans | 5% |
| 10 | Too expensive | 5% |
1. Spots get missed (17% of complaints)
Awful . Paid 400$ and they didnt even vaccum
For homeowners
Agree on the spots you care about most before the first clean, and check those before the cleaner leaves.
For cleaning businesses
Ask each client for their three must-do spots and check them before you leave. See 10 cleaning business marketing ideas from real customer complaints.
2. Hidden fees (9% of complaints)
I purchased the service and when trying to make the appointment it required another payment. It’s dishonest and I lost my money because I refused to pay more. It should be advertised from beginning at the real price.
For homeowners
Ask for the full price in writing, including any membership, booking or cancellation fees, before you pay anything.
For cleaning businesses
Put one all-in price on every quote and say there are no other fees. See 10 cleaning business offer ideas that win clients without discounts.
3. Slow replies (9% of complaints)
Terrible customer service. Non responsive, passed around from one person to another. Took weeks to get a simple question answered.
For homeowners
Send a question before you book and see how fast they answer, because that is how fast they will answer a problem.
For cleaning businesses
Promise a reply within one working day and keep it. See How to get cleaning clients without cutting your price.
4. No-shows (6% of complaints)
supposed to come to my house at 6.30pm today for 3 hours cleaning. However, she did not turn up and not even a courtesy message to inform that she is unable to make it.
For homeowners
Ask what happens if your cleaner can't come, and who will tell you.
For cleaning businesses
Confirm every visit the day before and call straight away if anything changes. See 10 cleaning business Facebook ad ideas from real customer complaints.
5. Complaints not fixed (6% of complaints)
Gave a large gift certificate for their services to a friend and after 7, bi-monthly visits, they continue to do a poor job. Even with feedback and opportunities to fix the problem, the teams constantly miss areas and do not clean well. They are a disappointment if you want your house clean.
For homeowners
Report a problem in writing within a day, with photos, so there is a record.
For cleaning businesses
Promise to come back and fix anything missed within 48 hours, at no charge. See 10 cleaning business YouTube video ideas that build trust before the first call.
6. Shallow deep cleans (5% of complaints)
Engaged their SPECIALISED post renovation cleaning services at a premium but it was more like a group general cleaning job instead. No special equipment or chemicals were used for this clean job and a lot of post renovation stains still remain after their basic clean job.
For homeowners
Ask for the deep clean checklist room by room, and compare it with what a regular clean includes.
For cleaning businesses
Publish your deep clean checklist so clients see exactly what they pay for. See 10 cleaning business website ideas that turn visitors into bookings.
7. Surprise card charges (5% of complaints)
They never let us know what time they were coming, then they charged our card before they even showed up without informing us, and without any authorization from us.
For homeowners
Before you enter your card, check whether a first-clean deal signs you up for a monthly plan and how to cancel it.
For cleaning businesses
Charge only the amount you agreed, and only after the clean. See 15 cleaning business blog post ideas that answer what customers worry about.
8. Last-minute cancellations (5% of complaints)
Canceled our cleaning on the day of cleaning, 45 minutes before they were supposed to arrive and before the holiday weekend. Not reliable. Would not recommend.
For homeowners
Ask how much notice they give if they cancel, and what you get if they don't.
For cleaning businesses
Promise how much notice you give if you ever have to cancel, and what the client gets if you don't. See 15 cleaning business Facebook post ideas that bring in bookings.
9. Rushed cleans (5% of complaints)
First, let me say, I have had such a hard time finding cleaners who don’t rush through and overlook many details. We are pretty clean by default, so we have felt taken advantage of in the past.
For homeowners
Ask how long the clean should take, and note when your cleaner arrives and leaves.
For cleaning businesses
Send the arrival and leaving times after each clean, so clients see the hours they paid for. See 15 cleaning business Instagram post ideas from real customer complaints.
10. Too expensive (5% of complaints)
Overpriced!!! Ugh honestly disappointed
For homeowners
Compare quotes by what each one includes, not only by the total.
For cleaning businesses
Show what each price includes, so the value is clear before the client compares. See Cleaning business offer examples from real complaints.
How we did this
How we grouped them
Many customers raised more than one problem, so one comment can count in more than one group. Each complaint sits in a group by what went wrong. Shares are of complaints, not of customers, and are rounded to whole numbers.
Limits
These are people who chose to complain in public. They show what goes wrong, not how often cleaners get it wrong.
Use this research
You're free to quote these findings with a link to this page.
Offer Generator, "What customers complain about most when hiring a cleaner", October 2026