remotivating housecleaners?

[an-art-worker.livejournal.com]

Not exactly D^2 but since I live here....

I have had a Brazilian couple coming in every other week to do housecleaning for the last couple of years. Most of the time I am not here so I leave a key, etc. The deal is/was two hours for $60 (= $15./hr per person). They don't speak much English so it's been a little dodgey at times communicating what they should do and all that. (I think their English gets worse when I have asked them to do more... ;-) I don't even know if they put in the two hours or not.

The thing is I have been growing more discontent with what they do but because of inertia and whatever I haven't put any effort into either trying to re-motivate them or finding someone else.

So here's the questions:
-Is it typical that housecleaners get bored over time and just race through doing the bare minimum?
-Is it unreasonable for me to expect them to do more than the basics - (i.e. that if the place isn't trashed and there is time they will find things to do)

I guess I am wondering what is reasonable to expect.

Comments

[heliograph.livejournal.com]

So where you work, how do they reward you for two years of service?

[icecreamempress.livejournal.com]

I actually am a freelance worker, and it's rare for clients to increase the per-hour rate automatically every two years.