Ever since my maid went back to Indonesia for good, I engaged a house cleaning service agent to “spring clean” my house weekly. On the first day, 2 Indonesian cleaners came and I wasn’t satisfied with their work. They washed the toilet without any brushing, just poured water and that’s it! They wiped the cabinets leaving behind strands of wool, sweeping the floor without sweeping under the tables and beds! I almost fell off the chair as I observed how they worked! I kept quiet, in fact I didn’t make any comment / complaints. When they finished their work, I gave them 2 packets of biscuits and made 2 cups of milo for them. When their employer came to pick them up, I told her that I want the same cleaners to clean my house the following week.

The following week came. Same cleaners came. I just sat back and observed them. To my surprise, they worked diligently, much, much better than their first visit! I chatted with them as they worked, found out about their hometowns, their likes and dislikes, their families etc. I literally “make friend” with them. Before they left, I gave them cookies and the following week, their work got better and better! I believe that had I complained to their employer, or had I requested different cleaners and expected them to do a better job, I may still have to “endure” their “chin-chai” cleaning attitude. Their job gets better each week. I guess my little “bribe” pays off after all!