All About Full-Time Maids

[trimummy]

Coffeedrinker,


From my own past experiences and my friends past experiences, transfer maids are more difficult to manage cos they have been here already and think rather highly of themselves cos they think they are \"experienced\"... They tend to not follow instructions and demand for this and that.

But new, inexperienced ones also got headache, esp those that are quite matured already and work in other countries before. They think they are experts and expect employers to follow their way instead of the other way around!

Whatever it is, no guarantee the maid is good until she starts working for you for a few weeks then u see her true colors.

Is it really so tough to get a relatively good maid? I mean \"relatively good\" when I say discount 50% from my expectations???as long as she is honest and hardworking, doesn't sneak out without telling us and preferably no BF? Is that too much to ask?

Why are they so problematic and with no morals? I employ you to work for me and yet I have to fear you and tolerate your nonsense? You are not doing charity work for me, you are being paid to do a job. Don't they have any basic knowledge of responsibility? :slapshead:

And seriously, what's with maids that don't want to learn how to cook these days?? You mean back home she doesn't need to cook for her family? :scratchhead:

[trimummy]

isetan:

Why don't you change to myanmar maid and try it out. A leopard will nvr change it's spot. Just be a bit more careful.

Heard too many horror stories with Myanmar maids and I personally came across one myself...and moreover, we interviewed quite a few and they were only interested in working for small houses and doing basic household chores and insisted on off days.

[straffan23]

A friend asked me a question, and I am not sure how to answer or advise her… Her maid gets to use handphone "upon request", starting with weekly but sometimes her money runs out and she won’t ask for it until after her payday… However, she accidentally found out that the maid had been going through her things in the study and bedroom and drawers - to find her phone and use it when they are out working. She takes care of an infant and has been with them for 9 months.


On the one had, if this is the only thing she does, because phone is so damn important to her… then fine. It is not such a big deal. But knowing this incident raised a lot of "what-ifs" and of course, the question remains - should she get a replacement, do without maid (they have 3 kids, ftwm)… My position on this is also undecided… dunno what to say… any help?

[Funz]

I had 1 maid for 9yrs, she was an ex-sing maid. Wonderful maid. She will be leaving us soon. I just hired another ex-sing maid with 11yrs of experience, speaks English, understands some Chinese and Hokkien. My current maid is doing a handover to the new maid now. So far the new maid seems quite ok, pleasant, lots of initiative and eager to learn.


I prefer experienced maids as I do not have the patience to train from scratch. I have no issue with giving them space and freedom so I guess that reduces the issues that experienced maids will give. But whatever it is, I state very clearly to agent and maid, any hanky panky or bad attitude, it is back home they go, not transfer.

I see a lot of Phil maids in my estate, all rather havoc and loud, usually yakking on the phone or among themselves, mostly working for expat families, they come and go but I guess to be fair, the expat families come and go too. I see some Indon maids, usually quiet and keep to themselves, when they are out and about the estate with their young charge, most of them do not have a phone with them. Most of them have been around for a few years with their employers.

Because of the dynamics of the maids I see in my estate, I decided to go with an Indon maid. If the reverse were true, I will go with a Phil maid.

[jacsplace]

Hi straffan23,


What proof does your friend have that it’s the maid who went through her things? If she can provide evidence that it was indeed the maid, then she should confront the maid and tell her that she shouldn’t be doing this. She may also want to draw up a list for both herself and the maid to countersign against, then display the list prominently so it serves as a reminder. Tell maid list will be added to if new "misdemeanours" come up.

It’s really too much work having a maid. They behave like children, not adults. What’s the point.

[POA Teacher]

Funz:

I see some Indon maids, usually quiet and keep to themselves, when they are out and about the estate with their young charge, most of them do not have a phone with them. Most of them have been around for a few years with their employers.


Because of the dynamics of the maids I see in my estate, I decided to go with an Indon maid. If the reverse were true, I will go with a Phil maid.

Wow!! The Indon maids in your estate must be pretty special. ALL my Indon FDW's friends have handphones. They call and sms at all hours. My maid resisted having one until less than a year ago (Before thayt she used the house phone to call home, and whenever her relatives wanted her to call, they tel me and hang up when the phone rang). She used to laugh at them and at my sibling's maid for wasting money, and for having that earphone on when doing housework.
But now....... she's joined the club! :stompfeet:

[Funz]

POA Teacher:

Funz:

I see some Indon maids, usually quiet and keep to themselves, when they are out and about the estate with their young charge, most of them do not have a phone with them. Most of them have been around for a few years with their employers.


Because of the dynamics of the maids I see in my estate, I decided to go with an Indon maid. If the reverse were true, I will go with a Phil maid.

Wow!! The Indon maids in your estate must be pretty special. ALL my Indon FDW's friends have handphones. They call and sms at all hours. My maid resisted having one until less than a year ago (Before thayt she used the house phone to call home, and whenever her relatives wanted her to call, they tel me and hang up when the phone rang). She used to laugh at them and at my sibling's maid for wasting money, and for having that earphone on when doing housework.
But now....... she's joined the club! :stompfeet:

I think they may have their own phones, just like my maid has her own phone and their phones may be with them but most of them, I observed, are not yakking away on the phone while out with their young charge. Good and bad for them to have their phones with them all the time. For instance when kids were younger, sometimes maid will bring them to the playground/pool and because she left her phone at home, I cannot reach her if I needed to. Listening to music using their phone while working I am ok but yakking away, I do not like.

[jacsplace]

I think Filipinos are just naturally friendly. I don’t mind, but wish they would understand that they should put their work first during work hours, then can chat later when work is done. I have seen many maids around my estate who are supposed to be walking the dog but instead stand in one place yakking away on phone.

[straffan23]

Oh, someone accidentally turned on the video mode on the camera, so the maid was caught red handed. It wasn’t so much of a handphone issue, but trust. Friend had also previously busted the maid for sneaking out to withdraw money, buy things, etc.

[Gluttonish]

advise please - my neighbour has been scolding my maid directly for chatting with her maid.


our kitchen windows face each other, so inevitably, the maids will have some sort of interaction.

I’ve tried telling my neighbour nicely that as much as we tell our maid not to talk to each other, if she has any further issues/discoveries, she can let me know instead of shouting at my maid directly.

she went bersek and started scolding me too.

is there anyway to resolve this? sigh.