[Tosh]

There's an ex-window cleaner starting up again and he's dropping off a leaflet which the main selling point is:

Quote from leaflet:

Want your windows cleaned the Old Way?

I just thought that would cheer Squeaky up.

I haven't lost any customers yet (that I know of anyway), and I can't complain since I've shoved my leaflets through the doors of countless other window cleaners (including this guys when he was a window cleaner first time round).

It's a naff leaflet though; it's as rough as Squeaky's haircut. 

[AuRavelling79]

Sure it's not squeaky putting the leaflets out?

[Tosh]

Sure it's not squeaky putting the leaflets out?

Nah,

the leaflet that was shown to me was from a house whose valution would be about the £200K mark; it's also in an estate that he would class as 'council' (though they're all private).

Squeaks only cleans £500K plus houses with nothing less than a BMW 5 series parked on the marble-gravelled drive.

[elite mike]

surely the old way was to gob on the windows

and rub with an old pair of tights 

[alanwilson]

I've seen guys round our way cleaning the really old way - with a chamois.

[AuRavelling79]

Tosh, re: Squeaky -

As John Cleese famously said in Fawlty Towers to the American who told him he wouldn't board his dog in a dump like this. - "Fussy is he? - Poodle?"

[matt]

funny enough

i was asked to " check over" a flyer similar to this this week, a trad guy going for the "old is better line"

[Sir Squeaky]

I had it through my door.

The funniest bit is "Ten years experience"

He did it for about 2 or 3 years, then had a taxi company, then did fencing, then came to windows last month.
He started windows 10 years ago, but actually has about 3 years experience at the most.

Can't blame him for the "Want your windows cleaned the Old Way?" bit.
I've got a lot of customers he would take if he was in the same areas.

[Sir Squeaky]

Squeaks only cleans £500K plus houses with nothing less than a BMW 5 series parked on the marble-gravelled drive.

5-series? Peasants.

Office boy's company car.

[mr D]

makes a change from leaflets banging on about safe ladderless w/c

here here!

be worned if this guy is any good he WILL take jobs from you. but it sounds like hes a plum there for will do one or two cleans, jack it in again and there be on the phone needing theres done again. good for you coz prices will have to go up

[pjulk]

Give it a couple of years when most window cleaners use WFP.
I think traditional cleaners will be able to charge more for there service as there will always be people wanting them done by hand.

[Sir Squeaky]

Give it a couple of years when most window cleaners use WFP.
I think traditional cleaners will be able to charge more for there service as there will always be people wanting them done by hand.

I said that years ago, but no-one believed me.

I think still think that's right.

[Paul Coleman]

Give it a couple of years when most window cleaners use WFP.
I think traditional cleaners will be able to charge more for there service as there will always be people wanting them done by hand.

I said that years ago, but no-one believed me.

I think still think that's right.

I remember you saying it and I do agree with you.  The real question is whether there will be enough of such customers to enable someone to build a business from it - after all, it is usually a slower way to clean so the price would be higher presumably.

[Tosh]

Give it a couple of years when most window cleaners use WFP.

Most of 'em do use WFP round here.  WFP window cleaners outnumber the trad window cleaners; hence why this guy is using 'Do you want your windows done the old way?' routine.

He's leafletted an estate where we do a lot of work and I haven't lost one customer (I'm just about finished cleaning there).

Saying that, we're not 100% WFP; we trad the ground floors mostly (I work with my eight-and-a-half stone Missis and she says she prefers the way she works with an A Frame and squeegy; rather than use a pole).

So I'm still 'out' on whether customers prefer the squeegy to the pole.  I think once they get acustomed to it; see that it does - at least - an acceptable job (at best a better job to a squeegy), then they're happy to pay.