[windows_chepstow]

This evening I answered my phone and it was from a lady asking for a quote.

She told me the following... 

'I'm not very happy with my window cleaner.  He's just put his prices up again.  How much do you charge?'

I told her it depends on her property and where she lives, but as the conversation continued, mostly from her; it turns out she's a nurse who works in accident and emergency in Newport, and when I told her I may charge more than her current window cleaner, she said...

'Come on now, it's not hard to work out how much you guys earn.  And here I am a trained nurse, facing violence on a daily basis.  It's just not fair.'

She did sound like she'd been drinking mind.  But then so had I; so I understood her perfectly.  She meant she's highly trained and earning less than what she supposes I'm earning; and it's not fair because I'm only a crappy window cleaner.

I did advise her to leave her profession and become a window cleaner, like I left my 'dangerous' army career and voted with my feet.  Then she wouldn't have a problem with it.

Have you lot had any stroppy people looking for quotes?

[gaza]

I used to get it of my stepson when he was training to be an electrician your only a window cleaner. He really thought he was something special. now hes qualified I still earn more than him.
which realy p..s him of.

The other stepson lost his job just before xmas,so I took him with me,hoping to take him on ,lasted 5 days before refusing to get out of his pit complaining he was tired. Mind you the eldest has shut his mouth now after the younger one told him how hard he had to work.

IM TO OLD TO KNOW IT ALL

GAZA

[Thecleanerservice]

For Sale:  Comlete Encyclopaedia Britannica all volumes...
No longer needed ....Teenage son now knows it all!!!

[Sir Squeaky]

I got told by a customer once that £20+ per hour was disgusting as her husband was a builder and he charges nothing like that.

Yeah right, he may spend more on materials but I know for a fact builders do better than that.

"But your job isn't skilled like his"

Hmmph! What can you say?!!

I wish I had a Range Rover like his....

[Paul Coleman]

I got told by a customer once that £20+ per hour was disgusting as her husband was a builder and he charges nothing like that.

Yeah right, he may spend more on materials but I know for a fact builders do better than that.

"But your job isn't skilled like his"

Hmmph! What can you say?!!

I wish I had a Range Rover like his....

It sounds like the difference between what he earned and what he told her that he earned.  Maybe you should have said that to her to wind her up.

[Paul Coleman]

This evening I answered my phone and it was from a lady asking for a quote.

She told me the following... 

'I'm not very happy with my window cleaner.  He's just put his prices up again.  How much do you charge?'

I told her it depends on her property and where she lives, but as the conversation continued, mostly from her; it turns out she's a nurse who works in accident and emergency in Newport, and when I told her I may charge more than her current window cleaner, she said...

'Come on now, it's not hard to work out how much you guys earn.  And here I am a trained nurse, facing violence on a daily basis.  It's just not fair.'

She did sound like she'd been drinking mind.  But then so had I; so I understood her perfectly.  She meant she's highly trained and earning less than what she supposes I'm earning; and it's not fair because I'm only a crappy window cleaner.

I did advise her to leave her profession and become a window cleaner, like I left my 'dangerous' army career and voted with my feet.  Then she wouldn't have a problem with it.

Have you lot had any stroppy people looking for quotes?

I once had some guy telling me what I should charge him and his neighbours.  I said to him that if he doubled it, he would be getting close.  He even tried to tell me that my van wasn't a business expense.  My response just slipped off the tongue and it was a classic.  I said to him that I would cut a deal.  Basically the deal was that I wouldn't clean his windows if he promised not to do my accounts.  I never got the job of course but at least we parted with good humour.

[Marc's on the Glass, LLC]

Well all you low-lifes...   (j/k)

I see them every day.  Not many have made such assertions to me, but there are those who look down on me like I live in the gutter.  That's fine by me!  I'm laughing all the way to the bank.  I don't want them to know that I make as much as I do.

Though there was that time when someone was really snobby with me.  Made a couple sarcastic and condescending remarks about my profession.  Should've seen the look on their faces when I got into my A8 and drove by.

[Marc's on the Glass, LLC]

I got carried away with the negative part.

That only reflects a small percentage of the people I see...I'm sure you all would agree that most folks enjoy what we do and respect it.  I always have poeple watching me and marveling.  Many make friendly remarks.

I think most view us in a good light...as clever and skilled men and women who probably have a great job and decent life.

[thewindowcleaner1]

One of my stepdaughters was once warned by her teacher that if she did improve her work she would become a windowcleaner like me.

Well I just had to write to him explaining that
to be a window cleaner you need the following abilitys.

To be self motivated
Have basic maths for accounting
develope customer relations
An awarness of Health and safty issues
ect
but the best thing about being a self employed window cleaner was that I did not have to take crap or be run down by other people.(plus there was every chance that I was earning more than him.

[Londoner]

Its true !
 people judge you on what they think you are.

A humble window cleaner is low on the list despite the fact that you may be earning a lot more than the so called respectable professions like teacher or police officer.

Go to one of the posh golf clubs and put window cleaner on your application. Then see how you get on when it goes before the membership commitee.

[thewindowcleaner1]

Go to one of the posh golf clubs and put window cleaner on your application. Then see how you get on when it goes before the membership commitee

On any form I fill in I descride my job as

"Glass cleansing technician"

they are then stunned when I explain the description.

[kcc]

The other one to use is  'Vision technician'   

[matt]

we have all had it

i was collecting from a few houses near to me,i park outside these houses, walk to the pub i also clean, collect from the pub then back to the few houses

1 wasnt in, or so i thought, as Im getting on the car, the guy comes out of his house, he had been out the garden and didnt hear the bell

so he comes over to the car and starts to chat "nice car, what you do win the lottery", Hmmmmmm no its my family car, "BUT YOUR ONLY A WINDOW CLEANER, how can you afford a 10 K car"

it makes me laugh

[Sir Squeaky]

Or often you get "We must be paying you too much!"

[Mike_G]

I have known window cleaners lose jobs because they collected money in nice cars, you must be charging to much to have a car like that is the usual comment!  and then the phone call.... we have found a cheaper window cleaner

 

[H h20]

It`s all the costs they just don`t get,car insurance,public liability,personal insurance,petrol while working and collecting no holiday pay,what do they think all this is free? they either want a window cleaner or not,all my customers are more than pleased with my work and know they pay for a good job not a cowboy with a dirty rag,as the sayin goes you get what you pay for.

[Marc's on the Glass, LLC]

Have you ever intentionally gotten someone wet if they were rude?

Come on, be honest

[liscannor]

At the end of the day it is hard work and we should hold up our head up high.The Western World was built on hard work and toughness it wasnt built by sending an e-mail or making a telephone call or it wasnt done overnight.The London underground system, Channel tunnel, The Motorway Network,The Hoover Dam, Brooklyn Bridge and The Empire State building along with the Pyramids were built by men who werent AFRAID to toil and sweat. The next time you get a put down, remember it is people like us (the workers of the world) who have made THEIR life possible....... and yes in my opinion we should be paid alot more and respected alot more for that.

[H h20]

Have you ever intentionally gotten someone wet if they were rude?

Come on, be honest

Wet them with?

[Marc's on the Glass, LLC]

Oh... just a little flick with the squeegie can send a little water projectile.

I won't say I get them intentionally, but when rude ones plow their way through entrances I'm working on or have no regard for what I am doing, I just am not real careful.

 

[gaza]

Iused to get looked upon as a low life worker cus I was working amoungst low life people,and some pond life w/c came and under cut me by 1.50p,the lowlifes went with him.

Now its a case of getting better work and looking more like a pro,Ive all the wfp equipment you could possibly fit into a long wheel base tranny,and driving about I ve seen some high buildings that before I would nt have seen.

feeling that Ive purged myself of this low life scum image,I m looking to replace them,its not going to be easy starting again from scratch,but I m worthy of a better image.

 Im not a class war fan or think IM BETTER THAN ANYONE ELSE
but I do believe you are what you eat.and just lately I ve had to eat the proverble.
If anyone wants to look down on me because Im just a w/c Iwill just tell them my equipment is worth more than their car,and you are paying for it if you dont like it take a hike:
iM NOT PREPARED TO TAKE PRISIONERS ANYMORE SHOOT TO KILL.
RE We had a builder around to give us a price on a job [block paving]on the front.told him how we wanted it done,He replied Im the builder leave it to me you will get a loverly job
IVE A BETTER way of doing it.will wait and see.

My proof is doing what I say I can do,not saying I can do it when I carnt.

[gaza]

SORRY PRESSED THE WRONG BUTTON: re PREVIOUS POST: I liked his confidence +his air of arrogance{ in a nice way} think I will try his method ,Im a window cleaner and all you are is a teacher,Dr, policeman, fireman etc etc . CERTAINLY WON ME OVER.

 GAZA

[Thecleanerservice]

You climb 15 feet on average to clean their windows, so how dare you!!
You grumpy underprivileged windowcleaners.

On the other hand... Do they realize that you can kill yourself by falling from as little as 8 feet up!  So you risk your internal organs, even life, every day, to keep their windows clean, for an average of £15 quid a time!!!

We are no unsung heroes!!  Cos we are not saving anyone else's lives, only our own... to keep their windows clean.
So keep doing what you do, but do it safely.... Cos there's not many of us left.
Pj

[matt]

Have you ever intentionally gotten someone wet if they were rude?

Come on, be honest

is this some kinda sex question

the ruder the wetter 

[Marc's on the Glass, LLC]

Um....  Let me check.

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...

No.

[texas girl]

Oh yes, I know exactly what you mean!

I have been around for a while now and I began my business at age 23.

I just graduated from college with a degree to teach. I chose window cleaning as a business because I loved it and I think either you love it or you hate it.

As a favor to a freind I did her business for lack of doing other things that summer.

Well, my investment returned that day; had 3 stores to do as regulars after that day!

I never did teach.

I tell some folks when they think I charge too much for doing their windows (residentials mostly) that an ex-ray costs more than the bid in case someone falls.

Truth is I have acted like I could not hear some people when they commented (had head phones on) on the street.

That is why I say window cleaning is so wonderful! We laugh all the way to the bank!  Yes, we do work very hard as we should. Basics. All about basics.

I always said to myself "you are showing your lack of intelligence, manners, etc"; I ignored 95% of it all. 5 %  weakened me to response. 

Smile inside. We are proffessionals, and have enough competition. We do not want more. So let them think what they want. 

Hope you all make a lot of money this next week!

[Marc's on the Glass, LLC]

There is no shortage of ignorant people.  You will always run into one.

However, there are many more decent folk who value people and their trade.

I especially enjoy doing residentials that haven't been cleaned in a while.  It makes a huge difference in how they feel.  It creates an aura, really.  There is serenity, and flow of energy.  I'm not making this up!  My latest Res. customer is a yoga instructor.  She appreciated the change in her home's atmosphere so much that she has put it on her website.  She also tipped me pretty well.

I definitely get more positive remarks than negative.

[rosskesava]

Hi

Interesting topic.

I don't know if I'm alone but I don't care how I am perceived by those I wouldn't give the time of day to anyway.

Those that see me as just a 'window cleaner' are fine by me provided they pay the price I'm asking.

Those who look down their noses at any tradesmen, skilled or unskilled don't bother to understand the nuts and bolts of our society and are not worth the time of of day.

I'm happy doing what I do and to me that is all that matters plus earning enough.

Most peoples properties we do are happy we clean their windows and some place it as very important.

Cheers

[dustycorner]

Hi all,

Perception is a funny thing i have a large round centred around a market town in Suffolk. I'm originally from outskirts of London, i have a few customers who think i'm a direct descendant of Arthur Daley or Del Trotter just because of my accent. Its not my fault i don't have webbed feet like the rest of the locals.

Cheers Mark. 

[dai]

There are many of us shiners that have done so called skilled jobs.
I an a skilled centre lathe turner by trade. I then moved on to computor controlled milling machines and machine centres, working in the machine shop at British aerospace amonst others.
I do what I do because I choose to and I am proud of it.
If you retain your integrity you are any mans equal, be he high court judge or rat catcher. Each and every one of us is as entitled to his self respect as the next. I clean windows, if a small minority think it is demeaning, then it is their problem. I love and I am loved and I'm happy.  That fact alone will be an annoyance to some. I'm certainly not goig to worry about it for even a second. Dai

[rosskesava]

Hi Dai

I know a postman who is and has been a magistrate for about 20 years.

I'm also a qualified toolmaker with a HND (Higher National Diploma). I'm also a member by qualifications, be it years ago when I worried about such things, of the Institude of Mechanical Technicians so I can legally sign my name as Ross Pettigrew M.Tech HND.

Sounds good eh?

It all means nothing.

But ... I loved turning and milling and all that apart from when I tried to find out if a work piece was secure on a magnetic base on a surface grinder by seeing if by hand I could move it, which I could, and it came free and I ground half my finger away.

I'm also happy window cleaning and I'm happy to tell people that and I'm amazed at how many people who are wealthy (etc) who understand that simple point as well as ordinary people. I'm also astounded at how many people who are people in day to day jobs say that I'm so lucky to be happy in my work.

Having done so called 'good' jobs myself - give me window cleaning anytime.

I ended up window cleaning to start with just to earn a few bob.

I think stuff anyone who has airs and graces that any man is better then another purely by what job they do.

Cheers

[dai]

Hi ross, I still have a myford lathe in the shed. I aint going to be buying any brush jets or push on hose connectors. dai

[Thecleanerservice]

I say!!  Pettigrew is enough to impress me never mind yer HND

Pj

[Marc's on the Glass, LLC]

I think people who look down on others simply are not happy with themselves, or their lot.

I know of men and women who have Bachelors/Masters Degrees in various fields but do not have a career in them.  Then, some who do have gotten at the top only to realize they hate their job.

They're miserable, and they try to convince themselves that they are better, so that they feel better...but that feeling is short lived as reality soon grabs hold of them again.

But I'll repeat myself - There are certainly more people who look upon w/c with admiration and delight than there are negative thinkers.  At least, that's how it seem here.

[rosskesava]

Hi Marc's On the Glass

We do the windows of an older lady who is the personnal assistant to the chairman of a national bank. She travels all over the world and although just a 'personal assitant', she earns a bomb.

She hasn't any children and is un married as she was a 'career' girl when younger.

We do her windows when she phones us and she always makes us a cuppa at half time as her place is quite large and takes the 3 of us 2 hours to do.

She is open in that she is not happy in her job and she envies us our freedom in how we work and the fact that we are happy doing what we do and she always sits and has a chat.

One other bloke/wally who is a stock market speculator with money left to him by Daddy says that he could not possibly bear to known as a simple window cleaner. He has a smile like a viper poised to bite and he is always advertising for a new cleaner because he is so rude by nature.

Then there is an old man who is the something earl to somewhere and is wealthy and he is the perfect gentleman and knows how to speak to others and took the time and trouble a few years ago to draw up a business plan for us to take to a bank and free of charge..

I guess it just how people are and I don't know if there is anyway to generalise as to what a person is like by how much money they have or how they got it but like you, I think most have respect for window cleaners.

I just go by how they treat me which in the main is ok to very good.

Hi Dai

Your own lathe........ am turning green with envy................. 

Hi Thecleanerservice

I hate my name. My middle name is embarisingly Kirkwood. So my name is Rosskesava Kirkwood Pettigrew. (The s in kesava is pronounced 'sh') I hate the name. Half Sweedish and half Scottish. The worst of both worlds.

Cheers

[zeusjazmin]

i think there is an element of jelousy regarding us
lots of folk say to me "it must be great to srart and finish when you want"
i think their biggest gripe is when they watch us working and then say "it takes you 10 minutes to clean my house @£3,thats £18 per hour,,,,thats £ about £150 a day,,,,,,,thats ££750 a week..........tats £ 40,000 a year,youve cleaned windows for 15 years ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,you must be nearly a millionaire!!!!!!! oh and yes we see naked women every day

[rosskesava]

Oh, I forgot the naked women.

Of course we see them all the time don't we.

The only naked couple I ever stumbled on were sunbathing in their garden next to the place we were cleaning and were in their sixties.

I saw them when I was up the ladder.

Very erotic.

Not.

Cheers

[gaza]

DAI: MYFORDS FACTORY is now a car sales pitch here in NOTTM

 GAZA

[Thecleanerservice]

Mr Rosskesava Kirkwood Pettigrew..
If that is your real name you should have it displayed on that amazing meat wagon of yours.
I'm one half Irish and the other half is ....Irish!!  My real name is Pat Joyce (2 girls names!)  You think I'm gonna advertise that.  My car is a Honda Civic.  Nothing wrong with that except I hit a red deer 2 weeks ago, so it's been in the repair shop ever since.
Like you most of the time I don't really bother what people think of us, I've been cleaning windows 18 years, raised a family, still hapilly married, drinking nice cool lager, life is good..i love my job , most of the time.
Signed Pj (looks better)

[dai]

Gaza I am sorry to hear of the demise of Myford. That's the way engineering's gone in the U.K. I'm afraid, we don't seem to make much these days. After years of hearing "we could all be down the road if we don't get this next order." I feel so lucky to be doing what I am.
I had recurring nightmares about been back in engineering 5 years after I started as a WC. Honest to God no joking, I would wake up in a cold sweat. When redundancy finally came it was liberation. I'm 62 now and my only regret is I wasted all those years getting qualified and stuck in a smelly machine shop. I should have gone into wc after I first worked as one at the age of 16. Dai

[thewindowcleaner1]

The only naked couple I ever stumbled on were sunbathing in their garden next to the place we were cleaning and were in their sixties

The only naked people I,ve ever seen were both around the 20st mark and all I saw was the rear end, like somthing out of Dr Who...

Now I use a pole I,ve very little chance of getting an eye full, the jobs nothing like the Carry on window cleaning, (shame that)

[Terry_Burrows]

 ;)many moons ago,I was up in  a cradle some 100ft,and it looked over a pub,
every day at the same time,she would come to the window a strip off ::)off come the top and the bottom,she had venetian blinds up the window,what she did not think about was!the way they where tilted,we could see everything from above,this job took us a very long time to finish :

[Marc's on the Glass, LLC]

How people perceive us...

;)many moons ago,I was up in a cradle some 100ft,and it looked over a pub,
every day at the same time,she would come to the window a strip off ::)off come the top and the bottom,she had venetian blinds up the window,what she did not think about was!the way they where tilted,we could see everything from above,this job took us a very long time to finish :

...as lascivious lechers?

 

[Londoner]

You gotta get what you can these days !