Why do People look down at you because you clean windows?

« **on:** July 10, 2010, 08:19:43 pm »

Hi. Why do some people look down at me and my new profession?

I never looked down at my window cleaner when i wasn't one

« **Reply #1 on:** July 10, 2010, 08:22:29 pm »

i dont think they do,you are just paranoid

« **Reply #2 on:** July 10, 2010, 08:23:29 pm »

perhaps you are a small persun

« **Reply #3 on:** July 10, 2010, 08:24:02 pm »

they look up at me on my ladder

« **Reply #4 on:** July 10, 2010, 08:26:04 pm »

Quote from: stu-mac on July 10, 2010, 08:24:02 pm

they look up at me on my ladder

i was on my ladder the other day and a roofer was looking down on me from his bigger ladder

« **Reply #5 on:** July 10, 2010, 08:26:15 pm »

Quote from: Stan the Man on July 10, 2010, 08:22:29 pm

i dont think they do,you are just paranoid

Are you talking about me?

« **Reply #6 on:** July 10, 2010, 08:48:20 pm »

half of me thinks they do the other half thinks not

« **Reply #7 on:** July 10, 2010, 08:55:41 pm »

have you put your prices up ?

« **Reply #8 on:** July 10, 2010, 08:57:45 pm »

Not a problem here.

You Brit's have issues with jobs.

It Stems from your old Class System.

« **Reply #9 on:** July 10, 2010, 09:01:34 pm »

Quote from: Spencer Priory on July 10, 2010, 08:57:45 pm

Not a problem here.

You Brit's have issues with jobs.

It Stems from your old Class System.

ha ha you sure got our number

« **Reply #10 on:** July 10, 2010, 09:03:46 pm »

let them who cares...the more who look down on it
hopefully the less will want to join in

more money for me

« **Reply #11 on:** July 10, 2010, 09:25:59 pm »

As long as you are earning a living the rest of them can go whistle. Why should you care?

« **Reply #12 on:** July 10, 2010, 10:17:07 pm »

I myself love it , if i feel i have been looked down upon then i go back to said customer in either of the 2 vans or my motor which is way newer than theirs to collect !
Its a shame i fell out with my ex boss as i could have borrowed his modena 360 for the night , now that would have been a big F.U.

Rich

« **Reply #13 on:** July 11, 2010, 07:26:40 am »

Get it all the time. "Here comes that windowcleaner who used to be a printer! A PRINTER! number one on a large format five colour machine, now look at you CLEANING WINDOWS! - I can't believe it, a printer used to be someone you looked up to"..........

For some reason he's my least favourite customer! :

« **Reply #14 on:** July 11, 2010, 07:40:56 am »

the only time anyone looks down at me is when custys look at me from a bedroom window half scared or annoyed that ive got my "rubbish brush on a stick" with me ready to make a mess of their windows for money!! :

« **Reply #15 on:** July 11, 2010, 07:45:34 am »

It's a manual work thing.

Over the last 30 years there has been more and more encouragement to 'gain' as many qualifications as possible and get a 'proper' job in an office....manual work has therefore been regarded by many as the work choice of people not 'clever' enough to get one of the aforementioned office jobs.

There's a guy in America I was reading about who was a successful accademic working in a University who has given it up to mend motorcycles. He is happier, wealthier and more balanced because of it. He has written a book discussing this very topic.

« **Reply #16 on:** July 11, 2010, 07:54:30 am »

i agree walter!the qualifications you need today for even the most basic of jobs is absurd!!take window cleaning for example!!NVQ anyone??

i really dont worry about what other people think as ive been the outsider/underdog/ poorly educated all my life!

« **Reply #17 on:** July 11, 2010, 09:29:23 am »

Just tell them they could`nt afford you

« **Reply #18 on:** July 11, 2010, 10:24:59 am »

If it happens, It doesn't bother me at all, I'm happy in what I do & that's what matters.

Many of my customers are seriousley wealthy, I find these have a good attitude & it wouldn't bother them how much you earned. However, I do feel there are many customers who might change their attitude if they did know just how much I earned, in many cases, more than them for less hours.

I make an effort to be & look professional, it's very important to me. I've been on many commercial job where there have been muliple trades on-site & I have looked the smartest & most professional by far!!

I prefer my customers, both domestic & commercial to know as little as possible about the economics of my work.

« **Reply #19 on:** July 11, 2010, 10:55:30 am »

It does not bother me anymore whilst i am working,

what i dont like is meeting people on holiday, and after a few drinks they say,

"so what do you do then"?....

I tell them , and straight away i feel unconfortable, and i can tell they are thinking oh dear me ! !

« **Reply #20 on:** July 11, 2010, 11:16:31 am »

Ive been a car salesman for over 25 years so being a window cleaner for the last month is actually a step up for me

I love being in charge of my day and how many of those that look down on you can control their day to the extent that we can.

« **Reply #21 on:** July 11, 2010, 11:29:18 am »

Quote from: Dave Willis on July 11, 2010, 07:26:40 am

Get it all the time. "Here comes that windowcleaner who used to be a printer! A PRINTER! number one on a large format five colour machine, now look at you CLEANING WINDOWS! - I can't believe it, a printer used to be someone you looked up to"..........

For some reason he's my least favourite customer! :

Surely he doesn't really say that?

"Here I am, brain the size of a planet and they have me cleaning windows..........." [Marvin, the paranoid window cleaner].

It could have been far worse for you. You could have ended upon the arse end of a Roland-6 2 colour loading huge sheets on your own, making the minder's tea for him and ending up with an idiot who always left the ducts full at the end of a run

.

« **Reply #22 on:** July 11, 2010, 12:17:55 pm »

Quote from: P @ F on July 10, 2010, 10:17:07 pm

I myself love it , if i feel i have been looked down upon then i go back to said customer in either of the 2 vans or my motor which is way newer than theirs to collect !
Its a shame i fell out with my ex boss as i could have borrowed his modena 360 for the night , now that would have been a big F.U.

Rich

Wouldnt realy as you'd of borrowed it rather than own it!

« **Reply #23 on:** July 11, 2010, 12:25:50 pm »

Quote from: Gazzasp8 on July 11, 2010, 10:55:30 am

It does not bother me anymore whilst i am working,

what i dont like is meeting people on holiday, and after a few drinks they say,

"so what do you do then"?....

I tell them , and straight away i feel unconfortable, and i can tell they are thinking oh dear me ! !

Yeah I'd agree with that. I hate telling people what I do.

Especially when chatting to a bird.

« **Reply #24 on:** July 11, 2010, 12:46:06 pm »

We are just Scum Sucking Pond Life

« **Reply #25 on:** July 11, 2010, 01:35:24 pm »

Once the game is over, the king and the pawn go back into the same box

« **Reply #26 on:** July 11, 2010, 03:27:19 pm »

Quote from: Dave Willis on July 11, 2010, 07:26:40 am

Get it all the time. "Here comes that windowcleaner who used to be a printer! A PRINTER! number one on a large format five colour machine, now look at you CLEANING WINDOWS! - I can't believe it, a printer used to be someone you looked up to"..........

For some reason he's my least favourite customer! :

Me to i don't give a monkeys No1 on a 8 unit twin web m600. Would i ever go back to all that crap???Not on your life, i love my job its all for me now, not some over paid idiot in a suite. Don't let it bother you. The bigger you grow mate the better it gets.

« **Reply #27 on:** July 11, 2010, 03:57:49 pm »

jealousy mate thats all it is we earn the cash and we can spend it to and we dont have to wait till the end of the month either its just jealousy mate its hard work and they cant do it

« **Reply #28 on:** July 11, 2010, 05:09:10 pm »

Quote from: Bin Juice on July 11, 2010, 01:35:24 pm

Once the game is over, the king and the pawn go back into the same box

Very true, I will remember that one.

« **Reply #29 on:** July 11, 2010, 05:46:40 pm »

I think the customer has a preconcieved image of the scruffy half-wit in dungarees and pointer ladder doing the windows for next to nothing that gives them the feeling of superiority.

It used to be a simillar attitude to the barrow lads/street sweepers on the council, a job no-one wanted to do. Have you seen the money the council lads are on nowadays? they are cueing around the block for interviews these days!

I agree with earlier posts mentioning the old"so what do you do?" when on holliday, it does raise a few eyebrows initially, how the attitudes change when number off staff and vehicles are mentioned.

And I NEVER talk about earnings, just the fact that we go on holiday 3 times a year...

« **Reply #30 on:** July 11, 2010, 08:50:35 pm »

I can't go along with this, yes the holiday thing is awkward, but i always accept their view of me, after all this is usually people you have befriended.And aren't we just as bad, i spent my last hol sucking up to a bbc producer.

In one way being looked down is great.With a such a low barrier to entry wc'ing has to have something stoping everyone in the country from doing it.It takes a lot of guts and humility to do what we do, more so when we start.I found it very hard, and because i am quite successful at other things i kept thinking 'i don't need this'.Even now and despite the above comments (I only have one van), the odd £8 account where the old bat phones up with the bitterness and pent up rage of a prosecuting manslaughter barrister, can give you pause.

So in summary the response- yes i'm a wc'er but i earn stupid money so i'm really better than you, doesn't do it for me.I'd rather they made their own mind up about me.

« **Reply #31 on:** July 11, 2010, 08:55:58 pm »

cant say i have ever worried about it, but then my dad was a window cleaner as well as my older brother so i was brought up with it. i think it bothered my mrs for a while but she got over that

« **Reply #32 on:** July 11, 2010, 10:25:17 pm »

I quite enjoy when I speak to customer and they thing I am dum.Try to brag to me about there investments and I come up with something smarter than what they are doing.The real dum one is the one judging you by your cover.I never tell them I have a univarsity education,its shock them.I aften get asked what am I doing cleaning window.All say is I enjoy working for myself,because bosses think I am to old or over quified as they tell me when they think I am to old. Its there loss.I find trying to prove myself to ass holes more of an insult.

« **Reply #33 on:** July 11, 2010, 10:38:14 pm »

do you think bin men and road sweepers are this upset by there job

« **Reply #34 on:** July 11, 2010, 10:39:34 pm »

ive got it, wfp men probley get thought of as road sweepers with that brush on a stick

« **Reply #35 on:** July 11, 2010, 10:40:35 pm »

Seems to be a glut of ex printers about on here

must say something about the British industry.
No, i would never even consider going back into some dirty smelly print factory again and have some jumped up fart telling me when to take my holidays, when to have a break, when I could have a dump
how many hours overtime I must work, award me a pay cut every year and have the nerve to tell me I had lost my holiday allowance because I was off sick with cancer when my holiday was booked.
Stuff 'em all they can look down on me as much as they like.

« **Reply #36 on:** July 11, 2010, 10:50:06 pm »

Quote from: Dave Willis on July 11, 2010, 10:40:35 pm

Seems to be a glut of ex printers about on here must say something about the British industry.
No, i would never even consider going back into some dirty smelly print factory again and have some jumped up fart telling me when to take my holidays, when to have a break, when I could have a dump
how many hours overtime I must work, award me a pay cut every year and have the nerve to tell me I had lost my holiday allowance because I was off sick with cancer when my holiday was booked.
Stuff 'em all they can look down on me as much as they like.

I did have a lot of fun in the print though. Trouble was the odd hours and all the worker vs management aggravation. Used to enjoy winding up one of the managers but when you look back at it after many years, it all seems so childish.

« **Reply #37 on:** July 12, 2010, 08:28:22 am »

Water purification and carbon modular handling technician

« **Reply #38 on:** July 12, 2010, 01:28:41 pm »

I'm currently applying to be fireman, but not givving up window cleaning at all, I love window cleaning, ill admit it has its momments but when its good its really good.

Anyway I have my interview for full time firefighter in few weeks and I told someone the other day and the way he be littled what I am currently doing as in "yeh didn't think you'd last cleanong windows" or "you can't provide for your family window cleaning". Thing is I've been doing this for 10 years now, I earn a dam good living and have the life of larry considering I do what I like when I like. I probably would earn lesss on fire service than I could on windows but its something I "want" to do...so I can and I will!

I also had a friend in school who I saw a few years ago. I asked her what she was up to and she was like still in uni, baring in mind we left school 8 years ago now and asked me what I was doing "I'm a window cleaner" met with the look down "oh...that ok...I guess" nice lol. I'm my own boss, have my own business and your still in uni with no job? That's ok...I guess

« **Reply #39 on:** July 12, 2010, 02:11:54 pm »

i was in my local club last week when the comic asked if there wer any dolies in,when no reply came he said,c,mon there must be a window cleaner somewhere,sadly a lot of people still live in the 70,s.the truth is the modern day wc is on twice the hourly rate of 90 percent of the people who knock them..how times have changed.....

« **Reply #40 on:** July 12, 2010, 02:54:58 pm »

Thanks for the responses. I must admit I am looking forward to starting this business.

I run another business - have done for 10 years - but I have had enough of all the red tape and Bol**cks that goes with it!.

I am looking forward to just concentrating on me

« **Reply #41 on:** July 12, 2010, 07:40:11 pm »

Quote from: Wizkid on July 11, 2010, 10:25:17 pm

I quite enjoy when I speak to customer and they thing I am dum.Try to brag to me about there investments and I come up with something smarter than what they are doing.The real dum one is the one judging you by your cover.I never tell them I have a univarsity education,its shock them.I aften get asked what am I doing cleaning window.All say is I enjoy working for myself,because bosses think I am to old or over quified as they tell me when they think I am to old. Its there loss.I find trying to prove myself to ass holes more of an insult.

I am guessing you do not mention the fact that you have an university degree in a letter, and that it is not a first in spelling and grammar?

« **Reply #42 on:** July 12, 2010, 08:20:52 pm »

I have 2 trades to fall back on but I'm happiest cleaning windows

« **Reply #43 on:** July 12, 2010, 08:23:34 pm »

i think some people do . had a manager in a builden is clean speak to me like s**t the other day till i give hear my invoice of £600 then she said god i think i will come a window cleaner lol

« **Reply #44 on:** July 14, 2010, 09:53:10 am »

Quote from: scud on July 12, 2010, 07:40:11 pm

Quote from: Wizkid on July 11, 2010, 10:25:17 pm
I quite enjoy when I speak to customer and they thing I am dum.Try to brag to me about there investments and I come up with something smarter than what they are doing.The real dum one is the one judging you by your cover.I never tell them I have a univarsity education,its shock them.I aften get asked what am I doing cleaning window.All say is I enjoy working for myself,because bosses think I am to old or over quified as they tell me when they think I am to old. Its there loss.I find trying to prove myself to ass holes more of an insult.

I am guessing you do not mention the fact that you have an university degree in a letter, and that it is not a first in spelling and grammar?

You are naughty, scud! But I like you.

« **Reply #45 on:** July 14, 2010, 08:15:28 pm »

I agree with an earlier poster.
Were it not for people's small minded view of windy's there would be a LOT more and we would all be earning a lot less.
Witness what happens when someone new starts they almost always charge too little, me included back in the day if I'm honest.

I do several shops and it always amuses me when I get attitude from some of the staff, because I know how much they earn.

« **Reply #46 on:** July 14, 2010, 09:50:53 pm »

Quote from: Steve_c on July 11, 2010, 03:27:19 pm

Quote from: Dave Willis on July 11, 2010, 07:26:40 am
Get it all the time. "Here comes that windowcleaner who used to be a printer! A PRINTER! number one on a large format five colour machine, now look at you CLEANING WINDOWS! - I can't believe it, a printer used to be someone you looked up to"..........

For some reason he's my least favourite customer! :

Me to i don't give a monkeys No1 on a 8 unit twin web m600. Would i ever go back to all that crap???Not on your life, i love my job its all for me now, not some over paid idiot in a suite. Don't let it bother you. The bigger you grow mate the better it gets.

same here i was working on MAN short grain twin webs and a heidelberg m4000 - wc-ing isnt paying that kind of money... yet! but it will!

« **Reply #47 on:** July 14, 2010, 09:58:38 pm »

Quote from: Squeaky Clean. on July 11, 2010, 12:25:50 pm

Quote from: Gazzasp8 on July 11, 2010, 10:55:30 am
It does not bother me anymore whilst i am working,

what i dont like is meeting people on holiday, and after a few drinks they say,

"so what do you do then"?....

I tell them , and straight away i feel unconfortable, and i can tell they are thinking oh dear me ! !

Yeah I'd agree with that. I hate telling people what I do.

Especially when chatting to a bird.

Why not try to make these 'birds' laugh and dazzle them with your amazing personality, rather than trying to impress them with your business? I also find that being good in bed always helps to maintain a relationship too.

« **Reply #48 on:** July 22, 2010, 02:53:41 pm »

Quote from: Wizkid on July 11, 2010, 10:25:17 pm

I quite enjoy when I speak to customer and they thing I am dum.Try to brag to me about there investments and I come up with something smarter than what they are doing.The real dum one is the one judging you by your cover.I never tell them I have a univarsity education,its shock them.I aften get asked what am I doing cleaning window.All say is I enjoy working for myself,because bosses think I am to old or over quified as they tell me when they think I am to old. Its there loss.I find trying to prove myself to ass holes more of an insult.

or university :

« **Reply #49 on:** July 22, 2010, 06:18:11 pm »

Here's a tip for you, don't find fault with someone else's spelling untill you have checked your own.

« **Reply #50 on:** July 23, 2010, 09:21:05 pm »

I have a very nice house in a very nice place, I have a smart van, I work three to three and a half days a week, and I have, at the moment a nice tan without going abroad. Why should I care that anyone looks down on me. Oh, and I don't owe any money to anyone!!

« **Reply #51 on:** July 23, 2010, 09:33:41 pm »

Quote from: Ian B on July 23, 2010, 09:21:05 pm

I have a very nice house in a very nice place, I have a smart van, I work three to three and a half days a week, and I have, at the moment a nice tan without going abroad. Why should I care that anyone looks down on me. Oh, and I don't owe any money to anyone!!

3 days? easy life!