[Tommy Smith]

I was canvassing in the Norwich area yesterday and not for the first time I found the windows were being cleaned by someone who is already employed, this time a local postman. I quoted one house at £20.00 (large house with conservatory) and the lady told me she was getting her windows cleaned for £6.50. I was gobsmacked, obviously I couldn't match that and wouldn't even try, I told her I was working for a registered window cleaner with insurance who needs the work to support his family, not just to earn a few beer coupons. Not that she cared.
I canvass in many regions in the UK and come across this all too often.
I just wonder how you as window cleaners feel about this and how much it affects your business.

[Halfadaylee]

It happens all the time with people who work shifts or part time.
I find in the midlands firemen are the worst.
Before wfp people who did not like to climb a ladder would not even consider window cleaning but now with forums like this one, it gives people the knowledge to start up.
The only positive I find with them is they only take a very small bit of the market.
Still racks me off though.
Art

[daniel worgan]

Personally i dont see what the problem is.
Ok his pricing structure is not what it could be,but as far as working two jobs...well lots of people do it if they need to make ends meet.
You dont know his circumstances,he may have a family at home and cant support them properly on just his post office salary so goes out and does a bit of wc to supplement it,good luck i say to him.
You see everyone presumes that because you have insurance (which is not a legal requirement...so anyone without it is not doing anything wrong) and are registered (registered as what??) that you are entitled to have the upper hand over others doing cleaning.
He may also be a postman who aspires to be a wc,and has set up a part time round in readiness to quit the post office when his round is built up further....

[Frankybadboy]

and you never know that window cleaning could be his 1st job and he tops it up as a postie

[Richard Shepherd]

I had one one of my custies move recently, when I knocked the new owners they said their window cleaner from the old house will be coming to clean them, Fair do's.
I saw him the other day, stopped for a chat and he does a round trip of 30 miles for an £18 clean, oh and he is a fireman, I just do it for my weekend money he says.

Now that is very annoying..

[Ian101]

I had one one of my custies move recently, when I knocked the new owners they said their window cleaner from the old house will be coming to clean them, Fair do's.
I saw him the other day, stopped for a chat and he does a round trip of 30 miles for an £18 clean, oh and he is a fireman, I just do it for my weekend money he says.

Now that is very annoying..

wait till he canvasses some more in the area so its worth his while ... u be really really annoyed then 

[windiewasher]

I had one one of my custies move recently, when I knocked the new owners they said their window cleaner from the old house will be coming to clean them, Fair do's.
I saw him the other day, stopped for a chat and he does a round trip of 30 miles for an £18 clean, oh and he is a fireman, I just do it for my weekend money he says.

Now that is very annoying..

Shop him now

[carl stanton]

had the same thing, around here, fair do's if he is earning respectfully.
I now do some of his work because he was unreliable and rubish, and i charge a little more! 

maybe it is the same postie as near me as i am 20 odd miles from Norwich

[windiewasher]

I was recently tipped off about someone on facebook advertising as a window cleaner to earn a few extra quid 4.50 any house.also gutters 4 inside and outs.
The week before he was a removals man.painter and decorator aswell as a builder and made some right messes.
 A couple of us warned people about it in a group and said all he wants to do is make a few kids as we have kids etc.
All posts have been removed.
The best one he had the cheek to ask if anyone can drive him around as he has no car.

[AuRavelling79]

The other positive is that as a secondary income they sometimes "come and go" - you know - if they get a job transfer elsewhere or get fed up they may well "go".

And unless they are really keen they will be "laddermen" and so their custies will be the "I don't want that pole thing" and so that is a discincentive to go wfp. (And if it is "weekend money" then he may not be particularly ambitious to expand)

When they do "go" then you'll be there!

It amazes me how windies "go" anyway - in one of my areas a wfp guy who had two vans on the road lost one van (in as the 2nd guy emigrated) and being a bit of a cash in hand/self employed sort of two man band he just let his some of his custies drop. So yours truly has picked them up.

Another ladder guy (only know his 1st name and have never met him) in the same area has "been depressed" and custies have given him months to get to them so I've just said to them "I'll do them" and they've agreed. One or two have said "what about if he comes back?" So I say "I'm not here to take anyones work so if you want to go back then feel free".

But all the above amount to about 30 custies and I bet that less than that are cleaned by fireman or posties who would otherwise come to me - so all is good!

[Ian101]

The other positive is that as a secondary income they sometimes "come and go" - you know - if they get a job transfer elsewhere or get fed up they may well "go".

And unless they are really keen they will be "laddermen" and so their custies will be the "I don't want that pole thing" and so that is a discincentive to go wfp. (And if it is "weekend money" then he may not be particularly ambitious to expand)

When they do "go" then you'll be there!

It amazes me how windies "go" anyway - in one of my areas a wfp guy who had two vans on the road lost one van (in as the 2nd guy emigrated) and being a bit of a cash in hand/self employed sort of two man band he just let his some of his custies drop. So yours truly has picked them up.

Another ladder guy (only know his 1st name and have never met him) in the same area has "been depressed" and custies have given him months to get to them so I've just said to them "I'll do them" and they've agreed. One or two have said "what about if he comes back?" So I say "I'm not here to take anyones work so if you want to go back then feel free".

But all the above amount to about 30 custies and I bet that less than that are cleaned by fireman or posties who would otherwise come to me - so all is good!

posted by an experianced windie ..... you know it makes sense !

[ICS Cleaning]

The only damage i see from the posty is that he is de valueing the window cleaning industry as a whole(in fact any window cleaner). soon windows will be priced a £3 a house.......This is not the way forward in catching new customers as it is.

Pricings should be competative, for the industry to keep all windys in a job and something they love doing. Under pricing will make many lose work or a job.

[clearviewwc]

Funnily enough, I used to be a postman 9 years ago. I did 30 hours at just over £6 an hour which was not enough to keep a family etc. I did windows part time too as I was finished on the post at 11am. I charged 50p a window which yes, most window cleaners would scoff at and term me a ' part time beer money brigade' etc. this wasn't the case though, post work paid the bills and the windows put food on the table. I thought 50p a window was more than enough as basically all I was doing was a very unskilled job cleaning muck off windows, yet I was earning £10 an hour and in a lot easier job. This cleaner charging £6.50 for a large house and conny might be doing 1.5-2 houses an hour- £10 upwards an hour, a lot more than minimum wage and could well enable him to look after his family without relying on state handouts, good on him I say (although he could also be a doley scrounger doing it for beer money too)! I think we value ourselves too much for what we do and if our customers knew what we really earned an hour I think a lot of them would look elsewhere for a cheaper cleaner or may just not have them done on principle. We might offer a good service but do we do it for a fair price? £200-300 upwards a day wfp a fair wage?  I could work 2 days a week and earn the same or more than someone full time in a more skilled job. If we are really honest with ourselves the bloke offering to do a large house and conny for £6.50 is the one doing it for a fair price. we are the rip off merchants (unless you've a level 2 qualification that is, and if so then of course you deserve the £30-50 an hour   I've a level 2 and 3 in plumbing so i deserve it of course  ).

[will77]

you could always put out the occasional fire. that would teach him !

[andyM]

Funnily enough, I used to be a postman 9 years ago. I did 30 hours at just over £6 an hour which was not enough to keep a family etc. I did windows part time too as I was finished on the post at 11am. I charged 50p a window which yes, most window cleaners would scoff at and term me a ' part time beer money brigade' etc. this wasn't the case though, post work paid the bills and the windows put food on the table. I thought 50p a window was more than enough as basically all I was doing was a very unskilled job cleaning muck off windows, yet I was earning £10 an hour and in a lot easier job. This cleaner charging £6.50 for a large house and conny might be doing 1.5-2 houses an hour- £10 upwards an hour, a lot more than minimum wage and could well enable him to look after his family without relying on state handouts, good on him I say (although he could also be a doley scrounger doing it for beer money too)! I think we value ourselves too much for what we do and if our customers knew what we really earned an hour I think a lot of them would look elsewhere for a cheaper cleaner or may just not have them done on principle. We might offer a good service but do we do it for a fair price? £200-300 upwards a day wfp a fair wage?  I could work 2 days a week and earn the same or more than someone full time in a more skilled job. If we are really honest with ourselves the bloke offering to do a large house and conny for £6.50 is the one doing it for a fair price. we are the rip off merchants (unless you've a level 2 qualification that is, and if so then of course you deserve the £30-50 an hour).

I really don't understand where you are coming from matey?
Im a sole trader and my expenses just to operate total several grand per year before tax and national insurance contributions.
There's no way I would still be operating by charging £6.50 to clean a large property with conny.

[Panorama]

It happens all the time with people who work shifts or part time.
I find in the midlands firemen are the worst.
Before wfp people who did not like to climb a ladder would not even consider window cleaning but now with forums like this one, it gives people the knowledge to start up.
The only positive I find with them is they only take a very small bit of the market.
Still racks me off though.
Art

Since I'm a whole time fireman I really love these threads  , and wfp pole also, now where did I put the champagne ......

[Halfadaylee]

It happens all the time with people who work shifts or part time.
I find in the midlands firemen are the worst.
Before wfp people who did not like to climb a ladder would not even consider window cleaning but now with forums like this one, it gives people the knowledge to start up.
The only positive I find with them is they only take a very small bit of the market.
Still racks me off though.
Art

Since I'm a whole time fireman I really love these threads  , and wfp pole also, now where did I put the champagne ......

Shifts or full time, Im not aware of whole time. 

[Panorama]

Full time , listen don't let it upset you, life's too short , your only here once, family comes first I'm afraid, couldn't give a rats arse what people think about me lol

[Ronnie Bryce]

Rogue Window Cleaners      The very idea of it is preposterous.

[John F]

Personally i dont see what the problem is.
Ok his pricing structure is not what it could be,but as far as working two jobs...well lots of people do it if they need to make ends meet.
You dont know his circumstances,he may have a family at home and cant support them properly on just his post office salary so goes out and does a bit of wc to supplement it,good luck i say to him.
You see everyone presumes that because you have insurance (which is not a legal requirement...so anyone without it is not doing anything wrong) and are registered (registered as what??) that you are entitled to have the upper hand over others doing cleaning.
He may also be a postman who aspires to be a wc,and has set up a part time round in readiness to quit the post office when his round is built up further....

good post. well put.