Rog, ultimately it is all about speed, danger itself has absolutely nothing to with what you charge.
On a standard semi when you are working off ladders you don't even think about 'danger' it just doesn't come into it.
What might force prices down is the speed at which you work.
I'm still to do a post about a big bungalow with a large conservatory I did a few days back, 18 windows on the house, 10 windows on the conservatory 14 minutes to clean the lot.
Not a snowballs chance you could equal that dude, that's 28 in 14 minutes (including frames too) 30 seconds a window, and if I hadn't bothered with the frames it would have been quicker still.
I'm sorry mate, you might be as quick on a small house with 10 windows, or near enough to make no difference, but as the property gets bigger, or there are more panes to clean you will not match WFP.
And these are speeds that the majority of average window cleaners can achieve too, whereas the pace that you work at, very few trad window cleaners will be able to match, because I do concede that you are very quick.
But your question has to come down to speed and not danger.
It is the fact that you are quicker with WFP that might drive prices on some work downwards.
And as I said, it will also impact on the ladder user because, based purely on time, prices could drop by 2 thirds.
A totally wrong way of pricing, but unfortunatley many will be blinkered and only look at how long it takes to do the job and will ignore all the setup costs and running costs etc.
And yes, I do still think that ladders will be a no no at some point in the near future.
There is always another little step that H & S can take to further reduce risks, I don't agree with it I might add, but it will happen, eventually they will take the viewpoint that window cleaning off ladders is avoidable and cost effective.
It cannot now be denied that there is a viable and affordable alternative, and of course more and more cleaners are making the change.
But how long do you really think it will take for those that make the rules to realise that there is no longer a reason to allow window cleaners to work off ladders (exceptional circumstances notwithstanding).
And another area that pressure will be applied from is the insurance companies.
But am I clinging to the hope that ladders will be banned?
Of course I'm not, those still on ladders make it possible for us using WFP to keep our prices up for one thing.
Ian
