[gerard mcmanus]

Ok I have had some fool try this with me, but he was a bottom feeder, only working one street aparently and obviously not working legitimately. I didn't have any customers on the street, so just told him I did work there.

It was two to one, so I wasn't going to start something over customers I didn't have, but if someone ever tryed to stop me from working an area, I dont know what hell I would bring down on them.

We spoke about the right to earn a living earlier, have you ever encountered anyone trying to refuse you one, and what happened.

The last thing you want is other window cleaners giving you hassell, but I have heard allot of stories about this.

Fortunately I have got to know most of the WC in my area and and have worked customers next door to there's. There is always plenty of windows to clean and certainly would never give another window cleaner grief.

However I have made this a pole, incase you have warned off another window cleaner before, what ever your reasons, it will be anonomous, and intresting to see everyones answers.

I would amagine some of the more experienced here will have some stories to tell.

gerard 

[stig]

i once had a guy come over the road to me and told me he wanted to be the only w/c in that village, and i was to name my price for any work i had there, after a brief chat he was politly told to go forth and multiply.
i wasnt pouching or anything  i was building a round up,
he lasted bout 6mths after that and went on to erect fencing....needless to say i picked up a load of his work...theres enough work out there to go round-  i have known w/cleaners to be up 2 fighting though..sad ay!

[AuRavelling79]

I was warned off once - about 5 years ago. I stood my ground. He backed off.

I have had friendly chats and exchanged helpful advice with other w/c's several times.

[Andrew McCann]

I had been cleaning windows in a village for around a year. One day I was up the ladder doing the rear of a terrace house when I heard..  "Oi you" I looked down and there were a couple of real nasty looking no-necks standing just the other side of the garden wall. I asked what was up and they told me that this was the last time I would be doing any work in the village coz they were "taking over" from now on. I whipped down the ladder real fast (Coz I'm brainy)   and asked them what they meant. They told me I could have a nasty accident if I came back again. I got really angry and told them I would be back whatever threats they made. They wandered off issuing threats of all sorts.

I called the police about it and got no real help at all. Next time round I made sure someone was with me all the time and was ready for whatever might happen. These guys wern't regular cleaners in that village coz I knew the other couple who did it as well. I spoke to the other guys and they told me the same had happened to them Nothing ever did happen but I have to admit it was not a nice experience.

This may cause a few remarks but I don't believe in so-called patches. I never undercut anyone for work while window cleaning but it never stopped me canvassing any area. Window cleaning is no different to any other business. You keep your customers by looking after them.

Andrew

[MNWC]

im six foot 2, 18 stone with a shaven head .....so no i havent been threatened 

[tomy jackson]

iv had it big lad but when it came down to it he wosent up to it , then the same houses after he qit with emfsemera , 3 lads on dole started washing them and thay thetend me onece agane not up to it , i cud have them all but i dident  whont any moor work at the time as it wos over a year since he qit

[Tosh]

im six foot 2, 18 stone with a shaven head .....so no i havent been threatened 

That's a good description.

If I ever see you on any of my patches, I'll knock you out; big style; I hate baldy gits.

There, you've been threatened!

 

[simon knight]

Here in SW London we all get on well (there's loads and loads of houses to go round...thank God!).  In fact earlier this week I footed another blokes ladders while he did the tricky bit on the house he was cleaning 3 along from me.

[trike]

marcus you have changed since phot took then .
i have never come across anything like it befor,i know all local w/c,we all stop and chat,and never go in each others area,if any custies ask,we pass on to who ever does that area,everyones happy.

[Tosh]

lol

I am 6 foot and 12 stone 4 pounds and wouldn't be worried with a pic like that, so I doubt he would be

I hope that isn't one from a wild weekend or anything tosh

gerard 

Gerard,

If you met me down a dark alley, while I was wearing my 'attire', I can assure you that you would be very very worried. 

But to get back on topic, when I first started up I was threatened by a window cleaner's Dad.  I kid you not.  He was a black guy, dressed very nicely, and tried to do the 'gangster thing' to me, saying he knew where I lived and what school the Little Un went to.

Of course I got all 'Geordie', (let's go now... etc), but it was in a carpark of the local Tesco Express.  I phoned the police after, they were helfull, and I'd advise anyone whose threatened to do the same; and I cracked on in the area I was warned from.

The idiot window cleaner stopped window cleaning a few months after.  It was obviously too much like hard work for him.

But on the whole, the window cleaners in the Chepstow area (and I know just about all of them) get on well with each other; though there are some exceptions; and the 'exceptions' tolerate each other without anything getting out-of-hand.

[Richy L]

i make a point of introducing myself to window cleaners in the area.
I have always found that to be good to get a mutal respect

[Dean Taberner]

Somebody threatened to rip my teeth out once so I threatened to arrest them.

[Paul Coleman]

im six foot 2, 18 stone with a shaven head .....so no i havent been threatened 

Ditto  

I know a guy who had his ladder shaken by a couple of thugs.  That might not have been so bad but he was up it at the time.  I'm not into fighting but if I was in a corner I wouldn't hold back - nothing left to lose and all that.  I would certainly go to the old bill about it too and insist that they put it on record.  Not much help when they start on you though.

[Paul Coleman]

lol

I am 6 foot and 12 stone 4 pounds and wouldn't be worried with a pic like that, so I doubt he would be

I hope that isn't one from a wild weekend or anything tosh

gerard 

Gerard,

If you met me down a dark alley, while I was wearing my 'attire', I can assure you that you would be very very worried. 

But to get back on topic, when I first started up I was threatened by a window cleaner's Dad.  I kid you not.  He was a black guy, dressed very nicely, and tried to do the 'gangster thing' to me, saying he knew where I lived and what school the Little Un went to.

Of course I got all 'Geordie', (let's go now... etc), but it was in a carpark of the local Tesco Express.  I phoned the police after, they were helfull, and I'd advise anyone whose threatened to do the same; and I cracked on in the area I was warned from.

The idiot window cleaner stopped window cleaning a few months after.  It was obviously too much like hard work for him.

But on the whole, the window cleaners in the Chepstow area (and I know just about all of them) get on well with each other; though there are some exceptions; and the 'exceptions' tolerate each other without anything getting out-of-hand.

Going all "Geordie" on him would have been really helpful.  It's a good idea in a situation like that when no-one can understand what you're saying    .  Especially if you're insulting them.

[seandyer2003]

I always approach any fellow Wc's in my area to tell em to do one, i mean to say hello No seriously though i always take effort to make friends and it has always lead to good things, one time i found out the guy lived on a round i had elsewhere and he bought it because i was getting rid, and other times i have bought work, or found out where there is no WC etc, so i have no problem with another cleaner in the same area , and here in Manchester there can be 4-5 cleaners in one street and i have NEVER lost a job to another fingers crossed, but they all seem to come and go

[Ian W]

Never been threatened and I always say hello or acknowledge any other cleaners. Keeping it friendly helps I reckon.

[L.J.Thorpe]

im six foot 2, 18 stone with a shaven head .....so no i havent been threatened 

sorry fat boy but you asked for this
he may look big and tough but he still wimped out of helping me mind the door at a local bands night that my son organised
15 yr od kids :
big girls blouse
 

[Clive McDonald]

The gangster must be daft to threaten ex forces.

[L.J.Thorpe]

personally i abhor violence and confrontation
i try to avoid all such situations

[MNWC]

he may look big and tough but he still wimped out of helping me mind the door at a local bands night that my son organised

big girls blouse

Lets keep it on topic Mr Thorpe !!

By the way just how did you lose the sight in one eye

[L.J.Thorpe]

 

[pjulk]

I have never had any problems from other window cleaners.

I know most in my area and always say hello if i bump into them.

[L.J.Thorpe]

I have never had any problems from other window cleaners.

I know most in my area and always say hello if i bump into them.

same here,i even make a point of introducing myself to new blokes if i see em
networking is the best way forward

[MNWC]

I forgot to ask did you speak to the man in the blue van the other day in fleet

[s.w.c]

personally i will chat to any window cleaner even help as much as i can, as for someone warning me off i could do with a good laugh,   once i helped a fellow window cleaner even invited him into my home on several occasions only to find out he was gathering information and try-ed come in after my work, i responded by that's fine try for my work i don't care , i knew none of my custies would go with someone like that, but he couldn't understand why i was angry , i explained i don't care about the work try your luck , but as for come in into my home introducing him to my family and mutt allowed him into my home life , this to me was the line to me this was the insult , but he couldn't understand this, so i told him stay away from my home or you will swim with the fishes, he never came around again, work is work so what there's room for every one, but to come into my home life and try to do the dirty that's a different story, violence is not always the answer to most thing but  to disrespect my home life that's another story

[L.J.Thorpe]

ah thats below the belt
he is a mutual foe
the scourge of all good wcers in our area
anyway if he is so busy who does the gardening services that he advertises
he only has the one house down there

[C-N-C]

hiya guy's

i started w/c about a year and a half ago,
i went to a rich little village not far from me,i got 1 job for 2.50 in 2 weeks there,all the locals wouldnt entertain me even had a person throw my leaflet in my face
my young brother in law was posting flyers for me and got threatened by 4 rough lookin w/c who cleaned the village, i went round to see them all,anyway dont want to brag fella's,but,we do the FULL village now.....lol
i actuly laugh with the custies now about the whole carry on and say to them ,he use to clean all your windows with he's old undies..
they like the water fed pole,they do!
just goes to show you guy's, they wont get away with it ALL the time
just my 2p worth

take care
C-N-C

[MNWC]

ooo your ard !

my young brother in law was posting flyers for me and got threatened by 4 rough lookin w/c who cleaned the village, i went round to see them all,anyway dont want to brag fella's,but,we do the FULL village now...

[steve bell]

I know what you all mean on this one.
Years ago things got a bit fraut around here, punch ups and all sorts of stuff. Thankfully I ran away to sea for eight years. I'm back now and things have calmed down a lot. Please don't think that I ran away to sea because of it or anything that I had been involved with. It just seemed like a good idea to be earning £25K tax free for a bit.
Anyway, I'm back now in a slightly different area and trying real hard to set up a round on my own. Slowly picking up jobs here and there. Everyone I speak to is friendly. I'm not in it to step on toes, just merely survive at the moment. (barely doing that, but it will come)
I certainly will not (knowingly) undercut anyone! I price jobs as I am happy to do the job, not what it would take to get the job.

Not been warned off, in fact making new friends. There's plenty of work out there.

[C-N-C]

hiya marcus,
i pretened to be when the occasion arises,
i also watched scareface so i learnt a few lines here and there
honestley,here mate this guy had my 16 year old brother in law white,he came round to tell me that a big guy round the corner is going to beat him up if he didnt leave village...the kids never bin the same again ;Dplus the misssus would of blamed me if he got beat up
not trying to be the big man marcus mate,but,just telling everyone what happens to bullys incase theres a 1 watching...LOL

anyway watch what ya saying or ill send him to your patch

take care mate

C-N-C

[scud]

  I had one tell me exactly what he was going to do to me if I put anymore leaflets through his customers doors, it was very big of him as I was up a ladder cleaning out gutters at the time, he was shouting from the safety of his car!
  Anyway he drives off into the estate I was on and hadn't returned by the time I had finished (only one way in and out), so I went to find him.
  He was up his ladder above the front door, so I wandered up the drive and posted a leaflet through the door and asked him if he was going to fullfill his promise or if he was "full of wind and p, like a bakers cat".
  He wouldn't come down his ladder, so I sat on the bottom rung of it for the good part of an hour, I left him in no doubt what would happen if their was a next time he threatened me.
  Haven't had any trouble since.
 
   We all get on in our area, we have each others phone numbers, play golf together and help each other out, when my van packed up a few weeks ago I borrowed 4 different vans from various people to keep me going in between their work.

[C-N-C]

hiya scud mate

He wouldn't come down his ladder, so I sat on the bottom rung of it for the good part of an hour, I left him in no doubt what would happen if their was a next time he threatened me.

LOL

nice 1 dude....

we the same mate,i do a few towns now and talk to all the w/c in all the towns and NEVER get a bit of trouble,but they are all real w/c's not the beermoney greesemonkey w/c what seem to think they OWN custies,
all the proper w/c i meet are sound guy's and its always good to talk about the job and share ideas.......even work now and again........

sorry guy's if i came accross a bit of a k*ob earlier


take care

C-N-C

[DASERVICES]

Never had the problem yet only from a big National in Scotland who threatened to get his lawyers on us. He has upset quite a lot of window cleaners up here, my only comment back to him was go ahead I'm sure your lawyer will defend a person who is breaking the law. End of story.
 

Everyone tends to know everyone so we always pass on jobs that are not in our area. But I have heard things are pretty bad in other areas.

[Paul Coleman]

This thread got me thinking (hard work that was).  Due to me having a decent attitude towards other W/Cers, I have about 3k a year work that I would not have had if I had been a mouthy, nasty piece of work.  You see, most W/Cs (at least around my way) still use ladders.  They sometimes get asked to do jobs that they can't manage with a ladder.  So they either phone me themselves or they give the enquirer my number.  After a few cleans, I will sometimes show my gratitude for doing this for me.  Seems to work OK.

[Tim82]

 The only one that I've had really is this guy I see form time to time who drives in from quite a way away that cleans some houses next to mine. He is always asking if i want to buy any work and where exactly my other work is. He has a threatening manner about him but no threats as yet. Intimidation tactics I think. I've been pretty wise to his ways from the beginning, thankfully.

Funnily enough I've had more problems with gangster customers threatening me than other window cleaners!

[dan hughes]

  YEP.

I'VE BEEN TOLD TO

"KEEP OFF MY PATCH"

"I USED TO CLEAN THAT HOUSE YEARS AGO"

"DON'T CROSS ME, I'LL AVE YOU DONE OVER"

"I'LL KILL YOU MYSELF IF I SEE YOU HERE AGAIN"

ALL THIS FROM , (YOU'LL NEVER GUESS) MY...........  STEP DAD.


YEP TRUE.

I WORK WITH HIM ON HIS ROUND AND HAVE MY OWN ROUND. VERY CONFUSING.
VERY ODD SETUP.

CHOOSE YOUR FRIENDS NOT YOUR FAMILY. WITH FAMILY LIKE HIM, I DON'T NEED ANY MORE ENEMIES!

EVERY OTHER LOCAL WINDOW CLEANER IS FINE WITH ME!

[windowwashers]

I dont get into it, I run a business, I dont knowingly under cut people, I price as normal if people ask for a quote if domestics and they say they have a window cleaner I walk away I do leave my details for future if they stop are not happy with work being done, Commercial I quote my prices if I get it all good if not I move on.

I pass work on to loads of other window cleaners, I have never had anything back from them but I dont mind I just like to help others get a window cleaner to be honest.

Ian

[Londoner]

We used to get warned off and threatened all the time by the old window cleaners. I'm talking about 35 years ago, but thats how it was then and we were a pair of 18 year old Saturday part timers.
The old window cleaners were a lot tougher, all old soldiers etc.

 In the centre of Harrow all the shops were done by a couple of infamous Irish families and if you crossed them you would get done over.

[Tim82]

We used to get warned off and threatened all the time by the old window cleaners. I'm talking about 35 years ago, but thats how it was then and we were a pair of 18 year old Saturday part timers.
The old window cleaners were a lot tougher, all old soldiers etc.

 In the centre of Harrow all the shops were done by a couple of infamous Irish families and if you crossed them you would get done over.

This may sound silly but coming from a northerner, what  does "done over" mean exactly?

[seandyer2003]

We used to get warned off and threatened all the time by the old window cleaners. I'm talking about 35 years ago, but thats how it was then and we were a pair of 18 year old Saturday part timers.
The old window cleaners were a lot tougher, all old soldiers etc.

 In the centre of Harrow all the shops were done by a couple of infamous Irish families and if you crossed them you would get done over.

This may sound silly but coming from a northerner, what  does "done over" mean exactly?

i think its like a make over, maybe they tickled them with the applicator?

[Tim82]

We used to get warned off and threatened all the time by the old window cleaners. I'm talking about 35 years ago, but thats how it was then and we were a pair of 18 year old Saturday part timers.
The old window cleaners were a lot tougher, all old soldiers etc.

 In the centre of Harrow all the shops were done by a couple of infamous Irish families and if you crossed them you would get done over.

This may sound silly but coming from a northerner, what  does "done over" mean exactly?

i think its like a make over, maybe they tickled them with the applicator?

LOL

[Tim82]

I know what I think it means.

I once seen 4 cars pull and about 4 times as many people jump and go for a couple of guys sitting about, needless to say they all ran like fk. Unfortunately one got caught and it wasn't pretty.

He was taken away in an amulance, and his face looked like a scene from a slaughter house. I think it was over drugs or something.

This was a good few years ago maybe as much as 8, so I must have been about 15/16.

Well I guess thats done over.

 

Ok, I got the picture.

[s.w.c]

different phrases for different areas around here we call that being served up, or some would say its a gypsy warning.

[Londoner]

Sorry I didn't realise I was using a local expression.

Done over means, given a beating, put in hospital etc.

Us cockneys thinks that everyone speaks likes wot we doz.

[Tim82]

It's alright Rodders!

[seandyer2003]

It s them irish families!  Theres a few round my way in manchester who think they own everything, now WC mind thankfully but pubs, security firms(thats a laugh) and that kind of thing, luckily i know a few very well but still woudnt get on wrong side of them , theyve all been champion boxers etc

[shammy davis jnr]

got threatened to get my throat slit once was the last warning that guy dished out 

[Rob_Mac]

Marcus

Customer testimonials

 

Mrs Bently said "A truly professional job from start to finish" (Brush)

"I never realised just how dirty my window frames were until you cleaned them" Said Miss Roman (RO unit)

"Wow thats amazing" responded Mr Gardiner (suppliers)

Marcus they are some seriously dubious customer names on your website

Rob

[s.w.c]

got threatened to get my throat slit once was the last warning that guy dished out 

I'd never let it go to that, I dont mind a scap if someone back me in a corner, and wont listen to any threats or orders, but what people who behave like that dont realise, is if it becomes acceptable behaviour as I believe it once was in this industry, no window cleaner is safe, because there is always someone bigger than them. They will have to watch there back as well. So whats the point?

gerard

because there thick.

[Rob_Mac]

I've just lost two stone. I'm only 20 stone now!!

I worked on the doors for 3 or 4 years and have seen some big fights and seen bigger people knocked to the ground by much smaller men.

I have far too much respect for peoples stupidity to think that they give a toss how big someone is. You will never beat a piece of wood round the back of your head, a knife in the stomach or a gun.

If people are prepared to kill someone for looking the wrong way then the wrong person protecting their 'patch' may just be your worst nightmare.

Rob

[windowwashers]

Marcus

Customer testimonials

 

Mrs Bently said "A truly professional job from start to finish" (Brush)

"I never realised just how dirty my window frames were until you cleaned them" Said Miss Roman (RO unit)

"Wow thats amazing" responded Mr Gardiner (suppliers)

Marcus they are some seriously dubious customer names on your website

Rob

lol Love it!

Thats got to be the best Customer testimonial names I have seen to date   :

 
Didnt see Sue  perl - ite om there though 

[Tim82]

Is there a Mr. W. F. Pole on there too?