Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: David Kent @ KentKleen on February 06, 2011, 03:24:23 pm
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As the title states, has anyone out there switched and regretted or is it all a bed of roses!
just thought this would be a nice sunday afternoon topic
My reply to my own post is =
NO regrets!
Because,
1. I Charge more per job now as i am cleaning all the frames every visit including garage doors!
(yes it can be done trad i know, but it takes too long to do it properly)
2. Easier on the legs and safer than climbing ladders. (My dads wfp and he's 61)
3.Used correctly you get consistent high quality finish faster than trad. (whole house speed)
Do YOU have Regrets???
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no regreats love wfp now,must admit it was a killer to start with .but a year + on i would not go back to trad. which i did for28 years. wish i did it sooner preventing all that wear and tear ;D ;D ;D ;D.just wish the course i did was of more use.
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Absolutely not, the only regret I have is putting if off for 3 years.
I would 100% recommend it to any one.
I'm even more pleased that I don't have to go up ladders anymore after 2 of my window cleaning mates fell of there ladders on the last month, one broke 3 ribs, the other got away with scratches.
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Its certainly easier to keep (and to a lesser degree get) work trad. Its not a great econimic climate to be a poler, as things are competitve and work is harder to come by compared to 3 years ago. We tend to offer both options if its feasible, and really try to ensure the customer is happy with the method. So no, no regrets. I'm seeing a couple less flexible firms doing canvassing in working hours lately. We are not far away from that stage to be fair. If the weather was tip top, we might be quiet friday afternoons. The ladder guys I know are still snowed under with work.
I would hate to be making the change at this moment in time. Times are hard...and I'm a southerner, if that makes any difference.
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Nope
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No regrets at all.Does the job to a higher standard and looks far more professional.It shows you are serious about your work because you have had to invest in equipment.In return this has enabled you to expand your business.It is safer,so a no brainer in my opinion.
Jay
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I agree Jay ALMOST!!
I think trad and wfp can achieve the same standards on glass and frames, its the speed of wfp (if used right) that is the big plus for me.
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None whatsoever
Darran
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no regrets at all, the sooner everyone converts over to wfp the better, and no more wfp v trad posts ;D
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Yup im glad a changed my profits are better as well even with the overheads.
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I have regreted it sometimes to be honest as far as cost concerns,equitment breaking etc. but on the whole I'm glad of WFP too,my work consists of 80% WFP and 20% trad but would'nt go back to 100% trad now,I earn more WFP and can fit in more jobs daily and can do higher jobs,conservitory roofs etc. but will always do trad too,I get sick of reading threads about WFP V trad,I find anybody can WFP as it's quite basic and does'nt take long to learn to do properly,I respect trad cleaners as it's an art,just like plastering and I always get people telling me I make it look so easy,as long as I'm a window cleaner I will always use both ways of cleaning and really enjoy cleaning windows regardless of how I do it but as long as I earn a good wage at the end of the day I'm happy ;D
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As the title states, has anyone out there switched and regretted or is it all a bed of roses!
just thought this would be a nice sunday afternoon topic
My reply to my own post is =
NO regrets!
Because,
1. I Charge more per job now as i am cleaning all the frames every visit including garage doors!
(yes it can be done trad i know, but it takes too long to do it properly)
2. Easier on the legs and safer than climbing ladders. (My dads wfp and he's 61)
3.Used correctly you get consistent high quality finish faster than trad. (whole house speed)
Do YOU have Regrets???
I had regrets in the first 3 months because I found some aspects of it very hard going - and some of the customers' attitudes towards it as well. It was stressful adapting a ladder round to WFP. In the end, I freed myself from much of the work that was trickier with WFP (long walkways, courts, link detached etc.). No regrets since then even though there have been difficulties at times with things breaking.
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Slash, i agree 100%
I tryed to word the opening post to this topic so it didnt start another wfp vs trad post.
IMO Window cleaning is simple.
1. Dirt on the glass has to be removed and the glass left clear and clean.
2. Dirt on the frames needs (optional but I choose to only offer a clean glass AND frames service) to be removed.
The above can be done to the same high standard with either wfp or trad. (its like polishing a car it can be done by hand or with a machine (buffer). Both results are the same.
ITS THE SPEED THAT I DONT REGRET and having my feet on the ground.
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guess you dont like cleaning frames stan ;)
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only thing to regret it is my neck :(
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I have regreted it sometimes to be honest as far as cost concerns,equitment breaking etc. but on the whole I'm glad of WFP too,my work consists of 80% WFP and 20% trad but would'nt go back to 100% trad now,I earn more WFP and can fit in more jobs daily and can do higher jobs,conservitory roofs etc. but will always do trad too,I get sick of reading threads about WFP V trad,I find anybody can WFP as it's quite basic and does'nt take long to learn to do properly,I respect trad cleaners as it's an art,just like plastering and I always get people telling me I make it look so easy,as long as I'm a window cleaner I will always use both ways of cleaning and really enjoy cleaning windows regardless of how I do it but as long as I earn a good wage at the end of the day I'm happy ;D
i sort off agree with slash,i would add that it brings its own problems and its a new learning curve,will probably be 100% happy in the summer months as ive had it only since october
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I regret not going van mount straight away, thats not a veiled dig at anyone just my own opinion/ experience.
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I don't regret it at all. However I do regret the cost of everything compared to trad. Just when you think everything is going alright something breaks or wears out meaning another £££££'s expense. Its never ending!!
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everything cost money. i was a gardener strok the odd job here and there for 15 years then started trad when i had time to make ends meet. didnt want to go trad full time because im not that good with hights. :) and the risk of hitting the ground was to much of a risk. 2 years in alls going well bloody pain at first but had alot of help from a guy i might locally. didnt go van mount went diy cost a bit but when big jobs come your way you can do them.
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Big regreat!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wish I done it years ago!
Mart
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there s a guy on here who went back to trad after 2 years wfp and is happier now he s not faffing about with hoses etc!!i forget his name now.
i think ill........stick to faffing about with hoses and higher overheads.it makes much more business sense IMO. ;) ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
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hit man ;D ;D
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Hi me and my partner a traditional W/c i haven't really got a problem with it untill i go canvassing and i just have to leave some house's out as the windows are to hard to reach.Im in a rural area so theres alot of different types of house's i know im going to have to get a backpack so that the hard to reach windows aren't a problem anymore.
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no ... ive only been cleaning windows since march last year and went wfp in november ... always knew i was going to go wfp ..... converted a large trad round over to wfp nov / dec with no issues apart from 3 that have asked for downstairs windows to be bladed off so not a massive inconveniance ... speed up by about 30% and still got room for improvement ... i have one round that i still do half trad as its quicker and tbh i still enjoy trading as more skill needed imho
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wfp with a bit of trad'in perfect! IMO
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I dont regret wfp in the least , i only switched cos i went home bladdered one night with my mum dad and new bird , i shinned up the drainpipe and jumped off in spectacular fashion , only to land and tear the cartilage in my knee , docs told me next day that it was gonna be an op with about 5 weeks of down time :o
Week later was laying on hossie bed , pre medded up to the eyeballs tellin the missus that the plastic chap in my wallet was gonna take a battering when i was mobile .
This i did , and in a way im glad i did the drain pipe jump as i dont think i would have gone wfp otherwise .
Dont get me wrong , i love to trad , its a skill that i love , but wfp turned things around for me no end .
I remember when i got my brother into w/c , he watched in awe at the speed it could be done , not blowing my own trumpet there of course ;)
But , no disrespect to my bro or anybody else for that matter , the guy is effing useless with the hand tools , like a cow handling a musket my old dear said !
WFP has a lot to answer for in the respect that the old skills are dissapearing , almost any monkey can use a pole system , but trad is a real skill , it makes me wonder how many forum members are capable ?
Come on , you know you wanna bite ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
P.S. what WFP did for me , before and after
Rich
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rich, i love the ladder rack on the astra, what a monster, where did you get that from?
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i love the wheel trims on the old astra :P
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Lee GLS - home made my beauty!! ex welder and all that
Kentkleen - £8.99, Kevin Cooper - 5 years ago
Rich
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is that a gte front bumper as well :-\
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the wheel trims give it an air of class too ;D, have you still got the rack, it should be in a museum ;D
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Certainly is the GTE , just a shame i didnt have the lump too !
Museum , how very dare you ! , i remember when i first posted that pic , i had a couple of chaps e mail me to ask if i would build one for them , the downfall was the postage , it was like sending the QE2 to Botswana ;D
Rich