Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: jonboywalton75 on April 14, 2011, 08:38:25 pm
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Just thinking of how things have changed since my 1st spell cleaning back in the 70's. Back then i went to work to pick up my ladders from my parents house and went out with a damp scrim, bucket and scruffy get up, Not even a note through anyones letter box. Each year in Jan a 5 or 10p rise ;D. Never worked in the rain and i was pretty rude to my custies, i just didn't give a hoot. Oh and i rarely worked past 3 pm.
In 1999 i came back to a job i swore i would never do again. Bought 3 small rounds with my redundancy, these expanding until today when there is enough work for three of us.
When the recession began to bite and competition got rather hot i decided to bite the bullet and buy some WFP gear and load it into my Mondeo :o.
I realised that using a car with all this gear couldn't continue so i leased a van 5 months ago and intalled a van mount (DIY). This was my best move as it increased my speed and daily earnings per day by 20% over my backpack and by 60% over trad.
I couldn't be happier workwise than i am now, but not to be complacent i've just 3 weeks ago had my van signwritten ,which more than paid for itself in less than 2 weeks.
Yesterday i was working in a cul de sac where i have targeted new potential and saw a windy next door in a Skoda saloon with the seats folded down and what looked like a 350 ltr tank in the back. I said Hi, but didn't get much response from him.
This made me realise how unproffesional i must have looked 5 short months ago in my Mondeo with my B/P and 8 barrels.
Sorry if this is boring, i just felt like airing my thoughts,
Cheers for reading Girls and Boys
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Well done - but just because you have a van it doesn't make your domestic custies think you are any better than when you had a mondeo.
I got some of my best work when I was working with barrels out of a Honda estate.
The van helps me work faster - if I was faster from a car then I'd use it; if I was faster from a unicycle I'd use it.
Seriously, I reckon you could make a killing in that there london (where the double red lines are) trundling along the pavements with an electric pallet truck affair adapted for wfp and 250L of water.
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good idea gold!
jon, not boring at all mate. thanks for sharing
GB
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Gold Good idea ;D
You are right, whatever tool does the job and earns the dosh
GB My Missus has accused me of being boring more than once ???
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wish other windys would talk to me, around here you just get sneered at.
I supose things do change
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Not all of us Chris there are some other very freindly cleaners in Merseyside same as everywhere good and bad :) :)
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personally i think for trad work a car is better,customers love it more . i use a partner van now and it works verywell but once it goes i will seek out the more economic car to replace it with. ive been looking at others working on the street and this my observs
1. big merc saloon,comfy seats.Big dash top to lay scrim on ,, but drink fuel BIG TIME
2. bmw 320 estate - better but still a gas guzzler and cant open hatch onto a ladder
3.ford fiesta - bad choppy ride but good on fuel
4.old mistsubishi saloon -economic perhaps but cant fix it cheaply if it booggers up
5. a Quite new ALFA romeo- just nutz in my opinion
i like the idea of a low miles oldish hyundai lantra saloon ,power steering +aircon to switch on as a treat on the way home , one elderly lightweight owner so the seats still in good shape.
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the only vehicle apart from my van that i've bought specifically for the job was my mondeo doing trad. When i had it valeted just before i sold it, the lads said it was the filthiest car they'd ever done and wanted to take pics of it.
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Very interesting thread.
My experience of windying goes back to 1997. I have used a variety of vehicles for work, including a Mini, an Austin Maestro van, 3 Mk2 Fiestas (2 of which were vans) and currently a mk4 Fiesta van.
Attitudes among windys in my area are generally very good. There are two in particular that I get on well with, and we have respect for one another and don't try to compete. Like myself, they are trad.
Without trying to instigate another trad v wfp argument, I have tried to be pleasant toward the wfp guys working in my neck of the woods as well. They don't want to know. Strange.
John
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Without trying to instigate another trad v wfp argument, I have tried to be pleasant toward the wfp guys working in my neck of the woods as well. They don't want to know. Strange.
John
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It's a snobbery thing ???
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it might be snobbery for some but I will talk to any shiner trad or wfp, in fact i was on the high street this morning doing shops at 8.30 and didn't get away till 10 am because of yapping ;D it was only three shops 30 minutes max :o
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Without trying to instigate another trad v wfp argument, I have tried to be pleasant toward the wfp guys working in my neck of the woods as well. They don't want to know. Strange.
John
It's a snobbery thing ???
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Maybe it is Jon. I don't see myself as better (or worse) than anyone else, regardless of my (or others')modus operandi. :)
John.
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Without trying to instigate another trad v wfp argument, I have tried to be pleasant toward the wfp guys working in my neck of the woods as well. They don't want to know. Strange.
John
It's a snobbery thing ???
Maybe it is Jon. I don't see myself as better (or worse) than anyone else, regardless of my (or others')modus operandi. :)
John.
[/quote]
Neither do i John, but there was a thread the other day about a windy who collected enough to get to the offy at the end of the street and when he was too tipsy to stand he just lay on a custies sun lounger. ???
Hope i'm not that bad though.
As it happens just yesterday i had a nice chat with two trad lads (who i suspect looked dodgy enough to scare some of my custies into not allowing them onto there property, probably a bit like me circa 1972). They claimed to have sold a round last year that turned over £27000 and have 1000 houses between them and also to be on the verge of buying out another local windy who employs at least 2 lads.
Interesting to chat with them but i think a few porkies may have been involved. :o
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Jon,
I like a beer now and again, borne out by the fact that I have one about every 6 weeks or so!
Whenever I chat with my local fellow windys, we talk about how busy we are etc., but don't go into how much we earn. Bit personal, in my humble opinion.
I take most of what I am told with a large packet of salt, unless it can be reliably verified. If it sounds too good to be true, it usually is.
Best wishes,
John.
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Without trying to instigate another trad v wfp argument, I have tried to be pleasant toward the wfp guys working in my neck of the woods as well. They don't want to know. Strange.
John
It's a snobbery thing ???
Maybe it is Jon. I don't see myself as better (or worse) than anyone else, regardless of my (or others')modus operandi. :)
John.
Neither do i John, but there was a thread the other day about a windy who collected enough to get to the offy at the end of the street and when he was too tipsy to stand he just lay on a custies sun lounger. ???
Hope i'm not that bad though.
As it happens just yesterday i had a nice chat with two trad lads (who i suspect looked dodgy enough to scare some of my custies into not allowing them onto there property, probably a bit like me circa 1972). They claimed to have sold a round last year that turned over £27000 and have 1000 houses between them and also to be on the verge of buying out another local windy who employs at least 2 lads.
Interesting to chat with them but i think a few porkies may have been involved. :o
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john where was this was it me ?????
people always say "Gav you look a right thug
till we know you" lol :o :o :o
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Not u Gav, it was Runcorn, Cowboy territory
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phew ;D ;D ;D
will defo have to
bump into each other soon ;D ;D
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[quote author=Gav Camm lammy 283 link=topic=121958.msg1055964#msg1055964 date=john where was this was it me ?????
people always say "Gav you look a right thug
till we know you" lol :o :o :o
[/quote]
they only say that cos they're scared and dont want to offend you ;D ;) ;) ;)
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i've just 3 weeks ago had my van signwritten ,which more than paid for itself in less than 2 weeks.
what van u got ... keep an eye out for you m8
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[quote author=Gav Camm lammy 283 link=topic=121958.msg1055964#msg1055964 date=john where was this was it me ?????
people always say "Gav you look a right thug
till we know you" lol :o :o :o
they only say that cos they're scared and dont want to offend you ;D ;) ;) ;)
[/quote]
ian as you know im a very nice man ;D ;D
and easily approachable ;) ;)
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hows that new van going ?
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ian it a dream m8
jus deciding on sign writing ;D ;D
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[quote author=Gav Camm lammy 283 link=topic=121958.msg1055964#msg1055964 date=john where was this was it me ?????
people always say "Gav you look a right thug
till we know you" lol :o :o :o
they only say that cos they're scared and dont want to offend you ;D ;) ;) ;)
[/quote]
Hi, Gav,
Not sure if you're asking me or the other John (Jon).
I am in the Medway Towns. The wfp guy I met was well presented, I would say he was in his 50's. Drove a nice looking sign written van (can't remember what make it was though!)
As I drive a Fiesta van, and wear jeans he may have thought I looked like a thug! Mind you, I often get the same treatment when I am suited up at weekends! ;D
John
It is interesting that we 'met' outside the village shop that I clean.
John.
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i've just 3 weeks ago had my van signwritten ,which more than paid for itself in less than 2 weeks.
what van u got ... keep an eye out for you m8
I lease an Black astravan. I hate to run two vehicles so i compromised. I could always do with a bit more space but on the other hand my missus wouldn't want to be driven around in a more straight up van (Berlingo, Kangoo partner sort of thing)
Come to thinks of it, here's a pic.
Btw Ian, would i recognise you from an article in the Leader a few months back.
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phew ;D ;D ;D
will defo have to
bump into each other soon ;D ;D
I'm on Shakespeare Ave most of the day, tomoz Gav.
I bet u know where that is.
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il be down mold friday ;D ;D
n yes you wud recognise ian fr
the leader ;D ;D
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il be down mold friday ;D ;D
n yes you wud recognise ian fr
the leader ;D ;D
Thought i'd seen him somewhere.
I,ve never been a window cleaning celebrity myself.
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As I drive a Fiesta van, and wear jeans he may have thought I looked like a thug! Mind you, I often get the same treatment when I am suited up at weekends! ;D
What you get suited up for at the weekends?
Are you the local footy clubs mascot? ;D
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I terrorize people with the good news. ;D
John.
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Not all of us Chris there are some other very freindly cleaners in Merseyside same as everywhere good and bad :) :)
cheers for that Ste, its good to know.
I started windows just as another service to what I allready do. I love doing it as there is less headach than normal yet I hate it when im out and get the looks!
it gets me even more when I read on here someone complaining about spending £60 on a pump, humm i have spent that on a box of nails and I think it could be them giving the cold sholder.
Ah well each to there own....
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il be down mold friday ;D ;D
n yes you wud recognise ian fr
the leader ;D ;D
Thought i'd seen him somewhere.
I,ve never been a window cleaning celebrity myself.
:) window cleaning celeb lol :o :o
NICE van !!
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[/quote]
:) window cleaning celeb lol :o :o
NICE van !!
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Cheers Ian, it's not very big but it Does us semi retired windies OK ;D