Clean It Up

UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: Steven Shoreditch on April 19, 2011, 10:07:01 pm

Title: Being challenged by the neighbours
Post by: Steven Shoreditch on April 19, 2011, 10:07:01 pm
It's happened a few times now - some ugly old creep crawls out to have a sniff around when you have turned up to do the windies and you don't know the custy has gone way and appointed said Old Hag as Local PoliceSnitch.

God, the second I saw this fat slag turn up I knew there was bad aura.  I managed to fob her off with a, 'you can help if you like', and off it scuttled, sad git.

Mind you my heart was racing as I nearly let fly into an all-out attack on the great pig.

Grrrr.
Title: Re: Being challenged by the neighbours
Post by: christopher b on April 19, 2011, 11:23:53 pm
yep, had the police come out to me after someone called them.
plod looks at me and i look at him,
that morning it was cold so I had my fleace on (bright daglo orange) and plod says what are you doing?
im stood there with a 20 foot pole in my hand connected to a big white van via bright yellow hose and spraying water at windows, " cleaning windows"
plod then says they have had a call there was someone lurking around the property looking sus posibly trying to break in

so we now have a 6 foot 2 bright diaglo orange guy with a 20 foot pole, bright yellow hose, big white van , yellow a frames and spraying water over everywhere looking like he was going to rob the house and in bright day light.

I just laughed and so did the plod.
Title: Re: Being challenged by the neighbours
Post by: Steven Shoreditch on April 20, 2011, 07:31:22 am
In five years I've had three incidents where Mrs (and it is ALWAYS a woman) Nosey has crept out, one involved her calling the police even AFTER she'd come to have a peek.

Plod: what you doing?
Me: Cleaning windows
Plod: What's your name?  Just for our 'records'.

Foolishly I gave him my name.

Never again.  In fact, now I do nothing to help the police, they can pi55 right off.
Title: Re: Being challenged by the neighbours
Post by: Tom White on April 20, 2011, 08:21:40 am
Stephen, maybe you're making a bigger issue out of this than needs be?  On the rare occasion someone eyes me up with suspicion, I just say, "Hey, I might be a Geordie, but I'm not a burglar; I'm just cleaning windows!"

It's no problem to me.  ;D
Title: Re: Being challenged by the neighbours
Post by: Steven Shoreditch on April 20, 2011, 08:47:48 am
I don't like being approached by aggression - I tend to be aggressive back.  If someone comes up with a smile, introduced themselves properly, not in a gruff manner, fluffing themselves up into something they're not, then I'd be accommodating in return.

This woman left me seething, and, as you say, i was just servicing the needs of my customer, who I have no problems with.

Anyway, you'll like the next bit, you might think better of me.

The next customer I went to... you couldn't wish for a more pleasant, elderly, couple.  Always friendly, always offer tea, always interested.  The opposite of the ugly-faced neighbour I had just seen, and it was such a relief to know that there is a nice person not far away that I cleaned in the inside of their kitchen window for nothing.  Just to see if it was an antidote to the nasty experience I had just had.

And yes, it did make me feel i was the better person.

There.
Title: Re: Being challenged by the neighbours
Post by: jarvy on April 20, 2011, 03:36:42 pm
I think it's good that people will keep an eye on neighbours houses when they are away. Police are only doing there job too. Its not unheard of to have a 'service' of some sort turn up at a house when  they are out/away,break in and take the fookin' lot! Unfortunatly this is the world we live in now,and thats how it is!
On another note,the public do read these forums and after seeing some of the coments put on this forum no wonder the wc'er is looked upon so poorly  :-X
Title: Re: Being challenged by the neighbours
Post by: Steven Shoreditch on April 20, 2011, 03:53:08 pm
Speaking of which, has anyone got any tips on breaking in houses?

Oh, and I'd really like some help on laundering some cash I'm not reporting to the tax man, and I have 100 AK47s I need to shift.

Title: Re: Being challenged by the neighbours
Post by: cozy on April 20, 2011, 04:35:37 pm
I think it's good that people will keep an eye on neighbours houses when they are away. Police are only doing there job too. Its not unheard of to have a 'service' of some sort turn up at a house when  they are out/away,break in and take the fookin' lot! Unfortunatly this is the world we live in now,and thats how it is!
On another note,the public do read these forums and after seeing some of the coments put on this forum no wonder the wc'er is looked upon so poorly  :-X

Do you think Joe Public joins window cleaning forums? I mean really? I know Ewan logged on here and he works for Sainsbury's and we had some high flying telesales exec too, but who would want to join a windy's forum? They'd have to be pretty sad. ;)

I can't imagine anyone sitting at home when their windy tips up and starts cleaning the windows, then Joe Custy thinks "Hey, I wonder if windies have a forum" and goes online to see what windies talk about etc etc.

We've got a guy on here called Matt Bateman. He's really strange and wears a diving suit when he goes to work, but surely, people aren't that sad.? Are they?  ;D
Title: Re: Being challenged by the neighbours
Post by: jarvy on April 20, 2011, 04:42:15 pm
You dont have to join to read.
You can view as a guest,which some do. Just my opinion.....
Title: Re: Being challenged by the neighbours
Post by: mci services on April 20, 2011, 04:45:18 pm
not on here you can't
Title: Re: Being challenged by the neighbours
Post by: cozy on April 20, 2011, 04:46:52 pm
Yeah, I see what you mean. The custy gets an internet connection and then all the world opens upto them.

"HEY!!! I've got internet at last!! Wooo hoo!! Now then, lets see, what shall I look at first? Porn? Nah...........

I know, I'll look at my local football teams site, nah........

AH! I know, let's have a look at a window cleaners forum!!  WOW! Look at this.........................."

Yeah, it all makes sense really. ;D
Title: Re: Being challenged by the neighbours
Post by: jarvy on April 20, 2011, 04:50:59 pm
Just logged out,and tried to read,your right,you can't.
Title: Re: Being challenged by the neighbours
Post by: mci services on April 20, 2011, 04:58:23 pm
Just logged out,and tried to read,your right,you can't.


you can on some forums but not this one ;) that is why I can have banter on the non cleaning side, without to much fear of a customer reading some of the drivel that is discussed. but as cozy said I can't see much chance of that anyway
Title: Re: Being challenged by the neighbours
Post by: Ian Lancaster on April 20, 2011, 05:25:49 pm
yep, had the police come out to me after someone called them.
plod looks at me and i look at him,
that morning it was cold so I had my fleace on (bright daglo orange) and plod says what are you doing?

I had one ask me that once - I was at the top of my ladder with a mop in one hand, squeegee in the other and a scrim over my shoulder.

So I told him:  "Waiting for a bus".

At least he had the grace to grin sheepishly and apologise for being such a plank ::)
Title: Re: Being challenged by the neighbours
Post by: Steven Shoreditch on April 20, 2011, 06:26:04 pm
Did three come at once?
Title: Re: Being challenged by the neighbours
Post by: elite mike on April 20, 2011, 06:29:26 pm
Did three come at once?

hope not  ;)
Title: Re: Being challenged by the neighbours
Post by: Steven Shoreditch on April 20, 2011, 07:50:51 pm
Speaking of which, has anyone got any tips on breaking in houses?

Oh, and I'd really like some help on laundering some cash I'm not reporting to the tax man, and I have 100 AK47s I need to shift.


send the cash to me ill sort it out  ;D

Your customers are reading this, you know.  ;D
Title: Re: Being challenged by the neighbours
Post by: CLEANCARE WC on April 20, 2011, 09:34:01 pm
It's happened a few times now - some ugly old creep crawls out to have a sniff around when you have turned up to do the windies and you don't know the custy has gone way and appointed said Old Hag as Local PoliceSnitch.

God, the second I saw this fat slag turn up I knew there was bad aura.  I managed to fob her off with a, 'you can help if you like', and off it scuttled, sad git.

Mind you my heart was racing as I nearly let fly into an all-out attack on the great pig.

Grrrr.

lol  ;D
Title: Re: Being challenged by the neighbours
Post by: R W C™ on April 21, 2011, 06:03:10 pm
had one today, turned up to a street where I do a lot of propertys on, pulled up outside house, custys car on drive, me and lad got stuff out of van, unlocked the gate and started setting up and the neighbour comes steaming out
him:  "im looking after this property while there away what the hell do you think your doing"

Me "cleaning windows"

him "how was I ment to know you where coming, if you where looking after someone elses property while they where away would you let some stranger onto there property, well would you"

Me "well if they turned up in a big white van with window cleaner plastered all over it, a uniform with all there info over it then yes im sure I would, what do you expect me to do knock on all my customers neighbours doors and ask if there looking after the neighbours property"

he then crossed the road where his misses was talking to 2 residents of the road who happen to be customers of mine and got a absolute ear full from all 3, he then came over and said clean them if you want and being all nice, I told him that I wont be cleaning thenm and that he can explain when the customer comes back why I havent, I also told him that he needs to speak to people with a bit more manners as the if it was me who spoke to you like that then we would get the typical response of youth nowa days need some respect....

Got in van with lad did the next 6 houses and one of my customers who had been talking to his wife in the street stopped me and told me not to worry about him and that she would explain to my customer why I missed them this month....