Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: George Gardner on June 27, 2011, 08:37:39 pm
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How did any1 trad switch to WFP
Ive looked at the Gardiner website for times in the last 2 weeks than ever before and am seriously considering it.
THAT was until quite alot of my quotes today "you dont use one of those poles thingys do you, I dont like them"
I normally just say no its all trad bla bla etc etc, but this time I said, no by why do you ask.
They make a mess, they ruin the paint on my windows and rot the frames.
You WFP guys put up with some poop.
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was trad more years than i care to remember ,went wfp 2 years ago ,wasnt easy to change and did lose 20-25 customers ,and now some still dont like it put put up with it.but i must say 1000 custys have stuck with us and seem happy ;D. i would say if you do go wfp get some serious technique training with someone who has done it for a while ;)
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Do you clean wooden framed windows thou?
So its more technique than having the best equipment?
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How did any1 trad switch to WFP
Ive looked at the Gardiner website for times in the last 2 weeks than ever before and am seriously considering it.
THAT was until quite alot of my quotes today "you dont use one of those poles thingys do you, I dont like them"
I normally just say no its all trad bla bla etc etc, but this time I said, no by why do you ask.
They make a mess, they ruin the paint on my windows and rot the frames.
You WFP guys put up with some poop.
You will filter those customers out after a while - or they will filter you out. Don't look back. Move on with good grace and let them stick with what they know. Be firm. Insist that you will be choosing the work method ad start taking on new customers to replace them.
It's YOUR business. It's YOUR safety. How many of them will feed you and pay your bills if you come off a ladder and break something?
I lost or dumped about 5% when I first switched - and over the subsequent few months. It would probably be less than that now as WFP is more widely known about.
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about half of my work is victorian sash thought i would have serious probs,but wasn't as bad as i thought.you learn how to do each type of window ect .i went to one of the courses. was a waste of time you need time to learn how to do it well ;)
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Yeah i mean its the future of window cleaning without a shadow of doubt, and its obviously still in its early stages really in the grand scheme of things, but some people are so adamant about the way they feel about it. It will get there im sure, its increasing slowly in popularity
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WFP has a steep learning curve & many who don't avail of the knowledge on the forums can make a huge mess of the glass for a while after they switch over.
It is possible to get perfect results from the very first visit, even with wooden windows,.. but it takes a lot of experience, effort & patience. Initially it may be slower than trad work, but as your technique improves & the build-up of detergent is washed away, it will be much easier & faster. I personally find I get a better result WFP (on average) than I do with trad these days, as well as the obvious advantages of it being faster & safer.
I'd recommend introducing a "customer satisfaction guarantee" when switching over (If you haven't one already). Tell your customers that its a new method & you understand that there may be problems for the first clean or two until you figure it out, but that you are more than happy to return & re-clean free of charge should there be any problems.
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@ mr jones - I thought you couldnt f*** up WFP as pure water drys without marks anyway? ???
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just do what i did, tell them whislt you was working some one form the council came up to you and told you due to health and safety you couldnt use the ladders any more and if they catch you again and there was a alternative system, plus if they feel you was in breach of h and s both you and the customer will be done, u for not working safely and them for not providing a safe working enviroment, if they say thats stupid, just point out the smoking ban, where if some one is working in your house it them becomes there work place and they cant smoke, trust me it works, as people dont want to be sued
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just do what i did, tell them whislt you was working some one form the council came up to you and told you due to health and safety you couldnt use the ladders any more and if they catch you again and there was a alternative system, plus if they feel you was in breach of h and s both you and the customer will be done, u for not working safely and them for not providing a safe working enviroment, if they say thats stupid, just point out the smoking ban, where if some one is working in your house it them becomes there work place and they cant smoke, trust me it works, as people dont want to be sued
The old H and S always works ;D
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I have found the old S&M takes a bit more getting use to ;)
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@ mr jones - I thought you couldnt f*** up WFP as pure water drys without marks anyway? ???
Pure water dries without marks,.. but if you don't do it right you'll get dirty water dripping off the frames/seals/vents etc that will make a right mess.
Try to get a days work with an experienced WFP'er,.. you'll be amazed how much it will help.
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pure water dries clean no prob ,difficulty is when it mixes with the dirt on the frames and windows you MUST rinse it off to get good results ;)
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@ mr jones - I thought you couldnt f*** up WFP as pure water drys without marks anyway? ???
Pure water dries without marks,.. but if you don't do it right you'll get dirty water dripping off the frames/seals/vents etc that will make a right mess.
Try to get a days work with an experienced WFP'er,.. you'll be amazed how much it will help.
very sound advice! ill defo second that
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must admit I took some convincing to change over, then bought a small 100gpd ro and now have had to upgrade it to make yet more of the magic water!
I would say that its the same as selling, when YOU believe in the product you sell it.
I saw the results after 2 cleans and also did the BWCA course so that i fully understood it and now I can put it over with confidence and nobody has complained.
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after a few weeks wfp you think oh no what have i done spending all this money but after a few months you will think how did i ever manage without wfp!
trust me
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after a few weeks wfp you think oh no what have i done spending all this money but after a few months you will think how did i ever manage without wfp!
trust me
Agreed. And customers are more accepting than you think. I recently went 100% WFP, even on my bungalows, and I only had one 'funny' customer and lost none.
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Would you say that WFP thou set uo time is same as trad.
As in you pull up on the drive, and time from then to either brush on the window or mop is the same?
So the time saving is slightly in the window cleaning, but mainly in the switching from one window to another, as it saves down ladder, move ladder and then up ladder mop out.
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often set up takes same time,,, eg untie ladder get blade bucket ect
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pure water dries clean no prob ,difficulty is when it mixes with the dirt on the frames and windows you MUST rinse it off to get good results ;)
THIS is good advise! obvious but perfect! read this and read it again! then read it again think about every word then read it again etc... ;)
pure water mixed with dirt on glass and frames = unpure water and spots a-plenty! trust me ive find out the hard way! DONT scrimp on water and DO rinse very well!!!!!!!
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Would you say that WFP thou set uo time is same as trad.
As in you pull up on the drive, and time from then to either brush on the window or mop is the same?
So the time saving is slightly in the window cleaning, but mainly in the switching from one window to another, as it saves down ladder, move ladder and then up ladder mop out.
Although not everyone would say this, I find it can usually take longer to set up for a WFP job. This might just be me though. Many of my jobs involve the hose going across the footpath. I tend to cover with rubber mat and put out yellow warning sign(s). Also, I lift the reel from the van whereas some have it bolted down inside. The preceding procedure tends to take me longer than lifting off a ladder and bucket. However, I seem to have some larger jobs these days, so that little bit of extra time is easily absorbed. It's probably a good idea to have a minimum charge and be firm about it as it can seem to be a lot of hassle setting up for little money.
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i found that i was slow but doing the same work reg. you get to know the fastest way
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wfp overall is faster over the working week.you ll find some jobs your considerably faster and others similar to trad.as for some customers not liking wfp.well ive picked up a lot more than ive lost since going wfp 13 months ago.
you can clean 99% of windows with wfp plus the add on jobs.also those large houses and commercial will become good earners.
the learning curve will be a good few months plus you ll spend a fair bit on equipment and finding what suits you best.
wfp is the best move ive ever made in window cleaning and if your serious about your business then you gotta get a set up and wise up.i do use trad on some work as its easier esp in tight spaces or certain types of windows but wfp is one hell of a tool and is the main tool of choice.
safer,easier,faster and you will earn more money.it really is a no brainer for most work.