Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: paulwest on February 18, 2006, 10:32:33 am
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Hi All
I was just wondering all you wfp users what kind of silly and impossible complaints have you had from customers in the past. The other day i recieved a letter from a customer it wasn't nasty or was i getting blamed but she basically said this. I would like to cancel due to the reason that the water from my cleaning method and due to her house being pretty old that water was seeping into her front room through the bricks and she has had to have part of her front room ceiling re-plastered. I have also had in the past that this method has blown the seals on there window due to the pressure of the water coming out of the brush and one women who called out a plumber because she thought she had a burst pipe because there was some water on the floor after they had been cleaned even tho i have been cleaning her house with wfp system for about one and a half years now.
Are any of the above really possible
Paul
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Hi,
Customers, arn't they just great! :D
Kevin Windolene.
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I have only had two complaints to date and one is due to leaking window frames. I explained to the customer that the amount of water used and the pressure it comes out at, is no more than a sheeting rain shower, therefore, she must already be aware her windows leaked, 'this made her go bright red as she knew her windows leaked'.
The other is from a shop, where I did a sign clean for. Chased the massive £7.50 invoice for 4 months. Finally, when my wife done our banking she called in. We where accused of using a jet wash and flooding her whole shop, which as a result, the wooden floor has now swelled and cracked. The amazing thing is, I actually only used 30 lts of water on that clean and checked the shop for leaks before I left (by looking through the window). After that complaint, I sent the owner a nice letter, stipulating the method used, the amount of water used. I also questioned his management methods!!! As a business man and owner, if a contractor would have carried out that work for me, I would have had him down the next day rectifying his mistakes, so why did he not contact our company the next day and complain about his shop being flooded. At the end of the day, it is just another person trying it on.
Many Thanks
Andrew
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Yep, some uninformed shall we say!
One guy said to me if it's pure water, and absorbs all the impurities, surely it's going to dissolve the glass eventually?
With a serious look, I said, yes it probably will! In about 3 million years, give or take a million ;D
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At least useing ladders the only complaint i got now and then was leaving ladder marks on the lawn (which i did try my best not to do)
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Hi again,
Ok, I will let you into a trade secret (so to say).
When glass is manufactured, it is actually floated on a bed of Deionised water; this helps to remove any dirt particles and is also part of the polishing process.
So when a customer asks about the deionised water, I simply state, it is the same method used as the manufacturers use for polishing the glass.... ;D
Andrew
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NICE ONE ANDREW!!! :)
That one must stop them in their tracks ;D
The only silly excuse I have had is " It leaves my walls wet" This one was a professional moaner. My reply was So you take your walls in when it rains then?
I got paid.. and as I walked away I said I wont be back because you will obviously be moving the the Gobi desert before the next day it rains. She was already on the "get rid of" list anyway so I quite enjoyed it :)
Cheers
Andrew
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well they moaned before WFP ;)
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Hi All
I was just wondering all you wfp users what kind of silly and impossible complaints have you had from customers in the past. The other day i recieved a letter from a customer it wasn't nasty or was i getting blamed but she basically said this. I would like to cancel due to the reason that the water from my cleaning method and due to her house being pretty old that water was seeping into her front room through the bricks and she has had to have part of her front room ceiling re-plastered. I have also had in the past that this method has blown the seals on there window due to the pressure of the water coming out of the brush and one women who called out a plumber because she thought she had a burst pipe because there was some water on the floor after they had been cleaned even tho i have been cleaning her house with wfp system for about one and a half years now.
Are any of the above really possible
Paul
I've had several valid complaints like spotting or frames leaking but one guy complained that any water remaining under an opening window would stay there and rot that part of his frame. I suppose it's technically possible but it sounds a bit far fetched to me.
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Just agree with him, and say, "Make sure none drops on your head mate!" ;D
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THE SHINER....I love your footnote!
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And I love you.....
(secretly) :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-*
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THE SHINER....I love your footnote!
Yeah. That footnote was the story of my life ;D
Now, what I do today, will set me up for tomorrow.
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THE SHINER....I love your footnote!
Just thought. Maybe I should have that footnote as my van signage ;D
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replace arse for BUTT
Would make your van noticable!
(Whether old Mrs Jones, aged 94, would like it is another matter)
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Wor Lass had a complaint on Friday.
The 'man of the house' said his missis is complaining that my water is taking too long to dry on the windows.
This is from the same bloke who said the windows weren't cleaned properly the first time I used the WFP on his house, so I returned on a Saturday morning with my ladders to check them.
They were immaculate.
The same bloke also said ladders are safe and when he was a BT Engineer climbing up telephone poles, he never fell off once. After further questioning I found out that each and every time he climbed a ladder they were always tied off.
Anyway, they're dropped.
(I see stupid people!)
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I had a round of 50 houses up until today when I got rid of it.
These houses were done trad until I changed over to the wfp. I got nothing but complaints, moans and groans.
Anyway i decided to sack the lot.
Anyway I have just built two nice compact rounds up on to seperate new estates.
Neither had a window cleaner.
I was talking to a local wc who told me that he used to do some of the houses on one of the estates but he said they were a nightmare as they had georian style windows one the fronts and they took ages trad.
These are wfp customers and they love it.
Nice clean windows and nice clean frames for free.
Its a nice relief to collect money without being moaned at...
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I have a rule now that makes life SO much sweeter.
Any silly complaints and they are dropped. ( if its genuine and its something I have done, thats different.)
Life is too short
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I have a 2 strikes and your out policy.
But dont have to use it often these days
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When glass is manufactured, it is actually floated on a bed of Deionised water; this helps to remove any dirt particles and is also part of the polishing process.
I thought glass was floated on liquid tin during manufacturing because tin is more dense than glass and goes solid at a lower temperature. Maybe I'm wrong?
Anyway, wpf complaints? I'm fed up of them but I've begun to accept that is how it is. Someplaces come up spotless and some don't. One place we went back to 3 times and on the last occasion used 55 gallons and the windows still looked awfull. I don't see how some wfp's get a better job everytime.
For some jobs wfp is definately better and much quicker which is a plus but for complaints, there's definately more of them which is a drawback.
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i agree with what you are all saying.
one close will be pleased your regular & reliable,
the next is full of moaners, it doesnt matter what you do they moan, ive stay clear after that.
then they moan if they see you & i wont come back.
ive a MRS at home who moans enough, i dont need it at work. ;D
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I like the idea of glass being floated on a bed of deionised water, but if the glass is in even a semi-molten state surely the whole caboodle will just explode ???
Molten glass is incredibly hot.
If it is cold enough to be floated on water, then, er, what difference will it make ???
I am really very ignorant of the glass making process, but I am now very curious as to the process.
Are there any sites out there that give details of how our window panes are made??
I have had very few complaints about WFP from customers, one was a few days after they had been cleaned and she mentioned them being spotty.
No problem, I gave her a free clean the following month, I gave her no hassle at all.
Though I am not sure if it was poor work from me or the windy, wet weather we had over the following couple of days after I had cleaned them.
I have politely told her to make sure she calls within 24 hours if there is a problem in future.
Had the same type of complaint from another customer too, but I deserved that one, the day I cleaned them on was very stormy and windy.
When they were cleaned there was a clear spell of weather, and they probably dried out spotless. But the customer wasn't in when I cleaned them, by the time she got home the weather had closed in again, when she saw the windows the following day they looked like they hadn't been cleaned.
Now if she had been in when I cleaned them I don't think I would have had a problem as she would have seen that they would have dried out spotless as usual.
But I was all too aware of the weather conditions, it was my own fault for cleaning them in those conditions in the first place.
They would have been a mess if I had used trad methods too, ahh well, that's life :-[
Just recently I have started to clean a certain shop with WFP, now I have my new van it is easier to use WFP on it, it is also an absolute doddle using trad, but the finish is just that bit better with WFP.
Anyway; the boss see's the windows have been left wet and rings me at home to complain.
I explain the system to him an also inform him that it is the third week I have cleaned them with WFP.
He replies that they are drying out all smeary.
I bluntly told him that no they are not!
He is slightly nonplussed by my reply, but I also knew that I was correct, on this one they come out top notch every time.
I told him that if he could find a single mark on the glass after they had dried I would come up the following day and re-clean them using trad methods.
Needless to say he has not complained or rang again.
I do clean the door trad though, it opens inwards and water gets in the shop if I do it WFP.
When I cleaned it on Thursday I timed myself on it.....less than 60 seconds, which is quite a bit quicker than when I did it trad.
I was actually very surprised, it doesn't feel as if I am that quick on it.
It only takes about 2 minutes when done trad mind. As I said, a very easy account whatever way it is done.
I also do a particular pub that simply will not come out right when I use WFP on it >:(
The landlord never complains, but I do it WFP on the outside every time, then, muttering to myself after I have done the insides I go back out and squeegee all the big panes, and I absolutely fly through them too, way, way quicker than I did when I clean them with WFP ???
If you are reading this Squeaks it is the Cross Keys at Tutshill.
I use the 'Turbo Terry' method on them, the glass is basically clean, so they only need wetting and squeegee-ing...doesn't half make a difference to the speed you can go at :o
I'm rambling again :-[
Ian
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As I said Ian, if you get the right technique there's nothing in it.
I'm obviously slower on some windows, (like the Cross Keys) but miles quicker on others as you have to do every window the same, I can cut corners!
To be honest, I haven't had a complaint from trad work in at least 5 years, and I'm pretty slack sometimes!
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The landlord never complains, but I do it WFP on the outside every time, then, muttering to myself after I have done the insides I go back out and squeegee all the big panes, and I absolutely fly through them too, way, way quicker than I did when I clean them with WFP
Ian,
when you reclean them traditionally do you use detergent or pure water, if the former doesnt this cause you probs when cleaning with wfp the next time. sorry if am missing summat
regards
Bill
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Hi Ian
Quote:
"The 1950s were, however, of most significance to Pilkington because of the invention of the float glass process. In 1952 Alastair Pilkington conceived the idea of forming a ribbon of glass by floating the melted raw materials at high temperature over a bath of molten tin."
I thought de ionised water was used to clean the inside of glass before it was sealed as a double glazed unit not only to get the glass 100% clean, but so as no bacteria and mould would ever grow in between the glass.
I also remember reading somewhere about how the RO unit and resin was first used in hospitals for some reason to do with purity and sterilising and if I can find any links - I'll post them.
I also thought that if molten glass was poured onto purified water water (or any water) there would be an explosion due to the rapid expansion of gases (oxygen and hydrogen) in the water due to the massive temperature difference but there again, I may be wrong.
Without spending tons of time the only real link I could find to do with glass production that may lead to loads more links is:
http://www.glasslinks.com/newsinfo/pilk_history.htm
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Evening all,
I have been lead to believe the glass is floated on Deionised water at the final production.
I was given this info from my brother in-law, who has his own window business in Norfolk. He told me he had seen massive DI bottles at the glass factory and when he enquired what they where, the production manager explained it to him. Now I did not fish for this info, he gave it to me after he viewed my setup and was slightly amazed that window cleaners had become this far advanced.
I will talk to him again and ask him to verify the info and even get the manufacturer to pass it on to me if possible.
Many Thanks
Andrew
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Hi Andy
I was not disputing what you wrote. I am curious as I don't know for certain. Years ago, glass was made using molten tin but that was years and years ago.
Things change so quickly.
Whatever you find out - I'm really interested to know. Sorry if I appeared to be discrediting you. I didn't intend to do that.
Thanks and cheers
Ross
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Same here Andrew,
You have tweaked my curiousity ;)
Rog,
WFP is new to almost all people, it is a major re-think for them to see windows left soaking wet, ergo they will always check them carefully to begin with.
The one woman would have complained no matter what method I used, as I said, it was my own fault for cleaning them when she wasn't in and in weather conditions that I knew full well would getthem mucked up again in short order.
The other may or may not have been justified, 3 or 4 days had passed before she noticed them.
The other one (the shop) was just panicing because he thought I had not bothered to get the water off!!
Billozz,
The panes I whipped over were done with a normal washer with Unger liquid as the detergent.
It is only after years of cleaning with detergent that makes it hard work on first time cleans with WFP (but not always!)
Over time detergent residue builds up in cracks in the glazing, or gaps in beading and so on.
It isn't a problem to use a washer now and again.
Though even with something like Unger liquid or GG3, when you clean the glass with WFP the glass itself very slightly goes sudsy, not very much it's true, but it does go to show that a residue is always left behind after glass is cleaned trad.
The fact that when cleaned with WFP there is no residue left whatsoever is of course the reason that the windows stay cleaner for longer.
The residue left behind after trad cleaning may be invisible to the naked eye, and not remotely sticky to touch, but dust will adhere to it.
I'm late!!
Gotta go!
Ian
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How about this one:
"I don't want you to use that pole anymore because THE DOG doesn't like it"
No kidding
Weirdo.
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Well don't use it on the dog!!
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How about this one:
"I don't want you to use that pole anymore because THE DOG doesn't like it"
No kidding
Weirdo.
That's a classic Philip :)
I'm just picturing the dog with it's teeth around the pole, complaining because it's not chewy enough.
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Another complaint regarding a dog.
The customer didn't like all the water on the ground because it made her dogs feet wet.
"could you clean my windows the old way?"
"No" I said, and lost the cutomer.
On a wet day I see her carrying the dog for walkies.
No, not really but I wonder what she does do when it rains.
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Made me laugh today:
I was doing an old folks place. One resident stopped me and said, "Who are you?", so, I explained, I suppose I did attract some attention: Waterproof trousers, heavy boots, double fleece, waterproof top jacket, waterproof hat, gloves, high viz waistcoat. (It was -2 here today with a wind chill!!).
"Oh, I see!", she said. I felt I had explained well, so turned to walk away.
With a concerned look, she responded, "You're job must be even harder in the summer, dear, with all those clothes on. You'll get very hot!"
I love it ;D
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I lost a customer who said that WFP left a bloom on her glass. She said I'v got a guy to do the job with ladders. I know that the bloom she's talking about wouldn't be there if she didn't smoke 30 a day. You can't do anything about that from the outside. To add insult to injury, she said ,"if it doesn't work out I'll give you a call".
She can go on my waiting list and wait for ever. Dai
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We had one customer cancel because our 'broom thing' was yellow and yellow is a bad colour.
I really cried my eyes out losing that job.
She had about 20 cats and the whole garden at the rear was a cespit for cats. It stank something serious and with wfp, it's hard to work and watch where your feet are treading.
She was one of those 'cats are better than people' idiots.
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I can remember p@f losing his first job with wfp for soaking there cat.
They were that incenced they took photographs
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I put a note through a customers saying basically you may have overlooked it but you owe me for this and last clean.
Got a cheque for one clean plus note saying - I don't think you cleaned the windows last time becus the marks are still on one of the upstairs window from before Xmas. Your services are no longer required.
Now - I've not lost a single customer since starting wfp last March so I go round to see what's caused the problem. Parents not in but get permission off teenager to check windows. Ladder up and indeed five or six soil marks on otherwise spotless (UPVC - done two weeks previously - thats how long it took them to complain) window.
Scrub/scrape/scrub off ladder - muck still not moving - it's rendering mixed with waterproofer from a job done just above window up by the central heating outlet. Blow that for a game of soldiers!
Put note thru to say you still owe me for last time and if you want the marks moving that should have been done by the guy wot done it and if you want me to do it it's a special job! I also wrote that whatever caused their dissatisfaction I'm glad it wasn't my poor workmanship!
I'll keep you posted but these customers will be no loss. (five years ago when I was more naive I agreed to stop cleaning for five months because "they were building houses opposite and the windows got dusty!")
I'm waiting for them to ask me to clean again to which I have planned to say (no copyright here so feel free to use this ;D)
"Sorry but have you got a hand mirror I could borrow?"
When they ask why I'll say "cuz I want to see if I've got "STOOPID" written on my forehead!"
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Update on above - got a letter of apology, a cheque and a please continue cleaning letter!
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Update on above - got a letter of apology, a cheque and a please continue cleaning letter!