Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: duncan h on May 21, 2016, 11:48:48 am
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I have this women bang loads of flyers out for me CHEAP and fast.
She did a new area for me about 4 month ago and got quite a few customers.
Asked me if I wanted same area doing again, so said yes.
Just got a call of a guy saying I was canvasing in his area.
I told him I was dropping flyers off and it any bodys area
"its my area mate"
told him I could go anywhere I wanted. No such thing as my patch and to ask his customers if they new they could only have him to clean the windows.
"its my area"
" we will see what happens to you then"
Googled his number and nothing came up :)
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Contact the Police they should be able to trace the number even if he withheld it, its always better to report something
like this just to keep yourself right.
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Aren't patches for cabbages? ;D
Yorkshire, might have guessed!
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how would you feel some one putting flyers threw your doors this guy has probably spent years building up his round and then you come along, i have had it done to me not as nice feeling and you have p""sed him off no wonder he feels the way he does it will happen to you and see how you react ???
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how would you feel some one putting flyers threw your doors this guy has probably spent years building up his round and then you come along, i have had it done to me not as nice feeling and you have p""sed him off no wonder he feels the way he does it will happen to you and see how you react ???
This happenes to me all the time, of course it does. You lose customers sometimes, mostly you don't. If you direct your efforts towards your work instead of pathetic empty threats, you'll be fine.
I've had the" keep off my patch" threats dozens of times. Hilarious usually.
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how would you feel some one putting flyers threw your doors this guy has probably spent years building up his round and then you come along, i have had it done to me not as nice feeling and you have p""sed him off no wonder he feels the way he does it will happen to you and see how you react ???
You can't stop what is put through customers doors.
I really can't understand this patch business. Build or buy your round, work hard and regularly, be approachable friendly and professional and your business will be safe from others.
Tony
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how would you feel some one putting flyers threw your doors this guy has probably spent years building up his round and then you come along, i have had it done to me not as nice feeling and you have p""sed him off no wonder he feels the way he does it will happen to you and see how you react ???
Get real.
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Just go around deliberately undercutting everyone... Job done ;D ;D
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I recently lost 2 bi-monthly jobs to someone canvassing for work. The customer actually called me up to see if I'd do a price match.
One £40 the other £35. I know the £40 job he's cleaning for £25. not sure about the £35 one.
Not a lot to be done, other than shrug it off and get more work in.
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how would you feel some one putting flyers threw your doors this guy has probably spent years building up his round and then you come along, i have had it done to me not as nice feeling and you have p""sed him off no wonder he feels the way he does it will happen to you and see how you react ???
Really?????? What a joke!
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how would you feel some one putting flyers threw your doors this guy has probably spent years building up his round and then you come along, i have had it done to me not as nice feeling and you have p""sed him off no wonder he feels the way he does it will happen to you and see how you react ???
I take it your the guy that rang Duncan up then ..... how the hell is he supposed to get work ? tell me?! does this guy put a label on all his customers houses so that other window cleaners know not to post a leaflet? it's a free world , unless your a crap window cleaner then what are you worried about? idiot
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I do a lot of commercial work people dropping leaflets on my jobs is the least I could hope for.
Only 2 weeks ago some one went in to a resturaunt and said they would clean it for £25 that's 50% cheaper than me.
Had another go into a care home I've had for a few years and said
"Tell me what ever your paying and we will do it cheaper"
Touch wood haven't lost anything for a very long time.
Getting all defensive and the hump over someone leafleting your jobs people should get a grip.
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My leaflet is in a local business magazine going out to 13,000 people in my town every month , my website is available for the whole world to go on , am I to stop my leaflets going out and take my website down because someone who lives 'on your patch' , that doesn't even like your ugly face might call me ? I think not , and what if my customer moves house ' on your patch' and asks me to carry on cleaning their new house?
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Focus on what 'you' are doing, not what the competition is up to.
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Focus on what 'you' are doing, not what the competition is up to.
+1
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what area were you posting ive had the same a while ago and some a hole egged my van
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how would you feel some one putting flyers threw your doors this guy has probably spent years building up his round and then you come along, i have had it done to me not as nice feeling and you have p""sed him off no wonder he feels the way he does it will happen to you and see how you react ???
happens to me all the time, and im not bothered in the slightest, i do a good job and am honest and friendly, i very rarely lose out to other windy`s even when they try to undercut. no such thing as "My Patch" and even if i were to lose one...thats life
in fact i enjoy coming across other windy`s when working , have a good ol chin wag
tony :)
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how would you feel some one putting flyers threw your doors this guy has probably spent years building up his round and then you come along, i have had it done to me not as nice feeling and you have p""sed him off no wonder he feels the way he does it will happen to you and see how you react ???
Wont be getting many replies from you about it then
:)
This is the type that I have to put up with.
Ok so they bought the round. Before him? and him? O yes. someone got a load of customers knocking on doors. Didn't think that gave him exclusive rights to that area.
When BT had every house. How did Virgin media, Sky etc get in? Didn't BT own that area.
Get a grip. Its business. If you clean windows ok, you wont loose any
I aint undercutting anyone that's for sure :)
Wont phone police. had a few now. They just look at me like poo when cleaning windows. Had one phone me. He was ok when I said I wont undercut him.
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Years ago I was cleaning away when a guy came along dropping leaflets. He saw me and apologized for encroaching on my 'patch'.
I told him that I don't believe in patches, and wished him all the best. in fact, I had just given a quote to a potential new customer across the road which was more than they were willing to pay, so I told the new guy he might get the job if he called there.
More recently I have been warned off another guy's 'patch'. I told him what I thought, and have since picked up a row of houses which were previously cleaned by him.
Back in England I had a good rapport with most windys I met. Over here in Ireland, they just glare at me! Makes me smile!
John
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how would you feel some one putting flyers threw your doors this guy has probably spent years building up his round and then you come along, i have had it done to me not as nice feeling and you have p""sed him off no wonder he feels the way he does it will happen to you and see how you react ???
happens to me all the time, and im not bothered in the slightest, i do a good job and am honest and friendly, i very rarely lose out to other windy`s even when they try to undercut. no such thing as "My Patch" and even if i were to lose one...thats life
in fact i enjoy coming across other windy`s when working , have a good ol chin wag
tony :)
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Wise words Tony Carr, One local window cleaner near me often under cuts my prices when out door knocking but over the years only lost a couple to him. Some of my customers have even mention he his to cheap.But as he says he will do them just to get the job.Obviously its not working for him.
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You just got to get over the fear of losing work, obviously your competition hasn't got over this fear yet.
I live in a smallish village, 810 houses, Ideally I would like a full time round here, it won't happen as I would need 500 out of those 810 houses unless I buy out the competition. I currently have 1 weeks work and working on building my 2nd week, if I get to this point I will be happy.
The village is already covered by half a dozen window cleaners, myself included, the chap with the biggest round only bought it before Xmas and is quite threatening to the other window cleaners when he loses jobs to them, he is currently one of 4 window cleaners touting for new business here mainly by under cutting, however none of them seem to be having much luck taking any of my customers of me, I have only lost 1, but have somehow managed to pick up 18 that they have failed to get since the start of the new tax year.
I don't doubt that they will pick up some customers but they won't get many, after a while they will fall by the wayside and the customers will become available again to whomever gets them first.
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"Get off my patch" does make me chuckle ;D
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how would you feel some one putting flyers threw your doors this guy has probably spent years building up his round and then you come along, i have had it done to me not as nice feeling and you have p""sed him off no wonder he feels the way he does it will happen to you and see how you react ???
::)roll
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How would you feel if you were at home with the signed up van sat on your drive and a cleaner turns up and cleans next door?
And yes I was that cleaner as quoted for a full exterior clean and done the job no probs. ;D
A. would you come rushing outside and screem get of my patch?
B. think why did next door not ask me for a quote?
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I would rather not do next door's. If there's a dispute or any kind of falling out, I'd still have to live next door to them :(
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A short while ago, had a phone call from a windy asking if i had anywork to sell in his patch. I guess he got my number of my van or website. Eitherway, i said NO. He went on to say hiw hes been in that area for 20 yrs and looking to have all of it. Said sorry cant help him......
2 days later i was working my round in his patch ( lol) and wondered if i would see any trouble. Sure enough this huge chap by huge i meant round belly, in addition to looking scruffy with cheap blue plastic pouches on a normal belt walk upto me. He said it was him that phoned me and again i said same response but talked pleasantly to him. However stating that ive been there over 14yrs and this is the first our paths have crossed. He left on friendly terms. But i couldnt help but think if hes been in this game for over 20 yrs and he still looks like a beer money window cleaner he cant be doing very well, i wonder if i should follow him n poach his customers lol
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A short while ago, had a phone call from a windy asking if i had anywork to sell in his patch. I guess he got my number of my van or website. Eitherway, i said NO. He went on to say hiw hes been in that area for 20 yrs and looking to have all of it. Said sorry cant help him......
2 days later i was working my round in his patch ( lol) and wondered if i would see any trouble. Sure enough this huge chap by huge i meant round belly, in addition to looking scruffy with cheap blue plastic pouches on a normal belt walk upto me. He said it was him that phoned me and again i said same response but talked pleasantly to him. However stating that ive been there over 14yrs and this is the first our paths have crossed. He left on friendly terms. But i couldnt help but think if hes been in this game for over 20 yrs and he still looks like a beer money window cleaner he cant be doing very well, i wonder if i should follow him n poach his customers lol
Gutted! I'm on my third set of 'cheap blue plastic pouches'
Inferior feelings spring to mind
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I can never really undestand the off my patch mentally of some window cleaners.
Its all about showing respect for your competition. For example when canvassing if a prospect said to me we have a window cleaner, the 1st thing id ask is 'are you happy with their quality of work? '
9 times out of ten they would be happy with their current cleaner but the one time you get a hesistation your ready to sell.
Sometimes is because thier current cleaner cant reach a certain window, or it could be a reliability issue which is common umungst complaints, other times it can be just that they are not trustworthy enough.
I never make it about price.
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Bearing in mind that anyone can get hold of a set of ladders and a bucket and call themselves a so say window cleaner it does not supprise me in the slightest we bump into nutters from time to time doing this job. So people as their customers are even frightend of getting rid of them too which has been mentioned more than once to me in conversation. ;D ;D
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I can never really undestand the off my patch mentally of some window cleaners.
Its all about showing respect for your competition. For example when canvassing if a prospect said to me we have a window cleaner, the 1st thing id ask is 'are you happy with their quality of work? '
9 times out of ten they would be happy with their current cleaner but the one time you get a hesistation your ready to sell.
Sometimes is because thier current cleaner cant reach a certain window, or it could be a reliability issue which is common umungst complaints, other times it can be just that they are not trustworthy enough.
I never make it about price.
When I canvassed I never made it about price or picking up anyone else's customers. If I was told they already had a window cleaner, I always replied that I would not try to take another guy's work (we are all trying to make a living after all). I then thanked them for their time and moved on. I also never asked what they were being charged.
The guy who warned me off his 'patch' had intimidated his customers into staying with him. Once one of them broke cover and told him where to go their neighbours all soon switched over to me!
John
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in fact i enjoy coming across other windy`s when working , have a good ol chin wag
Come to some parts of Liverpool and try the "good old chinwag" routine. You'll be told where to take your chinwag, some are bluffers and some are not and you won't get the chance to speak.....................
I actually dread coming across them and will not usually speak to them. When out working they usually fall into two types, the busy business minded ones carrying out their work and ignore me, or the territorial ones who wanna come over and start to tell you, based on how you react, that they do the whole area and have done for years, its not on coming into someones area or they bought their round and you're knackering it up for them. If i get anything other than "hiya mate" i usually just snarl at them and won't entertain them at all. Not that they'd be particularly frightened of me, but they know where the conversation will lead...generally me saying.......................................off, i'm not interested.
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in fact i enjoy coming across other windy`s when working , have a good ol chin wag
Come to some parts of Liverpool and try the "good old chinwag" routine. You'll be told where to take your chinwag, some are bluffers and some are not and you won't get the chance to speak.....................
I actually dread coming across them and will not usually speak to them. When out working they usually fall into two types, the busy business minded ones carrying out their work and ignore me, or the territorial ones who wanna come over and start to tell you, based on how you react, that they do the whole area and have done for years, its not on coming into someones area or they bought their round and you're knackering it up for them. If i get anything other than "hiya mate" i usually just snarl at them and won't entertain them at all. Not that they'd be particularly frightened of me, but they know where the conversation will lead...generally me saying.......................................off, i'm not interested.
I expect they are terrified.
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Funny how people stop posting when they are shot down lol, I used to think my patch thirty years ago when I first started but as time went on I realized that if you lose a customer to another windy then it's a customer not worth having if your doing a good job there's nowt to worry about but there will always be customer s that trys to save a penny that's life
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in fact i enjoy coming across other windy`s when working , have a good ol chin wag
Come to some parts of Liverpool and try the "good old chinwag" routine. You'll be told where to take your chinwag, some are bluffers and some are not and you won't get the chance to speak.....................
I actually dread coming across them and will not usually speak to them. When out working they usually fall into two types, the busy business minded ones carrying out their work and ignore me, or the territorial ones who wanna come over and start to tell you, based on how you react, that they do the whole area and have done for years, its not on coming into someones area or they bought their round and you're knackering it up for them. If i get anything other than "hiya mate" i usually just snarl at them and won't entertain them at all. Not that they'd be particularly frightened of me, but they know where the conversation will lead...generally me saying.......................................off, i'm not interested.
I expect they are terrified.
You terrify me to be honest.
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in fact i enjoy coming across other windy`s when working , have a good ol chin wag
Come to some parts of Liverpool and try the "good old chinwag" routine. You'll be told where to take your chinwag, some are bluffers and some are not and you won't get the chance to speak.....................
I actually dread coming across them and will not usually speak to them. When out working they usually fall into two types, the busy business minded ones carrying out their work and ignore me, or the territorial ones who wanna come over and start to tell you, based on how you react, that they do the whole area and have done for years, its not on coming into someones area or they bought their round and you're knackering it up for them. If i get anything other than "hiya mate" i usually just snarl at them and won't entertain them at all. Not that they'd be particularly frightened of me, but they know where the conversation will lead...generally me saying.......................................off, i'm not interested.
Same round here. Less and less bad ones since WFP came out.
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I just wondered if the popularity of wfp will go full circle ??? as you see a lot vans for sale on evil bay ,etc I have noticed work is getting a bit more of an effort to obtain with the a mount of guys out their seems with it being a bit faster the more scope for new work the more scatterd your round could be .having to travel a bit more .which could lead to the price war touchy subject on here .just an observation.im sure they will be a few more :)
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Where is West Yorkshire are you?
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in fact i enjoy coming across other windy`s when working , have a good ol chin wag
Come to some parts of Liverpool and try the "good old chinwag" routine. You'll be told where to take your chinwag, some are bluffers and some are not and you won't get the chance to speak.....................
I actually dread coming across them and will not usually speak to them. When out working they usually fall into two types, the busy business minded ones carrying out their work and ignore me, or the territorial ones who wanna come over and start to tell you, based on how you react, that they do the whole area and have done for years, its not on coming into someones area or they bought their round and you're knackering it up for them. If i get anything other than "hiya mate" i usually just snarl at them and won't entertain them at all. Not that they'd be particularly frightened of me, but they know where the conversation will lead...generally me saying.......................................off, i'm not interested.
I expect they are terrified.
You terrify me to be honest.
:D
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I have had a few customers ask me to equal a newbie's price the answer is always yes sure, then when they are happy to go with the lower price. Will be the last time they see me. I have had a few calls to come back after the price drop because I have not come to clean. I tell them I felt blackmail and have had a change of heart and will only clean at the old price. It never goes down well. But it`s good for me getting my message across.
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Will have to remember that one Slap.
By the time you've missed a clean and they contact you to see why, the other cleaner will be a distant memory for them 😂😂😂
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I have had a few customers ask me to equal a newbie's price the answer is always yes sure, then when they are happy to go with the lower price. Will be the last time they see me. I have had a few calls to come back after the price drop because I have not come to clean. I tell them I felt blackmail and have had a change of heart and will only clean at the old price. It never goes down well. But it`s good for me getting my message across.
Someone once said on here, when asked to match a quote.. "Ok, but which ones do you want me to miss"? ;D
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I have this women bang loads of flyers out for me CHEAP and fast.
She did a new area for me about 4 month ago and got quite a few customers.
Asked me if I wanted same area doing again, so said yes.
Just got a call of a guy saying I was canvasing in his area.
I told him I was dropping flyers off and it any bodys area
"its my area mate"
told him I could go anywhere I wanted. No such thing as my patch and to ask his customers if they new they could only have him to clean the windows.
"its my area"
" we will see what happens to you then"
Googled his number and nothing came up :)
I hope you told him to shut it otherwise you'll shag his mrs aswell ;D
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how would you feel some one putting flyers threw your doors this guy has probably spent years building up his round and then you come along, i have had it done to me not as nice feeling and you have p""sed him off no wonder he feels the way he does it will happen to you and see how you react ???
It's a cruel world and it isn't fair.
I guess I'd just have to man up and not worry about it, like I do already.
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I like big jobs, with houses that you can't see from the driveway entrance. Not many window cleaners would bother to leaflet or canvas jobs like that, especially when they're half-a-mile from the next house.
Luckily enough I live in the Wye Valley and there's lots of rich people here.
I just thought I'd gloat a bit. Sorry.
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had a windy threaten my daughter last year when she was working for us , it got sorted very quickly (with in 5 minutes when she rang her dad) not seen him out cleaning since
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Why does her dad not go window cleaning because she phones him?
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Why does her dad not go window cleaning because she phones him?
;D
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Where's the informative button? ???
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Why does her dad not go window cleaning because she phones him?
;D
;D ;D
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had a windy threaten my daughter last year when she was working for us , it got sorted very quickly (with in 5 minutes when she rang her dad) not seen him out cleaning since
I would have done the same as would have been mad as hell if my daughter had been threatened.
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had a windy threaten my daughter last year when she was working for us , it got sorted very quickly (with in 5 minutes when she rang her dad) not seen him out cleaning since
I would have done the same as would have been mad as hell if my daughter had been threatened.
My daughter works with me, and if she were ever to be threatened, I wouldn't be quite the nice guy I am now!
John
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People are saying about being undercut and it makes other window cleaners angry. Have any of you seen the look on another window cleaners face who has lost a job he got £8 for and they're giving you £15 for the same job? Now that is funny.
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People are saying about being undercut and it makes other window cleaners angry. Have any of you seen the look on another window cleaners face who has lost a job he got £8 for and they're giving you £15 for the same job? Now that is funny.
Some yrs ago a group of lads (window cleaners) stood opposite side of road and main lad whos group it was came over to chat. Accusing me of taking some of his work and how i dont want to start a turf war as theres more of them. I laughed, for one ive been in area way longer than him and second, told him how much they are paying me compared to them. That he should go speak withbhis team and not to try n threaten me. That look was priceless
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Seeing new cleaners every where by me now. Enquiries really slowed up but got a full round so not too concerned. Think its going to be harder in the future to build round. Just glad I'm not just starting out.
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Seeing new cleaners every where by me now. Enquiries really slowed up but got a full round so not too concerned. Think its going to be harder in the future to build round. Just glad I'm not just starting out.
could be correct but the old hands prob said the same every year since 1805 or when ever window cleaning was invented
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That's true just easier now with wfp. No need climb ladders which I think would put a large percentage off Window cleaning. Plus with the Internet and forums like this a lot of information at the click of a button. I came across this forum back in 2008 when I was a bricklayer and when I saw the posts about earnings thought ill give it a go. Not a top earner but earn a decent living
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That's true just easier now with wfp. No need climb ladders which I think would put a large percentage off Window cleaning. Plus with the Internet and forums like this a lot of information at the click of a button. I came across this forum back in 2008 when I was a bricklayer and when I saw the posts about earnings thought ill give it a go. Not a top earner but earn a decent living
They've got to do it yet.
They've got the van, kit and website, but still have to get out of bed every day to do it
The messers, the fair weather custards, the cold and the wet and under priced work.
If they make it through this, then their competition but many won't and the lure of their old job or a new venture will see them bow out.
On another forum it seems to be littered with new starters asking the daft questions we all did, but it makes me wonder if they got dressed themselves.
Worry about your own business, nothing else matters
Tony
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That's true Tony took me nearly 2 years to build a decent round doing a bit of bricklaying to fill the gaps as you say not easy let's hope for a bad winter to see a few off lol
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had a windy threaten my daughter last year when she was working for us , it got sorted very quickly (with in 5 minutes when she rang her dad) not seen him out cleaning since
I would have done the same as would have been mad as hell if my daughter had been threatened.
Me three.
I'd ring my dad to sort it out.
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Right, listen all you chickens.
What you do when the opposition start giving it large on your manor-
You see them approaching so take out a rusty, old scraper from your pouch. Even if you're 100% wfp, wear a pouch- cheap, blue plastic or otherwise- with a dirty, rusty old scraper inside.
Then to start to shave your face with the scraper and say "be with you in a minute, sunshine".
Then "that's better; now how can I help you?"
You won't get any agg, I promise you.
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Right, listen all you chickens.
What you do when the opposition start giving it large on your manor-
You see them approaching so take out a rusty, old scraper from your pouch. Even if you're 100% wfp, wear a pouch- cheap, blue plastic or otherwise- with a dirty, rusty old scraper inside.
Then to start to shave your face with the scraper and say "be with you in a minute, sunshine".
Then "that's better; now how can I help you?"
You won't get any agg, I promise you.
;D ;D
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That's true Tony took me nearly 2 years to build a decent round doing a bit of bricklaying to fill the gaps as you say not easy let's hope for a bad winter to see a few off lol
If you had a compact round you'd need less bricks to fill the gaps.
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Right, listen all you chickens.
What you do when the opposition start giving it large on your manor-
You see them approaching so take out a rusty, old scraper from your pouch. Even if you're 100% wfp, wear a pouch- cheap, blue plastic or otherwise- with a dirty, rusty old scraper inside.
Then to start to shave your face with the scraper and say "be with you in a minute, sunshine".
Then "that's better; now how can I help you?"
You won't get any agg, I promise you.
Just carry a big bloody knife :)
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had a windy threaten my daughter last year when she was working for us , it got sorted very quickly (with in 5 minutes when she rang her dad) not seen him out cleaning since
I would have done the same as would have been mad as hell if my daughter had been threatened.
he wasn't happy at all and there was no stopping him , lets say it didn't end well for the guy or his side kick they both got what they had comeing to them 8)
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:o