Clean It Up

UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: Cookie on August 03, 2016, 06:00:07 pm

Title: Whoops! Just Smashed My First Garden Gnome!
Post by: Cookie on August 03, 2016, 06:00:07 pm
I smashed a garden gnome today (didn't even know it was behind me - must have crept up...) I think my pole hose was tangled around him & I just pulled him over.

I offered the customer a free clean but she wouldn't accept and paid me in full claiming the gnome was pretty worthless anyway....
Title: Re: Whoops! Just Smashed My First Garden Gnome!
Post by: slap bash on August 03, 2016, 06:10:06 pm
Seven-years bad luck.
Title: Re: Whoops! Just Smashed My First Garden Gnome!
Post by: Smurf on August 03, 2016, 06:19:03 pm
I think we have all done that one. I've broken gnomes, plant pots, water feature bird baths, solar garden lights just to name a few. I've also fallen down or tripped over garden steps, dwarf walls, slippery decking and even fell into a pond once too  ;D ;D
Title: Re: Whoops! Just Smashed My First Garden Gnome!
Post by: paulben on August 03, 2016, 07:03:52 pm
Oh the joys of being a window cleaner even stepped back into my bucket on a winters day
Title: Re: Whoops! Just Smashed My First Garden Gnome!
Post by: robbo333 on August 03, 2016, 07:06:14 pm
The ones that are fishing...they're the f**kers  :o
Title: Re: Whoops! Just Smashed My First Garden Gnome!
Post by: Phil J on August 03, 2016, 07:06:38 pm
I always have a tube of superglue in the van. Great for lose lead and broken gnome's!
Title: Re: Whoops! Just Smashed My First Garden Gnome!
Post by: richard groves on August 03, 2016, 07:17:24 pm
The ones that are fishing...they're the f**kers  :o
No its the little blue ones with the white hats  ;D
Title: Re: Whoops! Just Smashed My First Garden Gnome!
Post by: rosskesava on August 03, 2016, 08:18:52 pm
I decapitated a gnome once and didn't realise I'd done it till the next clean when the customer made out she was heartbroken. She was joking but for a few minutes I thought she was serious.

She's never let me forget it and calls me 'the gnome murderer'.
Title: Re: Whoops! Just Smashed My First Garden Gnome!
Post by: Spruce on August 03, 2016, 08:34:26 pm
I think we have all done that one. I've broken gnomes, plant pots, water feature bird baths, solar garden lights just to name a few. I've also fallen down or tripped over garden steps, dwarf walls, slippery decking and even fell into a pond once too  ;D ;D

That sounds like my wfp history.  ;D
Title: Re: Whoops! Just Smashed My First Garden Gnome!
Post by: nathankaye on August 03, 2016, 08:45:28 pm
A yr bk, a chap asked me to do his upstairs windows. He already had a guy doing traditional, but apart from one window upstairs the other up windows were over roofs or the conny. Not getting into price arguements, i charged him 8quid for 3 windows (i clean neighbours n plenty of others on street) thought he wud laugh n say no, but he didnt. Any ways, 6 mnths later hes moaning to me how other shiner had broken a gnome in garden and not said anything, so hes got shot of him n asked if i could do all downstairs as well. Obviously i obliged at cost!  Now it could be an easy excuse to get rid of the other guy, but i thought it goes to show its better to nention these things than to ignore it n think we wont get blame.

Another tale tho, the worse i did was a classic Mr Bean moment! My customer left hose pipe out in garden, didnt pay too much attention as i stepped over it. Went n stood straight on trigger n shot cold water right up my inner leg to my cruch, on an already cold day! Looked like i had peed myself good n proper  ::)roll
Title: Re: Whoops! Just Smashed My First Garden Gnome!
Post by: duncan h on August 03, 2016, 09:14:10 pm
I brake this womens night light every clean :) she puts it on a tall thin stand. Last time I tried moving stand and knocked light off with my pole lol
Title: Re: Whoops! Just Smashed My First Garden Gnome!
Post by: sunshine windows on August 03, 2016, 10:05:21 pm
Oops!

£2.5k garden table is the worst breakage for me. I now move nothing that's in my way to clean.

I've also pulled my hose reel over the bonnet of a brand new car. It whipped up as I pulled it round a corner and I didn't realise
Title: Re: Whoops! Just Smashed My First Garden Gnome!
Post by: Smurf on August 03, 2016, 11:42:42 pm
I think we have all done that one. I've broken gnomes, plant pots, water feature bird baths, solar garden lights just to name a few. I've also fallen down or tripped over garden steps, dwarf walls, slippery decking and even fell into a pond once too  ;D ;D

That sounds like my wfp history.  ;D

I've also hit a few cars with me pole too and best one I broke a conservatory roof I was cleaning that ended up costing 3.5k to sort out. Now that was one of my better days  ;D ;D
Title: Re: Whoops! Just Smashed My First Garden Gnome!
Post by: G Griffin on August 03, 2016, 11:48:39 pm
I think we have all done that one. I've broken gnomes, plant pots, water feature bird baths, solar garden lights just to name a few. I've also fallen down or tripped over garden steps, dwarf walls, slippery decking and even fell into a pond once too  ;D ;D

That sounds like my wfp history.  ;D

I've also hit a few cars with me pole too and best one I broke a conservatory roof I was cleaning that ended up costing 3.5k to sort out. Now that was one of my better days  ;D ;D
Blimey! Did you forget about that before?
Title: Re: Whoops! Just Smashed My First Garden Gnome!
Post by: Smurf on August 03, 2016, 11:57:11 pm
A yr bk, a chap asked me to do his upstairs windows. He already had a guy doing traditional, but apart from one window upstairs the other up windows were over roofs or the conny. Not getting into price arguements, i charged him 8quid for 3 windows (i clean neighbours n plenty of others on street) thought he wud laugh n say no, but he didnt. Any ways, 6 mnths later hes moaning to me how other shiner had broken a gnome in garden and not said anything, so hes got shot of him n asked if i could do all downstairs as well. Obviously i obliged at cost!  Now it could be an easy excuse to get rid of the other guy, but i thought it goes to show its better to nention these things than to ignore it n think we wont get blame.

Another tale tho, the worse i did was a classic Mr Bean moment! My customer left hose pipe out in garden, didnt pay too much attention as i stepped over it. Went n stood straight on trigger n shot cold water right up my inner leg to my cruch, on an already cold day! Looked like i had peed myself good n proper  ::)roll

Now that''s funny but I can top that as I ineventadly sprayed water up a womans skirt.
The pole was on the ground at the time as she was walking past so I decided to pick it up out of the way when the water came on and went straight up her bum...Oops! sorry missus  ;D  ;D
Title: Re: Whoops! Just Smashed My First Garden Gnome!
Post by: Smurf on August 04, 2016, 12:02:47 am
I think we have all done that one. I've broken gnomes, plant pots, water feature bird baths, solar garden lights just to name a few. I've also fallen down or tripped over garden steps, dwarf walls, slippery decking and even fell into a pond once too  ;D ;D

That sounds like my wfp history.  ;D

I've also hit a few cars with me pole too and best one I broke a conservatory roof I was cleaning that ended up costing 3.5k to sort out. Now that was one of my better days  ;D ;D
Blimey! Did you forget about that before?

I try to forget the conservatory cockup but Lance mention the table and it brought it all back. Lucky for me my insurance sorted it out.
Title: Re: Whoops! Just Smashed My First Garden Gnome!
Post by: EandM on August 04, 2016, 12:09:58 pm
At times like this I turn to Bowie;


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=htdvdm7cJnA

Title: Re: Whoops! Just Smashed My First Garden Gnome!
Post by: Tosh on August 05, 2016, 06:13:49 pm
Gardiners sell gnomes?