Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: colley614 on October 12, 2007, 07:05:58 pm
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Were is the best place to get then from?
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Were is the best place to get then from?
why not just get a van? and a pole
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ifor williams and gardiners,luke
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Windowashers. At the moment I can only afford one vehicle and I don't fancy putting the kids in the back of a van. ;D Not that I would anyway! I really need help with this as I have to put a quote in for2 office blocks which will each be a days work and I doubt my backpack can handle these 2 buildings! I have been looking at the omnitrolley but am concerned by the fact it only carries 250 ltrs as I probably would need 500 ltrs. Unless I used my containers to carry water also but then thats carrying 10 containers ans a trailer. Would look a right mess if I had an accident.
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Guys,
I really need help on this issue as I'm wracking my brain over this quote. The landlord to this place is using them to generate a big income and build a whole business park under the one contract. I was shown his blueprints and the contract on this place would pay me and my employee's wage. I'm spending all weekend researching what I need and were to get it, whilst putting a quote together and I know there is another local firm bigger than me who is hell bent on getting the contract.
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Colley what local firm is that BTW? who is hell bent on getting this contract?
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Hallmark are after it, they have already done the work for the building firm and now they want to get in with the landlord also.
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ahh right! i was thinking of another firm that seem to have all these contracts under there belt round here! good luck with it tho mate.
Dave
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http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Reach-Wash-Window-Cleaning-Trailer_W0QQitemZ270174312562QQihZ017QQcategoryZ36632QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD10VQQcmdZViewItem
If you can afford it!
Dean
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I could easily afford it in a few weeks and ideally thats the unit I would love to own but will have to wait a couple of weeks and no doubt it will be gone by then and I won't get anything like that around when I've got the cash to buy it.
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Dave which firm are you thinking of? I know a couple that are just getting silly now and one in question priced one of my shops at £46 something and I thought I was expensive charging £10 for 4 windows!
;D
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lol 46 quid? who was that :o shocking.
I was thinking of Out & About who do loads of offices and homes right across wirral north wales and liverpool now.
Dave
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I could easily afford it in a few weeks and ideally thats the unit I would love to own but will have to wait a couple of weeks and no doubt it will be gone by then and I won't get anything like that around when I've got the cash to buy it.
Can you not get a short term loan from someone or how about a credit card if you can afford it in a few weeks you will be able to pay the money back with possibly no interest to pay
Cashflow man!! Cashflow ;)
Dean
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Yeah thats what I'm talking about. I'm seeing someone monday then I will get a 7 days cooling off period after the loan is agreed so thats about 9 days away from now and the bid ends in 2.
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Dave I know what you mean about out and about " Wirral's number 1." There is another firm started in the last few years and I have found I'm getting a few phone calls lately off unhappy customers of there's. I went to one job that had been done within days and it was disgusting. There was spiders eggs and webs all down the frames and all the windows looked like they had been given a quick rub and had that mark you get were you can see a mist of muck on the window.
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Ye i used to work for Out & About and they have alot of work in compact commercial from blocks flats to factories and all sorts.
Yes i no what you mean about the windows haha! what company is that?
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Don't really want to say because I've quoted on a lot of there work and they could believe I was targeting it although honestly I'm not. I've just had about 3 of their customers phone me in the last month and they have been the cream of their work!
Anyway bit of advice for you on the WFP front. When I got it out about 2 months ago now I started targeting the office block side of life and found a lot of my domestic customers in West kirby, Heswall and Caldy went straight for another trad window cleaner although the ones with the conservatories got me more work because they were amazed that I could do their roofs on them. Altogether I have got more new work than old. I lost a job yesterday because I had a customer who was a " I'll give you a call" kind of custy so I used the job to get going. Now I'm going I find it hard to just drive half an hour away and do a house so I left it until I was in west kirby which was yesterday. I had explained I won't just turn up when phoned I'll do it in 2 weeks with my other work in the area. Got there yesterday and he come out to tell me they had another window cleaner. I was pleased shook his hand jumped in the car and shot off. I would have binned him anyway because its always about his needs never mine.
But still I picked up a bigger house on the way home worth doulbe and this new custy wouldn't even let me quote on his house without a brew in my hand! ;D
Oh and by the way I've had a new firm in the area trying to quote on my round in bromborough!
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Thanks for that mate intresting post.
I can see why they like it on there conservatory with it coming up clean you can notice it more.... i spose ;D
Mate i understand about saying names on here but email me the name because i no a big company that is also the same and want to know if its the same company cus i have had few jobs from them. dave0123@merseymail.com
Tar
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Yeah thats what I'm talking about. I'm seeing someone monday then I will get a 7 days cooling off period after the loan is agreed so thats about 9 days away from now and the bid ends in 2.
Can you not ask your bank for a short term overdraft? I did this about 2 weeks ago for 4 grand and they gave me it the next day (I asked for limit and be taken off after 14 days as new had money coming in to cover it. Just a thought you never know unless you ask
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I asked a few months ago now and they said to come back with my first year accounts which are due in Jan.
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Dave did you read my post on Wednesday?
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colley youve got mail, Luke
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Not recieved mate, Try colley614@hotmail.co.uk
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Done, Luke
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No mate what post was that?
Dave
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Luke, thanks!
Dave, I priced a job up last week and told the custy Wednesday afternoon. Get there Wednesday and there is ladders laid ni front of the job, which I thought nothing of. Speaks to the custy and they turn out to be another window cleaners that he had asked for a quote from. The guy came in at the same price as me although I'm wfp and he is trad! It was 4 hours cleaning with water fed and I priced on that, trad would have been 2 days work. So I gets started on the job and the window cleaner pulled up, nice bloke started chatting. Then the custy comes out and says sorry to him. They both walk off and start discussing price I had agrred for that job and his new premises and got quote for it. Whoever the customer had already agreed that I was quoting on the new premises. Honestly if I hadn't been giving somebody money from that job I would have just walked off there and then.
So I asked the custy once finished if he wanted me to quote. he said yeah but was in the sort of tone as if to say ' just to keep you happy' So I quoted on it which was also met with a ' don't call us, we'll call you attitude.'
Was fuming over this so I said the next day when I took written quote in" Well if you are going to use this other window cleaner then take this into consideration. I have a uniform. Modern equipment and everything is above board. On the other hand this guy you had here yesterday was in scrags, had ladders that were that old and battered that the rubber feet had worn away and some of the metal too. Basically them ladder will go from under him one day and lets hope it not on your premises. Because the other window cleaner knows that I have offered you a ladderless alternative so if he falls, which is highly likely and he knows his salt. He would know that the Working At Heights Legislation states. That you can get done for causing injury by using a ladder if there was an alternative method available. If he fell 30 foot from a ladder and broke his legs, he would probably get desperate and try doing you for that. And you would be liable as you chose the alternative."
The guys face was a picture. I don't understand how at the same price he picked a guy that looks a mess when I turn up uniformed, with magbnetic adverts on my car doors, with the latest equipment. The last thing I said to the custy before I left was consider this " You asked him this morning, he has been trading 20 years so by now will have a full work load. But managed to fit you in this afternoon. So he must be dumping a customer or to considering it will take him at least 8 hours to do. What happens when he is supposed to be at your premises but had a better offer?"
Bloody annoying!
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I know what you mean mate it is anoying.
I lost a job the other month which was £10.00 and i got my ladders off and that and the person come out and said ohhh wev got another window cleaner now and i said oh right :| he said hes cheaper charging £3.50.. i jus started to walk off and said 3.50 :o totaly shocked and i said hes proberly not insured or anything and the fella said yeah proberly..
They dont care and its anoying when we try our best to be profesional fully insured and try to keep our prices to a minium to get work, obv we have costs unlike them.
Dave
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I got a guy gob smacked a few weeks ago because he asked how much on semi and I quote £10. Oh the other window cleaner charges £4.00 was my response to which I replied " Ok, I know a smack head who fits comby boilers for £200. Seen as you like that type of person working for you, call me when your boiler breaks down and I'll get him round to fit you one. You've got my card"
;D
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Stupid isnt it...
it really anoys me because they wont do it ohh no they wont go up the ladder and clean there windows but they dont want to pay anything for someone to climb up the ladder! am sure if u said ok would u clean your windows for 3.50? or 4.00 am sure they wouldnt get out of bed for it.
But then on the other hand u get those customers who say oh i dont care how much it is they just need doing ;D
Dave