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UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: STEVE-UK on August 31, 2008, 11:15:31 pm

Title: taking someone on?
Post by: STEVE-UK on August 31, 2008, 11:15:31 pm
how do you guys work it when you take someone on doing residential work?

i want to send them out on there own but dont want them to collect the money as they would probably leave and start up on there own,but if the custy is in there going to be given the money and know what you charge

Title: Re: taking someone on?
Post by: geefree on August 31, 2008, 11:30:26 pm
Have a chat with all your customers and ask them if they will send you cheques and not pay your employees... or arrange one night per week to collect.

you will get some brilliant replies from the guys who employ and have had real experience....

but for now thats my advice to kick it off.

cheers
Title: Re: taking someone on?
Post by: jaykie on August 31, 2008, 11:32:06 pm
Sub to me  ;D
Title: Re: taking someone on?
Post by: Central Window Cleaners on September 01, 2008, 10:11:40 am
You can only employ if you can put trust in the people working for you. You also have to pay them enough not to want to go it alone with all the expenses involved.

I have had 3 guys work for my since i took over the business in 2004 and they all worked for the previous guy on a 30% basis. I changed that the first day we started and they have been loyal to me ever since.
Title: Re: taking someone on?
Post by: dave0123 on September 01, 2008, 11:34:44 am
Im about to take somebody on myself am doing interview's next monday morning and letters are being sent out to them now.

Personaly i would not let me go out alone for a good few months if i was you.

my lad wont ever being going out alone he will be working along side me even then he is going work out how much money is being taken there not stupid at the end of the day.

im paying my lad mimium wage for turning up plus extra at the end of the week for turning up on time amount of work done with quality etc.
Title: Re: taking someone on?
Post by: ALAN HAYNES on September 01, 2008, 05:54:01 pm
i started a lad to work with me a while ago and its the best thing i did

give you that extra push when you need it
Title: Re: taking someone on?
Post by: windowwashers on September 01, 2008, 06:04:13 pm
Im about to take somebody on myself am doing interview's next monday morning and letters are being sent out to them now.

Personaly i would not let me go out alone for a good few months if i was you.

my lad wont ever being going out alone he will be working along side me even then he is going work out how much money is being taken there not stupid at the end of the day.

im paying my lad mimium wage for turning up plus extra at the end of the week for turning up on time amount of work done with quality etc.
Pay them well and this will not be a problem pay min wage you are asking for trouble,
Title: Re: taking someone on?
Post by: STEVE-UK on September 01, 2008, 06:41:14 pm
how about having mates working for you ?
they dont mix business with pleasure
Title: Re: taking someone on?
Post by: windowwashers on September 01, 2008, 06:42:36 pm
how about having mates working for you ?
they dont mix business with pleasure
No they do not work, I lost my best m8 to the green eyed monster, he now struggles  ;)
Title: Re: taking someone on?
Post by: STEVE-UK on September 01, 2008, 06:57:38 pm
thats what i thought :-\,but hes not really the jealous type but that could change, but he is 100% trust worthy, i was thinking of paying him top wage to watch over a 2nd person
Title: Re: taking someone on?
Post by: suffolkclean on September 01, 2008, 07:46:04 pm
We had a young guy work for us, hubby and him worked together. He told him he wasn't to take any money from customer if he did he would be sacked - it worked!! Until he was left alone to do 3 storey houses he took about 3 hours per house and missed one side of the house, it was too much for him - never turned up the next day and wouldn't answer our calls!! Was afraid to break a sweat even walked like a snail
Title: Re: taking someone on?
Post by: LWC on September 01, 2008, 07:57:30 pm
im struggling to think about just how to do this, even if the customers dont pay, theyve still gotta write out the ticket, clocking up what your earning, then thinking im gonna do this myself lol!
Title: Re: taking someone on?
Post by: NWH on September 01, 2008, 08:59:19 pm
If you can find someone that hasn`t got big green eys your a better man-women than me,evryone i`ve had has always wanted more regardless of what they`ve been getting paid.It dosen`t matter what you pay them they they always seem to think there working to give you the good life which in effect they are but that`s life,you need someone and i know it sounds harsh that has no ambition or not as much as you.Pay them well and praise them when they deserve it,just plod along and they`ll be gone.
Title: Re: taking someone on?
Post by: STEVE-UK on September 01, 2008, 09:14:52 pm
ideally i wanted more commercial work and employ someone to do that, that way they just turn up do the job and you invoice the company
Title: Re: taking someone on?
Post by: NWH on September 01, 2008, 09:30:38 pm
Blimey you`ll need a lot of commercial work for that.
Title: Re: taking someone on?
Post by: seandyer2003 on September 02, 2008, 09:49:53 am
i started a lad to work with me a while ago and its the best thing i did

give you that extra push when you need it

I had a lad with me for about 3-4 months while he had finished college and was looking for work, he was a friends son so helped him out, although it took a few weeks to start breaking even, and i didnt make much out of it, it just made me get out of bed at 6 coz i knew i was picking someone up, and if it rained, we worked as i wouldnt want to pay for half a day etc, so i found it really motivating, plus you race etc, and that means your moving quicker, but hes finished know and im all alone again:( Need someone 2 days a week i think, might try get a zero hour contract for someone who only needs a day or 2??
Title: Re: taking someone on?
Post by: suffolkclean on September 02, 2008, 10:35:00 am
  LWC - Not sure why your struggling to see how it works - young guy helps clean windows with boss, boss deals with payment.

Title: Re: taking someone on?
Post by: STEVE-UK on September 02, 2008, 12:49:54 pm
If you take somone on and they work with you, i cant see there being any problems as 'suffolkclean' said .
my plan is to get them to do the back windows while i do the few at the front and chat to the custy and collect money,
Its when you take on a 2nd van youve got to trust them as your not there to watch over them
Title: Re: taking someone on?
Post by: Davie T on September 02, 2008, 02:14:46 pm
If you use George, you can print of a daily worksheet for him and use the facilityto remove the prices therefore he would not see the price and subsequently not know how much to ask for.   The other alternative is to request they pay on Invoice rather than at the door.
Title: Re: taking someone on?
Post by: LWC on September 02, 2008, 07:02:24 pm
  LWC - Not sure why your struggling to see how it works - young guy helps clean windows with boss, boss deals with payment.



got too much work, i always have someone with me, and thats not enough so i want to send someone out
Title: Re: taking someone on?
Post by: Moderator David@stives on September 02, 2008, 07:05:58 pm
If your paranoid about your staff seeing the takings, maybe you are not yet ready to employ.

My staff see all my job prices and see it as turnover not profit.
Title: Re: taking someone on?
Post by: LWC on September 02, 2008, 07:20:41 pm
not so much about them seeing the earnings, more about them thinking "hmmm i could do this myself"
Title: Re: taking someone on?
Post by: STEVE-UK on September 02, 2008, 07:57:42 pm
ditto
Title: Re: taking someone on?
Post by: Moderator David@stives on September 02, 2008, 08:05:03 pm
Its the same in any job
Title: Re: taking someone on?
Post by: LWC on September 02, 2008, 08:06:41 pm
Its the same in any job

yeh thats true, but window cleaning is so easy to start up yourself
Title: Re: taking someone on?
Post by: STEVE-UK on September 02, 2008, 08:52:37 pm
Yeh and could start for £500 if you got a back pack pole & small RO
Title: Re: taking someone on?
Post by: spark1 on September 12, 2008, 02:38:51 pm

Make sure you have the right type of work so he keeps earning all week no matter the weather . He wont want to leave,thats what i do.           
Title: Re: taking someone on?
Post by: seandyer2003 on September 12, 2008, 06:17:47 pm

Make sure you have the right type of work so he keeps earning all week no matter the weather . He wont want to leave,thats what i do.           

Commercial work is that?? Or residential...im wanting to take on this time next year hopefully but will need ALOT of work, and i want them to be able to work evryday all day al year so neither of us misses out on money...but its hard to hone that kind of work! Otherwise id be doing it myself now  ;D