Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: dai on October 20, 2008, 10:00:01 pm
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I lost two customers today, they have been with me since I started, and I have known both of them for over 40 years.
One said that money was so tight they could no longer afford it, the other said it had come to a choice between keeping warm, or being able to see through the windows.
Both of these were pensioners living in ex council houses, I charge them just £6.
Two days ago I heard on the news that the government were going to introduce even tougher immigration laws. Hang on, wasn't this same government telling us six months ago that we all benefited from immigrants?
Then today I heard that unemployment is set to double.
I would usually treat such a statement with a degree of caution, but having heard what the minister said about immigration, I can see that he is putting on his Kevlar trousers, and getting into the cover your backside mode. If unemployment reaches 4 million, the tabloid press is going to have a field day, accusing the government of allowing immigrants to steal British jobs.
They say that hindsight is a wonderful thing, is it? Or is it just the way we view history after becoming aware of the true facts?
Experience, and the fact that history often repeats itself can give us a little fore site.
If we are to maintain our businesses at our present level. we must act now, we really need to work at our marketing, get out and canvass, seek new business wherever we can.
If You you haven't lost any business up to now, you will, believe me.
There are some very rough times ahead, and with 4 million on the dole there are going to be a lot of newbie window cleaners to compete with, and some of these guys will be pricing in line with their hourly rate when they were working.
We really should get out there and get whatever work we can before these guys get a foot in the door. It may sound selfish, but it could mean survival.
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i did this back in march....i realised this back then ... :o
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i did this back in march....i realised this back then ... :o
and are you full to the brim now ?
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I lost two customers today, they have been with me since I started, and I have known both of them for over 40 years.
One said that money was so tight they could no longer afford it, the other said it had come to a choice between keeping warm, or being able to see through the windows.
Both of these were pensioners living in ex council houses, I charge them just £6.
Two days ago I heard on the news that the government were going to introduce even tougher immigration laws. Hang on, wasn't this same government telling us six months ago that we all benefited from immigrants?
Then today I heard that unemployment is set to double.
I would usually treat such a statement with a degree of caution, but having heard what the minister said about immigration, I can see that he is putting on his Kevlar trousers, and getting into the cover your backside mode. If unemployment reaches 4 million, the tabloid press is going to have a field day, accusing the government of allowing immigrants to steal British jobs.
They say that hindsight is a wonderful thing, is it? Or is it just the way we view history after becoming aware of the true facts?
Experience, and the fact that history often repeats itself can give us a little fore site.
If we are to maintain our businesses at our present level. we must act now, we really need to work at our marketing, get out and canvass, seek new business wherever we can.
If You you haven't lost any business up to now, you will, believe me.
There are some very rough times ahead, and with 4 million on the dole there are going to be a lot of newbie window cleaners to compete with, and some of these guys will be pricing in line with their hourly rate when they were working.
We really should get out there and get whatever work we can before these guys get a foot in the door. It may sound selfish, but it could mean survival.
I haven't lost business on the scale you describe. Also, when I have lost business recently, the reasons have not necessarily been financial ones. However, I do expect a much larger turnaround of customers as unemployment grows. As you say, losing customers due to them feeling the pinch isn't the main problem - it's about the new window cleaners coming on stream. I can't really complain because it was unemployment in the early 90s that started me off with window cleaning.
That's the way depressions/recessions are I guess: More people chasing a shrinking marketplace.
In the great depression (not sure what was so great about it), the number of shoe shiners in American cities increased many fold in a very short time.
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i did this back in march....i realised this back then ... :o
and are you full to the brim now ?
pretty much, and still growing, as im getting calls from leaflets i dropped months ago, and an add i put in a community mag ....
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I think I'll only be affected by losing some of my lower-end residential stuff; ex-council houses; and commercial work whose businesses are struggling. I can already think of two I may lose, and both are around the £120 mark.
As for new window cleaners starting up, yes, but I don't think that will be a problem till next Spring. I would assume that most guys would know that Winter isn't the ideal time to start a window cleaning round.
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Dai You are 100% right in everything you say. We are going to go through a rough patch but we will survive it.
Why will we survive? Low overheads and a broad customer base, thats why.
However, I have started leafletting again. It pays to keep on top of things. I am losing about 4-5 customers a week at the moment.
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We got a guy putting out leaflets offering to do them 'The Old Fashioned Way'.
;D
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Vinegar is quite expensive nowadays :P
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we are out canvassing 3-4 nights a week at the moment. i have noticed an excessive drop off in customers but we are gaining far far more than losing but that is the extra time we are putting in!! time for survival of the fittest!
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we are out canvassing 3-4 nights a week at the moment. i have noticed an excessive drop off in customers but we are gaining far far more than losing but that is the extra time we are putting in!! time for survival of the fittest!
when you are going out to canvass steve, do you do surrounding streets of your round, or streets nearby or stop somewhere random where looks good??? Thats what i always struggle with, as i go to an area, but other window cleaners have it prety much tied up, and dont wanna undercut!
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Dai You are 100% right in everything you say. We are going to go through a rough patch but we will survive it.
Why will we survive? Low overheads and a broad customer base, thats why.
However, I have started leafletting again. It pays to keep on top of things. I am losing about 4-5 customers a week at the moment.
It's a little bit of a relief that it's not only me, you start to worry if your starting to get complacent and doing a bad job.
Your right about the broad customer base though, I do a fare few bobbies, school teachers and others in secure jobs, as well as the Aston martin and Porche brigade.
WFP has turned this business on it's head, I know of one window cleaner who would get dizzy standing on a chair. Now anyone can do it.
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we've all got to think positive ;D even if we are worried i am currently putting on more work than ever. because credit crunch has made me go up a couple of gears in anticipation of losing some customers. so far only lost a couple. have even taken on new man to cope with extra but on temporary contract
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Tough times ahead :( :(
However, as some commentators say, we may be talking ourselves into a longer recession than enivitably will/is taking place! Looks like most of us are now being more pro active!
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I read the first post on here earlier, and thought, why the hell im i reading this.. I went straight out, and delivered my new flyers to 3 massive housing estates. Some nice 3,4 and 5 bedroom detached on some, hardly any had a clean window - and one house had a bit of ground with 3 doblemans going crazy (excuse spelling - not sure how to spell it). I work in those areas already but ive not flyered so much. Im ruddy knackered, been walking all day been chatting to people and have gained extra work, including EoT cleaning jobs (save those for the rainy days or the evenings). Im yet to check the phone but ive had 3 calls on the mobile this eve already for quotes.
Obviously my new flyers are working which is more than i can say for my old ones.
I have half a days work tomorrow, and then im back to flyering to some more nice houses until it gets dark like today. At this rate im gonna need a new belt as im gonna lose weight just pounding the streets (not that i need to lose it as im only a 32 inch waist anyway).
Thanks for the encouraging thread.
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I know of one window cleaner who would get dizzy standing on a chair. Now anyone can do it.
Heh, how do you know me ;)
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[quote author=dai link=topic=63566.msg549113#msg549113 date=1224536401
Two days ago I heard on the news that the government were going to introduce even tougher immigration laws. Hang on, wasn't this same government telling us six months ago that we all benefited from immigrants?
Then today I heard that unemployment is set to double.
I would usually treat such a statement with a degree of caution, but having heard what the minister said about immigration, I can see that he is putting on his Kevlar trousers, and getting into the cover your backside mode. If unemployment reaches 4 million, the tabloid press is going to have a field day, accusing the government of allowing immigrants to steal British jobs.
They say that hindsight is a wonderful thing, is it? Or is it just the way we view history after becoming aware of the true facts?
Is'nt the government planning on introducing immigration laws along the lines of the australian points system? ...................the system australia has had for 20 odd years ::)
the words 'horse' 'stable door' and 'bolted' spring to mind.Tough times ahead :( :(
However, as some commentators say, we may be talking ourselves into a longer recession than enivitably will/is taking place!
too true, the way the media reports the current situation does nothing to inject us with some positivity.
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we are out canvassing 3-4 nights a week at the moment. i have noticed an excessive drop off in customers but we are gaining far far more than losing but that is the extra time we are putting in!! time for survival of the fittest!
when you are going out to canvass steve, do you do surrounding streets of your round, or streets nearby or stop somewhere random where looks good??? Thats what i always struggle with, as i go to an area, but other window cleaners have it prety much tied up, and dont wanna undercut!
i never undercut. normally i'm more expensive than their last wc. I just camp down in an area for an evening. i don't look for dirty windows, i've found its just your luck! getting quite a few calls coming in from flyers we are leaving if the owner is not in at the time
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we are out canvassing 3-4 nights a week at the moment. i have noticed an excessive drop off in customers but we are gaining far far more than losing but that is the extra time we are putting in!! time for survival of the fittest!
when you are going out to canvass steve, do you do surrounding streets of your round, or streets nearby or stop somewhere random where looks good??? Thats what i always struggle with, as i go to an area, but other window cleaners have it prety much tied up, and dont wanna undercut!
i never undercut. normally i'm more expensive than their last wc. I just camp down in an area for an evening. i don't look for dirty windows, i've found its just your luck! getting quite a few calls coming in from flyers we are leaving if the owner is not in at the time
I wanst implying you did mate, hope you didnt think that, i am taking canvasser out starting in a few weeks so just wondered how it was going is all, i am just gonna work through a-z of the area i wanna work in i think, and like you say, wait for the luck!! Numbers game i suppose - knock enough you will find somewhere thats waiting for a window cleaner....
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we are out canvassing 3-4 nights a week at the moment. i have noticed an excessive drop off in customers but we are gaining far far more than losing but that is the extra time we are putting in!! time for survival of the fittest!
when you are going out to canvass steve, do you do surrounding streets of your round, or streets nearby or stop somewhere random where looks good??? Thats what i always struggle with, as i go to an area, but other window cleaners have it prety much tied up, and dont wanna undercut!
i never undercut. normally i'm more expensive than their last wc. I just camp down in an area for an evening. i don't look for dirty windows, i've found its just your luck! getting quite a few calls coming in from flyers we are leaving if the owner is not in at the time
I wanst implying you did mate, hope you didnt think that, i am taking canvasser out starting in a few weeks so just wondered how it was going is all, i am just gonna work through a-z of the area i wanna work in i think, and like you say, wait for the luck!! Numbers game i suppose - knock enough you will find somewhere thats waiting for a window cleaner....
i didn't think you was implying it fella ;) yes a simple numbers game! the more doors you knock the more customers you will sign...easy really!! ;D
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Its old, its corny and its a cliche but
"When the going gets tough the tough get going"
Its SO true. You just have to go out there and do it.
Lost another one yesterday, she said she hasn't been satisfied with them for a while but her husband has a shop so I can guess whats really going on there. On the other hand I have had three enquiries from the leaflets I delivered at the weekend.
Now lets just look at that bloke with the shop, He is stuck where he is, he has rent, council tax etc to pay and he can only make a percentage on what he sells. Thats if anybody comes into his shop.
Look at me, I can go anywhere, my overheads are minimal, I can charge what I like and I can drop leaflets, knock on doors etc
Who is better equipped to survive the recession?
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Immigration laws being toughend up...yeah right...lets face it loads of people working in the UK from other countries are from within the EU so they have every right to live and work in the UK without hinderence.
So I would be watching who else the useless bunch of wasters that the UK has as a gov't want to let into the EU...it's not the fault of those who travel to the UK to work it's the fat gits with their snouts in every trough available who have permitted these woes to occur....
Personally I left the UK as I no longer felt happy and confident there so I sold up and moved out so I am now the foreigner ;D
Dave.
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So far I've only lost a few customers due to shortage of money BUT I haven't lost any customers due to house moves as houses aren't selling anymore. Therefore compared to last year I haven't lost anymore. I am still continuing to pick up new customers but as Dai (think it was him!) said, Don't rest on your laurels!
Although it hasnt affected my income yet I am scared to spend money in case it does. I was supposed to start planning permission last week for an extension but I have put it on hold for a while until this blows over. Also little things like a pair of shoes I really like I was going to buy for £115 have ben put on hold until the January sales start. My point is, although my income is ok and I can afford the shoes, extension and other luxuries I am reluctant to part with my money therefore builders and shoe shops are earning less.
FEAR BREEDS FEAR
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I am scared to spend money in case it does.
This is refered to as latent fear in a climate-like recession, its what fuels things and makes them worse. Theres no physical evidence (as such) that things are recession-like, but we hear about it so much, its in the news, newspapers, its the topic of conversation down the pub, its spoken about at work; therefore we start to live it as if it actually is a recession, guess what, it makes it all the more likely to occur.
Im trying to ignore it, planing my next two foreign holidays.
Matt
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Just over the water here in Holland whilst some have had money in the Icelandic issues and some lost money elsewhere....it is not all doom and gloom everywhere you turn ...I watch the BBC most days and that would just make you want to slit your throat....
Dave.
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Talk about new window cleaners.
I live in a small town. Two main streets.
Over the past 2 months I have seen one building/shop cleaned by three different window cleaners.
The latest had a brand new A ladder. Boy was he struggling. Slow.....not the word!! Take my hat of to him though. He was going for perfection.
They seem to be coming out of the woodwork.
We must have 7/8 window cleaners now in this small area.
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theres loads of new window cleaners here where i live driving round with beaten up old mondeos and escort estates with ladders on the roof
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I read the first post on here earlier, and thought, why the hell im i reading this.. I went straight out, and delivered my new flyers to 3 massive housing estates. Some nice 3,4 and 5 bedroom detached on some, hardly any had a clean window - and one house had a bit of ground with 3 doblemans going crazy (excuse spelling - not sure how to spell it). I work in those areas already but ive not flyered so much. Im ruddy knackered, been walking all day been chatting to people and have gained extra work, including EoT cleaning jobs (save those for the rainy days or the evenings). Im yet to check the phone but ive had 3 calls on the mobile this eve already for quotes.
Obviously my new flyers are working which is more than i can say for my old ones.
I have half a days work tomorrow, and then im back to flyering to some more nice houses until it gets dark like today. At this rate im gonna need a new belt as im gonna lose weight just pounding the streets (not that i need to lose it as im only a 32 inch waist anyway).
Thanks for the encouraging thread.
Im in agony today my knees cant cope ::)
Still got more phone calls from my flyers, im gonna be out all weekend delivering them too.
Someone phone me up earlier, asked how much i charge for a 4x5 metre conservatory plastic roof - being accepting for more work i said £40 (i would normally charge approx £120 incl outside gutters, finials etc, dependant on condition) - she said £40 was more than she was expecting... what do people want slave labour? I would have been on that for at least 4 hours doing it PROPERLY.
As the saying goes, "pay peanuts get monkeys!"
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Money goes round and round from one person to the next. Once one person stops spending the chain gets broken and everyone suffers.
The effect at the moment is like someone said previously "I am afraid to spend my money at the moment" or people start thinking about paying off the credit cards and getting rid of un necessary expenses.
Some people have lost their jobs but loads more are worried about losing their jobs and they are the ones that will stop spending.
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I lost two customers today, they have been with me since I started, and I have known both of them for over 40 years.
One said that money was so tight they could no longer afford it, the other said it had come to a choice between keeping warm, or being able to see through the windows.
Both of these were pensioners living in ex council houses, I charge them just £6.
Two days ago I heard on the news that the government were going to introduce even tougher immigration laws. Hang on, wasn't this same government telling us six months ago that we all benefited from immigrants?
Then today I heard that unemployment is set to double.
I would usually treat such a statement with a degree of caution, but having heard what the minister said about immigration, I can see that he is putting on his Kevlar trousers, and getting into the cover your backside mode. If unemployment reaches 4 million, the tabloid press is going to have a field day, accusing the government of allowing immigrants to steal British jobs.
They say that hindsight is a wonderful thing, is it? Or is it just the way we view history after becoming aware of the true facts?
Experience, and the fact that history often repeats itself can give us a little fore site.
If we are to maintain our businesses at our present level. we must act now, we really need to work at our marketing, get out and canvass, seek new business wherever we can.
If You you haven't lost any business up to now, you will, believe me.
There are some very rough times ahead, and with 4 million on the dole there are going to be a lot of newbie window cleaners to compete with, and some of these guys will be pricing in line with their hourly rate when they were working.
We really should get out there and get whatever work we can before these guys get a foot in the door. It may sound selfish, but it could mean survival.
I know the feeling there is a pretty big window cleaning company in Scotland who covers the entire nation, and it is a polish company!!!
Not racist or anything but i dispise the thaught of these people coming to reside in this country, its not as if they were formerly from a war-torn country or anything they just see britain as an easy oppertunity because they work for pennies and put the people (us) out of work because of their slave like wage expectations.
I am accuiring some of their work due to their bad quality however the price they are currently charging is a pittence and its lower than i would like it to be, but its work i never had so ce'st la vie' (such is life)
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Sorry but the Polish have every right to reside and work in the UK...Why would they need to be from a war torn country?
I have worked in many countries the UK as far as I am concerned is not war torn, business is business and Britains need to forget that business should be fair and cricket like...it simply is not so.
Personally I believe that new blood in an economy provided taxes and monies owed are paid can only be a good thing.
Ok illegal working is another thing but people from EU countries have every right live and work in the UK as you do in their countries if you so chose.
I am sorry sometimes you just hear loads of whining from Brits about workers from abroad yet most want to be spoon fed....sorry but Brits are famous for winging in general...
The world is a global marketplace and yes that does include workers from abroad window cleaning and TAKING jobs from UK passport holders.
Personally I am UK passport holder and work in The Netherlands and I insist that I pay my way in every respect I ensure I pay my taxes and other items that I am required to pay...do I like it? no but being a foreign worker I think that is the right thing to do.
But to despise someone for residing & working in 'YOUR' country legally is laughable. You also make mention of their 'slave like wage expectations' yet you'll take some of their former work for much lower than you would like and more than likely closer to their 'slave like wages' it does not sound too far from their options either....
You should really look at those who control such issues this is more than likely where issues 'lie'.
Such is life
Respectfully Dave.
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Sorry but the Polish have every right to reside and work in the UK...Why would they need to be from a war torn country?
I have worked in many countries the UK as far as I am concerned is not war torn, business is business and Britains need to forget that business should be fair and cricket like...it simply is not so.
Personally I believe that new blood in an economy provided taxes and monies owed are paid can only be a good thing.
Ok illegal working is another thing but people from EU countries have every right live and work in the UK as you do in their countries if you so chose.
I am sorry sometimes you just hear loads of whining from Brits about workers from abroad yet most want to be spoon fed....sorry but Brits are famous for winging in general...
The world is a global marketplace and yes that does include workers from abroad window cleaning and TAKING jobs from UK passport holders.
Personally I am UK passport holder and work in The Netherlands and I insist that I pay my way in every respect I ensure I pay my taxes and other items that I am required to pay...do I like it|? no but being a foreign worker I think that is the right thing to do.
But to despise someone for residing & working in 'YOUR' country legally is laughable. You also make mention of their 'slave like wage expectations' yet you'll take some of their former work for much lower than you would like and more than likely closer to their 'slave like wages' it does not sound to far from their options either....
You should really look at those who control such issues this is more than likely where issues 'lie'.
Such is life
Respectfully Dave.
to be fair, many talk the talk but dont walk the walk, to the polling stations that is.
If the British were really that ped off with emigration, they would out the government, and remove ourselves from europe. But as usual its only a minority that really go to vote when it comes election times. There are many spongers out there not willing to find jobs who will just wait for their dole money.
The European community allows integration of workers, so if the british spongers wont get off their backsides, the eastern Europeans will. Why? because the money is worth it to them. Full respect to them they are willing to move hundred/thousands of miles away from their family, friends and home to make a better life for themselves.
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I worked abroad a few years, in another European country, does that mean I was sponger?
What makes me laugh is that so many people winge aabout those that have come from abroad to work in the UK but forget the figures are probably fairly balanced one way or another as you seem to forget that we as Brits also travel abroad taking jobs from those whose countries they reside in.
In does work both way you know.
However, I still get peed off when the town centre is full of gorgeous looking Polish girls on a Saturday night, I mean what is the world coming to?? ;)
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In my original post I was only referring to what was being said in the news.
I emerged victorious after a two year battle with our immigration dept, two years of hell for my Indonesian wife and her two little daughters.
It is extremely difficult for non EU citizens to come to the UK, we had to go before an immigration judge at tribunal.
The press annoy me so much , they lead people to believe that we let any one in, this is just not true,
I had the human rights act in my favour, thank God for that.
I am just a true born Brit who wanted to live with his wife, we do still have some rights.
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Sorry but the Polish have every right to reside and work in the UK...Why would they need to be from a war torn country?
I have worked in many countries the UK as far as I am concerned is not war torn, business is business and Britains need to forget that business should be fair and cricket like...it simply is not so.
Personally I believe that new blood in an economy provided taxes and monies owed are paid can only be a good thing.
Ok illegal working is another thing but people from EU countries have every right live and work in the UK as you do in their countries if you so chose.
I am sorry sometimes you just hear loads of whining from Brits about workers from abroad yet most want to be spoon fed....sorry but Brits are famous for winging in general...
The world is a global marketplace and yes that does include workers from abroad window cleaning and TAKING jobs from UK passport holders.
Personally I am UK passport holder and work in The Netherlands and I insist that I pay my way in every respect I ensure I pay my taxes and other items that I am required to pay...do I like it|? no but being a foreign worker I think that is the right thing to do.
But to despise someone for residing & working in 'YOUR' country legally is laughable. You also make mention of their 'slave like wage expectations' yet you'll take some of their former work for much lower than you would like and more than likely closer to their 'slave like wages' it does not sound to far from their options either....
You should really look at those who control such issues this is more than likely where issues 'lie'.
Such is life
Respectfully Dave.
to be fair, many talk the talk but dont walk the walk, to the polling stations that is.
If the British were really that ped off with emigration, they would out the government, and remove ourselves from europe. But as usual its only a minority that really go to vote when it comes election times. There are many spongers out there not willing to find jobs who will just wait for their dole money.
The European community allows integration of workers, so if the british spongers wont get off their backsides, the eastern Europeans will. Why? because the money is worth it to them. Full respect to them they are willing to move hundred/thousands of miles away from their family, friends and home to make a better life for themselves.
hi chris just noticed you are in swansea.... i,m based in ammanford..
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I worked abroad a few years, in another European country, does that mean I was sponger?
What makes me laugh is that so many people winge aabout those that have come from abroad to work in the UK but forget the figures are probably fairly balanced one way or another as you seem to forget that we as Brits also travel abroad taking jobs from those whose countries they reside in.
In does work both way you know.
However, I still get peed off when the town centre is full of gorgeous looking Polish girls on a Saturday night, I mean what is the world coming to?? ;)
Yeah. That p's me off too but only because I can't speak Polish :)
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Well dave you would know why i posted such a post if you went to price a job because the old cleaners had been sacked for being terrible at cleaning windows, and you submit a quote for £150 for a large commercial site and get laughed at because the company who had polish window cleaners were charging £27. They spoil the industry for EVERYONE!!! im pretty sure that if this happened to you then you would be of similar thinking to my statements. I at no point said i "Dispise" the polish or anything even close to that comment but as the situation develops the industry is being ruined thanks to these people. Of the £27 paid about £15 of that will be sent to the country of origin and britain is worse off. The window cleaning industry is worse off. For me it is a lose - lose situation.
Despite the potential customer getting a much better service/quality they just refuse to pay the average price after always being charges a measly £27, even if i dont ammend my price there is someone out there who will take the job on at an under-average price. I by no means feel sorry for myself but i do for the poor guy who takes the job on who is clearly just desperate for the work to put food on his table.
~That is the angle i am coming from. Dave i fully understand your comments and believe it or not i agree with almost all of them but without you experiancing the situation of being laughed at because you charge, what is...competative prices then you should not interprate my comments as me "dispising" such workers. For me to dispise such people that could/would be interperated as racism.....something which i whole hartedly diss-agree with!
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Well dave you would know why i posted such a post if you went to price a job because the old cleaners had been sacked for being terrible at cleaning windows, and you submit a quote for £150 for a large commercial site and get laughed at because the company who had polish window cleaners were charging £27. They spoil the industry for EVERYONE!!! im pretty sure that if this happened to you then you would be of similar thinking to my statements. I at no point said i "Dispise" the polish or anything even close to that comment but as the situation develops the industry is being ruined thanks to these people. Of the £27 paid about £15 of that will be sent to the country of origin and britain is worse off. The window cleaning industry is worse off. For me it is a lose - lose situation.
Despite the potential customer getting a much better service/quality they just refuse to pay the average price after always being charges a measly £27, even if i dont ammend my price there is someone out there who will take the job on at an under-average price. I by no means feel sorry for myself but i do for the poor guy who takes the job on who is clearly just desperate for the work to put food on his table.
~That is the angle i am coming from. Dave i fully understand your comments and believe it or not i agree with almost all of them but without you experiancing the situation of being laughed at because you charge, what is...competative prices then you should not interprate my comments as me "dispising" such workers. For me to dispise such people that could/would be interperated as racism.....something which i whole hartedly diss-agree with!
Its nothing to do with the Polish guys.
Its the Scottish firm theyre working for, we all know Scots are as tight as a ducks arse ;)
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I am scared to spend money in case it does.
This is refered to as latent fear in a climate-like recession, its what fuels things and makes them worse. Theres no physical evidence (as such) that things are recession-like, but we hear about it so much, its in the news, newspapers, its the topic of conversation down the pub, its spoken about at work; therefore we start to live it as if it actually is a recession, guess what, it makes it all the more likely to occur.
Im trying to ignore it, planing my next two foreign holidays.
Matt
this is my thought, just get on with it, im off tomorrow to disney for 2 weeks, should i be going ? ? ? ? should i be saving the 6 - 7 K it'll cost me ? ? ? ??
life's for living, lets just get on with it ;D ;D ;D
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Well dave you would know why i posted such a post if you went to price a job because the old cleaners had been sacked for being terrible at cleaning windows, and you submit a quote for £150 for a large commercial site and get laughed at because the company who had polish window cleaners were charging £27. They spoil the industry for EVERYONE!!! im pretty sure that if this happened to you then you would be of similar thinking to my statements. I at no point said i "Dispise" the polish or anything even close to that comment but as the situation develops the industry is being ruined thanks to these people. Of the £27 paid about £15 of that will be sent to the country of origin and britain is worse off. The window cleaning industry is worse off. For me it is a lose - lose situation.
Despite the potential customer getting a much better service/quality they just refuse to pay the average price after always being charges a measly £27, even if i dont ammend my price there is someone out there who will take the job on at an under-average price. I by no means feel sorry for myself but i do for the poor guy who takes the job on who is clearly just desperate for the work to put food on his table.
~That is the angle i am coming from. Dave i fully understand your comments and believe it or not i agree with almost all of them but without you experiancing the situation of being laughed at because you charge, what is...competative prices then you should not interprate my comments as me "dispising" such workers. For me to dispise such people that could/would be interperated as racism.....something which i whole hartedly diss-agree with!
Its nothing to do with the Polish guys.
Its the Scottish firm theyre working for, we all know Scots are as tight as a ducks arse ;)
Read my ealyer post about the POLISH COMPANY numbnuts.
as for your other statement....you couldnt be more wrong or more hypocrytical my friend.
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I worked abroad a few years, in another European country, does that mean I was sponger?
What makes me laugh is that so many people winge aabout those that have come from abroad to work in the UK but forget the figures are probably fairly balanced one way or another as you seem to forget that we as Brits also travel abroad taking jobs from those whose countries they reside in.
In does work both way you know.
However, I still get peed off when the town centre is full of gorgeous looking Polish girls on a Saturday night, I mean what is the world coming to?? ;)
Yeah. That p's me off too but only because I can't speak Polish :)
ive started to learn polish, only because when my daughter started school a little polish girl started, she spoke no english, so my daughter asked if we could learn to speak polish, so we did
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I worked abroad a few years, in another European country, does that mean I was sponger?
What makes me laugh is that so many people winge aabout those that have come from abroad to work in the UK but forget the figures are probably fairly balanced one way or another as you seem to forget that we as Brits also travel abroad taking jobs from those whose countries they reside in.
In does work both way you know.
However, I still get peed off when the town centre is full of gorgeous looking Polish girls on a Saturday night, I mean what is the world coming to?? ;)
Yeah. That p's me off too but only because I can't speak Polish :)
ive started to learn polish, only because when my daughter started school a little polish girl started, she spoke no english, so my daughter asked if we could learn to speak polish, so we did
Dzień dobry matt
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I worked abroad a few years, in another European country, does that mean I was sponger?
What makes me laugh is that so many people winge aabout those that have come from abroad to work in the UK but forget the figures are probably fairly balanced one way or another as you seem to forget that we as Brits also travel abroad taking jobs from those whose countries they reside in.
In does work both way you know.
However, I still get peed off when the town centre is full of gorgeous looking Polish girls on a Saturday night, I mean what is the world coming to?? ;)
Yeah. That p's me off too but only because I can't speak Polish :)
ive started to learn polish, only because when my daughter started school a little polish girl started, she spoke no english, so my daughter asked if we could learn to speak polish, so we did
Dzień dobry matt
dzien dobry William
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Well dave you would know why i posted such a post if you went to price a job because the old cleaners had been sacked for being terrible at cleaning windows, and you submit a quote for £150 for a large commercial site and get laughed at because the company who had polish window cleaners were charging £27. They spoil the industry for EVERYONE!!! im pretty sure that if this happened to you then you would be of similar thinking to my statements. I at no point said i "Dispise" the polish or anything even close to that comment but as the situation develops the industry is being ruined thanks to these people. Of the £27 paid about £15 of that will be sent to the country of origin and britain is worse off. The window cleaning industry is worse off. For me it is a lose - lose situation.
Despite the potential customer getting a much better service/quality they just refuse to pay the average price after always being charges a measly £27, even if i dont ammend my price there is someone out there who will take the job on at an under-average price. I by no means feel sorry for myself but i do for the poor guy who takes the job on who is clearly just desperate for the work to put food on his table.
~That is the angle i am coming from. Dave i fully understand your comments and believe it or not i agree with almost all of them but without you experiancing the situation of being laughed at because you charge, what is...competative prices then you should not interprate my comments as me "dispising" such workers. For me to dispise such people that could/would be interperated as racism.....something which i whole hartedly diss-agree with!
Its nothing to do with the Polish guys.
Its the Scottish firm theyre working for, we all know Scots are as tight as a ducks arse ;)
Read my ealyer post about the POLISH COMPANY numbnuts.
as for your other statement....you couldnt be more wrong or more hypocrytical my friend.
Umm, sense of humour gone astray somewhere?
numbnuts to you too ;D
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Well dave you would know why i posted such a post if you went to price a job because the old cleaners had been sacked for being terrible at cleaning windows, and you submit a quote for £150 for a large commercial site and get laughed at because the company who had polish window cleaners were charging £27. They spoil the industry for EVERYONE!!! im pretty sure that if this happened to you then you would be of similar thinking to my statements. I at no point said i "Dispise" the polish or anything even close to that comment but as the situation develops the industry is being ruined thanks to these people. Of the £27 paid about £15 of that will be sent to the country of origin and britain is worse off. The window cleaning industry is worse off. For me it is a lose - lose situation.
Despite the potential customer getting a much better service/quality they just refuse to pay the average price after always being charges a measly £27, even if i dont ammend my price there is someone out there who will take the job on at an under-average price. I by no means feel sorry for myself but i do for the poor guy who takes the job on who is clearly just desperate for the work to put food on his table.
~That is the angle i am coming from. Dave i fully understand your comments and believe it or not i agree with almost all of them but without you experiancing the situation of being laughed at because you charge, what is...competative prices then you should not interprate my comments as me "dispising" such workers. For me to dispise such people that could/would be interperated as racism.....something which i whole hartedly diss-agree with!
Its nothing to do with the Polish guys.
Its the Scottish firm theyre working for, we all know Scots are as tight as a ducks arse ;)
Well face to face i would be able to see the funny side dependant on your body language at the time but in a public forum where thousands of people reguraly read i can only interperate that as an insult.....if not then.....FINE :D
still a numbnuts though 8)
Read my ealyer post about the POLISH COMPANY numbnuts.
as for your other statement....you couldnt be more wrong or more hypocrytical my friend.
Umm, sense of humour gone astray somewhere?
numbnuts to you too ;D
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oops comment got somehow clogged up in the Quotes. should have posted...
Well face to face i would be able to see the funny side dependant on your body language at the time but in a public forum where thousands of people reguraly read i can only interperate that as an insult.....if not then.....FINE Cheesy
still a numbnuts though Cool
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In my original post I was only referring to what was being said in the news.
I emerged victorious after a two year battle with our immigration dept, two years of hell for my Indonesian wife and her two little daughters.
It is extremely difficult for non EU citizens to come to the UK, we had to go before an immigration judge at tribunal.
The press annoy me so much , they lead people to believe that we let any one in, this is just not true,
I had the human rights act in my favour, thank God for that.
I am just a true born Brit who wanted to live with his wife, we do still have some rights.
Yea, that's shocking.
I met married couples (1 a brit) in south korea who said it took them 6 months from making the 1st approach to going to the consulate to pick up the visa. I thought that was out of order!! ???
I don't have any issues with anyone coming here and working. It's the way of the world to try and improve our situation.
But i work in the countryside. And the only foreign accents you here in the villages around here are english. ;D
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I just heard on the news that a local building firm has just gone belly up, this company was being hailed as a great success story 2 years ago.
350 people have just lost their jobs, a few potential window cleaners amongst this lot I'm sure.
I'm not a doom and gloom person by nature, but if you see the sky turning black you have to be prepared for a storm, that firm going bust was the first flash of local lightning, and it's still too far away to hear the thunder.
Things are going to get a hell of a lot worse before they get better.