Clean It Up

UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: RO-Sheen on July 22, 2009, 06:34:03 pm

Title: Does a 2 man team get twice as much work done as a man on his own?
Post by: RO-Sheen on July 22, 2009, 06:34:03 pm: A question for employers...........
I currently do upto 20 houses wfp a day but if I was to employ and we both worked from the same van how many houses would I expect to do? Before anyone says 'It depends on the sizes of the houses' Its bases on houses that 1 man would get 20 done in a day.

Thanks in advance

Adie
Title: Re: Does a 2 man team get twice as much work done as a man on his own?
Post by: Steve CM on July 22, 2009, 06:37:33 pm: half the amount more not pushing maybe three quarters to the same again if going at it. also depends on how compact the work is
Title: Re: Does a 2 man team get twice as much work done as a man on his own?
Post by: landy2 on July 22, 2009, 06:37:55 pm: you do get more done and you have company with you instead of being on your own i used to have myself and anouther lad with me and we did well i have just started anouther lad so there is three of us now that ratio i dont think you gain to much two of you are a better ratio
Title: Re: Does a 2 man team get twice as much work done as a man on his own?
Post by: Robin Ray on July 22, 2009, 06:42:36 pm: About 35. Talking to each other is the biggest problem. When im by myself I always seem to work about a quater again as quick.
Title: Re: Does a 2 man team get twice as much work done as a man on his own?
Post by: Clive McDonald on July 22, 2009, 07:12:46 pm: I agree with the above comments (wfp, don't know about trad).
Assuming you have good help the slowest part is you.Writing the slip and thinking and waiting for the custy to pay take longer than you think and 60ph is being poured down the drain every second.

Admin takes longer because their are more jobs more debts and more notes.

You need the very best kit on your van because breakdowns cost, you may need to refill earlier in the day and lose even more time. Your entire day is about how much money you are loseing.

Also it feels weird, like changing into a higher gear.After three weeks of going like a train i ran out of work.We sat there with nothing to do and i lost even more money ;D

On the plus side the work is easier, and what used to be a record is an average day. I don't chase money as much as i used to, i'm more concerned with zero complaints, customer retention and gaining new customers.

This forum is a terrific place for picking up tips and ideas, and that's the reason i'm still on here, because it has it's annoying side too. When i ran out of work some gave very good advice, and some laughted at me for employing too soon. But i don't see how you (or me ) can physically build up the work for two people, so be prepared for slack periods.
Title: Re: Does a 2 man team get twice as much work done as a man on his own?
Post by: martinsadie on July 22, 2009, 07:18:53 pm: when ive worked with someone we never do double
Title: Re: Does a 2 man team get twice as much work done as a man on his own?
Post by: krave on July 22, 2009, 07:23:56 pm: Quote from: Stan The Man on July 22, 2009, 07:18:53 pm
when ive worked with someone we never do double

Definately true, I would say when im out with someone, We do about 70/75% more tops.
Title: Re: Does a 2 man team get twice as much work done as a man on his own?
Post by: seandyer2003 on July 22, 2009, 07:25:02 pm: Quote from: slumpbuster on July 22, 2009, 07:12:46 pm
I agree with the above comments (wfp, don't know about trad).
Assuming you have good help the slowest part is you.Writing the slip and thinking and waiting for the custy to pay take longer than you think and 60ph is being poured down the drain every second.

Admin takes longer because their are more jobs more debts and more notes.

You need the very best kit on your van because breakdowns cost, you may need to refill earlier in the day and lose even more time. Your entire day is about how much money you are loseing.

Also it feels weird, like changing into a higher gear.After three weeks of going like a train i ran out of work.We sat there with nothing to do and i lost even more money ;D

On the plus side the work is easier, and what used to be a record is an average day. I don't chase money as much as i used to, i'm more concerned with zero complaints, customer retention and gaining new customers.

This forum is a terrific place for picking up tips and ideas, and that's the reason i'm still on here, because it has it's annoying side too. When i ran out of work some gave very good advice, and some laughted at me for employing too soon. But i don't see how you (or me ) can physically build up the work for two people, so be prepared for slack periods.

Use the slack period if you re still paying them to go leaflet, and canvass!!
Title: Re: Does a 2 man team get twice as much work done as a man on his own?
Post by: seandyer2003 on July 22, 2009, 07:26:39 pm: Quote from: krave on July 22, 2009, 07:23:56 pm
Quote from: Stan The Man on July 22, 2009, 07:18:53 pm
when ive worked with someone we never do double

Definately true, I would say when im out with someone, We do about 70/75% more tops.

But, there wage is gonna be loads less than that hopefully, so you should be making an extra £50 a day after wages or similar?- that s soon gonna build up over the year to a considerable sum , based on 48 weeks its 12, 000
Title: Re: Does a 2 man team get twice as much work done as a man on his own?
Post by: Clive McDonald on July 22, 2009, 08:13:25 pm: I agree seander2003, good info. I was just pointing out all the money i am losing that i wasn't before. I very often 'lose' £120 a day. Traveling time, bad logistics, red herring quotes, fault complaints that turn out to be groundless etc.

At this rate i'll never get rich. Had to see the biz guy at abbey to open reserve acc. This was handy for me because my wife had me working on the nearby market cos' it was raining. He webbed me by way of id and asked about turnover which i thought was a bit cheeky, i'm sure he was expecting 20-35. I got the feeling as i left that he was reassesing his career. ;D
Title: Re: Does a 2 man team get twice as much work done as a man on his own?
Post by: seandyer2003 on July 22, 2009, 09:10:39 pm: I was at a friends house last week and there window cleaner turned up, one bloke with 2 lads helping i laughed at first thinking OVERKILL and also these were biggish bungalows at about £3 each, anyway they ploughed through, and then the next street and so on and so forth i started thinking - actually that guy is probably making a mint, he is no doubt got them self employed which is not right but he is paying i bet around 50 -60 for the day in this area, and getting about £100 a day out of them , plus himself about 100.00

=200 or close to it everyday for hardly even grafting on mediocre work!! after wages

CAnt be bad if he is busy 5 days a week :)

Theres a few in my area because the prices are bad, so they work in 3 - 4 as a team obviously the gaffer is making a mint because of the 40 -50 a day he gets out of everyone!!

(i keep modifying this to add bits lol) it isnt that attractive an optiojn for me though because 1 they need to be on the books which sends costs up.2 the logistics of getting that many people to work on the same round everyday is too hard - many will be unreliable or rubbish, 3. people dont like more than 2 at a time on there house surely?
Title: Re: Does a 2 man team get twice as much work done as a man on his own?
Post by: Clive McDonald on July 22, 2009, 09:33:18 pm: I'm looking at bigger van and two helpers. Taking laptop with me and doing admin door knocking surrounding houses.

I work very hard on getting systems right, lots of stuff i don't post on here but gives me a huge advantage.
Title: Re: Does a 2 man team get twice as much work done as a man on his own?
Post by: seandyer2003 on July 22, 2009, 09:37:08 pm: Is that so you dont leave them alone slump mate?? My mate employed lots of cleaners once on domestic and said never again unless he was there cracking the whip so to speak but he couldnt be as he did it to get through uni to do something else, but it worries me about letting an employee off alone
Title: Re: Does a 2 man team get twice as much work done as a man on his own?
Post by: Alex Gardiner on July 22, 2009, 09:50:37 pm: Throughout the course of a year I reckon that I will personally achieve more by working with someone than by working on my own

This is because staying motivated, on the ball and defying the weather is so much easier with a fellow worker.

Just my thought.
Title: Re: Does a 2 man team get twice as much work done as a man on his own?
Post by: seandyer2003 on July 22, 2009, 10:25:49 pm: I feel like that, my wife made me take someone as i was struggling every day alone to get out, but im still only using him a few days a month (he has another jobs still thankfully) but by jan 2010 my aim is for him to be on full time- well 3 days is all he wants so it suits me, i will work 3 days with him a day alone and a day catching up, one offs, and canvassing better work/commercial work etc etc
Title: Re: Does a 2 man team get twice as much work done as a man on his own?
Post by: bad trippy on July 23, 2009, 12:02:14 pm: Try and split up as much as poss ie seperate houses, also i would offer a basic wage plus bonus if you hit targets. I used to employ a few kids years ago when i was full time and i would give them the choice of a low basic hourly rate all day or 40%. Most would go for the 40% and work like stink. I used to set em up working on the round and come back at the end of the day to pick em up, ofcoarse this was trad, not sure how it would work with wfp as they need the kit at hand