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UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: barry80 on October 27, 2009, 08:50:11 pm

Title: window cleaner or driving instructor ?
Post by: barry80 on October 27, 2009, 08:50:11 pm
Ive got a mate whos got a job as a driving instructor, if you could pick which job out of window cleaning or driving instructor ,which would any of you guys   choose. He thinks is job is better than mine.   barry  :)
Title: Re: window cleaner or driving instructor ?
Post by: Robin Ray on October 27, 2009, 08:53:20 pm
I have a mate who used to be a driving instructor, he is now a window cleaner and has been for the last 12 years.
Title: Re: window cleaner or driving instructor ?
Post by: john tomkins on October 27, 2009, 09:00:11 pm
I've done both and the driving instructor hours are stupid :o
I'll stick  9am to 4pm ;D
Title: Re: window cleaner or driving instructor ?
Post by: barry80 on October 27, 2009, 09:01:31 pm
   

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I have a mate who used to be a driving instructor, he is now a window cleaner and has been for the last 12 years.          lol  ;D cant wait to tell my mate !!!
Title: Re: window cleaner or driving instructor ?
Post by: Murdie window cleaning on October 27, 2009, 11:57:27 pm
The stress of trying to teach someone to drive or clean windows  ::)

also how much is he going to make in a year against what you will earn ?

Driving instucters seem to be out at nights and weekends, are you ?
Title: Re: window cleaner or driving instructor ?
Post by: cozy on October 28, 2009, 12:04:16 am
My half brother is a DI, recons it's good fun and he loves it. But if you work out the hourly rate and the fact that you can't knock off when YOU want to, then it's not the biz for me. Costs are higher and the days can be long, sod that.
Title: Re: window cleaner or driving instructor ?
Post by: DaveG on October 28, 2009, 06:46:26 am
Youve got to do some SERIOUS hours if you want to earn 30k a year (like the tv adverts say).....plus the stress etc

Window cleaning all the way for me! ;D
Title: Re: window cleaner or driving instructor ?
Post by: windowcleaninginessex.co.uk on October 28, 2009, 01:12:54 pm
I have a good mate who is driving instructor, he puts in 50+ hours every week, works most days early morning and until late evening with  few hours off in between. He pays BSM over £400 per week for working for them and having a car from them, The car is one of those silly litle Fiats ( I think they should pay you to drive it )
That says it all,
 You are better off being a window cleaner
Title: Re: window cleaner or driving instructor ?
Post by: vacman on October 28, 2009, 02:53:44 pm
Ive got a mate whos got a job as a driving instructor, if you could pick which job out of window cleaning or driving instructor ,which would any of you guys   choose. He thinks is job is better than mine.   barry  :)

He thinks it is better? Surely it's 'different' not 'better'? How can the two be compared? The only similarity is that they are both jobs......after that it has to come down to personal choice.

I know what I would rather be, and its not the window cleaner. But then i hate cleaning windows. It all comes down to doing something i enjoyed.

How funny your friend thinks he has a 'better' job than you. What a dated attitude! I can recall having those sorts of discussions when i was a kid at school!  ;D
Title: Re: window cleaner or driving instructor ?
Post by: matt on October 28, 2009, 03:26:18 pm
by all accounts you get a fair few perks when you are a driving instructor  ;)
Title: Re: window cleaner or driving instructor ?
Post by: EZclean on October 28, 2009, 06:15:58 pm
thats what they say about window cleaning.... still waiting  :-\

 :D
Title: Re: window cleaner or driving instructor ?
Post by: G Griffin on October 28, 2009, 06:38:03 pm
Harry Hill would say "there`s only way to find out....FIGHT".
Title: Re: window cleaner or driving instructor ?
Post by: weetot on October 28, 2009, 07:00:43 pm
I packed in the windows in 2004 after 21 years and became DI.

Dont bother, you wont earn 30K unless you own you're own school. TRUST ME!

Now back doing w/cleaning, and its better money, beleive me.

Title: Re: window cleaner or driving instructor ?
Post by: ccmids on October 28, 2009, 07:31:04 pm
window cleaner best job ive ever done ;D ;D ;D
Title: Re: window cleaner or driving instructor ?
Post by: HIGH LEVEL WINDOW CLEANERS (scrimmy) on October 28, 2009, 07:49:17 pm
wheres me calculator.

30 quid an hour to learn to drive.......thats what the custie pays.......how much of that goes towards petrol,insurance,tax, middleman fees,advertising etc etc.....you will be fortunate to walk away with 15 quid before tax per hour...simply x by the amount of hours you are prepared to work.

if you are doing windows, your 30 quid per hour has less outlays. ;)
Title: Re: window cleaner or driving instructor ?
Post by: Londoner on October 28, 2009, 08:26:40 pm
The main thing about being a window cleaner is that you can go out and find your own customers. Driving instructors have to place expensive ads in yellow pages and the local papers and wait for the phone call.
Then when you get a new customer they are gone again when they pass their test.

Driving instuction involves a lot of weekend and evening work. Also, judging by the hourly rates advertised on the sides of the cars the money's not that good.

Plus they get a lot of lean periods when the phone doesn't ring but they still have to pay fror the car, insurance, advertising etc.

A mate of mine was a road safey officer for the local council. He took early retirement and started a driving school but even with his contacts he struggled to make a go of it.

I think window cleaning is a lot better.
Title: Re: window cleaner or driving instructor ?
Post by: AuRavelling79 on October 29, 2009, 09:06:52 am
wheres me calculator.

30 quid an hour to learn to drive.......thats what the custie pays.......how much of that goes towards petrol,insurance,tax, middleman fees,advertising etc etc.....you will be fortunate to walk away with 15 quid before tax per hour...simply x by the amount of hours you are prepared to work.

if you are doing windows, your 30 quid per hour has less outlays. ;)

More like £20/22! And you're training your customer to be an ex-customer in six months!
Title: Re: window cleaner or driving instructor ?
Post by: Pureandclean on October 29, 2009, 01:11:52 pm
I trained to be a D.I. about 10 years ago and it cost over £2000 then, spent about 6 months working as D.I. whilst training, also doing the windows at same time.Gave it up as not earning enough, I was given an area to cover that was 20 miles from where I lived, so petrol bill was enormous.
Worst bit was trying to teach people to drive in the dark, especially country lanes.
Title: Re: window cleaner or driving instructor ?
Post by: Dale Smith on October 29, 2009, 06:48:38 pm
It's a non starter..... window cleaning the clear winner!

It's the best job I have ever had, pays well when you get going (much better than any di I know)...... di just cannot compare... ;D
Title: Re: window cleaner or driving instructor ?
Post by: Sean Dyer on October 30, 2009, 10:40:26 am
The main thing about being a window cleaner is that you can go out and find your own customers. Driving instructors have to place expensive ads in yellow pages and the local papers and wait for the phone call.
Then when you get a new customer they are gone again when they pass their test.

Driving instuction involves a lot of weekend and evening work. Also, judging by the hourly rates advertised on the sides of the cars the money's not that good.

Plus they get a lot of lean periods when the phone doesn't ring but they still have to pay fror the car, insurance, advertising etc.

A mate of mine was a road safey officer for the local council. He took early retirement and started a driving school but even with his contacts he struggled to make a go of it.

I think window cleaning is a lot better.


a chap round my way advertises 5 lessons for £56 - how can that pay????
Title: Re: window cleaner or driving instructor ?
Post by: vacman on October 30, 2009, 10:46:06 am
The main thing about being a window cleaner is that you can go out and find your own customers. Driving instructors have to place expensive ads in yellow pages and the local papers and wait for the phone call.
Then when you get a new customer they are gone again when they pass their test.

Driving instuction involves a lot of weekend and evening work. Also, judging by the hourly rates advertised on the sides of the cars the money's not that good.

Plus they get a lot of lean periods when the phone doesn't ring but they still have to pay fror the car, insurance, advertising etc.

A mate of mine was a road safey officer for the local council. He took early retirement and started a driving school but even with his contacts he struggled to make a go of it.

I think window cleaning is a lot better.


a chap round my way advertises 5 lessons for £56 - how can that pay????

It might depend on how many full-price lessons you book and other fees applying. You guys should know better than anyone that people won't work for free and that there's no such thing as a free lunch.
Title: Re: window cleaner or driving instructor ?
Post by: Sean Dyer on October 30, 2009, 12:35:21 pm
no its 5 lessons for £56. does what it says on tin :)
Title: Re: window cleaner or driving instructor ?
Post by: vacman on October 30, 2009, 12:51:36 pm
no its 5 lessons for £56. does what it says on tin :)

yeah i got that bit BUT what i am saying is, do you have to book say 10 to get 5 at that price? What is in the small print of this advertising?
Title: Re: window cleaner or driving instructor ?
Post by: Sean Dyer on October 30, 2009, 12:54:23 pm
no honestly that is IT, 5 lessons are 56 .00

hence - how can he make money???

http://www.billplant.co.uk/driving_school.html

perhaps he pays minimum wage to drivers?
Title: Re: window cleaner or driving instructor ?
Post by: vacman on October 30, 2009, 01:13:35 pm
http://www.forumula1.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=6715

Or this

http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080703143208AAaiXE0

i guess thats how.......as i say no such thing as a free lunch. :-\
Title: Re: window cleaner or driving instructor ?
Post by: Sean Dyer on October 30, 2009, 02:15:49 pm
5 lessons for £56 , first free then 4 for £14 or 5 for 56 lol still same

plus my instrucot said its about 40 lessons average , i passed much sooner, but avgs are statistically correct

also the first link is just one person saying "o they never turned up" they could have got it wrong, your custies am sure do that to

im nothing to do with bill plant, but the offer is genuine

and back to the point of it...

how does that pay??
even at £14 a lesson
Title: Re: window cleaner or driving instructor ?
Post by: vacman on October 30, 2009, 03:14:22 pm
By trying to get them to commit to more lessons than they need i guess ?  ??? Dunno m8. But if it's like where i live, you can't move for bill plant cars. Which i presume means that lots of instructors are joining this franchise?
Title: Re: window cleaner or driving instructor ?
Post by: barry80 on November 02, 2009, 10:31:08 pm
?
Title: Re: window cleaner or driving instructor ?
Post by: barry80 on November 02, 2009, 10:38:10 pm
i think i am going to be a driving instructor lol
Title: Re: window cleaner or driving instructor ?
Post by: johns window kleen on November 03, 2009, 03:07:05 pm
I looked into doing this last year, and spoke to a couple of DI'S, one was a friend of a friend so it was impartial/accurate advice.

If its just earnings your looking at then WC is clearly the best bet over a year. Driving lessons vary depending on area but here its about £25 per hour. Sounds good?? Take off the petrol, say £5.00,per lesson, factor in insurance, and wear and tear, and servicing and maintainance costs say £1.50,and your talking £18.50 per hour, before Tax.

As someone said they have to advertise constantly, and offer package deals to attract custom,so competition is clearly fierce. Theres more adds for becoming an instructor on TV than actually offering Driving Lessons, so theres more money in teaching someone to be one, than there is in doing the job.


Incidentally £18.50 per hour for the lessons that actually take place. So you'd have to be fully booked for the year to make it even half appealing, and importantly a large % of 17/18 year old's are apparently very prone to ringing up and cancelling a lesson ,at short notice,cos theyve got a little sniffle / cant be arsed.

Me decided, clearly not worth persuing given cost of training V potential earnings.
Title: Re: window cleaner or driving instructor ?
Post by: Londoner on November 04, 2009, 07:56:25 am
There is a driving school round here with £19 Per Hour  in big letters down the side or the car.

Says it all really
Title: Re: window cleaner or driving instructor ?
Post by: EZclean on November 04, 2009, 08:11:41 am
i have a customer who is a driving instructor, really nice guy. he has a high pass rate. he says bill plant wants shooting. when fuel and insurance is always rising how can anyone work so cheap, and then still be able to pay the franchise.

 
Title: Re: window cleaner or driving instructor ?
Post by: Scrimble on November 04, 2009, 02:37:05 pm
when i started to learn to drive 8 years ago the instructor charged £18 per 50 minutes, now theres 5 hours for £56!

 the influx of driving instructors has obviously brought competition and lowered prices.

sod being a driving instrutor, wc is far better earning wise
Title: Re: window cleaner or driving instructor ?
Post by: Pureandclean on November 04, 2009, 09:15:27 pm
Some companies rates were for 30 minute lessons, and others would have 2 students in the car at the same time.
Title: Re: window cleaner or driving instructor ?
Post by: dave.e on November 04, 2009, 09:26:43 pm
window cleaning will end up like driving instructors there will be that many soon the prices will come down and we will all be scraping in the street for custies ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D