Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: Blue Frog Systems on February 01, 2010, 05:19:52 pm
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Wondering what you guys do when a gate is locked ?
I txt / call customers the night before, but sometimes they forget. I only have a set of step ladders and don't climb over.
What do you guys do ? And do you call / txt the night before ?
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Dead easy this one!
Best bit of kit in my van is a broom stale with a 2" screw in it, providing there is no padlock on the bolt the stale will manipulate the bolt open!
Lee
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climb over m8 allways got my ladders on
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if its bolted i just get me pole and unlock that way if locked with padlock over roof or leave backs to next time
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i tell my lads there's £5 on the floor round the back............jump over every time.
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i had a few who i used to ring ,but as you say they tend to forget -so i never ring now and just split my ladders and over the gate/fence i go.
it might pay to buy a cheap small secondhand double ladder
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I carry a cut-down 6ft ladder with ladder mitts just for this purpose.
I also have half a dozen keys cuz they trust me so much.
And there is a road of three storey town houses with no rear access where I do phone one of them and they tell the rest.
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I usually kick it and swear a lot ;D
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i usually dump them if they forget twice... after i text
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Dead easy this one!
Best bit of kit in my van is a broom stale with a 2" screw in it, providing there is no padlock on the bolt the stale will manipulate the bolt open!
Lee
I use a crowbar. Seriously ;D .
It's OK. I don't rip their gates open.
I sometimes lean over on a stepladder and hook the crowbar around the bolt. It also has enough beef to tap the bolt aside if needed. I used to do this with a claw hammer but some of the gates are fairly high with the bolt a fair way down so the crowbar is better as it's longer.
And there you all were thinking that I smash their gates to bits :)
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i go over the wall or use ladders
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I do try to avoid jobs like this as much as possible anyway. It's bad enough when customers forget to unlock (or pretend that they forgot). It's even worsevin the holiday season when you leave a load of messages on voicemails and they've all gone away. Equals low pay at what should be a peak earning time. So I avoid as much as poss or, at worst, only have a few.
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drop a card in night before clean, custys have never let me down
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just put a couple of bricks through the back windows then they dont need cleaning
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I pour 5 litres petrol through the letter box and lite it.Then call them.
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It would have to be a 10ft gate with razor wire on the top and a pitbull on the other side to stop me getting over ;D
Seriously, anything under 7ft I split my ladders.
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climb over, i see it as a bit of exercise being as i never use the ladders any more!
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Get a strong chain. Tie it round the gate. Tie the other around the tow bar on the 4x4, and pow !
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split ladder and climb over
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semtex always works great bit noisy but you will never have access problem again.
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in back of van i have one of them short red battering rams . pc plod uses . £50 in b n q . they dont lock the gates anymore on my round
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Dead easy this one!
Best bit of kit in my van is a broom stale with a 2" screw in it, providing there is no padlock on the bolt the stale will manipulate the bolt open!
Lee
I use a crowbar. Seriously ;D .
It's OK. I don't rip their gates open.
I sometimes lean over on a stepladder and hook the crowbar around the bolt. It also has enough beef to tap the bolt aside if needed. I used to do this with a claw hammer but some of the gates are fairly high with the bolt a fair way down so the crowbar is better as it's longer.
And there you all were thinking that I smash their gates to bits :)
I'm just the window cleaner Mr Plodd, honestly I am.
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split ladders and climb over or lean over and bash the bolt open with my T MOP if i need that extra reach!! :) ;).if its a real hassle then i just do front only.
regards
dazmond
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never climb over anymore as its to easy to slip or damage the gate etc. Now always text night before and rarely get let down. If I do they just get done what is accessible and are charged the full price as stated in my terms they have agreed to. They don`t tend to forget much thereafter.
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one or two of my bigger houses i phone the night before for access and they leave a cheque or cash in an agreed place! ;)but i couldnt be bothered with doing it every night! ::)
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i use a box section market stall bar, perfect for catching the bolt and openening and shutting when finished.
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semtex always works great bit noisy but you will never have access problem again.
you play the xbox??
On topic, climb over if high ladders split and go over, I did try doing the if not open leave it, but far to many losses doing this and as said already excercise with wfp is minimal so helps to not get overly fat.
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I call all my customers up the night before and if they forget to unlock the gate I just pop a note through the door to say I have called and will call back another time.
its no big issue its kust people being human and forgetting, I certainly don't let it ruin my day to the point where I have to come on here and tell everyone how hard done by I feel, I mean we have plenty enough people on here who do that much better so leave it to the pro's is what I say
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Who's moaned Stephen s ?
Not me, infact i havent had a gate locked for a while, just wondered what other people did IF the gate was locked
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Who's moaned Stephen s ?
Not me, infact i havent had a gate locked for a while, just wondered what other people did IF the gate was locked
I wasn't referring to your post chief I was referrring to the countless posts you get on here about people winging about custy said leave it this month or gates locked and wanting everyone to feel sorry for them and comdem the customer in question.
give it a few days and you will see exactly what I mean.
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http://philzine.files.wordpress.com/2008/02/the-shining-with-axe.jpg
this method works on locked gates too.
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I always ask permission from the outset to climb over the gate if it is locked and they are not home. I explain how I do it and almost all are happy to leave me to it. Any that aren't just have the fronts done. They are OK with this and so am I. :)
John
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i'm same as you window wipes, text night before.
probably 75% i can show up and do.
I hate text'ing custy's makes my day too rigid also never 100 % sure of weather.
If custy forgets i use ladder to climb over split into two sections 1 over either side of gate.
I have back pack and trolley getting a bit of pain trying to lug over back pack.
gonna get hozlelock hose reel, the green enclosed one, and connect to backpack or trolley.
also gonna get combination padlock, and lock trolley or backpack to custy's gate, so no g1t runs off with, while i'm 50 foot away with pole ;D
only other option is do front or frontand side, and charge for that.
People always forget sooner or later to unlock, rather do if i can and not have inconvienance of coming back.