Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: andyjm1 on April 17, 2010, 08:33:26 am
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If you pick up a job where you're taking over from another window cleaner and the customer asks you what do I tell the other cleaner, what would your advice be?
Would your advice be the same for domestic and commercial?
If the customer asked you to handle the changeover yourself, by speaking to the other window cleaner, would you refuse?
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its up to the custy to sack the other guy as they will b employing you
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nothing to do with you they got to tell him they dont want the service anymore for whatever reason,if you get involved there could be a fight involved :-X
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I don't get what you mean, if there is a change of window cleaner it is prompted by the customer and no one else, so the customer should inform the old window cleaner that they don't need the service. The only way this might not happen is when someone is trying to pinch customers by deception like saying,"Your old window cleaner is sick and given up I'm the new one." This however is lying and stealing and classified as fraud.
Simon.
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its up to the custy to sack the other guy as they will b employing you
as ian1972 said ;)
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This very recently happened to me ..... I advised the lady to put a sign in her window saying along the lines of ...... FAO The Window Cleaner please stop cleaning our windows as we now do them ourselves ....
Obviously to be ignored by the new windie ;D
Can be worded to suit the customer.
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Wouldn't it be better and fairer for the customer to phone up the old Window Cleaner and tell him he's fired! At least he won't waste his time driving to the property only to find out he's got the boot! ???
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Wouldn't it be better and fairer for the customer to phone up the old Window Cleaner and tell him he's fired! At least he won't waste his time driving to the property only to find out he's got the boot! ???
She is a nervous lady with no confidence but yes ur way is better.
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Give me his number and her address and I will phone him. :o
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wouldnt touch a customer who had a window cleaner
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Give me his number and her address and I will phone him. :o
;D ;D ;D get in there Darranvps ;) tell him how it is ;D
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wouldnt touch a customer who had a window cleaner
Well said, we shouldn't be encouraging poaching other window cleaners customers!!!
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wouldnt touch a customer who had a window cleaner
Well said, we shouldn't be encouraging poaching other window cleaners customers!!!
If I'm asked to quote a job i quote it.
Why not offer to handle the change over?
These people do:
http://www.callclean.co.uk/
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If I'm asked to quote a job i quote it.
Why not offer to handle the change over?
These people do:
http://www.callclean.co.uk/
Wheres your morals? I don't touch other window cleaners custies and I expect the same in return!!
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If I'm asked to quote a job i quote it.
Why not offer to handle the change over?
These people do:
http://www.callclean.co.uk/
Wheres your morals? I don't touch other window cleaners custies and I expect the same in return!!
Businesses compete against each other all the time. It's called healthy competition and benefits the customer and the best businesses.
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Wheres your morals? I don't touch other window cleaners custies and I expect the same in return!!
This is business. To operate within a moral framwork you should not deliberately target another window cleaners customers, but if you get a request for a quote, then there is no moral reason why you shouldn't give one.
The current w/c may be unsuitable for any of a number of reasons, all of which are the customers business, not yours.
I never ask if a prospective customer has a window cleaner already, and I certainly wouldn't ask how much he charges.
I give my quote, based on my charging structure and tell the prospective custy exactly what we do for the money. If they are happy with the quote then I accept them as customers.
Should they then tell me they already have a window cleaner I ask them to be sure to let him know his services are no longer required, as I wouldn't want any unpleasantness should my man and he meet up on the doorstep!!
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if you have been asked to do a quote for a job, then yours is the tender they pick to go with then that is the customers choice, its got nothing to do with anyone.
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well said swc if im asked to price a job il
price it , though if im friendly with fellow wc
then i do let them now ( the wc) that is but yes
il price it n if i get it i clean it end of
1 more custy to me lol ;)
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wouldnt touch a customer who had a window cleaner
Well said, we shouldn't be encouraging poaching other window cleaners customers!!!
Who mentioned poaching?
we have all taken on customers who have had window cleaners before we turned up. FACT!!!!!!
Its called competition.
When we drop flyers/leaflets how on earth do we know if they have a window cleaner or not?????
its down to the customer, if they are not happy, they will get another window cleaner.
Matt
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we have all taken on customers who have had window cleaners before we turned up. FACT!!!!!!
Matt
Not on my patch you don't!!!!!!!! ;)
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we have all taken on customers who have had window cleaners before we turned up. FACT!!!!!!
Matt
Not on my patch you don't!!!!!!!! ;)
I don't think you'll find you own a patch.
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I don't think you'll find you own a patch.
I respect other window cleaners areas, and they respect mine.. or else!!!!!!!!! ;)
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Groundhog its a bloody good job you don't work around here then!!!!!
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I don't think you'll find you own a patch.
I respect other window cleaners areas, and they respect mine.. or else!!!!!!!!! ;)
So what happens if you get a phone call from someone who wants a quote as they have just sacked their window cleaner and its in the same street as another window cleaner?
Do you say sorry its not my patch??
Matt
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Groundhog its a bloody good job you don't work around here then!!!!!
No, its a good job you don't work around here!! believe me!!! ;)
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So you are telling me there are NO Window Cleaners working in the same areas as you??
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The biggest half of my work now is large houses out in the sticks, but I also clean over 100 houses on a nice estate in my town, I started canvassing the houses here as soon as they were built. The other local window cleaners know this and refer any inquiries they get for work on this estate to me, and in turn I do the same for them on areas where I know they have a lot of work. It makes things work nicely between the local shiners, and helps to keep our rounds compact.
Sure I get the odd out of town window cleaner show up on my estate, I generally let them get on with it, and most of the time they soon realise that I have virtually all the work there and they go elsewhere, I only really get upset when they try to steal my work using dirty tricks such as telling people I have stopped working in the area etc!!
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If you pick up a job where you're taking over from another window cleaner and the customer asks you what do I tell the other cleaner, what would your advice be?
Would your advice be the same for domestic and commercial?
If the customer asked you to handle the changeover yourself, by speaking to the other window cleaner, would you refuse?
I view this as the customer's responsibility and none of my business.
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Wouldn't it be better and fairer for the customer to phone up the old Window Cleaner and tell him he's fired! At least he won't waste his time driving to the property only to find out he's got the boot! ???
She is a nervous lady with no confidence but yes ur way is better.
If she lacks confidence in this, all she has to do is write him a letter. That way she achieves the cancellation and puts some distance between herself and the window cleaner. It's very simple really. I'm surprised she has complicated it.
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The biggest half of my work now is large houses out in the sticks, but I also clean over 100 houses on a nice estate in my town, I started canvassing the houses here as soon as they were built. The other local window cleaners know this and refer any inquiries they get for work on this estate to me, and in turn I do the same for them on areas where I know they have a lot of work. It makes things work nicely between the local shiners, and helps to keep our rounds compact.
Sure I get the odd out of town window cleaner show up on my estate, I generally let them get on with it, and most of the time they soon realise that I have virtually all the work there and they go elsewhere, I only really get upset when they try to steal my work using dirty tricks such as telling people I have stopped working in the area etc!!
Do you live in the north? This "patch" stuff seems to be more a northern thing.
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yeah where abouts in the country are you groundhog? im in lincolnshire!
thanks. george.
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@ groundhog. by the way if anyone threatened me like you have just done they better be ready to back it up with actions!!!
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The biggest half of my work now is large houses out in the sticks, but I also clean over 100 houses on a nice estate in my town, I started canvassing the houses here as soon as they were built. The other local window cleaners know this and refer any inquiries they get for work on this estate to me, and in turn I do the same for them on areas where I know they have a lot of work. It makes things work nicely between the local shiners, and helps to keep our rounds compact.
Sure I get the odd out of town window cleaner show up on my estate, I generally let them get on with it, and most of the time they soon realise that I have virtually all the work there and they go elsewhere, I only really get upset when they try to steal my work using dirty tricks such as telling people I have stopped working in the area etc!!
its just the same around here,had a job passed on to me last week from another cleaner that was on my PATCH ,the system works great because we all stick to it
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so how is a window cleaner ment to know what is another cleaners "patch"?
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If a customer say they want me to clean there windows because there not happy with another cleaners service, I tell them to contact the cleaner involved and make him aware that they no longer want him as there cleaner.
If while I'm canvasing they say they allready have a cleaner I thank them and offer them a flyer incase they ever find they need or want me to clean there windows in the future.
I'll never knowingly undercut or poach there customers, but I will work in any part of the town or surounding area.
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so groundhog are you some sort of big hard man everyones ment to be scared of? lol cos you just met your match sunshine!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Thankfully I will only clean commercial buildings.
The patch thing doesn't come into it ;D
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so how is a window cleaner ment to know what is another cleaners "patch"?
if its not yours it must be someone elses
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Just getting new business 8)
If I don't do it one of the big boys will
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lol stan
good old northern common sense :)
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@ groundhog. by the way if anyone threatened me like you have just done they better be ready to back it up with actions!!!
Well I'm a semi pro boxer so that would not be a problem!!! ;)
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@ groundhog. by the way if anyone threatened me like you have just done they better be ready to back it up with actions!!!
Well I'm a semi pro boxer so that would not be a problem!!! ;)
LOL ;D ;D ;D I bet he went quiet
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Well I'm a semi pro boxer so that would not be a problem!!! ;)
good man ;) the sport of men ;D
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The biggest half of my work now is large houses out in the sticks, but I also clean over 100 houses on a nice estate in my town, I started canvassing the houses here as soon as they were built. The other local window cleaners know this and refer any inquiries they get for work on this estate to me, and in turn I do the same for them on areas where I know they have a lot of work. It makes things work nicely between the local shiners, and helps to keep our rounds compact.
Sure I get the odd out of town window cleaner show up on my estate, I generally let them get on with it, and most of the time they soon realise that I have virtually all the work there and they go elsewhere, I only really get upset when they try to steal my work using dirty tricks such as telling people I have stopped working in the area etc!!
I agree this is out of order, but I was getting the impression you were warning other guys away.
Matt
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i have found when you start leafleting you end up with other wc crap'
only ever used flyers on new builds.
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Someone can only steal your customers by telling them you've packed up if you haven't turned up for ages.
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To me, business is business.
If you are a good regular window cleaner, you won't lose your customers anyway, well at least the decent ones.
Perhaps the window cleaners who are scared of "poachers" LOL , should clean more regularly and to a higher standard ;D
And I bet most of the ones who don't like poachers are still stuck on ladders :o and haven't moved on with the times ;D ;D ;D
Probably have banjo's and all that 8)
For me, I am going to market my business hard, but professionally. You have been warned 8) 8) 8)
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Someone can only steal your customers by telling them you've packed up if you haven't turned up for ages.
And if you haven't turned up for ages you ain't doing your job properly ;D
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To me, business is business.
If you are a good regular window cleaner, you won't lose your customers anyway, well at least the decent ones.
Perhaps the window cleaners who are scared of "poachers" LOL , should clean more regularly and to a higher standard ;D
And I bet most of the ones who don't like poachers are still stuck on ladders :o and haven't moved on with the times ;D ;D ;D
Probably have banjo's and all that 8)
For me, I am going to market my business hard, but professionally. You have been warned 8) 8) 8)
professionally lol your name sounds like a lap dancing club
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But I bet you remember the name ;D
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I used to beleive in patches, im also a northerner, im in liverpool. Patches now dont interest me, if i get a call or see an estate that i think needs cleaning then i will canvass the estate or the surrounding houses of the new customer. the reason i dont believe in them is that most of the people who do are not legit, this in my opinion is not on, there robbing both me and the customers as we are mostly hard working tax payers, they use threats and intimidation to scare people off.
Ive had my houses canvassed many times before but they are always told no, why? not because its my patch, because im bloody good at my job, some people who clean windows really need to take a long hard look at themselves, most on here are oldish fellas, 40 plus, yet you act like kids in a playground threatening people with violence. Not just that but on here everyone seems to be some sort of martial arts expert or a cage fighter.
If your good at your job and charge a competitive rate then you will not lose your customers. its as simple as that. If someone threatened me outside a customers house then i would simply explain why im there and what im doing, i would not start fighting for the sake of some cleaning, i pay insurance, tax, NI, running costs an god knows what else to be in this game and i always have, no way am i going to start scrapping like some 10 year old in a playground
THIS IS ALL IN MY OPINION.
have a nice day, ste
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well said mate
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The biggest half of my work now is large houses out in the sticks, but I also clean over 100 houses on a nice estate in my town, I started canvassing the houses here as soon as they were built. The other local window cleaners know this and refer any inquiries they get for work on this estate to me, and in turn I do the same for them on areas where I know they have a lot of work. It makes things work nicely between the local shiners, and helps to keep our rounds compact.
Sure I get the odd out of town window cleaner show up on my estate, I generally let them get on with it, and most of the time they soon realise that I have virtually all the work there and they go elsewhere, I only really get upset when they try to steal my work using dirty tricks such as telling people I have stopped working in the area etc!!
I agree this is out of order, but I was getting the impression you were warning other guys away.
Matt
No, I'm a nice guy really Matt!! :)
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I used to beleive in patches, im also a northerner, im in liverpool. Patches now dont interest me, if i get a call or see an estate that i think needs cleaning then i will canvass the estate or the surrounding houses of the new customer. the reason i dont believe in them is that most of the people who do are not legit, this in my opinion is not on, there robbing both me and the customers as we are mostly hard working tax payers, they use threats and intimidation to scare people off.
Ive had my houses canvassed many times before but they are always told no, why? not because its my patch, because im bloody good at my job, some people who clean windows really need to take a long hard look at themselves, most on here are oldish fellas, 40 plus, yet you act like kids in a playground threatening people with violence. Not just that but on here everyone seems to be some sort of martial arts expert or a cage fighter.
If your good at your job and charge a competitive rate then you will not lose your customers. its as simple as that. If someone threatened me outside a customers house then i would simply explain why im there and what im doing, i would not start fighting for the sake of some cleaning, i pay insurance, tax, NI, running costs an god knows what else to be in this game and i always have, no way am i going to start scrapping like some 10 year old in a playground
THIS IS ALL IN MY OPINION.
have a nice day, ste
They're just keyboard warriors ............... the worlds full of em. ::)
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I used to beleive in patches, im also a northerner, im in liverpool. Patches now dont interest me, if i get a call or see an estate that i think needs cleaning then i will canvass the estate or the surrounding houses of the new customer. the reason i dont believe in them is that most of the people who do are not legit, this in my opinion is not on, there robbing both me and the customers as we are mostly hard working tax payers, they use threats and intimidation to scare people off.
Ive had my houses canvassed many times before but they are always told no, why? not because its my patch, because im bloody good at my job, some people who clean windows really need to take a long hard look at themselves, most on here are oldish fellas, 40 plus, yet you act like kids in a playground threatening people with violence. Not just that but on here everyone seems to be some sort of martial arts expert or a cage fighter.
If your good at your job and charge a competitive rate then you will not lose your customers. its as simple as that. If someone threatened me outside a customers house then i would simply explain why im there and what im doing, i would not start fighting for the sake of some cleaning, i pay insurance, tax, NI, running costs an god knows what else to be in this game and i always have, no way am i going to start scrapping like some 10 year old in a playground
THIS IS ALL IN MY OPINION.
have a nice day, ste
well said mate
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Patches can be a positive thing, it works well where I live. All of the local window cleaners know one another and get on well, we all know where the others have the majority of their work, as I said before, if I get an enquiry from a custy who lives in an area that one of the local window cleaners work then I will pass the job onto them and they do the same for me. It keeps our rounds compact, and there is no bad feelings between the local window cleaners, any out of towners start to give one of us trouble then we help each other out!! Just the way it should be. :)
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Patches can be a positive thing, it works well where I live. All of the local window cleaners know one another and get on well, we all know where the others have the majority of their work, as I said before, if I get an enquiry from a custy who lives in an area that one of the local window cleaners work then I will pass the job onto them and they do the same for me. It keeps our rounds compact, and there is no bad feelings between the local window cleaners, any out of towners start to give one of us trouble then we help each other out!! Just the way it should be. :)
So what happens if a new guy starts up and starts picking up work in various "patches" ? Does he get a visit from the boys to be made aware of how it works round here !
When I started up last year I got a great deal of advice and encouragment from the guys local to me, they sugested areas to try and canvas ect. The way it should be in my opinion, if your doing your job well the customers will in the main stay loyal.
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Patches can be a positive thing, it works well where I live. All of the local window cleaners know one another and get on well, we all know where the others have the majority of their work, as I said before, if I get an enquiry from a custy who lives in an area that one of the local window cleaners work then I will pass the job onto them and they do the same for me. It keeps our rounds compact, and there is no bad feelings between the local window cleaners, any out of towners start to give one of us trouble then we help each other out!! Just the way it should be. :)
Positive for who? It sounds to me like you use group intimidation to scare anyone off? what would you do if i got a call to clean a house right slap bang in the middle of your work from someone who you dont clean? then from that i picked up a couple of others by them contacting me and not the other way round? i am a fully legit business and i pay all of my taxes and insurances.
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When I started up last year I got a great deal of advice and encouragment from the guys local to me, they sugested areas to try and canvas ect. The way it should be in my opinion, if your doing your job well the customers will in the main stay loyal.
And thats exactly what I got, because I respected the other window cleaners areas and found an opening to start my own on a newly built estate. You may change your mind when there are more and more window cleaners starting up and pushing the price of window cleaning down lower and lower!!!
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So around your way how does a new window cleaner ever start up?
Does he have to wait until a new estate is built? ::)
Patches, never heard such a load of old rubbish in my life.
It's the customers I feel sorry for, they have to endure a crap window cleaner because there is no competition?
I see three or four other WC's where I work around my way and we pass the time of day not attack each other.
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@ groundhog. by the way if anyone threatened me like you have just done they better be ready to back it up with actions!!!
Well I'm a semi pro boxer so that would not be a problem!!! ;)
i dont care mate, im a gracie jiu jitsu practioner! i'll choke you out before you can say its my patch!!!!!!
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@ groundhog. by the way if anyone threatened me like you have just done they better be ready to back it up with actions!!!
Well I'm a semi pro boxer so that would not be a problem!!! ;)
i dont care mate, im a gracie jiu jitsu practioner! i'll choke you out before you can say its my patch!!!!!!
your welcome to come see me to put this to the test anytime anywhere!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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@ groundhog. by the way if anyone threatened me like you have just done they better be ready to back it up with actions!!!
Well I'm a semi pro boxer so that would not be a problem!!! ;)
LOL ;D ;D ;D I bet he went quiet
gone quite now!!! and are you his bum boy or something? why do you suck up to bullys to "get in" with them?
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Ive not laughed so much reading these threads, there is some fudge-packets on here. ;D
as for patches , only a bum-pot would think like that. :P :P
i worked on recommendation so if I'm asked for a quote, i have been recommended by a customer or relation of there's, so if Ive been called there is a problem with there window cleaner in some form or shape, this ain't my fault and i wouldn't loose sleep over it, i don't knock doors or fl yer its recommendation only. :'(
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My dad was a Boxer ;)
.....and my mum a Jack Russell.