Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: dazmond on April 23, 2010, 11:15:47 pm
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just been on his website.the poles look great but none in stock at all!! ::)whats goin on?
im gonna order a brodex 25ft hydra alloy for my first pole then!
i think itll be long enough for all my present work on domestics and small commercial.
alex s poles do look the business but no use if he s got none to sell!! ::) ::)
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every time i look on here people are waiting forever for poles from gardiners, not very good is it, Glad i got my slx when i did back in november. They must be losing loads of sales ::)
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just been on his website.the poles look great but none in stock at all!! ::)whats goin on?
im gonna order a brodex 25ft hydra alloy for my first pole then!
i think itll be long enough for all my present work on domestics and small commercial.
alex s poles do look the business but no use if he s got none to sell!! ::) ::)
i phoned last week to enquire about the slx , not due till end of may , and there is not a definate date, said website will be updated as and when they are in stock.
the 25 brodex ali pole is heavy, it is also a little to long for downstairs windows.
daz
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maybe ill get the 18 ft as well then for my regular work and just use the 25ft on the higher commercial/country houses ;)
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i'd recommend a 17ft xtel , short closed length ,good 1st pole ,till the slx's are back in stock, then you could always use it for conservatory roof cleans,fascia cleans ;)
daz
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I just cant work out the logic behind it? Gardiners are out of stock much much more than they have poles in stock.
When they do get the poles in their allready pre ordered.
I waited 4 months for my mrs 18ft slx,ok its a great bit of kit but really this situation must be costing Gardiners a lot of money?
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what about a 20 ft xtel glass fibre for now as my first pole as i will be a bit short for a couple of commercial/country houses with the 17ft?? ??? ???
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Sign of a good product if it sells out, facelift poles used to be the same.
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I wonder who makes them? I would imagine who ever it is probably makes other products in similar materials, maybe even abroad. If so they wouldn't be flown over in the last few days.
The manufacturer would also need a slot in which to makes them, so it could be that batches are only built every few months. Gardiners wouldn't want to pay up a massive up front fortune just incase things went pear shaped. Imagine laying out hundreds of thousands ofpounds on a big order only to find the carbon manufacturer goes bust a week later. Maybe Gardiners don't have that kind of finance anyway. They have other avenues in which to spend.
Just a Guess. ;)
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Dazmond.... I've got the Brodex Hydra alloy poles... 7, 18 & 25
They are cracking poles, really robust (I'm heavy handed)
The 25 as said above is too long for downstairs work.
If I was you I would grab a 30ft cf pole for the higher stuff (depends on your work), the 18 hydra alloy (for regular domestic work) and then buy or make up a short pole for those tight spots (like down the sides of connys or over flower beds).
The brodex brushes are good to start, but they wear down quickly. Have had mine about 2 months now and I'm looking to change the brushes
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maybe ill get the 18 ft as well then for my regular work and just use the 25ft on the higher commercial/country houses ;)
Hi Daz,
any non carbon 25' pole is to heavy to work with all day. Sure people do but after they try something a lighter they will normally have a range of different poles.
For new starters this is not always an option and will go with the one size fits all option.
I would start with a 17' xtel, good short closed length light enough and will manage most domestics. I would then buy a older carbon fishing rod to get you up to 30'
In 6 years of water fed I have tried a lot of poles but these are the ones that seen to work best for me.
Your gonna love it mate!
Lee
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Sign of a good product if it sells out, facelift poles used to be the same.
or a poor management ::) it will only take someone new to sell a simlar product and have stocks ready then there product will lose out big time it is just waiting to happen.
I have been told it is now june for the poles, but that could change again :(
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i think he is moving over to systems, could he be refocusing his business, and keeping his stock to go with the systems he sells?
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i think he is moving over to systems, could he be refocusing his business, and keeping his stock to go with the systems he sells?
What ever Alex does, good luck to him, he makes good products, now just needs to sort out the supply and demand problem then all is rosey ;D
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Sign of a good product if it sells out, facelift poles used to be the same.
or a poor management ::) it will only take someone new to sell a simlar product and have stocks ready then there product will lose out big time it is just waiting to happen.
I have been told it is now june for the poles, but that could change again :(
Don't think it's poor management. They are a pretty small company - Alex still cleans windows for a living as far as I'm aware. His sister runs the company I believe. They probably just haven't got the finances to risk in a big way. They seem very shrewd and sensible if you ask me. They tend to probe the market in different ways to see where the most profit is. It could be true when Alex says they make little profit on their carbon poles. In the three years I have been on here they have grown steadily. If the business went tits up then the whole family would suffer.
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Alex has switched to a new manufacturer which can produce his poles faster, to a better standard (Higher carbon content), and in much greater quantities. Its the initial changeover that is causing the delay,.. the last shipment of poles was supposed to last until the new supplier cam online methinks!
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Sign of a good product if it sells out, facelift poles used to be the same.
or a poor management ::) it will only take someone new to sell a simlar product and have stocks ready then there product will lose out big time it is just waiting to happen.
I have been told it is now june for the poles, but that could change again :(
Don't think it's poor management. They are a pretty small company - Alex still cleans windows for a living as far as I'm aware. His sister runs the company I believe. They probably just haven't got the finances to risk in a big way. They seem very shrewd and sensible if you ask me. They tend to probe the market in different ways to see where the most profit is. It could be true when Alex says they make little profit on their carbon poles. In the three years I have been on here they have grown steadily. If the business went tits up then the whole family would suffer.
Sure thing. Cash flow needs to always be managed sensibly. Banks aren't so willing to lend these days to businesses - or if they do it's often at an extortionate rate. If they have to service big overdrafts or big loans till they sell their stock then those interest charges have to be factored into the price of running the business - including the cost of poles. Bear in mind that with overdrafts, banks can pull the plug at very little notice and that can leave even healthy businesses in trouble. Far better to borrow as little as possible and be short of stock. With a loyal customer base, it's probably more cost effective doing it that way than servicing bank charges. Also, once you go in hock to the banks, it's easier to think of overdrafts as running capital. Fine and dandy when the banks are prepared to allow it but a serious problem when they call the debt in. They do this to healthy businesses as well as shoddy ones.
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Sign of a good product if it sells out, facelift poles used to be the same.
or a poor management ::) it will only take someone new to sell a simlar product and have stocks ready then there product will lose out big time it is just waiting to happen.
I have been told it is now june for the poles, but that could change again :(
Not quite as simple as that my friend ;)
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Makes me laugh how people on here think Alex Gardiner needs their advice. LOL.
If I was half as successful as him I would be a happy man.
Too many of you lot think you're the next Alan Sugar the way you go on!
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Makes me laugh how people on here think Alex Gardiner needs their advice. LOL.
If I was half as successful as him I would be a happy man.
Too many of you lot think you're the next Alan Sugar the way you go on!
lol so true ;D
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thanks guys!im goin for the 18ft brodex hydra and the 31 ft carbon fibre.these 2 poles will cover all my work at height.ill be tradding quite a few downstairs windows with b.o.b/squeegee/mop/scrim and spray bottle with a mix of pure water/gg3(no carrying bucket!)
i will start off wfp all tops and tradding bottoms to ease my custys into the changeover
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maybe ill get the 18 ft as well then for my regular work and just use the 25ft on the higher commercial/country houses ;)
Hi Daz,
any non carbon 25' pole is to heavy to work with all day. Sure people do but after they try something a lighter they will normally have a range of different poles.
For new starters this is not always an option and will go with the one size fits all option.
I would start with a 17' xtel, good short closed length light enough and will manage most domestics. I would then buy a older carbon fishing rod to get you up to 30'
In 6 years of water fed I have tried a lot of poles but these are the ones that seen to work best for me.
Your gonna love it mate!
Lee
my harris is not cf and its great to work with all day long ;D
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Dazmond, reading some of your other posts, you're worrying far too much about your customers on switchover. I was the same. But 99% of them will be fine. You will always get the odd one no matter what you do. I found this hard to except but you just cant please everyone, it's impossibe. Once you get into wfp you'll rarely trad.
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maybe ill get the 18 ft as well then for my regular work and just use the 25ft on the higher commercial/country houses ;)
Hi Daz,
any non carbon 25' pole is to heavy to work with all day. Sure people do but after they try something a lighter they will normally have a range of different poles.
For new starters this is not always an option and will go with the one size fits all option.
I would start with a 17' xtel, good short closed length light enough and will manage most domestics. I would then buy a older carbon fishing rod to get you up to 30'
In 6 years of water fed I have tried a lot of poles but these are the ones that seen to work best for me.
Your gonna love it mate!
Lee
my harris is not cf and its great to work with all day long ;D
It aint 25' is it though Garry?
Lee
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Sign of a good product if it sells out, facelift poles used to be the same.
Not really.
Most of these poles are manufactured in Finland and come to the UK shipped in a container. The small suppliers simply cannot afford to stock enough. They need to sell x amount and then reorder from the manufacturer, which obviously takes time.
I suppose as they grow their business Gradiners will be able to afford more stock
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Sign of a good product if it sells out, facelift poles used to be the same.
Not really.
Most of these poles are manufactured in Finland and come to the UK shipped in a container. The small suppliers simply cannot afford to stock enough. They need to sell x amount and then reorder from the manufacturer, which obviously takes time.
I suppose as they grow their business Gradiners will be able to afford more stock
If it was a poor product there would be no supply issue as they simply wouldn't sell as fast! ;)
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Sign of a good product if it sells out, facelift poles used to be the same.
Not really.
Most of these poles are manufactured in Finland and come to the UK shipped in a container. The small suppliers simply cannot afford to stock enough. They need to sell x amount and then reorder from the manufacturer, which obviously takes time.
I suppose as they grow their business Gradiners will be able to afford more stock
If it was a poor product there would be no supply issue as they simply wouldn't sell as fast! ;)
Most buy in x number of this size and x number of that, when they sell out of one size, they have to say they have SOLD OUT, they can't afford to order just one size from the Manufacturer they need to place a minimum order :P
So I suppose what I am trying to say is, the little stockists are trying to play in the big boys back yard!
I know this was true for facelift as I organised their first shipment of Blue poles a long time ago...............
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??? So how come not everyone buys Ionics poles then. ???
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Makes me laugh how people on here think Alex Gardiner needs their advice. LOL.
If I was half as successful as him I would be a happy man.
Too many of you lot think you're the next Alan Sugar the way you go on!
Alex does not clearly want advice from people on here or he would not have deleted his account.
I guess some gage if they are successful on others, quite strange.
Have to say the Alan sugars on here are the people I would more listen to than others, the answer why should be clear.
Ian
p.s i'm not rich but I do ok ;)
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Dazmond, reading some of your other posts, you're worrying far too much about your customers on switchover. I was the same. But 99% of them will be fine. You will always get the odd one no matter what you do. I found this hard to except but you just cant please everyone, it's impossibe. Once you get into wfp you'll rarely trad.
In a nutshell, well said that man :)
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Gardiners have run out of stock on purpose have they new poles on the way.
They have a very cheap carbon composite which will replace the xtel pole.Same price as xtels but lighter and stiffer with narrower sections.
THe slx will be a new Mark 3 version,10% lighter then the old version.Matt finished carbon with stops on the pole to prevent you over extending the sections.
I will oder a new 18' composite asap.
Great news.
Neil
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I ordered 35ft pole from them last month, they promised a would recieve my pole within one week.
It came two weeks later. Bad customer sevice not at all impressed ???
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Your wrong.
You won't find better customer service than Gardiners.
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Your wrong.
You won't find better customer service than Gardiners.
totally agree...superb company.
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Your wrong.
You won't find better customer service than Gardiners.
totally agree...superb company.
Alex G is probs the best person I have ever dealt with along with Andrew McCann when he was at purefreedom, Alex has always sorted any probles I had with anything i.e new clamps snapped had shipped that day, 1st sl brush bristles fell out and recieved a new one within 24 hours, Shame hes not posting on here anymore but im sure hes keeping an eye on here, I will be buying a few more poles soon.....