The  average shop front in Croydon is £5
I used to clean m and s in Croydon town centre 30 years ago every day except  Sundays in and out escalator every morning and talk mirrors once a week polish the stainless steel frames and so on
Went  to get a present for mum with the boss
2 people were cleaning the windows. One had a shopping trolly with a bucket in it and an applicator the other the squeegee with no water on it just a grey line followed by the other squealing along the glass
They looked bored and didn’t give a monkeys about quality or pride in their work
Boots was even worse and hasn’t been cleaned for months and WH Smith was like the local corner shop windows  shocking drop in quality and standards
Gone were the days where a smear or a small mark would get you called back and the window dresser would call you back if the dummy was moved an inch the manager had a white hankie and go round your work checking  I kid you not 
I used to clean a cloths shop where if you brought a shirt they would iron it and put it in tissue paper then paper then in a carrier bag to walk out with
Now you just get a crumped shirt
Stuffed in a 20 p bag
No wonder they hate the older generation  we know how things have slid downhill with everything except the price
Long live maggie and her friends
We’re still in thatchers Victorian values Britain 

Reduced my household debt this year and spent plenty on new equipment so starting the next stage of my plan. Going to dump some customers that don't play the game. Going to tell them I have retired and examine my new cleans rather than just take them on. After 6 years I am in a good position financially which means I can pick and choose what I undertake. Will see how it goes but even on Friday I never posted a card with a new owner after my customer sold.

Not as much interaction nowadays.......once upon a time I would have 5 or 6 offers of tea/coffee a day....would always accept them but not drink them all......now I usually have to drop a subtle hint.......that started during covid.

Prices haven’t gone up for decades, you kill me man.
When he said that to you, did you believe it or have you just made it up?

Quote from: dazmond on March 12, 2026, 06:56:33 pm

Ive picked up a few decent jobs the last few weeks which helps replace other jobs that I've lost through normal shedding. Moving is the number 1 reason I lose jobs these days (with no guarantee the new owners will want my services)

I’m the same on the sellers. The new guys are often unsure and don’t seem to want the commitment of another bill.
One offs that I don’t normally do, will become the norm I’m thinking.

Times are changing. Lots of new window cleaners have websites and  people just Google instead of asking neighbours who they use. The public in general are not as friendly/open to talk to as previous times as most have got the heads in a screen constantly distracted by their phones.