[Londoner]

First cleans are always a bit risky but of you have tap water marks on the glass you won't get it off next time you clean. You are going to clean it off with shower cleaner or something similar.

[Tosh]

Matt,

Unless you've a strong feeling that these are problem customers, do them one more time and stress to the customer that they should phone you straight away if the windows aren't clean.

Tell them if there's any problems you'll be round straight away to sort them out; with your ladders if need be; but also reasert that with 99.9% of your work, the windows and frames dry leaving the windows clean.  Just make sure they have your contact details, so there's no lack of communication.

Some customers just don't like the pole; I lost one two weeks ago to a trad guy and that customer sacked her previous-to-me window cleaner because he used a pole; I must've been cleaning her windows for about four years.

Another, when I first started with the pole, a customer complained her windows were spotty, so I went and checked the following day and they were gleaming; the only marks were on the INSIDE of the window; her previous window cleaner had used a WFP; and she just assumed they would be rubbish.

Window cleaning would be much better if we could run some sort of 'sensibility test' on our customers prior to taking them on.

[Helen]

Let your customer know that unless they inform you of a problem with their windows within a maximum of 7 days you only have their word that the windows weren't cleaned properly and as you need to inspect them you can't tell what the problem was because they've been over them again.

Sounds to me like your customer wanted you to do all the hard work of cleaning all around the minging frames, leave it 18 days to complain, saying that they've re-done them ( yes the glass, not the frames).

You've been had, they saw you coming a mile.



Get it on your website, or on your window cleaning chits, that if the customer has a problem with your window cleaning work to inform you within a maximum of 7 days.

7 Days!!!!!!!
24 to 48 hours maximum.

[darren73]

maybe im wrong matt but i was told some timeago(on this site)never to use tap water as it can contaminate your pole and tank and takes ages to flush out

[Wayne Thomas]

Let your customer know that unless they inform you of a problem with their windows within a maximum of 7 days you only have their word that the windows weren't cleaned properly and as you need to inspect them you can't tell what the problem was because they've been over them again.

Sounds to me like your customer wanted you to do all the hard work of cleaning all around the minging frames, leave it 18 days to complain, saying that they've re-done them ( yes the glass, not the frames).

You've been had, they saw you coming a mile.



Get it on your website, or on your window cleaning chits, that if the customer has a problem with your window cleaning work to inform you within a maximum of 7 days.

7 Days!!!!!!!
24 to 48 hours maximum.

Helen

I suggested to the lad who started this thread to make sure his customers complain within 7 days maximum because he was having the urine extracted in my opinion. I personally insist that if a customer has a complaint to inform me within 24 hours, maximum 48 otherwise I can't offer a refund or free wash if the fault is mine. It is stated on the bill I leave my customers.

[dai]

Matt, you don't give a location in your profile, do you live anywhere near the sea?
I have seen windows minging after just a few hours, after gale force winds and rain near the coast.
It can travel inland for miles too.
I have used customers water for glass conservatory roofs, giving them a rinse with the pure stuff after. They turned out fine, but the tap TDS is only around 40ppm.
As has been said, complaining after all that time is just not on.
PS do you use nitrox?

[xxmattyxx]

maybe im wrong matt but i was told some timeago(on this site)never to use tap water as it can contaminate your pole and tank and takes ages to flush out

I dont use a tank, Im working out of barrels, but the tap-water I was using was straight out the back of the houses outside tap

Matt, you don't give a location in your profile, do you live anywhere near the sea?
I have seen windows minging after just a few hours, after gale force winds and rain near the coast.
It can travel inland for miles too.
I have used customers water for glass conservatory roofs, giving them a rinse with the pure stuff after. They turned out fine, but the tap TDS is only around 40ppm.
As has been said, complaining after all that time is just not on.
PS do you use nitrox?

Not near the sea Dai, about 40 miles inland.

Nitrox? Not on me glass 

Actually, no I dont use Nitrox, I may at some time in the future do the course, not just yet, qualified to PADI level at the mo, Im a casual holiday diver, off to the Red Sea 2 weeks today actually, I'll do a couple of dives.

Matt

[macmac]

The tap water you used WON'T leave any mineral deposits on the glass that won't just clean right back off with pure as it's not been left long enough to take effect. Also the glass is never at any point sterile (just to clear that one up ) My guess is oxidization of the top frame. when this contaminates the pure water It can look like sheeted weak milk when dried.
Why you doing the top frame anyway?

Another thing, if you plugged your hose reel into the tap then when you changed over to pure you would have had a whole hose full of tap water to push through first.

Tony

[matt]

The tap water you used WON'T leave any mineral deposits on the glass that won't just clean right back off with pure as it's not been left long enough to take effect. Also the glass is never at any point sterile (just to clear that one up ) My guess is oxidization of the top frame. when this contaminates the pure water It can look like sheeted weak milk when dried.
Why you doing the top frame anyway?

Tony

indeed, i do conserv galss roofs with tap water and a final rinse with pure, dont it for years and its fine

Another thing, if you plugged your hose reel into the tap then when you changed over to pure you would have had a whole hose full of tap water to push through first.

Tony

i allways watch the "in hose" and watch till it start moving and wait a short time, then i know the water is pure


this is only on glass roofs though

[Londoner]

I did a first clean on a new house in Northwood last week. A big detatched house with lots of glass.
Somebody had tried to clean the windows in the past with a pressure washer and all the windows had water staining like you describe. I wiped them over with Cillit Bang to get it off. Took me ages but they came up OK.

[xxmattyxx]

The tap water you used WON'T leave any mineral deposits on the glass that won't just clean right back off with pure as it's not been left long enough to take effect.

It'd take a lot of convincing for me to believe that tap-water left on a pane of glass for 10 minutes is going to leave behind all of its mineral contents 

I dont know why people say such sweeping statements.

Regarding swapping over from the in-house tap to RO, yes I flush the hose out first.

Anyway, Im simply putting it down to the high level of contamination of the frames, as I said before Ill get up there next time with the ladder, and just have a good look round, with a cloth too, and do them again thoroughly.


Live and learn.

Thanks guys.

Matt

[frames to panes]

It'd take a lot of convincing for me to believe that tap-water left on a pane of glass for 10 minutes is going to leave behind all of its mineral contents 

I dont know why people say such sweeping statements

Matt

Depends where you live - i can show you glass like this where one shower of tap water does this, admittedly not after ten minutes but it won't shift with my sytem either and it doesn't show in dull weather. Oxidized frames sounds a good bet, but you normally see it streaming down the glass or on the path.
Anyway, Mat i'm sure you'll sort it out - let us know what conclusion you come too next time.

[dai]

Tap water can leave deposits when it's left to dry, I guess most of us have seen the mess that lawn sprinklers leave when left too close to the glass.

[frames to panes]

We have a very high limescale content where i live. I had one custy moan about spots on her window and i knew it was perfect when i left. Turned out the kids were playing with dad and squirted water everywhere. I've used Crystal clear on it (expensive) but you can always see a pattern when you rinse.

[L.J.Thorpe]

tap water has to dry to leave marks, i too use tap water on glass cons roofs then final rinse with pure and results are fine. matt i am sure that you will find at least one or two houses that will never be any good with pole and about ten times that who find first cleans are a bit crap but dont let it phase you. You are about to experience "ladder withdrawal syndrome" where you are unable to check work up close from ladder,have to go to next job while windows are still wet so cant check work,can onlly rely on customers reports of standard of finish...........etc.i would go back and do em ONE free clean and see how it goes,after that play by ear its usually easy to tell the aholes from genuine probs and a lot of teething probs DO get resolved....chin up 

[steven ainger]

it wont help that the customer has done them themselves, probably covered in windowleen now

[Londoner]

You can also get the same effect  from lime leeching out of the cement above the window and being carried down by the rainwater.