[gordonswindows]

Having enjoyed this forum and had the best job in the world, cleaning windows, i was disapointed no i was ashamed to see the shabby state of window cleaning in Britains capital.

Trackies, scabby trainers, unshaved, dirty and ignorant. The workmanship was shoddy and the atitudes were a disgrace.

I am PROUD of being a window cleaner but these so called felow workers of my proffesion give us a bad name.

They look like they fell out of bed, they couldn't care less if the window ended up clean or not and their equipment was in a terrible condition Applicator hadn't been washed in months, buckets scraped & dirty and split and as for the filthy scrim slung over a shoulder......

Chewing gum, spitting and swearing while "working" and then when the manager of the store came out to speak to them they were ignored due to the cleaners headphones being so loud.

Yet we wonder why we don't get taken seriously as a proper trade!!!!!

if you work in the city I will be glad to let you know which street we were in so you can figure out if you are proud of the work or not. If it makes you worry if it was you do something about it and if you don't care that it might of been you  ......

[seandyer2003]

same in manchester, i see it evry day, gangs of 3-4 of them all looking like they just walked out of the pub, probably did from night before Makes us look  daft for taking it seriously sometimes....

[AuRavelling79]

Rejoice!

It is the difference between us and them that means we can charge a decent amount and feel proud of our work.

Only we can do the job to a high standard and that is what the best customers appreciate.

[Neil Williams]

Thing is anyone can do this job and inevitably it drags in those who can't do anything else.
It used to wind me up but now I just look at it as us providing the platinum service whilst they provide plastic plate service.

[Ian Lancaster]

One thing to bear in mind is that these contracts start out as rock bottom prices -- otherwise the main contractor wouldn't get them.  They are then subcontracted anything up to 5 or 6 times so the man at the sharp end is barely earning minimum wage, and probably considerably less in some cases, so don't be surprised if there's no pride in a job well done because there's absolutely no incentive.

If the customer had any desire to have a proper job done, he/she wouldn't have price as the overriding criterion, but they don't.  The requirement is to pay lip service to the need for maintenance, hygiene etc, but not to pay for it.

Like everything else in life, you get what you pay for, or don't, as the case may be.

[Captain Scarlet]

Ian, I couldnt agree with you more, you talk so much sense! This is so true, for many companies having the windows cleaned is nothing more than being able to tick a box or say to the bosses that the windows were cleaned.  We need people who care about quality over price!

[pjulk]

I sometime's go to work without having a shave.

But always wear a uniform and take pride in my work and don't mind taking those extra few minutes to make sure my work it top notch.

I only use clean scrim when i use it that is and wear clean pouch's with BOAB when traditional.

I have seen some window cleaners with scrim that i virtually black either they have a special sort of scrim or they can't be bothered to wash them and i often see window cleaners with scrim chucked over there shoulder.
But there again many years ago i used to do that until i found pouch's and BOAB.

[Oakley Windows]

Nothing wrong having a scrim over your shoulder.

For one thing it helps to dry it.

[Tosh]

The general standard of the average domestic window cleaner in Chepstow is high. 

Most of the lads here have either posh vans or wear uniforms; sometimes both, and just about everyone has some sort of WFP capability from a posh off-the-shelf van-mounted system to a backpack.

There's been the odd idiot I've saw over the years here, but that's the exception rather than the rule.

I can honestly say that it's rare that I've ever been asked to quote because the prospective customer didn't like her previous window cleaner.

Saying that, I've got to quote for an office building this morning because the office were actually looking for someone who can do their property with a WFP and provide risk/method statement and proof of insurance.  Their previous window cleaner uses ladders only; but he's not from this area and I don't know who he is (I asked).

But the lady I spoke to said he was great, but she's got pressure from her bosses to get a WFP window cleaner!

So to surmise, in Chepstow/South East Wales, the average window cleaner here usually presents a professional image (with the odd exception).

[gordonswindows]

Many thanks to you all who posted opinions

I thought I was just becoming a bit of a snob but you have re-assured me that it is okay to try to be as good as i can be although "just a window cleaner".

Thanks to Ian who as always was able to offer a balanced and unbiased view. I do agree with how he describes the low cost contractors but this does not make we want to accept it. Just because it has always been that way doesn't mean that it has to stay that way, if we can't believe in change  we may as well join them.

regards

Gordon the cleaner