[A & J Owen Window Cleaning]

 

[Paul Coleman]

I bought two bags of rock salt yesterday to add to the three left over from last Winter.
Also, I don't have the facilities to heat the back of the van as I live in a flat.  I know I could put a parasene heater in there but that's too risky IMO.  So what I've done is to buy the bits that I need to hook up the pump on a quick release setup.  I've bought some solderless plugs for quick release on the electrics which I will be installing soon.  Also, I will shortly be converting the hoses in the van to John Guest pushfits.  These steps will enable me to remove the pump in a minute or two without loads of hassle with jubilee clips and re-joining wires.

[Londoner]

might be an idea for the WF lads to do one day each week trad,starting soon, to hone the skills so you can slide into trad easily once the going gets tough . last winter i noticed a lot didnt work for a while

No but if you have a bit put by you can absorb a bit of rest time. I reckon WFP pays around 25% better so through out the year you should be able to accomulate a bit.

Besides I think trad is worse than WFP in than in bad weather, all those icy patios and freezing cold ladders. Leaning out trying to grip onto icy frames with frozen numb hands twelve feet up, no thank you.  Give me an aquarium heater in the tank overnight and warmish water every time.

Most customers don't want you to clean their windows in the snow anyway. Last year I lost a customer simply because I had cleaned her windows in the snow and she thought I was ripping her off. Other customers look at you in amazement when you turn up.

[Londoner]

oil filled radiator and aquarium heaters plus duvet over the top of tank.bring trolley,poles,reel inside to be safe.should be no problem.only thing is hoses freezing on the ground.if its that cold ill get my trad pole out or ladders with screenwash in my bucket.

do you think you really need the aquarium heaters as well as the oil filled rad? will my 350 ltr tank full of water still freeze even with my oil rad in my van? 

The aquarium heater raises the temp only a few degrees but it makes the water less likely to freeze when you are working rather than in the van overnight.

[Pope vader]

i stop around the 15 dec and star back up around the 8 january when kids go back to school

[Londoner]

I'm starting to think about a short break after christmas. the customers aren't bothered apart from the odd OCD one here and its a miserable time of the year. Roll up in the duvet and hibernate for a couple of weeks.

[Pope vader]

if some oen turned up to my house and it was 12 ins snow out and cleaned half my windows, i would think he was desperate for money

[Mike #1]

some custys do think you're mad when you turn up in the bad weather but what some really dont get is if we dont work we dont get paid .

do you not have a rainy day fund some say , my reply is if i stayed at home everytime the weather was bad throughout the year i would have no money at all .  

Most custy are pleased when i turn up as in the bad weather the windows end up really dirty especially approaching the end the  of year .

Regardless if their is 12" of snow on ground we are in for bad winters for the a few years yet this will be our 3rd winter of snow likes of which we have not seen for about 12 yrs and each year they get worse !!!


IF you stay at home for weeks and custys windows are filthy and they see another window cleaner they will ask them,   We all view customer service and keeping to a agreed cleaning schedule very important throughout the year .         Yet for some lads it goes out of the window with a bit of snow on the ground i have lost work in the past because i was late getting round in the bad weather

 

[Londoner]

A couple of weeks is not going to make any difference. Not if you tell them all in advance. And there are advantage.
1 less chance of slipping over and injuring yourself
2 less chance of smacking up the van or having some idiot do it for you.
3 Drain the system and forget about it
4 catch up with paperwork, ordering leaflets , writing letters, going through your customer list to see who can be put up etc
5 for what you will earn is it worth the hassle? really?

[Mike #1]

I dont mind losing a week or 2 .   mate the point i am trying to make is that were i live the weather was really bad last year it started snowing on  october 25th last year and things  just continued to get worse did not improve until late  january almost 12 wks . 

Surely no one is going to sit at home for that length of time , i got out when i could and custys were pleased to get their windows cleaned and i only lost a weeks work as i had a 4wd but now have a 4x4 pick-up .

I guess the the bad weather does'nt bother me that much as ,  the guy who i worked for years ago was out in all weathers even snow working trad up a ladder over 15yrs ago .   Were just a lot tougher up in the north east  .   MIKE

[gr cleaning solutions]

I,ve told all my customers that if it not safe to use ladders and wfp is freezeing i will be cleaning down stairs only and charge half price (could use trad pole for tops put im not that fast) doing down stairs only will still bring some money in each day and ill get round faster meaning i wont be out in the cold as long.
Winter fund is all ready in the bank but if i can earn a bit each day though the bad weather means i wont have to dip into it as much.Starting to get some carpets booked in now for december so hopefully i get a few more booked UP.
I just have the time belt and a services on the motor done so thats all sort just need to get into the garage and get sorted out in there which im going to do this afternoon as it peeing down here.

[gary999]

i clean when ever possible during bad weather,i couldnt
give a toss who thinks im desperate or not i like making a
living got a familyto support.during the year things can
go wrong and my savings can be depleted.

if the customers are happy for me to clean,i clean,if
not i move on to the next i lost seven days last year
during the winter last year and that was because of vehicle breakdown

we had 8 -12 inches of snow in birmingham last year hardly
what the boys suffer up north and i found it hardly a problem

i do take a few weeks off in jan because it makes sense
financially for me  to have a break then and i imagine straight after christmas
im not bothering my customers