So I'm at work showing the ropes to my new guy and we're chuffing through the work - me out the van, him out the trailer - separating them where useful and by 1pm I reckon we'll be finished by 2 o'clock.
One of my regular (front only) custies says can I book in the back and the conny for my annual clean?
Tell you what says I - I'll finish of a coupla houses and come round the back in half an hour thirty quid as usual?
Okeydokey.
So I spout off to my new guy that it's good to be flexible and strike while the iron's hot, fill the day etc etc (yawn).
Now this is a lean-to conny on a small terrace which you access through the garage. No sides just roof and front plus two windows at the top.
So I plan to show the new guy how to clean this job in 20 minutes flat because I've done it three times before.
Tell him to rag away the spiders nests and crap on the windows while I use my short ladder to stand on to scrub the top.
I've done the two upper windows by the time he's out the van with his rags and stuff and then I see it - grease and tree sap and piles of moss and a black-grey mix that won't come off!
But I'm committed aren't I? Price given - man of my word etc.
Go and get the tfr - all very slow.
I then say I'll put the TFR on and scrub - you come behind and wash/brush off.
Much moaning and groaning and 2 hours later (That's £7.50 an hour per man!) I've done an acceptable job!
What happened was the downflow to the gutter above was blocked with a huge tump of grass and weeds and over the last six months all the roof muck overflowed onto the conny and down it's drain pipe. Add to that the tree sap and muck from the neighbours trees and it was a right pig of a job.
"What have we learned?" I ask, ruefully.
"Never, ever, give a price before you look at the job!"