[benny donnelly]

Just wondering do many of you clean council estates and of you that dont why dont you?

Since starting I wanted to avoid them as just didnt want the hassle, wanted to aim at higher priced work and with the majority of council tenants on benefits I think getting paid would be a problem in some cases.

On Friday i had 3 houses to clean in a large, rough housing estate, I gained them though other customers which was great, now had no problem with them they paid when i cleaned but was only in the estate 30 mins and 2 little scumbags got in the van and were searching in the glove box and legged it away with an ipod and my phone. Ok i should of locked the van but that is that for me no more of these estates for me.

[roundbuilder]

Yea steer clear. Let the tax dodgers and beer boys do those estates. I got no money. Can you come back next Tuesday when I get my dole money. Can I pay twice next time. Used to do my head in.

[Dean Taberner]

There's 1 near to me that are fantastic payers,

To be fair they're 1st generation tenants who've been living there since they were built and are all mainly older folk.

Dean.

[g.brookes]

i think leaving your van unlocked in most places will lead to this sort of thing.  where the doors open?

[bobby p]

i focus on several big  council estates and love every moment im there.    ive not had any bother even when i used to work alone. we stop for lunch in the Community cafe and   the banter is always 1st class-although miserly food portions are served by huge overweight volunteers who no doubt eat the profits  ,but its good if you want to diet

  salt of the earth people live there  

[dotty]

i find that council estae people are better than some of those upper class snobes been a milkman before windows for 20 years worked in moore gate rotherham big 5 bed houses never in most of my work is on council estates and all good payer some leave it on sill okay there are some bad one but you just dump not every body can have glamour rounds i hope people agree with me i think this is discusting shame on you

[Ronnie Bryce]

Window cleaner's slagging off council estates, feck, I swear you could not make it up. I give up.

[simonr]

so you've had problems on 1 estate & now your saying they're all on benefits & thieve, do vote tory as well
i've had as much problem getting paid by  wanna be hyacinths as i have on council estates though to be honest i've never had many  problems getting paid , mebbe thats a northern thing though  

[richywilts]

its tight to tar them all with same brush but my experience is majority are bad payers with the exception of older generation who are lovely and generally pay cash ive dumped 90% of any council work i picked up and it was that bad i wouldnt feel happy selling it on to someone for fear of repurcussions for selling bad work

[d s windowcleaning]

I live on a council estate but own my house , ive got a big round on the same estate THAT PAYS FOR MY HOUSE , i run a VAN AND CAR from the same estate all pay on the day or double up .
PRIVATE ESTATES a diffrent matter these can be the worse payers .
Stuff from vans can be stolen no matter where you are , not everyone on council estates claims benifits ( JUST OUT OF INTREST BENNY HOW LONG YOU BEEN A WINDOW CLEANER ) ?

[Londoner]

There are two seperate types of people on council estates. The older people are great, salt of the earth. The newer people are rubbish, 4x4s, chavs, Pikeys, drug dealers and Assylum Seekers. The first type are fairly rapidly being replaced by the second type. I've now lost about 75% of my old girls on the estates.

Council estates used to be brilliant, the best window cleaning you could get. Easy access, easy windows, good payers you could have a laugh with. Not any more

[Frankybadboy]

and i tell you that i get more xmas tips of me council estate work than any other place i do

me thinks you got your head up your own as s

[Ian101]

Council estates are not how they used to be when I was a lad and lived on 1 however some are still ok.

The best clue is the front garden ... if its neat and tidy then you should be ok.

If its got partially dismantled cars with a dead dog lying nearby then prob best advoided.

When I bought a round in Chester it came with some houses in an area called Blacon free of charge ... soon found out why.

Still do a few council houses though and theyre nice easy jobs with payment there and then.

I would love to have a round of quality council houses but they are a dying breed ... the old dears leave/die/sheletered accom and replaced with asylum seekers / chavs .... best advoided.

[dazmond]

who leaves their phone and ipod in their van when working round the back of a house anyway?not me thats for sure!

do i clean council estates?no not anymore!!the ones near me i sold on.ive got to say most were good payers but very cheap work,lots of dog crap and generally not that pleasant to work in.

i prefer the leafy suburbs and more affluent areas just for the sheer absence of dog muck,nice cars to admire and even nicer women to ogle!!plus higher prices for work.

its true some of the older people on these estates were very friendly respectful customers but likes been said the chavs spoil it as well as the drug dealers and alcoholics!!

[Ian101]

who leaves their phone and ipod in their van when working round the back of a house anyway?not me thats for sure!

do i clean council estates?no not anymore!!the ones near me i sold on.ive got to say most were good payers but very cheap work,lots of dog crap and generally not that pleasant to work in.

i prefer the leafy suburbs and more affluent areas just for the sheer absence of dog muck,nice cars to admire and even nicer women to ogle!!plus higher prices for work.

its true some of the older people on these estates were very friendly respectful customers but likes been said the chavs spoil it as well as the drug dealers and alcoholics!!

you sold all you compact £6 to £7 ?? 

[Ian101]

 only in the estate 30 mins and 2 little scumbags got in the van and were searching in the glove box and legged it away with an ipod and my phone.

sounds like you had a lucky escape ... the one I lived on they would have had your van as well 

[Paul Coleman]

Just wondering do many of you clean council estates and of you that dont why dont you?

Since starting I wanted to avoid them as just didnt want the hassle, wanted to aim at higher priced work and with the majority of council tenants on benefits I think getting paid would be a problem in some cases.

On Friday i had 3 houses to clean in a large, rough housing estate, I gained them though other customers which was great, now had no problem with them they paid when i cleaned but was only in the estate 30 mins and 2 little scumbags got in the van and were searching in the glove box and legged it away with an ipod and my phone. Ok i should of locked the van but that is that for me no more of these estates for me.

I do very little on council estates these days.  It's not snobbery as I live on a council estate myself in a flat that was bought from the council.
The reason I tend to avoid is that, at one time, it was mostly older people with a good sense of values when it came to paying their bills.  Over the years, council properties have become harder to get and only people at the very lowest end of the income scale get them.  Again, not snobbery, but why work in areas where the prices are tighter if you don't have to.
Another issue locally is that many of these estates (including where I live) have had resident only parking schemes imposed.  So it's much easier to get a ticket.  Also, in a neighbouring town, many restrictions have been imposed due to holidaymakers street parking in order to avoid extortionate parking fees (I'm near Gatwick Airport).
Even in the areas where there is no such restriction, parking is more difficult to find.  It was easier when using ladders as I could walk around with it but with WFP I need to park closer.
Many of these houses around here were built as terraces with no rear access except through the house.
So a number of reasons why it's not good business sense for me to supply the service in such areas.  Snobbery is not one of them.

[H S and Son]

I don't. Because I don't.

[ben M]

I don't. Because I don't.

 

[Dave Willis]

I don't touch 'em. Customers are too ugly.