[Ian Lancaster]

This used to happen to me on rare occasions.  My response was to ask them how long they'd been cleaning windows in the area.  Usual answer was something like 5-10 years.  I told them I'd been cleaning all over the area for 40 years - they were on MY patch

[GB Window Cleaning]

Tell em to f%ck off and mind there own business! These idiots will die off soon anyway, there way of thinking is outdated and oldschool!  

This kind of thing isnt just in window cleaning either. i have a friend who does pc repairs and its the same with that trade too believe it or not! i laughed when i discovered this, thinking about little four eyed geeks threatening each other! lol.

In this life its suvival of the fitest my friends. you do or die, sink or swim. if you let people push you around then you dont stack up and your better off out the gene-pool... darwin's natural selection.

[formb]

Always a plus in Scotland......


I just say 'do you have a licence, pal?'


9 times out of ten, end of conversation.

[Richard iSparkle]

i have heard said that Ionics behave in a similar way to their competitors 

[GB Window Cleaning]

Now get off my forum all of you! this is my cyber patch!!! 

[Squeegee Clean blackpool]

Not had this yet but if it does il just say politly go away if not il grab them and say its my patch now

[Archer]

The unfortunate thing regarding posting flyers or knocking on doors is that window cleaners in general are looked down upon by a lot of people as they either, think we do it as pocket money, beer money, thieves, or don't like that we earn more than them.

Speaking as a window cleaner who has mainly covered areas like manchester, Warrington, Bolton, there always have been loads of window cleaners and in general if I clean a street, but knew another window cleaner was cleaning the next street, I would make sure if anyone asked us to clean the windows on the street we didn't clean, then I would pass it to that window cleaner and would expect him to do the same.

Speaking as someone with over 27 years experience, I have been one to question anyone who constantly knocks or posts on streets where we are as I have been there for years.

However, if another window cleaner cleans any of the houses we clean, then I have no problem at all, as this means either we haven't done a good job, or they just want to penny pinch.

My reasons are that during my experiences, there have been so many thieves or scruffs that are out there pretending to want to earn a living as a window cleaner, but have other motives, giving genuine hard working window cleaners a bad name.

I can only speak as a window cleaner from the north, so it may sound primitive to others from different parts of the country, but I would rather be over protective regarding my work than have some plank trying it on.

I have seen an old lady from sale in manchester, black and blue from a beating she received after opening her door to someone saying he was the window cleaner.

If you are going to the expense of having flyers done, it shows you are determined to be successful, but people must accept some people have opinions regarding safeguarding their work.

Unfortunately some people don't need any excuse to be threatening to others without accepting times have changed, and not for the better.

Just my opinion

[DG Cleaning]

The unfortunate thing regarding posting flyers or knocking on doors is that window cleaners in general are looked down upon by a lot of people as they either, think we do it as pocket money, beer money, thieves, or don't like that we earn more than them.

Speaking as a window cleaner who has mainly covered areas like manchester, Warrington, Bolton, there always have been loads of window cleaners and in general if I clean a street, but knew another window cleaner was cleaning the next street, I would make sure if anyone asked us to clean the windows on the street we didn't clean, then I would pass it to that window cleaner and would expect him to do the same.

Speaking as someone with over 27 years experience, I have been one to question anyone who constantly knocks or posts on streets where we are as I have been there for years.

However, if another window cleaner cleans any of the houses we clean, then I have no problem at all, as this means either we haven't done a good job, or they just want to penny pinch.

My reasons are that during my experiences, there have been so many thieves or scruffs that are out there pretending to want to earn a living as a window cleaner, but have other motives, giving genuine hard working window cleaners a bad name.

I can only speak as a window cleaner from the north, so it may sound primitive to others from different parts of the country, but I would rather be over protective regarding my work than have some plank trying it on.

I have seen an old lady from sale in manchester, black and blue from a beating she received after opening her door to someone saying he was the window cleaner.

If you are going to the expense of having flyers done, it shows you are determined to be successful, but people must accept some people have opinions regarding safeguarding their work.

Unfortunately some people don't need any excuse to be threatening to others without accepting times have changed, and not for the better.

Just my opinion

.I'm from up North too and as a rule window cleaners don't pinch each others work where I live.
If someone asks me to clean their windows I always ask if the have a WC already. If so I say I will do them in future but only if they they decide not to use the other wc.
Regarding each others streets iI'm not 100% who cleans what
 I see the odd windie about some on my streets some nearby but I've no idea the extent of their rounds.
How can I expand without door knocking?

[GB Window Cleaning]

.I'm from up North too and as a rule window cleaners don't pinch each others work where I live.
If someone asks me to clean their windows I always ask if the have a WC already. If so I say I will do them in future but only if they they decide not to use the other wc.
Regarding each others streets iI'm not 100% who cleans what
 I see the odd windie about some on my streets some nearby but I've no idea the extent of their rounds.
How can I expand without door knocking?

This is the way i see life too!   i never knowingly take another windys jobs. its not my way. im on speaking terms with about 10 windys round my way and there all sound. as usual there are a couple of idiots. i lost my temper with one the other day when i said hello. he just looked at me and turned away and carried on. so i said " f%ck off then ya mardy c%nt" he must have heard me too, even though i said it slightly under mt breath. hehe 

[Archer]

Dg cleaning,

Where abouts do you clean

[DG Cleaning]

Dg cleaning,

Where abouts do you clean

Barnsley

[Paul H]

Had this lark the other week in area where I've steadily picked up a few

I said

1. It's anyone's patch ... How old fashioned is that comment to say this is my patch

2. If its yours then educate the people on your patch to call you not me

3. People on your patch have come to me I haven't gone to them

4. I don't canvass and I guarantee I don't undercut

Response I got was ...

Aye fair point there's enough windows out there for everyone !!

[Central Window Cleaners]

I will not  under cut another window clean if someone phones for a quote I give them my price and that is it.

90% of the windows on the estate were filthy, so either no one uses him or he is doing a very poor job.

I have since found out he has been round to one of his customers in the street that he has found out is a friend of mine,

swearing at her and telling her I am steeling his work and that he is going to break my legs.

If that is the case why would he not take my details or come back to me.

Can't wait to bump in to him again when I go back to flyer the rest of the village.

[Archer]

Mrs brown, yes I agree

How much water are you after

[gavinb]

In the 12 months I have been going I have never had this hostility when cleaning .
Whenever im cleaning and see another cleaner I always make a point to stop and talk to to them and I always give them my flyer ive even had jobs passed to me directly through them .

I did however have 1 neandrathal say to me I work all this area so dont bother but to be honest he's a bit of an inbred he wears socks and sandals with shorts in the snow .
He uses a trad pole and does his round on the bus lol . What a pleb !!!!

[Paddy Woods]

Mrs brown, yes I agree

How much water are you after

Got sorted archer cheers mate (had few jobs on & didn't think I had enough but got sorted) ps do u sell water ?

[Johnny B]

I had one young feller (Irish traveller) come up to me one day and tell me he was the local window cleaner. I politely but firmly told him that I have a few customers on the estate and I will be continuing to service them, but that I was not about to take his or anyone else's customers.

This put him on the back foot, as he then said that that's ok with him, shook my hand and walked off.

I've never seen him work, and in fact I clean his mum's windows.

There's another windy I bump into occasionally. We have some customers in the same streets, but neither of us try to take each other's customers, and when we have time, stop and have a good chat. Once during one such chat we were both approached by a dodgy looking guy who wanted his windows cleaned. I gave the other windy first dibs on him. We both turned him down!

John

[C o z y]

ARCHER,

You said "but people must accept some people have opinions regarding safeguarding their work."

How would you safeguard your work?

[gavinb]

ARCHER,

You said "but people must accept some people have opinions regarding safeguarding their work."

How would you safeguard your work?

Have you met his mate stanley

[Ian Lancaster]

I think we have to be realistic on this subject.  There are so many window cleaners now that 'treading on toes' is bound to happen.

I have my own ethical code when canvassing/quoting/following up enquiries:

I never ask whether someone already has a window cleaner - that's their business, if they want to tell me so they will.

If I do know they already have a window cleaner I never ask how much they're being charged.

If I'm canvassing, I knock and ask if the householder would like a quotation (having already delivered leaflets so they know who I am).  If they say no, I thank them and move on.  If they say yes then I give them my quotation, based on my current pricing structure.

They may or may not already have a window cleaner, I may or may not be cheaper - none of that matters.  I have behaved ethically and given them my quotation together with a description of my service and its benefits.  It is now up to the person to decide whether or not to accept that quotation.

This is based entirely on my pricing and my level of service.  There has been no mention of whether or not they already have a cleaner and what he charges.

I would never decline an invitation to quote - I'm in business.  If I win the job and it later transpires that I'm cheaper than the existing cleaner, that's business but I haven't tried in any way to deliberately undercut.  If I'm more expensive then that just tells me the other man is not doing a good job.

Provided you always act ethically, no-one has any reason to complain and if they do I simply point out my operational methods as above.