[AuRavelling79]

This isn't a get at trad cleaners; it's a plea for someone to explain why you would continue to clean trad.

We were cleaning in an area of Bristol which is made up of nice 30's semis and detached houses and in this particular road, within 400 yards I have 15 custies adding up to £296. I do this in 5 van moves and clean between 2 and 4 custies per van move.

Anyway we finish lunch and pull up where I do 4 houses in one hit. As we pull up we notice two guys working out of a Ford Focus trad and they have started on a large semi with extension with two circular bays.

We (2 of us) cleaned at a steady pace the following:-

One 30's semi.
One 60's detached with conny.
One 30's 5 bed detached
One 30's 4 bed semi with conny.

We didn't rush, we cleaned the frames and cills, collected, put slips through and even had time to drink proffered tea and a piece of shortbread each.

As we moved off the two trad boys finished their big 30's semi which had about the same windows as our 5 bed detached and then they drove off.

In the same time we have done three or four times as much work.

I just can't fathom the mentality. Please don't look at this as smugness or haughtiness; they were working off that shiny pressed concrete at the front and I just felt sorry for them ... putting themselves in danger for what? Keeping the craft alive?



 

[PurefectWindowCleaning]

Some just dont have the money, the know how, the enthusiasm, the determination.


I've offered to build a system for a mate of mine who is still trad. He's not intrested, and just happy plodding on up and down a ladder.

[landy2]

i understand what you are saying i was out doing some town houses on monday and it was windy out comes these lads with ladders and do some town houses but they do have wfp it just the customers want it done trad way , dont get me wrong i do some trad way but i draw a line at 3 storey not worth putting life at risk .

[PoleKing]

Beer money?

To top up their benefits money?

Sometimes poor people feel smug that 'money isn't everything'

Loads of answers in their heads-in reality, whatever the reason it can't make sense but 'in their heads' it might.

Don't worry about it-just enjoy your $.
I stopped feeling sorry for people a long time ago.

[Ste M]

the way i look at it is that you also have the running costs, to set up trad then you can do this for £200 max, to set up wfp its min of 1k and thats before you look at going van mount, its then the ongoing costs, they may just be trad until a proper job comes along haha, in all honesty though this may be part of it, you go trad and then get a steady job in a factory, what has it cost you? £200 and youve probably made that back, whereas if you set up wfp you then have to justify the original outlay

[Knocker]

Some window cleaners are as thick as s..t, you will never convince them in a million years.

[luther1]

The biggest window cleaner where I live is trad only and has several rounds and I promise you he earns more than everybody whose commented on this thread put together. To say trad cleaners are thick is only said by those who are thick

[home6442]

I wonder how many of you smug wfp window cleaners would make a living if
you had any competition.
Most of you wouldn't know a clean window if it hit you on the head.
A professional trad cleaner can guarantee quality.
Doesn't matter how good you are at wfp cleaning, you cant.
Sick of new wfp cleaners putting down guys who have forgot more about
cleaning windows than they will ever know.

[PurefectWindowCleaning]

I'd like to take this oppertunity to say I was trad for 9 years before turning WFP 

(only wfp tops mind, still trad bottoms)

[PoleKing]

Not to start a trad vs WFP row. Again.
But what is there to know (or forget?!) about window cleaning.
Trad-soap up the glass and squeegee it off.
WFP-scrub the glass with pure water, rinse.

Job done.
Neither is difficult.

[Johnny B]

Yup, I am happy to plod on the old school way.

Whatever business/job you are in, it's all just a means to an end, and I don't see why I should have to make more money to pay for the extra costs necessary to run a wfp system, when I can make enough by tradding.

It's of course no surprise to read the 'put downs' but then again, it's not fashionable to respect the opinions or understand the circumstances of those with whom we disagree, and it helps to disguise personal insecurities at the same time.

I may just be convinced if you believe it is safe, or even possible to fit a 500 litre tank into my Fiesta van along with all the associated paraphernalia!  

John

  

[luther1]

The thing is with this forum is that there are the obvious few who work hard,earn decent money and don't talk about it. Then there's the lot who sound off but either live with their mum or in a dump somewhere who have a wife who works full time to subsidise the money they think they earn and moan at the first sign of rain. It doesn't matter if your trad or wfp or what you earn,leave that to those with big egos and be happy with you have. I don't see many on here in a 4 bed detached with a wife that doesn't work and a decent car.

[SunShineCleaning]

Trad for 15 years and wfp for 7 years.

To answer the question I think it's because some just don't like change.

[luther1]

Trad for 15 years and wfp for 7 years.

To answer the question I think it's because some just don't like change.

Nail on head

[SunShineCleaning]

Yup, I am happy to plod on the old school way.

Whatever business/job you are in, it's all just a means to an end, and I don't see why I should have to make more money to pay for the extra costs necessary to run a wfp system, when I can make enough by tradding.

It's of course no surprise to read the 'put downs' but then again, it's not fashionable to respect the opinions or understand the circumstances of those with whom we disagree, and it helps to disguise personal insecurities at the same time.

I may just be convinced if you believe it is safe, or even possible to fit a 500 litre tank into my Fiesta van along with all the associated paraphernalia!  

John

  

Question is do you think working at heights is safe.

A friend of mine went to visit a chap in one of the Sheffield hospitals who was a trad cleaner. He is now paralyzed from the neck down and 'lives ' at the hospital on breathing equipment. 

I changed as I figured life is precious.

[Richard iSparkle]

Trad for 15 years and wfp for 7 years.

To answer the question I think it's because some just don't like change.

Nail on head

if people are entrepreneurial the only option is really WFP due to so many benefits (not least speed, safety, earning potential)

if people have set themselves up and are earning all the money they need, and have a job they are happy doing why would they change over?

they might have started motivated to grow a business, but got into a comfort zone and stay there.  

there's also nothing wrong with being in your comfort zone, so long as you are content with where you are

[Knocker]

When I started in 1979 Trad was the only option I worked on the tools for many years but compaired to WFP it's a no brainer.

[David Kent @ KentKleen]

I wonder how many of you smug wfp window cleaners would make a living if
you had any competition.
Most of you wouldn't know a clean window if it hit you on the head.
A professional trad cleaner can guarantee quality.
Doesn't matter how good you are at wfp cleaning, you cant.
Sick of new wfp cleaners putting down guys who have forgot more about
cleaning windows than they will ever know.



Not getting involved in this argument BUT, I guarantee all our wfp work. Perfect results every time. NEVER had a call back yet. 3 years wfp.

[DG Cleaning]

Gold, There's something wrong here I would expect the house you describe to take around 20 mins for 2 trad cleaners.
How long did it take you to do your 4 plus tea, I'm guessing longer than that?
Wfp is quicker but not by that much, these 2 must have been very slow 

[Ste M]

Trad for 15 years and wfp for 7 years.

To answer the question I think it's because some just don't like change.

Nail on head

if people are entrepreneurial the only option is really WFP due to so many benefits (not least speed, safety, earning potential)

if people have set themselves up and are earning all the money they need, and have a job they are happy doing why would they change over?

they might have started motivated to grow a business, but got into a comfort zone and stay there.  

there's also nothing wrong with being in your comfort zone, so long as you are content with where you are

surely if your entrepreneurial then you'd be trying to invent something new or change window cleaning totally from what it is now, being an entrepreneur is not someone who just runs a business the same as everyone else? or maybe im wrong and im actually now classed as an entrepreneur wahay, move over Dicky Branson