[SunShineCleaning]

do you ever get that feeling . this topic goes round and round and round and round and then some .... lots of dangerous things around ... mountain climbing for one and people do that for fun . if a tradder wants to trad and its a risk surely its down to their choice.. i always thought we lived in a free country ... booo to the health and safety brigade .its a boring arguement ... so many dangerous things in life .life is full of dangers  ,,i think tradders  get more chance of being mugged for their daily loot than falling from ladders .. should there be a ban on collecting cash...

The difference is that window cleaning is a job of work. It's what we do so that we can afford to do fun stuff like climb mountains.

[C o z y]

So could 500 kilo's of water when it hits the back of your seat when you smack your van into the car in front. 23 years on ladders and slipped in my first year once. Bruised and smarter about being careful with ladders was the result.

As I said earlier, convince your custies, not other windies. Custies want clean windows, how you do it is upto you. It's a good thing that your custies have a choice, isn't it?  They chose you, be happy about that and leave everyone else to choose how they work.

While I don't disagree with you I would be interested to know what the likelihood of this happening is.

I can name 6 people who have either died or have been seriously injured in the last 18 months due to falling off ladders yet I don't know of anyone who has had a serious injury or indeed any injury because they travel with water in their van.

Yes it's your choice, but this is a public forum, if I wish to chip in and inform I will. 

You need to inform tradders that WFP exists?  Or that you can't fall off WFP?  Just convince your custies mate. That's all you need to do.

[steve rix]

should there be a ban on collecting cash...
[/quote]

DONT go giving HMRC any stupid ideas like this

[SB Cleaning]

The pole thingy is useless in useless peoples hands .

Their wont always be trad cleaners as eventually they will retire and WFP will take over as it is in my work area over 5 yrs ago i was the only windy to use wfp ,  Now 4 lads have converted to wfp

In the right hands wfp does a far better job frames are cleaned to a spotless finish and doors are washed down i would love to see a trad cleaner do a better job than me  . Mike

Well said

[Johnny B]

The pole thingy is useless in useless peoples hands .

Their wont always be trad cleaners as eventually they will retire and WFP will take over as it is in my work area over 5 yrs ago i was the only windy to use wfp ,  Now 4 lads have converted to wfp

In the right hands wfp does a far better job frames are cleaned to a spotless finish and doors are washed down i would love to see a trad cleaner do a better job than me  . Mike

.

I did an inside and out clean today (trad). They came up immaculate. Please convince me that wfp would have yielded better results on the insides. 

John.

[AuRavelling79]

So the reasons that go toward a window cleaner remaining or starting trad. is believing that ...

1. As many people carrying a large amount of water in their vehicle are maimed or killed as those falling using ladders.

2. As many people collecting cash are as likely to be maimed or killed as those falling using ladders.

3. A tradder will do a better job than a wfp'er because the method is more important than the operator.

4. The customer can tell you the method you will use to clean their windows.  

5. That trad will gain you more customers than wfp, even when balanced against the time taken to clean frames and doors and missing out impossible to reach windows.

6. It doesn't matter if you earn less because the running costs of wfp outweigh the gains made.

Hmmmmmm ... ok ... any other reasons?

[Klean07]

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)

I'll never understand why people still do this!

[DG Cleaning]

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)

Perhaps if you work out of a car and need to save water?

I'll never understand why people still do this!

[C o z y]

So the reasons that go toward a window cleaner remaining or starting trad. is believing that ...

1. As many people carrying a large amount of water in their vehicle are maimed or killed as those falling using ladders.

2. As many people collecting cash are as likely to be maimed or killed as those falling using ladders.

3. A tradder will do a better job than a wfp'er because the method is more important than the operator.

4. The customer can tell you the method you will use to clean their windows.  

5. That trad will gain you more customers than wfp, even when balanced against the time taken to clean frames and doors and missing out impossible to reach windows.

6. It doesn't matter if you earn less because the running costs of wfp outweigh the gains made.

Hmmmmmm ... ok ... any other reasons?

Malc, are you really interested about why tradders do it trad, or just looking to be a new Barry Mallet? I reckon that in about 10 years time, when nearly all windies are WFP, any tradder will be able to cherry pick the best work where custies want trad and at a top price.

I'll be changed over to carpet and upholstery cleaning by then thank God.

[MATT BATEMAN (OWC)]

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)

Perhaps if you work out of a car and need to save water?

I'll never understand why people still do this!

There is still no logic behind that argument mate. Sorry.

 

[AuRavelling79]

>Crispy/Cozy

Yes I am really interested - and the reasons I reflected in my last post are the ones given by tradders in this thread.

None of them make sense to me although I can understand the emotion behind them.

Distilling it all down, the only one I can see that makes sense and not mentioned by anyone thus far is the part time guy (as in a couple of half days a week) who gets out from his wife's feet and does it as a bit of exercise, top up my pension sort of thing.

Bit like my Uncle who retired at 65 from his job managing a traditional hardware shop and did part time gardening/handyman stuff for his old biddy custies to top up his pension and pay his way to Australia to see the grandchildren every two years. Or my Granddad who retired as a copper and did a bit of p/t window cleaning in the 1950's.

But in this day and age a pension top up, semi-retired windie could easily have a small wfp/trolley set up in his car; but I can understand him thinking "why bother, I'm winding down anyway ..."

[T_W_CONTRACTS]

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

 

There is your answer.

[C o z y]

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

 

There is your answer.

Yes, there's your answer. A snob among window cleaners!! Who'd have thought that someone in this game could actually be a snob because they use a different method! Whatever method we use, we're window cleaners, and as such, most of the public think you landed in this game because you're thick or just between jail visits.
Some are really thick though.

Gold, I see your point. Others won't be able to though. Some think that method is somehow related to intelligence. Says it all really.

[Knocker]

Hi Crispy

I am not a snob, I am someone that has worked in the window cleaning industry since 1979 and I suspect I know more window cleaners than any one that uses this forum, and belive me some of them (20% ish) are so stupid it defies belief.

[cat9921]

OK I feel I need to clean up a few things here 

I have been trad for 8 years and now WFP for 8 years as well so I know both methods and can compare

First thing is this about WFP not on par with trad is nonsene WFP is as good as Trad .

second this thing about WFP is better trad is not true trad does an excellant job as well

If you are trad and have picked up work from WFP that is no differance to a WFP picking up bad trad work....


OK now that is out of the way back to the question  ( Why do they continue trad? )

loads of reasons cost ? not knowing WFP well enough customers not liking WFP and just sticking with trad


I hated wfp at first but after getting into it I love and would not go back. what ever you decide to do ( trad cleans ) its up to you but if you lot are happy than thats fine with me 

I know wfp cleaners keep on about health and safty but fellow window cleaners have your best intrest in heart and customers don't, so give them a little lean way when they go on and on


all the best Adders 

[AuRavelling79]

Bump.

[SunShineCleaning]

Bump.

Is that the noise of someone falling off their ladder?

[DG Cleaning]

Bump.

Is that the noise of someone falling off their ladder?

No, over your mat!

[rolo123]

But why should you fall from a ladder if used the right way,someone footing the ladder,replace rubber feet when they should be done,not over reaching.

[DG Cleaning]

How many people have someone handy to foot the ladder?