[Dave Willis]

Because it's not particularly highly skilled is it?

Traditionally a cleaner is the bottom rung of our society, lacking in skill, requiring no qualifications, next step up from a bog cleaner. Why should most of the public think otherwise? The skill is trying to extract the most money whilst hiding your hourly rate.

[Lee Pryor]

I really hate some customers small minded perceptions.

We lost one the other day because on this ocasion I sent a 2 man team to them instead of a single cleaner, Obviously they clean a house faster together. Customers cheque turns up with a note thats says, your guys were here less than 10 min cleaning so please cancel all further services!

I will call her later in the week and ask her why she wants to cancel? Windows cleaned as good as always, price the same, whats the problem.

I really think they get to working out what you must earn and feel jelous or something. Makes me sick.

[James Bulton]

I think there is quite a bit of skill in cleaning widow just look at the questions asked on this forum daily.From chaps who battle to get glass clean with much spotting and unable to get the R O to work correctly and how to wire  pump the right way.Or choose the right pole hose.If its was so easy  why can many not get it right. Why do they need a forum to advise them on these matters .No skill. See what I mean  we don`t even  count or own skills  valuable. Bet the customer cannot do all that. Its us that think its easy and that is the  public perception we project.

[Tom-01]

some customers have no idea about costs in your business and think your earning too much and ripping them off.

they never stop to think of

no holiday pay

no sick pay

bad weather days

taxes,insurances,van and equipment expenses etc

only earning when actually window cleaning(5 or 6 hours day "on the glass")

i have had a few comments lately and i think its a mixture of cleaning quicker,charging more for the clean and the impression its easier than climbing a ladder waving a pole about.

im finding wfp is just as hard work as climbing ladders all day but earning more and shorter hours.i think its cos im getting older!even with extreme poles im tired at the end of the day!!

its my neck that seems to be giving me a bit of grief lately!aching after a days poling!


your thoughts guys!

Dazmond, if you're struggling with your neck etc you should try Pilates at least once a week.

It may sound a bit sissy (I certainly thought so at first!) but it works. I had a slipped disc in my back and a dislocated shoulder which I had two operations on. I used to suffer a lot, especially with my shoulder blade as I was using my shoulder differently.

I did Pilates once a week for a year and the change was amazing. I play football twice a week so that didn't help with various injuries but the Pilates makes you a lot stronger and strengthens all your muscles.

I got really busy and moved and stopped going for a while and getting the old problems back so I am starting again from April.

Just give it a go for a couple of months and see if it helps.

Tom

[rosskesava]

Read the post it about customers perceptions. My image is no problem at all its the perceptions of your industry we are talking about not your Mr Ros. Its the image we have of not deserving an increase in our income.Why do you think customers think like this..

Mr Shammy, dunno about your question with a conclusion at the end disguised as a question which to me seems a bit confusing.

I don't know if customers think like that or not for the industry as a whole. I only know most of mine don't or don't seem to.

As for 'deserving' an increase, that maybe is a loaded question which again is a self image thing or at least, it seems so? I charge what I charge and there is no gun held to my customers heads.

I put my prices up every year and my experience is that I'll lose the odd one or two customers but in the main, it makes no difference.

I think that my customers perception of me is based on what I think of myself. Expand to to the whole country, maybe there's a lot of window cleaners who perhaps under value themselves which to me is not the customers fault.

It poses an interesting question none the less, is the customer responsible for how window cleaners see themselves or the window cleaners themselves?

I think it's down to each window cleaner and each customer and there is no common perception of window cleaners in general.

[gary999]

Why don`t those pharmacist and  leave there badly paid jobs, buy a van  and poles etc and  become numpty uneducated window cleaner? Because they could not live with our image. What would there friends say.

Yep maybe a little of that but also most people prefer the illusion of
being in a secure paye job and vast majority either dont have the  confidence
or ability(or dont think they have) to go out and run something for themselves
and are quite happy to plod along in a job without the need to risk anything.

[dazmond]

i must admit most of my customers are absolutely fine.ive had some newer customers(which ive picked up in the last 2 years)that have commented on how professional i am with invoices,different payment methods etc,etc.i think a fair few have been messed around by other window cleaners in the past.

i also have a  good reputation for honesty,reliability and doing a good job.

ive also not had many comments about charging double or triple what their last window cleaner charged when they see i clean frames,sills and doors,awkward windows etc.offer text notification if access issues and they can pay online.

its a common thing(or used to be for me) that when i got a "moaner" or someone who cancelled because of whatever reason(too quick,too expensive,cant afford it etc)it was as if they were speaking for ALL my customers!almost convinced that every other of my customers would moan or cancel!

of course thats my own insecurity and thinking im losing out because 1 or 2 customers dropped me!the truth is all customers are different and nearly all are happy with my service.

you just cant please all customers all of the time no matter how hard you try(unless you drop their price!)so ive stopped trying to and just set my stall out as i see fit depending on the job/customer.

if they dont like it then im polite.wish them well and move on to my next job.

[SeanK]

We take 10 mins to clean a property.
We expect customers to be grateful even when we do a poor quality clean.
We use wfp and actually believe it cleans to perfection every time.
We expect customers to jump through hoops when it comes to locked gates and so on.
We expect customers to put up with having their windows cleaned in all weather conditions.
We show very little flexibility when it comes to the customers needs.( Its my way or no way)
We offer clean guarantees but throw a hissy fit when a customer dares to complain.
We come on here and brag about how quick we are and how much we can earn for doing a low skilled job.
We wonder why the public has such a poor opinion of window cleaners.

[CLEANCARE WC]

I take 10 mins to clean a property.
I expect customers to be grateful even when we do a poor quality clean.
I use wfp and actually believe it cleans to perfection every time.
I expect customers to jump through hoops when it comes to locked gates and so on.
I expect customers to put up with having their windows cleaned in all weather conditions.
I show very little flexibility when it comes to the customers needs.( Its my way or no way)
 offer clean guarantees but throw a hissy fit when a customer dares to complain.
I come on here and brag about how quick we are and how much we can earn for doing a low skilled job.
I wonder why the public has such a poor opinion of window cleaners.

FTFY Speak for yourself

[johnwillan]

We increase our rates in line with inflation, Aworka makes this very easy, i.e. if you round up to the £ but the job is £10.20 it'll keep it at £10 but remember the £10.20 so when it hits £!0.50 it'll change the rate to £11. (hope that makes sense)

[SeanK]

I take 10 mins to clean a property.
I expect customers to be grateful even when we do a poor quality clean.
I use wfp and actually believe it cleans to perfection every time.
I expect customers to jump through hoops when it comes to locked gates and so on.
I expect customers to put up with having their windows cleaned in all weather conditions.
I show very little flexibility when it comes to the customers needs.( Its my way or no way)
 offer clean guarantees but throw a hissy fit when a customer dares to complain.
I come on here and brag about how quick we are and how much we can earn for doing a low skilled job.
I wonder why the public has such a poor opinion of window cleaners.

FTFY Speak for yourself

How dare you, Iv never offered a clean guarantee in my life.

[C o z y]

We take 10 mins to clean a property.
We expect customers to be grateful even when we do a poor quality clean.
We use wfp and actually believe it cleans to perfection every time.
We expect customers to jump through hoops when it comes to locked gates and so on.
We expect customers to put up with having their windows cleaned in all weather conditions.
We show very little flexibility when it comes to the customers needs.( Its my way or no way)
We offer clean guarantees but throw a hissy fit when a customer dares to complain.
We come on here and brag about how quick we are and how much we can earn for doing a low skilled job.
We wonder why the public has such a poor opinion of window cleaners.

Yep, that's how I work 

[CLEANCARE WC]

I take 10 mins to clean a property.
I expect customers to be grateful even when we do a poor quality clean.
I use wfp and actually believe it cleans to perfection every time.
I expect customers to jump through hoops when it comes to locked gates and so on.
I expect customers to put up with having their windows cleaned in all weather conditions.
I show very little flexibility when it comes to the customers needs.( Its my way or no way)
 offer clean guarantees but throw a hissy fit when a customer dares to complain.
I come on here and brag about how quick we are and how much we can earn for doing a low skilled job.
I wonder why the public has such a poor opinion of window cleaners.

FTFY Speak for yourself

How dare you, Iv never offered a clean guarantee in my life.

 

[James Bulton]

Mr Ross I do think there is a general image our industry has inadvertently created. Which does we do not deserve. As I have observed  on this forum most are good fellas. Try to do the best job they can for there customers.  But just knock on a stranger door and say you are a window clean look for more custom and see how they will talk to you with mistrust. I guess I am just not used to thinking I am at the bottom of society, this hole class system is  something I do not understand and don`t really want to.
   What customers need to be encouraged to think is we are businesses and pay tax and all expenses and we don`t just put all we are payed into our pocket and spent on booze and drugs etc.
This is were I agree with Daz invoicing customers and mimic business practices that will change our image in the public eye. We need to tell our customer by our acts we are not a renegade gang of chances
        With advent of WFP and not been able to carry your tools and your shoulder and having  vans with thousands of pound worth of equipment,surly we need to get a return on our investment.I do not want to start a trad verses WfP argument, but WFP chaps have make a very large investment and need to project a image of business that has all the trapping of a business. Customer need to know it will cost more than a ladder and a few bar towel. The future of window cleaning will be more costly for us and for our customers. Its progression.     

[Pro-Poler]

There are a lot of naive window cleaners out there, they spurt they have this many customers or charge that amount, it doesn't bode well to gloat in the current climate, maybe the customer who has had to take a pay cut might decide he can't justify paying for a job that's completed before the cheque is written out. 

[Pro-Poler]

We take 10 mins to clean a property.
We expect customers to be grateful even when we do a poor quality clean.
We use wfp and actually believe it cleans to perfection every time.
We expect customers to jump through hoops when it comes to locked gates and so on.
We expect customers to put up with having their windows cleaned in all weather conditions.
We show very little flexibility when it comes to the customers needs.( Its my way or no way)
We offer clean guarantees but throw a hissy fit when a customer dares to complain.
We come on here and brag about how quick we are and how much we can earn for doing a low skilled job.
We wonder why the public has such a poor opinion of window cleaners.

[Window Lickers]

Testosterone is the issue I'd say.

Calm yourselves down, its only a difference of opinion, and intelligence, but we'll ignore that bit 

[davids3511]

We take 10 mins to clean a property.
We expect customers to be grateful even when we do a poor quality clean.
We use wfp and actually believe it cleans to perfection every time.
We expect customers to jump through hoops when it comes to locked gates and so on.
We expect customers to put up with having their windows cleaned in all weather conditions.
We show very little flexibility when it comes to the customers needs.( Its my way or no way)
We offer clean guarantees but throw a hissy fit when a customer dares to complain.
We come on here and brag about how quick we are and how much we can earn for doing a low skilled job.
We wonder why the public has such a poor opinion of window cleaners.

Yeah, you need to sort your working practises out there mate, most properties should only take 5.

[Don Kee]

We take 10 mins to clean a property.
We expect customers to be grateful even when we do a poor quality clean.
We use wfp and actually believe it cleans to perfection every time.
We expect customers to jump through hoops when it comes to locked gates and so on.
We expect customers to put up with having their windows cleaned in all weather conditions.
We show very little flexibility when it comes to the customers needs.( Its my way or no way)
We offer clean guarantees but throw a hissy fit when a customer dares to complain.
We come on here and brag about how quick we are and how much we can earn for doing a low skilled job.
We wonder why the public has such a poor opinion of window cleaners.

Just ask them to walk through the gates, no need for hoops....

[Ian101]

We take 10 mins to clean a property.
We expect customers to be grateful even when we do a poor quality clean.
We use wfp and actually believe it cleans to perfection every time.
We expect customers to jump through hoops when it comes to locked gates and so on.
We expect customers to put up with having their windows cleaned in all weather conditions.
We show very little flexibility when it comes to the customers needs.( Its my way or no way)
We offer clean guarantees but throw a hissy fit when a customer dares to complain.
We come on here and brag about how quick we are and how much we can earn for doing a low skilled job.
We wonder why the public has such a poor opinion of window cleaners.

Think im gonna use some of these for my terms and conditions .... apart from the guarantee bit