Maybe they don't think exactly that, but I believe the condition of our equipment is noticed by many. It certainly has been the case with me anyway.
I have had a good number of customers and passers by comment on the state of my tools over the years both before and since switching to Wfp. And you can bet that if there are those that notice and say something, there are also those that notice but don't say anything. I can in all honesty say I have had comments about my ladders, car, cloths, the water in my bucket and in the eight years I've been waterfed, my brushes, pole, trolley and yes even my hose. Most have been good, some in jest, and some downright embarrassing. Like the time I allowed my car to become so covered in mud because I got fed up washing it due to all the mud washing off my ladders during the winter that stuff started growing in it and one of my neighbors felt compelled to joke about it.
So yes, I believe people do notice. And it might not be the advertising we want
Yes the state of your van, wobbly ladders, dirty water, smartly dressed all probably get noticed n some customers might care about that stuff even the colour of your brushes might be noticed but the state of the bristles , if you use Gardiner brushes you'd have to get one every week and i used an extreme that was 2 yr old