[Smurf]

Once bitten, twice shy and all that. lol

[Tosh]

Im sayin’ nuffink. 

[Splash & dash]

I've spoken to 2 local guys who were subbys for him both of them have stoped doing work for him due to a number of issues that I wouldn't want to put on a public forum , I suspect there is another company based about 8 miles away from me that is doing work for steve but  knowing the individual concerned I don't think it will last long . I don't Evan bother quoting for theses jobs now as it's a waist of time they just use you to get a selection of prices , I've told several company's to contact steve as Ime not prepared to work for the prices he quotes and am not prepared to waist my time on site visits knowing that I will be considerably dearer , we do a lot of domestic panels and smaller commercial jobs on farms, with just a few hundred panels as we can make these pay and most are add on jobs for existing customers who would rather deal with a local company that they know , like most big firms you are expected to jump through a lot of hoops for these large solar farms and it's just not worth it as far as Ime concerned , I much prefer the hotels , care homes , and blocks of flats that we already do we have a number of retirement apartment blocks that we do for a very well known company and are doing more work for them year on year they like the personal touch from a small company they have had national contractors doing there work and had no end of problems so gave decided to use us instead  , this has worked very well for both parties we now do work 200 miles away from base for them and have been asked to price work in oxford and Chelsea, weather we will get it is another matter but time will tell

[Bungle]

We used to do a lot but a certain person who used to come on hear does have a lot of contacts and gets a lot of work he only pays 18 pence a panel so it's not financial viable, also its mind numbing to do several weeks on one large site , on some of the ones we did access was difficult with a van as the roads were very rutted , generally we only do smaller jobs now and domestic as I didn't feel it was worth the hassle on some roof mounts on farms they can be really filthy and take a lot longer to clean , I don't think it will be to long before all these big sites are cleaned using tractors with cleaning machines mounted on them we have dozens of large solar farms where I am and I've started seeing them used more instead of poling them by hand , best way to do it as far as Ime concerned , personally I would suggest forget this type of work and build up a decent window round , regular cleans , easy work , good money solar panel cleaning as it's done now is a dying business, although ss wouldn't agree as he's trying to sell it as a franchise and make a quick buck with it

I agree with all of that apart from the last 6 words.

Morning Solar Steve.  How come  you've not got a mechanized fleet of solar panel farm washers by now?
Sod trying to clean that lot by hand lol https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=keDPGrbRx90

one of our sites used company similar to this to clean there panels the same day they the last phase was to be paid for (nomally there paid for in three stages ) a top guy from  (the maker of the solar panels ) took loads of pictures of them cleaning  then voild the warranty on all the panels in the fields all 85,000 of them

it was stated in the small print they had to be hand cleaned , hence we got there work

Did it take you long to clean 85,000 panels Susan?

it took just over 2 weeks working everyday  dave , the guys got there vans stuck to the axles in mud three times , some days they were only doing 600-700 aday due to the bird dropping all over them

 we hand three of our vans and my sons two vans on the job along with the ranger to pull the vans off site if needed it was a massive learning curve the first one , put us behind in our window cleaning work as well , taking jobs like this on is ok but throw a van getting stuck for aday in the mud and your losing money fast

some of the pot holes that were on the site were knee deep ! fill them up with water and there look small , loads of lads leant this  the first day they started when they stepped in them 

when I rang the insureance up (vans) they want a ex 200 pounds per van a year to go on site as they said its high risk , as if a van had a fire on site the they would be liable for all the cost even the lost energy ! which this site was running 14k aday profit after all the cost were took out (head man told us at dinner time )

Looks like a pikey meet to me 
 

[Matt.]

If u taking big jobs on like this it has to pay more than the run of the mill work. U risk running ur regular work late and upsetting the applecart
I like to take big jobs as I enjoy them better

[Bungle]

Oh do please delete your account again you boring twonk

[Dave Willis]

Is this the ballcock thread 

[8weekly]

Oh do please delete your account again you boring twonk

+1

[Smurf]

As Susan has said difficult access on a lot of these sites , damage to vehicles , poor pay , getting behind on your regular work that pays well why do people do it ?? Shear madness , we earn more in a morning doing easy windows than in a day and a half cleaning panels and it's easier work I still maintain you cannot make reasonable money on it , maybe for someone just starting out with no work but it's no good for an established business, these big sites can take weeks to clean , who can afford to be away from regular good paying jobs to do this as a one off job or Evan an annual job plus it's so mind numbing to be doing large sites we had 4 vans on some big jobs with 12  people working 8 + hours a day sole destroying work , never again will we be doing it , I do however understand that some are happy to do this type of work but think that most sole traders/self employed people would rather put there time into canvassing regular window cleaning jobs  , where they benefit fully from there hard work rather than earning low money sub contracting , steve is a nice bloke and I admire his enthusiasm for the job , he is also very knowledgeable about the subject but you are never going to earn what you could by working for a company like this as they take a large cut of the money , that's not a dig at you either steve as you are In it to make money it's just a fact of life . There are Evan more solar farms being installed around where I live I hope you are successful with getting the contracts but it's going to involve a lot of traveling for someone to come down hear to do the work as most of the window cleaners down hear feel the same way I do about it , those that have done it soon give up that has to tell you something .

Pretty interesting stuff this. I can mentally narrow you down to one of two or three people. Not many people at all have had 4 vans on one of my jobs, so I think I know who you may be. I don't know why you haven't voiced this to me personally if you think I'm a nice guy. I always try to hear people's concerns and find a mutually acceptable way forward. I virtually always succeed in doing so as well.

One of whom earned £60k+ from us last year and snatched defeat from the jaws of victory with solar farms. The other had the men and vehicles, but decided to against against my advice on how to tackle these jobs and decided he knew better.

When you say that we take a large cut of the money, how on earth do you know what we make??? Truth is, no one knows what we make except me and ONE other person who works for me. So you have absolutely no idea what we make. 

Make no bones about it, these jobs are logistically challenging. We do not make them out to be easy to do. But we have cleaned more solar farms than anyone else in the country. We KNOW how to do them and AC's who listen to advice given on the training and stick to that, they make money. To the degree that some ask if we have any coming up in their area as they think they are good money. These are not one-man bands either, because as lots are pointing out, they are massive jobs, too big for one man to do on his own.

I also make it plain though that if you disregard what we advise, these jobs will come back and bite you on the bum. They are huge undertakings, beyond the capability of many. That surprises me really, because 'there's no difference between solar panel cleaning and window cleaning'.....apparently. So why can't you big window cleaning firms do what we do? Because it is a completely different industry and methodology, as I have tried to say on here from the beginning.

The soft side of me feels sorry for those who have tried these solar farms and failed. But I know you disregarded our advice and thought you knew better. The hard side of me says that the less window cleaners out there panel cleaning, means more for me.

I've been doing this for years now and I have noticed a lot which I have kept to myself. Here is something I have noticed: Those that do well at this are those who are willing to accept they don't know it all and will listen to advice. Those that think they know it all, will often fail on a solar farm. This is a reality that you are all now reading about........

Hmmmm...So you are basically saying to peeps that don't want to work for you anymore it's their fault not yours. lol

[֍Winp®oClean֍]

Clearly, it's working for some people. We are all different and in different circumstances- what will work for one may well not work for another. Also be mindful that money isn't the main motivator for a lot of people- beyond earning a certain level of income. The money to be earned from some of these solar farms may not outweigh the issues/challenges involved to someone who already earns good money on their own well priced and regular work. Someone with 4/5 vans and some spare capacity may see it as an opportunity to fill some time and pay wages.
 I don't see the point of hounding SS just because you may not understand his business model. Stick to your own guns and just get on with it. I have turned many of what other people might see as "lucrative" jobs down= even passed them to other cleaners because for me personally, I have no desire to work any harder or longer hours than I do currently for any additional financial return that may come from doing so. The time and effort outweigh the financial return for me- the money isn't my motivation.

[Smurf]

Whom may I add is hounding anyone as I would like to think people can share their experience god or bad openly without the fear of retribution.

[֍Winp®oClean֍]

Whom may I add is hounding anyone as I would like to think people can share their experience god or bad openly without the fear of retribution.

You may "add" anything you like Smurf if you wish to extend this thread to 20 pages of repetitive tittle tattle by Green eyed monsters!!

[Smurf]

Whom may I add is hounding anyone as I would like to think people can share their experience god or bad openly without the fear of retribution.

You may "add" anything you like Smurf if you wish to extend this thread to 20 pages of repetitive tittle tattle by Green eyed monsters!!

How can you say that when people have actually worked as a subcontractor for ss that have just given their honest opinions.
I'm sure people can decide for themselves if they want to go down the subcontracting route or not.

[֍Winp®oClean֍]

Whom may I add is hounding anyone as I would like to think people can share their experience god or bad openly without the fear of retribution.

You may "add" anything you like Smurf if you wish to extend this thread to 20 pages of repetitive tittle tattle by Green eyed monsters!!

How can you say that when people have actually worked as a subcontractor for ss that have just given their honest opinions.
I'm sure people can decide for themselves if they want to go down the subcontracting route or not.

Totally agree- like, that's what I just said. Did you not absorb my post?

[Smurf]

Whom may I add is hounding anyone as I would like to think people can share their experience god or bad openly without the fear of retribution.

You may "add" anything you like Smurf if you wish to extend this thread to 20 pages of repetitive tittle tattle by Green eyed monsters!!

How can you say that when people have actually worked as a subcontractor for ss that have just given their honest opinions.
I'm sure people can decide for themselves if they want to go down the subcontracting route or not.

Totally agree- like, that's what I just said. Did you not absorb my post?

You lost me on "repetitive tittle tattle by Green eyed monsters!! bit. lol

[Tosh]

You lost me on "repetitive tittle tattle by Green eyed monsters!! bit. lol

Thats coming from the blue-skinned gnome-like freak.

[8weekly]

Whom may I add is hounding anyone as I would like to think people can share their experience god or bad openly without the fear of retribution.

You may "add" anything you like Smurf if you wish to extend this thread to 20 pages of repetitive tittle tattle by Green eyed monsters!!

Pot calling the kettle black Chummy.  But you always had a soft spot for the most blatant fantasist on here.

[֍Winp®oClean֍]

Whom may I add is hounding anyone as I would like to think people can share their experience god or bad openly without the fear of retribution.

You may "add" anything you like Smurf if you wish to extend this thread to 20 pages of repetitive tittle tattle by Green eyed monsters!!

Pot calling the kettle black Chummy.  But you always had a soft spot for the most blatant fantasist on here.

1. I am not your chum
2. SS clearly has what you have not in business (among other) terms.

[8weekly]

Whom may I add is hounding anyone as I would like to think people can share their experience god or bad openly without the fear of retribution.

You may "add" anything you like Smurf if you wish to extend this thread to 20 pages of repetitive tittle tattle by Green eyed monsters!!

Pot calling the kettle black Chummy.  But you always had a soft spot for the most blatant fantasist on here.

1. I am not your chum
2. SS clearly has what you have not in business (among other) terms.

You certainly aren't my chum. You are Chumbucket though. What SS has is a Walter Mitty complex. You are right. I do not have that.

[֍Winp®oClean֍]

You get my post now Smurf?