[Pole 2 Pole]

So after 20 years of using the pole system
Apparently it was never any good. So now the custy is gonna use some old boy who'll go round trad. Spend 40 minutes on the job where it used to take me 15 with the pole. And charge half the price.
THE house is a poop hole. The insides have never been cleaned since I've been doing the job. But I'm sure he's over the moon about this choice 🙄

[jk999]

I find this sometimes but most of trad Window cleaners i see cleaning never clean frame, frosted glass or doors so i love it when i point out to customers that frames and not all Windows are getting cleaned properly by trad cleaners love the look on their faces when i point it out 😂😂😂

[SB Cleaning]

Trad does do a better job.

[Bungle]

^^^ he’s right.

[Smudger]

Defo  works better 

[NWH]

Trad does do a better job.

Not always again only if you know what you are doing with a squeegee and why on earth would you want to climb ladders these days especially in temperatures  like today when it’s nearly 30 down south today.
Even scaffolders have gone over to the drill.

[dazmond]

since i switched to wfp over 10 years ago ive picked up a lot of jobs BECAUSE i use the pole system...............however ive also lost the odd job to trad guys because they prefer the "old fashioned"way...... ....not enough to worry about though.....

its usually female customers who dress like their gran,wear flat shoes and dont trust online banking....... ....the trad guys ARE WELCOME!!

[Spruce]

So after 20 years of using the pole system
Apparently it was never any good. So now the custy is gonna use some old boy who'll go round trad. Spend 40 minutes on the job where it used to take me 15 with the pole. And charge half the price.
THE house is a poop hole. The insides have never been cleaned since I've been doing the job. But I'm sure he's over the moon about this choice 🙄

They may feel better as they are giving an old boy a job even if its at your expense. Just move on and don't take it personally.

There are still some customers who believe they are getting better value for money when the windows are cleaned traditionally. Lets just hope the old boy doesn't fall off his ladders.

Or maybe the trad cleaner is an excuse and doesn't exist.

We have all lost wfp business when a trad cleaner comes along, especially in the early wfp days. But I'm sure you took more work away from trad cleaners than you lost to them. That's certainly true in my case.

[NWH]

When I switched they used to say it’ll never last you can’t clean windows to a good standard like that,nearly 15 years later it’s more accepted than traditional window cleaning as the norm.
In  not to many years from now  if you turned up with a ladder and bucket for outsides people would be surprised.

[robbo333]

So after 20 years of using the pole system
Apparently it was never any good. So now the custy is gonna use some old boy who'll go round trad. Spend 40 minutes on the job where it used to take me 15 with the pole. And charge half the price.
THE house is a poop hole. The insides have never been cleaned since I've been doing the job. But I'm sure he's over the moon about this choice 🙄

Look on the bright side, at least you're cool with it...and it hasn't bothered you!

[NWH]

Seeing a trad window cleaner these days is like looking at a flock of sheep and seeing a black 1 among em,ie it’s rare don’t ever worry about those boys they can’t clean enough jobs per day to worry anyone they only need 1/3rd of the work you need WFP.

[jk999]

Still makes me laugh when they say are you gonna blade water of or how do you clean the frames lol 😂😂😂😂

[Stoots]

I think wfp does a better job getting into all the nooks and crannys and leaving the glass cleaner longer.

However trad does a more consistent, reliable job you can clean a window and walk away knowing its done right nor hoping it will dry right.

There's a huge market out there for trad work, I get it all the time when advertising on Facebook, loads don't like the pole and will ask for trad. The more cleaners that come in and do a bad job with wfp just tarnish it's reputation more.

There's a big gap in the market place for someone to come in as a traditional outfit and clean up as it were...

[Jonny 87]

I think wfp does a better job getting into all the nooks and crannys and leaving the glass cleaner longer.

However trad does a more consistent, reliable job you can clean a window and walk away knowing its done right nor hoping it will dry right.

There's a huge market out there for trad work, I get it all the time when advertising on Facebook, loads don't like the pole and will ask for trad. The more cleaners that come in and do a bad job with wfp just tarnish it's reputation more.

There's a big gap in the market place for someone to come in as a traditional outfit and clean up as it were...

The problem I tend to see is that people who want a traditional cleaner don’t want to pay the price.

My price would have to be double or triple for a traditional clean (I don’t offer this option, but if I did) and generally the calibre of people that want you to “work” for your money, are also penny pinchers.

They want a bucket Bob for £5 to clean their house.

[markymark]

You'll always get the demanding type that want to see you work needlessly hard on a job, for the meagre rewards they think you are worth. It's usually the ladies of a certain age who haven't done much in the way of work themselves, and refer to us and gardiners etc as "I have a little man who...." Or those that think because a job has been done one way in the past it should always be done that way.
And they can keep their custom, thanks very much. Losing these types is a blessing, you can fill the gap with a better customer.

[Richard iSparkle]

there are loads of advantages to WFP for us and the customers, but people like what they like.

most people just want a reliable window cleaner who doesn't worry them.

each to their own though

its totally fine for customers to choose a service they want.  if they prefer a traditional cleaner they're paying money for it so they can have it. i imagine you yourself dont use the same shops and services for ever, regardless whether you think there is a new place which you just prefer, out of blind loyalty. of course you dont

it's not personal so try not to take it that way.

these people aren't our friends. they are our customers who pay us to do a job

[Soupy]

One thing often overlooked is the fact that overheads for wfp are way higher than the old fashioned way.

[steve rix]

We are trad. We choose to be trad. We employ people. We charge a min of £3.00 per window. We have more work than we can cope with. Our lowest paid employee is on £12.50 ph. We do not criticise wfp.
Live and let live. 

[Stoots]

We are trad. We choose to be trad. We employ people. We charge a min of £3.00 per window. We have more work than we can cope with. Our lowest paid employee is on £12.50 ph. We do not criticise wfp.
Live and let live.

Like i said before, i think its a great idea to build and advertise as a trad only company at present. There is a lot of demand for it, its become a niche market almost with the influx of wfp cleaners and them giving it a bad name by doing a poor job.  Charge more for it, low overheads and i can see why its a winner. The only reason i wont do it is im terrible with heights, a step ladder is about my limit.

[Slacky]

We are trad. We choose to be trad. We employ people. We charge a min of £3.00 per window. We have more work than we can cope with. Our lowest paid employee is on £12.50 ph. We do not criticise wfp.
Live and let live.

What’s the charge for a set of sliding patio doors?

[Richard iSparkle]

We are trad. We choose to be trad. We employ people. We charge a min of £3.00 per window. We have more work than we can cope with. Our lowest paid employee is on £12.50 ph. We do not criticise wfp.
Live and let live.

Like i said before, i think its a great idea to build and advertise as a trad only company at present. There is a lot of demand for it, its become a niche market almost with the influx of wfp cleaners and them giving it a bad name by doing a poor job.  Charge more for it, low overheads and i can see why its a winner. The only reason i wont do it is im terrible with heights, a step ladder is about my limit.

From a pure business sense... yeh it’s a service that people will like so charge appropriately, as it sounds you are

The only reason not to is detailed in the recent post about the poor chap in a coma after falling off his ladder

Your providing a service that risks your long term health. My wife’s a physiotherapist and sees about 1 window a month who’s fallen off their ladder

So it doesn’t make sense to me for £3 a window.

But we’re all free to make our own decisions

[NWH]

Waste of time it’s far harder work using ladders and you earn a fraction than you do WFP,you don’t dictate to a carpenter how he gets a nail in the timber like you don’t tell the window cleaner how to clean the glass the end result should be the same. As for there’s a market for it is ridiculous more like there’s still idiots out and about that can’t use WFP and controlling customers.

[dazmond]

We are trad. We choose to be trad. We employ people. We charge a min of £3.00 per window. We have more work than we can cope with. Our lowest paid employee is on £12.50 ph. We do not criticise wfp.
Live and let live.

There must be loads of windows you cant clean though....skylights,3 storey,windows above conservatories/extensions,etc....