I fail to see how people think that having a wfp set up is 'more professional'. In fact if anything it could be seen as less so. Any fool can spray water with a brush on to a window and a lot of fools are. The amount of people who take 3+ cleans to get a good result is a joke, how is that being more professional?
The amount of window cleaners who spend thousands on a system then pass the cost over to their domestic customers is shocking. It'll basically amount to them cutting their own throats as the market becomes more and more saturated and prices start to drop dramatically.
Can you think of any industry where the job becomes easier and quicker to do (using WFP) and yet the charge to do the work goes up!? Common economic sense says this is not sustainable, and WFP prices will in effect go down compared to traditional.
Although you make some good points, I feel the need to say a few things about them. The bit about looking more professional is subjective. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder etc. Also, there's a bit more to it then spraying water with a brush. If it were just about that, everyone would get the first cleans right first time. I have struggled with some first cleans and been fine with others. As I've gained experience with WFP, my first cleans have become much better - often as good as a maintenance clean - though admittedly, some types of windows/frames take a bit longer to get perfect. As for passing on the costs to the customer, I feel that there is a shared responsibility with this one. So far, I haven't put up my prices to existing customers because usually, I can get through more work to compensate for the costs of setting up WFP (though until now, I've chosen to have more time off instead). However, I have been pricing new work rather higher. This is as much to do with the realisation that I've not been charging enough over the years - whether trad or WFP.
What I am now realising is that although I can do more work via WFP than I could with trad, I do need to earn a bit more. This isn't just due to van/equipment costs but it's also due to the way my life has gone in recent years.
Another point I would like to make is that most businesses come under the microscope of changing govt regulations from time to time. Window cleaning has always escaped this (assuming no employees).
Changed regulations often result in higher outgoings for businesses whether it be an increase in NI contributions, more stringent safety measures, higher requirement for paperwork, increased vehicle running costs due to fuel taxes, restrictions in driving hours, - the list could go on.
It is debatable as to whether using a ladder is legal as a tool of first resort. Some people feel (rightly or wrongly) that they have been pushed into WFP because of govt safety regulations. Any cost that a business incurs due to more stringent regulations is reasonable to pass on to the customers. The effect is lessened with WFP because it's possible to recoup some (perhaps even all) of that cost by getting through more work) but for many, price increases are necessary.
I'm tending to deal with it more by releasing my poorer paying work and only taking on better paying work. This is not greed. It's a matter of survival. I've had too many difficulties by not looking after my own interests well enough. The worm has now turned.