Yes, one day I may end up with a pole system.
But like you say, it's purely through being fed up of climbing, and getting bored of the job - it's a new job in a way.
When hes been issued a fair challenge by Ian Giles to compare trad and wfp he has just made Excuses. The challenge was made because of the constant Criticism of wfp by Squeaks.
Nel.
The reason I can't see the point in these silly "challenges" is because that wouldn't reflect an average job.
He's hardly likely to leave it anything but perfect is he? And nor am I, but we may make mistakes the rest of the time.
Can't even spell your name right. Neil. :
Rg.
Dur...and what would be the point of cleaning an account and not leaving it spotless!!
There are wo points to a possible challenge, the one is to prove that WFP can indeed do a spotless job.
The other is to show that even on a straightforward bungalow with straight forward UPVC windows, WFP is quicker than even a quick trad window cleaner.
Squeaks has mentioned many times how quick he is, and I've never disaggreed with him on that point.
Actually, on a bungalow I would also doubt that he would be much quicker than me, this bungalow I offered up for the first challenge took me over 30 minutes to do trad, and WFP it is 15 minutes, and that is a top quality job, all of the frames washed down, and all of a large conservatory washed down from just below the gutters and down to the ground.
Physically impossible to do it anywhere near the time it can be done with WFP if you tried to do that trad.
And when I did it trad it was just detailed (where and when required) and the sills wiped.
The challenge isn't silly, its about speed AND quality, and not just one or the other.
I know I may appear to pick on squeaky to highlight a point of view, but as he is the most vociferous of the anti-WFP brigade and usually makes the most uninformed comments his are the replies I tend to base a rebuttal on.
Groundhog is closing the gap though
But at least he understands WFP.
Another point in favour of WFP is that once you have the system it means you are in a position to accept work that you would otherweise dread doing trad.
Large georgian accounts, leaded ones and high stuff that most would not have the balls to climb a ladder to get at.
some of my best accounts are these type of accounts, done trad they would take forever and I would detest them.
I did a leaded account (40 large windows in total) most of them facing south in direct sunlight, surrounded by decking, steep garden, windows over conservaory, windows over a roof!
£38 in under 25 minutes, and I had to use a ladder to get to some patio windows over a balcony too.
Now squeaks has said in the past that if I'm charging over a £1.00 an hour I'm blatently overcharging my customers, but that price I'm charging is a more than fair one that a trad window cleaner would struggle to equal let alone better.
done trad I wouldn't have touched it with a bargepole.
The customer couldn't get a window cleaner for love nor money, so he is well happy, usually gives me two £20 notes and waves away the change.
And I'm happy cause I'm making good money.
Without WFP I would not be in that position.
And that is only one example of many that are very similar too.
In one street in our town I picked up a single £15 Account.
Not an account that would be nice Trad, awkward height at the rear of property.
Then I picked up next door.
then several others
It is now worth £112 per month.
9am start and a midday finish.
10 accounts in total.
6 of which would be a real pain done trad and windows would have to be missed.
Because I have the tool to do these jobs I am making good money and all of these are accounts that come up just fine with WFP.
If I were trad I'd have turned some of them down.
If you are like Squeaks and happy to stay 100% trad then great, good for you, you are earning a living and obviously happy with your lot.
Respect to you all.
WFP isn't better than trad, but it can do easily as good a job in the right hands.
Ian