[macleod]

oh thanks tosh!! 

i feel a whole lot better!! 

[Extremeclean]

You should leave it until they get rid of him, not take his work and source of income.
He probably has family too.

If you take his work, he's hopefully going to slash your tyres and snap your pole.

I'd hate to think what I'd do if some wfp user tried to take my work.
Put it this way, he still wouldn't be able to work...

And they wonder why window cleaners have such a bad reputation  :

Its inevitable that this guy will lose the work anyway. You can do business with honour and morals and I would only quote for the work if asked to in view of the situation. If I got it I would probably try to offer the guy a job but only if he would work my way and his standards were what I expect.

And never I repeat never put all your eggs in one basket.

Rich.

[macleod]

i know my rates but not his.

i guess he would be ideal for internal stuff but... do i want the extra agro?

[Sir Squeaky]

not worried about a ladder boy getting upset...

Not a wise attitude poleboy.
You're outnumbered by 10 to1.

But then all that work they get off you...I suppose it's only fair they give you something back.

[macc]

lol Squeaky.

Macc

[WavieDavie]

Do you know if the complex have mentioned to him that they're unhappy?

If they have, and he hasn't pulled up the standard of his work or changed his work practices, he deserves to lose the job. I don't really think he's dropped every other job he had to concentrate on one biggy.

If they haven't, and you're on good (ish) terms with them, could you let them know how you feel, and ask them to mention to him know what he needs to do to keep it when it's "put out to tender" rather than just cutting him off dead.

Should I join the Samaritans instead?

[DaveWilkinson]

I thought you had been asked to quote for this job, if so quote it.

Maybe have a word with the guy, you may find out a number of things like he's sick of the job ( hence bad quality )

Find out if he knows his work is up for grabs, he may be unaware and at least he has a bit of warning now.

You never know he might be retiring and looking forward to someone taking over.

If your still stressing over it quote it high, and let the gods decide.

[billozz]

i think he is going to lose the work anyway by the sounds of it so if you dont take it you'll find someone else is doing it in a cple of months

[rosskesava]

I might be alone on this but why had the old bloke relied on just 1 job?

All window cleaners know that work comes and work goes, especially commercial work. That's why I'm alway on the lookout for more work all the time. If he's got just that one just then maybe he has ignore his own history because at some point, he must have had more jobs. Surely?

Personally, it's the rule of the wild. I'd give a quote. It's upto the company and I'm sorry to say it, the person doing the job has his part in the companies reasons for asking in the first place.

[AuRavelling79]

Up until about six years ago an old boy (mid eighties age wise, so old to still be working) did shops and a few accounts round and about. Frankly, he was past it, his work was smeary but some folk kept him on to be kind.

He was known as a workaholic, low-priced window cleaner and looked as if he didn't have tuppence to his name. He drove a 1983 Astra estate "A" reg. (bit of a shed like my car )

Sadly he fell off his ladder, cracked his skull, had two weeks in intensive care and died.

In the local rag it was reported that his estate amounted to over £300,000! (If he owned the house he lived in would have been worth about £80,000 at the time.)

Did he need the money more than a middle-aged window cleaner with a family and a mortgage?

[Spruce]

Hi
What if he is the one that has told them that he can't carry on much longer.
Spruce

[Fast 1 *]

price it up.If you get it do it.Simple.  Do you actually know this fellow on a personal level?If not,what is there to think about? Hes a business,you are a business.If you want to ,tell him about it to maybe ease your conscience.Its a dog eat dog world mate

[Paul Coleman]

oh thanks tosh!! 

i feel a whole lot better!! 

Well you could invite him around for Christmas dinner as he should be pretty hungry by then.  Better hide your motor though.

[George P]

surely whenever you take on a job some one was doing it before, therfore you are always going to upset someone. if i was in your position and you know him tell him you will quote - as said earlier if you dont someone will (try and explain this to him if poss). did this with a mate years ago - i said if i was asked to do his work then i would as i would sooner me do it than someone else and they will change anyway.said and i would expect to also do the same. this works well as on occasions this happens we just phone each other and explain the situation

[mark f]

macleod your a top bloke. people like you are scarce these days. Im similar to you, but if someone is doing a lousy job then i would quote, because other companies will be asked. If the customer is just trying to get it done on the cheap, then i wouldnt bother.

[matt]

what about getting the work and giving him a day or 2 work doing WFP, you make money out of it, he still earns something

[pjulk]

I would price it up.

Also if i did get the job and had some rubbish work i wanted rid of i would give it to him so that way he still has money comming in and you still better your work.

Paul

[shammy davis jnr]

get the job exsplane its was nothing personal and say they wanted it done by this method
and give him a demo and a shot tell him about whr then ask him if he would like to help you on this contract  he wont loose but gain a new exsperience i think most old boys would be happy for some new purpose and help  aswell as a few quid win win and you would get less stick from managers becase he is a fimilliar face

[macleod]

ok so here how it ended.

i got the job & but split the work so that the old boy cleans the reception area and some internal stuff, but he has his own contract to do this work seperate to me.

so i do my stuff to my standard, and he is inside safe! if he messes up then it really is down to him.