[simon knight]

From dough put aside from the kind summer months....surely one budgets?

[Fast 1 *]

Yes I provide the sunshine !!!! :

 

I don't work in rain...!!!!

I reason that yer average wage slave is paid to do ish 2000hr per year.

So as long as I put in roughly 6hrs a day on average (over the year) then I'm happy to work 12hr days in the height of summer and scale back in the crappy wet, short days winters....it averages out!

And still earning more than I was as a bank clerk....and far far far more less stressy and relaxed about life.

Thats quite a good way of looking at it.
I personally dont work in the rain either,people dont like it.Winter seems to be the great enemy for window cleaning.I think you have to earn your serious money in the summer

[eddie d]

work in all weathers .

[simon knight]

work in all weathers .

Power to yer elbow Guv....but not for me!

[Fast 1 *]

I cant help thinking it looks a bit unprofessional doing windows when its chucking it down,not only that it makes you look a bit desperate.

[captain lard]

I cant bring meself to do it in the rain and am miles behind but never mind,fingers crossed its nice tomorrow.

[niceandclean]

I always clean in the rain. I have had a couple of customers say not today as its raining, but i say that when i come round next time it will be double the regular price. Have not had a customer recently say not today. But i do now tell all my new customers that we clean in all weathers and if its raining its raining, they will still be cleaned. Not had any problems, i think if you tell them to begin with they accept it.

[Cleaner Windows]

but those ppl who say not to day etc...how would they feel if they went into work  at a hospital and were greeted by their employer at 8 a.m just to be told "sorry, not this week, as there may not be any emergencies, so go home and you wont be paid for this week!"

a bit over the top but you understand my reasoning!!

[Cleaner Windows]

builders have to carry on in the rain most of the time unless its really hard rain all day etc so why shouldnt we?
we cant control the weather nor can anyone else..i do understand that its a bit of an arse when they are cleaned and get dirty again after its rained but thats life. it doesnt rain all the time does it! if you provide regular service and do a good job, then what is the problem really? why cant they just maybe not give a xmas tip or summit?

[niceandclean]

Maybe you need to send out a letter to your customer's in question, and explain that if they are to be a regular customer then you will be cleaning in all weathers. If they dont want a clean that day then it will be double the price next time. You have a waiting list of people who want a regular window cleaner and you do not want to have to cancel them to take on another one.

[Ian_Giles]

I clean in light rain, drizzle and so on, really depends how windy it is.
If it is raining quite heavy, but there is no wind, then I will at least finish what I am doing, I wouldn't go out and start a days work on domestic work if it was hammering down.
Increase the severity of the weather, storm force winds and so on, and I know I am wasting my time, and that goes for when I know full well I have, say just a couple of hours to quickly knock out a bit bit of work.

I personally think it is wrong.

I'm not going to clean windows that I know full well going to be dirty again within half hour of me cleaning them, or mucked up before they have even dried out (I'm WFP)

Dennis,
Builders don't work in the rain, or rather they can only work in conditions that are suitable for the work they are doing.
You can't paint in the rain.
If you are glossing you only have a small window in the day when you can do that even when it isn't raining in the winter, condensation kills gloss.
So foggy damp weather is also a no-no.
You can't lay bricks in the rain, or plaster in the rain, you are probably at the mercy of the weather to a greater degree than us window cleaners.
Prior to window cleaning I was in construction, and the family business has only just been closed down after close to a hundred years.

Other professions are also at the mercy of the elements, scaffolders, farmers and so on.
There are times when they are also delayed because of inclement weather.

We are no different.

Ian

[Trevor Knight]

We ALWAYS work in the rain.

Our customers are told we work 12 months of the year regardless of the weather, unless its torrential. We work if its raining.

Guy's come on, this is your income. If you clean a house in the morning and an hour later the weather changes and it honks it down, do you go back to those customers an give them a refund??? Be honest, when its raining, probably 25% of the windows in your house are affected by the rain and thats due to the direction. Are you really telling me after its rained your windows are filthy with dirt and grime, your window sills are black again??

If you went through a car wash an 10 mins later it rained and you went back to ask for a refund they would laugh at you.

If you have the space to shift your work about and don't fancy the wet weather then thats fine, but if your working a tight round and need to get out tell your customers your working to ensure you are keeping in with their schedule and as promised, relaible!

Its all down to your own personal beliefs as to what you think is right or wrong. I personally believe I won't get away not paying my bills or feeding my family as it's been a bit wet lately.

Happy days, come on the sunshine 

[Ian_Giles]

Got to disagree with Trev here, at least in part.
I think the arguement is flawed to say that you have bills to pay, it's my job and I'm doing it come hell or high water.
As some others have said, if I had a window cleaner and he turned up to clean my windows in the conditions we have experienced of late, then I would tell him not to bother this time.
If he used the arguement that Trevor uses to justify working, and further said something along the lines of, 'I'm only prepared to do regular work, if you are goingto use the weather as an excuse not to have your windows cleaned then you will have to find another window cleaner.'
I'd feel angry and frustrated that I was literally being blackmailed.
If I agreed to his demands, I'd probably drop him at the first opportunity, particularly if I paid him a tenner, and by the time he'd loaded up his van my windows were grubby and dirty again

Now if that is the way I feel, then I am not going to subject my DOMESTIC customers to something I myself would object too.

However; Should a customer come out to me and say, 'No thanks mate, it's going to rain tomorrow.'
When I've turned up on a perfect window cleaning day then I'd probably not bother coming back the following month.

The car wash analogy isn't a good one, if I take my car into the car wash, that is my personal choice, might be different if someone turned up and cleaned my car in bad weather

Commercial work is different, and particularly shops, some are done more than once a week, I'll do those in a monsoon without a qualm, with strict contract work you have to.
Domestic can drift in the winter, that is of course unless the customer wants to stick rigidly to a day or date, in those circumstances, they are done whatever the weather.
On my top end commercial accounts I'll also not risk jeapordising them by cleaning them in really poor conditions, though I will clean them in conditions that I would have second thoughts about on domestic work.
On offices you are often contracted to clean them monthly, but you can usually getthem done in the week you are supposed to get them done in.

Ian

[Trevor Knight]

Got to disagree with Trev here, at least in part.
I think the arguement is flawed to say that you have bills to pay, it's my job and I'm doing it come hell or high water.
As some others have said, if I had a window cleaner and he turned up to clean my windows in the conditions we have experienced of late, then I would tell him not to bother this time.
If he used the arguement that Trevor uses to justify working, and further said something along the lines of, 'I'm only prepared to do regular work, if you are goingto use the weather as an excuse not to have your windows cleaned then you will have to find another window cleaner.'

I know where your coming from  Ian and its a fair point, I still believe though that if they are due to be done then they are done. Otherwise you will have a backlog of customers who will be expecting you to be able to just catch up and clean them as exected. then you get customers saying, your a week late, i've found someone else now.
I'd feel angry and frustrated that I was literally being blackmailed.
If I agreed to his demands, I'd probably drop him at the first opportunity, particularly if I paid him a tenner, and by the time he'd loaded up his van my windows were grubby and dirty again

Honestly Ian, come on mate be fair, do you truely believe that a drop of rain will make your windows grubby and dirty? Next time it honks it down, clean your own windows and tell me they are grubby and dirty the next day. I am looking out of my office window now having had a heavy downpour yesterday and they are fine?

Now if that is the way I feel, then I am not going to subject my DOMESTIC customers to something I myself would object too.

However; Should a customer come out to me and say, 'No thanks mate, it's going to rain tomorrow.'
When I've turned up on a perfect window cleaning day then I'd probably not bother coming back the following month.

The car wash analogy isn't a good one, if I take my car into the car wash, that is my personal choice, might be different if someone turned up and cleaned my car in bad weather

Commercial work is different, and particularly shops, some are done more than once a week, I'll do those in a monsoon without a qualm, with strict contract work you have to.
Domestic can drift in the winter, that is of course unless the customer wants to stick rigidly to a day or date, in those circumstances, they are done whatever the weather.
On my top end commercial accounts I'll also not risk jeapordising them by cleaning them in really poor conditions, though I will clean them in conditions that I would have second thoughts about on domestic work.
On offices you are often contracted to clean them monthly, but you can usually getthem done in the week you are supposed to get them done in.

Ian

Before I adopted my "clean when it rains" attitude I used to say to customers, "look, I know its raining, if you're not sure about me cleaning them now, tell you what, i will clean them, wait until tomorrow and if you think they are still dirty I will re-clean them, if however, they are clean please send me a cheque" Being truthful I reckon I have had to re-clean about half a dozen windows in the 15 years I have done this?

[Helen]

Make it clear from when you take on new customers that you do work in all weathers, if that is what you do. If you don't then tell them!
The only time we stop is when daylight fades, the rain is horizontal or we have gale force winds. We are a 12 month business and the majority of our customers understand that. Saying that we do get the odd one, who makes a comment about cleaning in the rain. They get 2 chances, we think that is fair, 2 refusals and off they go
As for frames etc being black as soon as you have cleaned them? , that is why we impress on our guys that if you spend that little bit of time each clean making sure the tops of frames and surrounds are totally clear from dust etc then you will not get a problem when it rains.
Suggestions for you for those customers:
Not in the rain thankyou (when you have already cleaned some), OK, but the charge is £xxx for those I have already done.
Not in the rain thankyou (when you haven't started) ok, would you like the insides done instead then (sometimes it works!
It MIGHT rain, so no thank you!!!!!! Oh mr/mrs customer, I wish I could tell when it would rain, as I would be making a fortune weather forecasting and not cleaning windows!

[Ian_Giles]

Trev, I also know where you (and Helen) are coming from...sigh!

Don't have time to continue the debate!!!

I'll try to later, got to get back to work!

(Thought out debate is much better than arguement isn't it? )


Ian

[Trevor Knight]

Trev, I also know where you (and Helen) are coming from...sigh!

Don't have time to continue the debate!!!

I'll try to later, got to get back to work!

(Thought out debate is much better than arguement isn't it? )


Ian

I look forward to continuing our argument, I mean, conversation, I mean debate, I mean, oh whatever, look forward to your reply 

[[GQC] Tim]

I clean in light rain, if it's not too windy.

My customers are informed, as it is mentioned on the cleaning chit.

Hello, your windows were cleaned today* :

Amount owed   : £....................................


-   Please make cheques or postal orders payable to
   T van Duijvenbode and write your address on the reverse side.

-   Paypal / Nochex : gqc-cleaning@hotmail.com
       - (Under £15, there is a 50p charge) -

-   Bank Transfer:  Please put first line of address under payment reference
        Sort Code : xx-xx-xx   Account Number :  xxxxxxxx


PLEASE PAY WITHIN 5 WORKING DAYS

*GQC Window Cleaning will clean your windows at our agreed frequency throughout
the year;  regardless of the weather; ensuring you have a regular, fully insured and
professional service from us.

However, if we are  turned away without prior notice (48hr  advance) or good reason
there will be a 25% surcharge against the next clean.

[simon knight]

Gotta say this subject has been kicked to death!

Some do....some don't....some do....some don't.....

I DON'T AND NEVER WILL.....will I become rich with this attitude?...no!....am I bothered?....no!....will I have the odd midweek day off?....yes!....did I earn enough during the long dry summer months to compensate for this?....yes!

Because of this crappy weather we've all been having I'm now over 120 jobs behind and most won't be done this side of 2007 and there's a chance a few customers will go elsewhere. But I reckon that for every one that goes away there'll be 10+  that'll be pleased I didn't show up in p##sing-down-bleeding-awful-weather!

enough already

[Dominic]

Always work whatever the weather. Don't see how you can keep up a reliable service any other way. Always tell customers when we take them on so they are prepared. Got equipment debts so have to keep the pennies rolling in. I now love working in the rain cos there's not so many people to get in our way. Don't like getting behind on work either.

D.