[pt]

Picked up a new  client on part of my round today £15. She asks me to go see her mum as she needs a cleaner. When I turn up I ask what happened to her last cleaner. She. Replies, " when I rang to see where he has got to. He says I am getting married so have got to get a proper job", well that's an  another £15 in the bank,Also got the mums sister £12. Get a proper job... What is a proper job. Well his loss is my gain.

[dave.e]

WELL DONE MATE KEEP THEM COMING IN WE NEED ALL WE CAN . DAVE

[DaveG]

i used to have a "proper job" but my god it was BOOOOORRRIIINGGGG

I like this one better

[NWH]

He might have thought different if he had a proper round.

[sparklebright]

Most 'proper' jobs are a mugs game. If you are self motivated and can get yourself out of bed without the threat of a boss, then you will do well as a window cleaner, or indeed any self-employed trade.
I have had about 8 different 'proper jobs' since I left school 20 years (oh god I'm getting old) and all of them from doing Legal debt collection, to sales to hod-carrying required more time for less money than window cleaning.

[clean]

What actually is "a proper job"  ,a job is a job you work you get paid end of ! 

[sparklebright]

I guessed it depends what you are looking for from a job.
Some people want status from their work, and may look down on us, or some of us just want to make our living in the least hours so we can get on with life and do the things we want to do.

Had a woman in an office say derisively 'You've got a good job, huh'
I said 'Well i couldn't do your's of course'
'No' she said 'You couldn't'
I said 'I couldn't take the cut in pay for one thing' 

[Jimmy1]

I guessed it depends what you are looking for from a job.
Some people want status from their work, and may look down on us, or some of us just want to make our living in the least hours so we can get on with life and do the things we want to do.

Had a woman in an office say derisively 'You've got a good job, huh'
I said 'Well i couldn't do your's of course'
'No' she said 'You couldn't'
I said 'I couldn't take the cut in pay for one thing'

     I bet that shut her up. It never fails to amaze me how many people think your thick or not capable for doing this job. Just ignorance on their behalf.

[Londoner]

Proper job = slavery.

[pingu]

It never ceases to amaze me the diverse background/past careers that so many window cleaners on here come from...

Yep people think were thick and to some extent that is not so bad

Proper job...

I used to be in the IT game and during the nine months that I was employed by Lloyds of London to run thier Y2K test lab I think I actually performed around 3 weeks actual work...all on contractors rates..now yes working in computing had a certain status but as for being a proper type job...it was a joke and most people I know that work for others spend the vast majority of their time trying to do a little as possible for their employer which when you think about it...is theft...so most of the people who put us down are more than likely the biggest thieves you'll come across.

This is a proper job and I am now proud to say I am a window cleaner but more than that  I own and operate a successfull business with a bright future.

Now look at all those in the city with 'jobs of status' most are 3 months or less away from being homeless and with no great future.

I am not mocking those who have lost their jobs far from it but all in all...our profession is not so bad after all

Cheers
Dave.

[Klean07]

A proper job is when you set off to work at 7 am. Stuck in traffic for an hour. Start at 9. Stay there till 5pm then sit in another load of traffic and get home at 7. By the time youve showered and eaten its bedtime. I prefer my job start at 9 finish at 3 home by 330pm rest of day at my lesuire.

[Londoner]

What they are really on about is status, or their perception of status which to some people is very important.
We get it a lot in London with the Asian community who are the biggest snobs going. They love their big Mercs and BMWs but its all for show.

One Asian lady told me her husband was an International Air Courier. Turned out he drive a van for one of the outfits at the airport. Whats wrong with saying he's a van driver?

[sparklebright]

What they are really on about is status, or their perception of status which to some people is very important.
We get it a lot in London with the Asian community who are the biggest snobs going. They love their big Mercs and BMWs but its all for show.

One Asian lady told me her husband was an International Air Courier. Turned out he drive a van for one of the outfits at the airport. Whats wrong with saying he's a van driver?

I guess a lot of people hide what they really do behind a better sounding title. It's tricky to do that as a windy! Still I am a Company Director and so is the wife!

[Clive McDonald]

I've gone the other way on this.

When people ask what i do i say i'm a window cleaner. I am never tempted to say i run my own business, or i'm self employed.With comments such as only or just a window cleaner i let them pass good naturedly.

If it was put to me about getting a proper job i would probably agree,that this would be better. So many by me that are working work for agencies, or are on short term or are on part time contracts with workmates that are mostly immigrants  that now i think we as a group are a bit out of touch. Life is very tough for a lot of people.

When i'm asked has the credit crunch affected me and how, i tell the truth and say there is a lot more competition. I'm probably more snobby than most of you, but i think it's us now who have to be a bit more carefull what we say. Many an investment banker, estate agent, site manager, and car sales manager would love a good round and can easily feel slighted if they catch sight of where they are now on the current heirachy of haves and have nots.

[foxy]

i agree, we provide a service and so need to make sure the customer feels provided for - not that they are providing for us. i am very lucky and have some really good customers but would never let them know that i do really well from the job. a shop manager would get upset if they knew that you made more than them for fewer hours and less responsibility etc. there are people who look down their noses, but so what? you only need respond if their attitude bothers you, and those people are likely snobs in any case. best to earn a living without massive overheads and getting on with it.

[Dennis-Taylor]

A proper job is when you have one boss, if he messes up then you loose your job.
In our job we have several hundred bosses ( Customers) if one messes up and goes to the wall then we go out and replace that boss with another.  We get to keep our job because the chances of loosing several hundred customers ( bosses ) is fairly remote.

Well thats my take on the situation anyway.

Dennis

[foxy]

it can be a bit more complex than that. a business (shop, office) can go under through no fault of their own. they suffer and we suffer. we are not a real necessity, we are part of the service economy. when business' look to make cutbacks they will cut their window cleaning to bi weekly or monthly; either halfing or quartering our take from that business. we then have to compete with other window cleaners for work to cover the loss of income. (through no fault of our own). domestic customers also feel the pinch, especially when they have been made redundant or feel job insecurity. they will make cut backs, often they will regret having to make them, but they will make them. again, through no fault of their own. this is why it is not a good idea, when so many people are having a tough time getting by, to brag, boast or be blase about how much you earn, how great the hours are or anything else. if you've got it half way good in a recession; don't rock the boat. most window cleaners earn a living by getting bits of money off lots of people. it is (or should be) a secret about how good the job can be. we are not specialists who have life or death decisions to make and some of us earn around the same; best not to wind people up by letting on.

[jouk45]

a proper job is where the bank can see a real steady income every month, and if you deside to go for a loan, they can base the loan on your yearly income, try doing this with a w/c buisness, very few will get one, now the crunch is here it is going to be even harder to get a loan,

[Klean07]

I disagree with last comment, I've just changed banks mainly to benefit from another 18 months free banking. My new business bank has given me a £2,000 overdraft and a mastercard. So my point is that it doesnt matter what kind of business you do, the banks will still offer you a good deal.

[peter holley]

 my employee lives where i used to live untill i moved last year....one of the neighbours told him that he was bewildered how i was able to bring up a family and pay my bills as a window cleaner...... my lad then shed some light on the matter. and this guy was shocked.

his opinion of us wc was that we were on a pittance and had other jobs aswell..... this attitude used to upset me, but i have nothing to prove, and use it to my advantage.....

i know of another wc who has a top of the range bmw,,,, he had to stop collecting in it, because the custies didnt like it , some even cancelled