[Pole 2 Pole]

I cannot help but notice the phenominal rise in estate cars with ladders and points lately. It seems that everyone is going in for a bit of shining since the economic muck hit the fan. But there i was driving along yesterday,funnily enough,behind an ol' K reg estate with some real mickey mouse wfp setup in it. Not a problem,as we all start up somewhere. But i had to laugh when he pulled over to the side to give way to another oncoming estate car with guess what on the roof? ? ? Yep ladders and points.  :

[Londoner]

Yep! Thats the recession for you. What baffles me is where do they go to find all the beat up old estate cars?

Oh yes and the dress code, trackies and chav caps, very last century.

[HIGH LEVEL WINDOW CLEANERS (scrimmy)]

yeah i agree, they should all just go on the dole and leave the professionals to do the job....nothing worse than scum like that bringing our trade into disrepute by driving around in old beaten up old bangers and wearing jeans and baseball caps, come to think of it thats where i started 20 odd years ago, but the trade seems to have moved forward since then, so tell them if they want to join our industry then they need to start off with at least a nearly new van and proper equipment, if they cant afford it then tell them to stick with the weekly giro ( seem harsh?) when i read it back it smacks of snobbery and contempt for new starts, i better reword it, but i cant think of the right words, you guys can do it for me

[Londoner]

Actually you do get the other extreme where someone has blown his redundancy on a brand new van and system. I have seen a few of them as well.

[Pole 2 Pole]

Actually you do get the other extreme where someone has blown his redundancy on a brand new van and system. I have seen a few of them as well.

Now that's the way to do it  I don't know why it bugs me really. I aint lost any custys to these newbies. I guess what does bug me is that they're "probably" pocketing 100% of the cash without giving HMRC their cut of the proceeds whilst,yeh....probably claiming all the while. There's alot of "probablys" there, but it's gonna be the case 'arf the time 

[Nathanael Jones]

I do think new starts should be given a good talking to as regards health & safety/ wok at height/ sensible pricing etc. I don't have a problem with newbies starting up, but many are accidents waiting to happen, and most underprice and de-value the trade.

[Oakley Windows]

Picked up a couple of kosher jobs local to me in the last few days.

The one yesterday asked my about my insurance. It helps immensely when you can say just look at my policy on my website. Those boys you're talking about dont have that.

However, they still annoy the crap out of me too, I think its becasue however dodgy they are they still represent some sort of a threat, albeit a dreadfully small one.

[AuRavelling79]

I do think new starts should be given a good talking to as regards health & safety/ wok at height/ sensible pricing etc. I don't have a problem with newbies starting up, but many are accidents waiting to happen, and most underprice and de-value the trade.

Yeah; stir-frying should be done at ground level, preferably with oven gloves and a fire-extinguisher to hand!

[Glyn H]

I do think new starts should be given a good talking to as regards health & safety/ wok at height/ sensible pricing etc. I don't have a problem with newbies starting up, but many are accidents waiting to happen, and most underprice and de-value the trade

We live in a democracy, they can if they wish charge 30p or £100.00 a house - its their choice.

[eclipse]

We live in a democracy, they can if they wish charge 30p or £100.00 a house - its their choice.

well said glyn

just cause some of them charge less it  dosnt mean there standard of work is lower in some cases

[Rob_B]

Hmm... it could be a good time for me to sell my wooden pointers that have been stuck in storage for a couple of years now.

[Pole 2 Pole]

We live in a democracy, they can if they wish charge 30p or £100.00 a house - its their choice.

well said glyn

just cause some of them charge less it  dosnt mean there standard of work is lower in some cases

I just hope your endearing understanding of the newbie don't jump up and bite ya on the arse bud. Too many numpties willing to do a job,just for the sake of earning a couple o bob would be the beginning of our demise.

[sageorgeta]

Some of these newbies have started up as a way of providing a living for themselves and their families.Yes there are the dole cheats etc etc...but these are also to be found in the times of no recession
A guy spends years at work and the company goes under because of the banks and the government and that guy thinks sod it i am going to go window cleaning and not declare a single penny untill i get myself on my feet...well who can blame him...he has been shafted by the government and the banks...now it is his turn.

It's the lazy ponces who sign on the dole all their lives and do the cash in hand bit that give a bad name to the trade.
On sky news yesterday morning there was a bit about fat lazy buggers claiming untold amounts in benefits because they couldn't be bothered getting off their big fats bums to goto work....if they stopped spending all our tax money on stuffing their faces they would be able to go out and at least look for work....fat buggers and dole scroungers...put em all down.

[Pole 2 Pole]

My misses is fat  But she does work............is she exempt? 

[sageorgeta]

Yes she is because she makes the effort to get out there and do it.
Nothing wrong with big woman

[Pole 2 Pole]

No man..........ya don't understand..........she's BIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIG 

[East coast window cleaning Services]

I Noticed theres been a massive rise in esates and even Space cruisers with points on top.

Now i ask myself the question how many have the correct insurance policy when travelling from job to job on a what is only a Standard Car policy (social & domestic and to a from fixed place of work)   

[Nathanael Jones]

I do think new starts should be given a good talking to as regards health & safety/ wok at height/ sensible pricing etc. I don't have a problem with newbies starting up, but many are accidents waiting to happen, and most underprice and de-value the trade

We live in a democracy, they can if they wish charge 30p or £100.00 a house - its their choice.

That truth isn't in question,... its the fact that they often start out charging less than they can live on because they don't yet understand the costs of running a business. The knock on effect is that established cleaners are asked to drop their prices,.. soon we're all below the poverty line!!!

[supernova77]

Anyone can go out and clean a few windows.

BUT - It takes years to build a decent business. Many will start up and then when they realise its not actually that easy will disappear as quickly as they appeared!

Surely this kind of thing happened in the last recession, and many of us on here are doing OK since then!

Andy

[matt]

Actually you do get the other extreme where someone has blown his redundancy on a brand new van and system. I have seen a few of them as well.

they are the most dangerous imho

as the beat up old car with ladders on is happy to earn a few quid BUT in many cases he will not have to work for peanuts  ( thus driving down the price ) as he has a bit of redundacy to fall back on for a while till things pick up

the guy who has spent all his redundancy on a flashy system MUST work, he has to earn what he can, he has nothing else left and will do anything to justify his spending of all his money on it