[johns window kleen]

I honestly dont know what good an NVQ would do for me.
I am honestly open minded, but give me a compeling reason as to why I need an NVQ. Dont tell me its to get insurance, as thats not true, or likely to be true, and I do know as I spent over 20 years in that game.

Im not against training and qualifications, if there is a valid reason or purpose for them, but I do object for paying for a course in window cleaning, when I am perfectly capable of doing it already, if you get my drift.

I dont use ladders, so I dont need ladder safety. What the hell is a course in Working Alone all about?

No disrespect to anyone intended if you've got all these things, but I cant help cynically thinking that this is somebodys "cash cow" somewhere along the line.


Regulations for the sake of regulations, imposed by people with a vested interest in making some additional cash, is what this all smacks of to me.
And by the way, as I previously stated I am all for this Trade becoming more professional. Any suggestions?

[Moderator David@stives]

Just picked up 5 M&S stores today, there must be something in all these badges lol

[ftp]

If your round is mostly residential then any qualifications are really a joke that the customer wouldn't give a jot about.
I can see commercial work requiring all these wonderful accredations and memberships of different bodies. All large commercial companies employ a jobsworth to see all this stuff through within their own jobs, so on it goes with all the contractors.
You and I know it's complete and utter crap but that's the way things are these days.
Personally i'd rather stick to residential work instead of sitting through all the bull and jargon that comes with looking for comercial work.

Just a thought ... has anyone actually failed a windowcleaning NVQ yet?

[matt]

Just a thought ... has anyone actually failed a windowcleaning NVQ yet?

you need to be able to write your name and hold a pole

oh its a NVQ Level 2, thats for Level 1

[Moderator David@stives]

You do make me laugh some of you.

You are totally clueless   

[Tosh]

You do make me laugh some of you.

You are totally clueless   

We maybe clueless, but we're  happy; and we don't have leadership or management problems; nor do I have all the 'carp' associated with a higher turnover.

I think you're clueless!

Ya boo!

 

[Feen]

I admit I haven't read all the replies this post has generated, so let me off if I say something that's already been covered. If I mentioned qualifications (what were they called? NVG or something?) my customers would not only be unimpressed, they'd be non-plussed. If you're commercial contracts maybe, but lots of people can make a very good living working domestics and what they want is clean windows not a bit of paper telling them how you've managed to make the windows clean
Must change my tag line to "Life can be simple if you let it".

[cozy]

All of the windowc leaners that want to take window cleaning forward and to escape the stero typical window cleaner should conseider the NVQ and any other training. those that mock i beleive have very little future in the industry and already show single minded lifes and the i know best attituide.

Im sure that will get them far with H&S when they or an employee have an accident

So what you're saying Ronnie is I have very little future in this industry? Well that's me put in my place then. Better just throw my tools in the corner and walk away from my business after 20 years.
Let's try and keep this thread realistic.

[ftp]

Dave, were you a Prefect at school?




Just wondered. 

[ronnie paton]

All of the windowc leaners that want to take window cleaning forward and to escape the stero typical window cleaner should conseider the NVQ and any other training. those that mock i beleive have very little future in the industry and already show single minded lifes and the i know best attituide.

Im sure that will get them far with H&S when they or an employee have an accident

So what you're saying Ronnie is I have very little future in this industry? Well that's me put in my place then. Better just throw my tools in the corner and walk away from my business after 20 years.
Let's try and keep this thread realistic.

Maybe i didnt put that right BUT its changing all the time and if you cant live up to it then........well..........only time will tell

some come on 20 years on what have you achieved???

You do make me laugh some of you.

You are totally clueless

We maybe clueless, but we're happy; and we don't have leadership or management problems; nor do I have all the 'carp' associated with a higher turnover.

I think you're clueless!

Ya boo!

 

Happy thats why you come on here slating people cause they are trying to move the industry forward and adapt to change.

Happy that if you dont agree you put it down .......you sound really happy

[cozy]

So Ronnie, how do you know what I've achieved? I own my house and the ground around it, I rarely work longer than 5 hours a day and have a quality of life that some only get on holliday. I have alot of personal contact with over 600 custies and it can't fold overnight. I used to do "big" contract jobs in the 90's and when 2 Commercial custies chop the contract, my turnover would go down nearly 30%. That's stress. I don't come on here and brag about turnover and what I do with my money. To belittle people without knowing anything about them, is stupid to say the least. If you bothered to read my earlier post, you would see what I meant and I stand by that.
If you want to be the Richard Branson of W/Cing then go ahead and knock yourself out. Before you get carried away with highflying business nights in the city, just remember, some guys ain't got a chip on their shoulder over what they do to earn a crust.
This forum, when all is said and done, is "open", for "window cleaners" and businessmen, like yourself.
You always have to be able to see the other side of the coin, you might want to remember that, because window cleaning is a "people business"

Oh and by the way, I built my business in a foreign language. Try that for a game of soldiers.

[Tosh]

Ronnie,

Please don't insinuate I'm 'slagging' anyone; I'm not.   

I have made fun of the NVQ; I admit that, but that's my opinion and it's not personal; just my opinion.

It was Dave who called us 'clueless', and if you look that up in a Thesaurus, you'll find it can also mean 'stupid'.

If anyone is doing any 'slagging' it's David!!!

However, I would like to argue the point with you Ronnie, but since 'you've cried to Mummy' about me in the past, I can't.

The Mods have e-mailed me, telling me I can't give you a hard time, making you look stupid and stuff; even if they probably agree with me.

So, Ronnie, my aggresive little friend, there's no need to go crying to the mods again, because I won't reply to you in this post again.

 

[weetot]

Ok listen, sorry to go off the thread atad but didnt Stan Ogden have one leg, and as there was no WFP then, how did hr manage the ladders with Eddie Yeates.

OK come on all you windowcleaners with only one leg! how do you do it?

[weetot]

Tosh, give is a chance to post me thread man, just cos you can type 50 words per minute lol.

[Tosh]

Tosh, give is a chance to post me thread man, just cos you can type 50 words per minute lol.

Sorry, fella!

I'm on the net book and the keys are really close together, which slows me down a bit, but you're right, I can type fast without looking at the key board.  I use all eight fingers and the right thumb (the left thumb isn't used in touch typing) and can do it blind folded.

Unfortunately, when it comes to typing, Ronnie can only use his forehead!

[cozy]

The reason Tosh can't use his left thumb is, because he's got a sock over it 
Dirty little git 

[ronnie paton]

firstly cozy i asked what you had achieved

and secondly i can see why the NVQ has no interest to you

Im not bragging read through my post were am i bragging, im making a point that the NVQ and other health saftey certificates are a must if you want to become bigger than a residential window cleaner................prove me wrong

[ronnie paton]

Tosh dont reply do you think i care what you say......you have showed what you could teach me

and you have reported me to the mods so i call that deuce.

you think im stupid mmmmmmmmmmm well done but iv still achieved more than you in my business in 3 and a half years.

So tosh say and think what you want and im not your friend, i wouldnt wish that on my worst enemy :

[johns window kleen]

Steady on Ronnie, these things don't always have to be taken personally.
The whole point of this forum is to exchange ideas and opinions.
I made mine, and in all honesty I think the obvious answer is that to go big time into large Commercial Work, then qualifications do count, to those making the hiring decisions.

If your business is mainly,or wholly domestic, then qualifications and certificates held matters not one jot, now, or in the foseeable future

[cozy]

Ronnie,

You don't know what my customer base is. From 600 customers, at least 120 odd are commercial. Petrol station, city centre shops etc. Don't start with H and S, the Germans wrote the dictionary for that.
I've been reading the thread about licencing in England, H & S and licencing aren't even an issue here, the same as VAT. Be happy that you are in UK at the moment. If the European Union pushes hard enough, you will be paying your VAT 3 month in advance, before you have earned it.
Everyone you employ will have social costs of between 22& and 27%. If they go sick, they go on full pay. After six weeks, the Government takes these costs over for you, unless you employ more than 20 people, including admin staff. That's how it is here.
These are a few things that could come your way in the UK, in the next few years. So get ready to build your empire.
In the meantime, I'll stay a "residential window cleaner" and marvel at empires that people like you build.