[dan hughes]

I get this off my (step) old man. I work for him  and work for myself.

every other week it's "are you cleaning so so, I used to clean there 7 years ago - that's my job."
"I'll ave you done over."
"that's MY PATCH"

Sad. I just get on with it.

Get's me down most day's though!

[peter holley]

why dont you all back off , my patch is the u.k.. i have 3 children to feed ....thats it your all gonna get it..... :

[Johnny B]

It's unfortunate that some window cleaners clearly are territorial. I meet several different window cleaners on my round, and we all get on very well. One I meet has even offered work to me and another introduced me to microfiber cloths (giving me a new one to try out for myself).

If we are doing our job properly, and looking after our customers, they will be loyal and look after us. If we are not, we will lose our work to the next window cleaner to come along. For that we only have ourselves to blame.

Montanaro, keep with it my friend. You will pick up work, and if you prove to do a better job than your rival, you will get his work as well. He is likely trying to warn you off because he can't clean windows properly and is worried about losing his customers. If he threatens you again, it is a police matter I think.

John.   

 

[concept]

This always happens to newbies, once they see your not going to give up they will back off.

Chris

looking forward to that part of it  

[leapstallbuildings]

I suppose you could always ask him to paint red crosses on his customers doors so you don't call there.
Worked for the "Passover" apparently if you believe that stuff   

[seandyer2003]

Its very territorial near where i live - i know window cleaners that wont take on extra work in there streets but then dont let others do the houses that want doing !!?? Because its their patch what they paid for
Daft

[Tosh]

I agree with some of the replies already mentioned.

Don't worry about it.  If the guy meant business; he'd see you face-to-face.

And definately report it to the police.  This is important.  The police told me after a similar incident that two-or-more incidents of this nature is an offence; harrassment.

So this is incident number 1; and if anything else happens then the guy could be charged.

Oh, and I couldn't fault the police with the way they dealt with me in this instance; they were very good; which hasn't always been my experience with them.  I remember a time after I drank 10 pints of lager... but that's another story.

There's no such thing as patches either.

[martinsadie]

No one own's an area , tell him to shuv it where the sun dont shine

i dont own it but im the only window cleaner in most of my areas,i clean that big a percentage its not worth any one else moving in 

For £4.00 per clean and having to live in Burnley, Stan your right its not worth anyone else moving in.
You rule baby.
 

i dont live in Burnley or clean windows there,just live 7 miles away over the hill in Bacup 

[jodan63]

Bacup is even worse than Burnley , Stan 

[martinsadie]

Jodan Bolton rd closed other day,because of fire at Derby arms 

[perfectpanesplymouth]

i can't wait for someone to threaten me

[lee_dewing]

WHO WANT's IT!

that is
a reliable window cleaning service on a 5 week basis

[dave.e]

ask him if he wants to look like a pander then carry on

[lee_dewing]

tell his mum

sorry just report as said.

there's some real muppets out there

[s.w.c]

its water of a ducks back, idol threats are a joke i real man would come face to face with you for a chat, a mouse phones you up (joker),
as for the police it would depend on your area if its worth it, around here you would probably get a community officer and if that's the case you might as well phone the frank, myself i wouldn't waste my time phone in the boys in blue as it was a phone call only.
next time he phone if he does just tell him, listen here sweetheart best thing you can do is hang up your phone an go back to sucking your thumb, then hang it up. then if he phones straight back don't waste your time by answer in it,
i spent many years and i mean years dealing with idol drunk threats and idiots with knifes etc, a real threat you wouldn't see coming or know it till it happened, so as i said treat it like water of a ducks back

[geefree]

The ones who do this are thick, have you noticed, no sense of business, no scruples, no marbles... just der! my patch.

[PaulTh]

I always thought there was an unwritten rule that you dont step on fellow window cleaners toes by trying to steal their customers and i thought it was a very honourable unwritten rule that worked!but i guess as more and more window cleaners disregard this unwritten rule then more and more window cleaners will see themselves losing their good paying customers to unscrupulous window cleaners who will clean the houses for a 3rd of the price thus driving down prices which is of no benefit to us window cleaners as a whole,i hear window cleaners say "my customers are loyal"well in times of recession if someone is willing to do a £15 house that takes someone 20 mins for £5 im pretty sure you will see loyalty flying out the window.Dont believe me? go to moneysavingexpert forum and look for topics on window cleaning and you will see what people are thinking.

Example:Quote:
Originally Posted by MrsE 
My windows are £18 for outside & £45 for inside & out.



I have 9 windows, a set of french doors & a mainly glass front door.

£18?!

We have 8 windows (2 of which are double width), 2 sets of French doors and two doors with glass in and pay £4.50.

another link that questions the myth of loyalty http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=1533363&highlight=window+cleaner

[AuRavelling79]

Ah - but they also "buy" you - your insurance, your lack of desire to "case their property" the feeling of reliability. I know it only goes so far but it goes a fair way to protecting your round if you have sensible prices.

I work a stretch of road with at least 4 cleaners for 40 houses of which about half get cleaned by a w/c.

On that stretch there is one who charges £20 another (me) £15 another £12.50 and finally one at £10. I believe I have the most custies and like to think I have a good price balance.

I know cuz I canvassed last month - but even the two £20 custies didn't want to change (I didn't press them either) so are happy with their cleaner. I picked up two new custies too.

I feel safer with an upper-middling price than an outrageous one.

[martinsadie]

I always thought there was an unwritten rule that you dont step on fellow window cleaners toes by trying to steal their customers and i thought it was a very honourable unwritten rule that worked!

thats how it works around here and we have no problems,we only get new starters who buy work not people who come door knocking, only people who dont follow the patch system from what i can tell are those who dont dig into there pocket to buy work

[Alistair@AWC]

Screw the patch system, I don't owe other WCers a living