[PaulTh]

keeps ye fit the ol window cleaning walking about up n down ladders good on the old boy,if ya dont use it ya lose it.

[AuRavelling79]

Because if you have been a window cleaner for 40 years you should have built up a "better business than the majority of us on here!"

The "should be taking it easy" comment was on my view that if he has been working as a traditional window cleaner for forty years then he will be in his sixties and deserving of enjoying the fruits of his labour.

I do understand that he may now be at the helm of a substantial window cleaning firm and not so often up a ladder anymore - so why not pass it on to the boy and take it easy?

[PaulTh]

i notice a lot of old folk when they retire they just go downhill and the active ones tend to live longer so if i reach old age i dont think ill be the retiring type.

[simon knight]

Because if you have been a window cleaner for 40 years you should have built up a "better business than the majority of us on here!"

The "should be taking it easy" comment was on my view that if he has been working as a traditional window cleaner for forty years then he will be in his sixties and deserving of enjoying the fruits of his labour.

I do understand that he may now be at the helm of a substantial window cleaning firm and not so often up a ladder anymore - so why not pass it on to the boy and take it easy?

Malc, that wasn't a facetious "why?". Perhaps the old gocker just enjoys being out and about working, meeting people and having an excuse to get out of bed in the morning. I used to work with an 82 year old who was as bright as a penny...until the day he finally retired...he was dead in 4 months...no reason to live!

[cozy]

Was just wondering, has anyone seen any stats as to how many WC's have fallen off a ladder and had injuries or even died? Is that the only reason to go WFP? I would be abit surprised if a custy said "It's ok, I'll pay you 3 times just to get my windows cleaned properly, what a good deal". If that's how custies see it then it sounds like a good idea to me.

The other problems I am looking at is, if I go van mount and my van goes off the road for repairs, how do I earn? If any major part of my kit goes titsup and I can't work, e.g. Pole goes off to be repaired, how do I earn?

If half my british custies are not impressed paying 10 quid + for their house to be cleaned and I do it in 5 minutes instead of 15, what do I do when they tell me to "Get stuffed"?

What about not cleaning the top of frames so I don't get marks on the glass, do I tell the custy "Sorry luv, don't do frame tops"?

These brit custies are the only people who have the outsides only cleaned, all ze Germans have both sides and frames. Don't need ladders for those, all ze vindows open invards.

WFP is unique to US and UK markets, sometimes in Holland too, in Germany WFP is only used for high access work and is not seen as an alternative.

Nobody is better than anyone else, I know most of you know what I mean, but we are here to provide a service that must keep the custy happy, not just us.

Now I'm off to lie down in a darkend room with a fruit salad.

[pingu]

You may have hit the nail on the head there....perhaps you market wont take to wfp as the trad method is so suitable for that market...lets face it...best tool for the job and all that.

Have to admit if I were in your position...I imagine I would like to see what all the fuss is about with wfp but perhaps it would just be expense that could be best spent elsewhere or saved.

Dave.

[AuRavelling79]

Was just wondering, has anyone seen any stats as to how many WC's have fallen off a ladder and had injuries or even died? Is that the only reason to go WFP? I would be abit surprised if a custy said "It's ok, I'll pay you 3 times just to get my windows cleaned properly, what a good deal". If that's how custies see it then it sounds like a good idea to me.

The other problems I am looking at is, if I go van mount and my van goes off the road for repairs, how do I earn? If any major part of my kit goes titsup and I can't work, e.g. Pole goes off to be repaired, how do I earn?

If half my british custies are not impressed paying 10 quid + for their house to be cleaned and I do it in 5 minutes instead of 15, what do I do when they tell me to "Get stuffed"?

What about not cleaning the top of frames so I don't get marks on the glass, do I tell the custy "Sorry luv, don't do frame tops"?

These brit custies are the only people who have the outsides only cleaned, all ze Germans have both sides and frames. Don't need ladders for those, all ze vindows open invards.

WFP is unique to US and UK markets, sometimes in Holland too, in Germany WFP is only used for high access work and is not seen as an alternative.

Nobody is better than anyone else, I know most of you know what I mean, but we are here to provide a service that must keep the custy happy, not just us.

Now I'm off to lie down in a darkend room with a fruit salad.

Cozy there are a lot of myths in this post - let me explain:-

Falling off death/injury - a good reason, but not the only one.

You don't need to take 3 cleans to "get it right" but you do need to be more thorough on the first clean.

Van packs up question - well your car might do too - mine occcasionally broke down when I was trad or wfp. You can put a 200L in an estate if you want or make a trailer system. Pole? You can use a cheap Harris or Fishing Pole or Unger pole on domestic wfp. Cheap as chips. But when you go van mount (IMO) you will go faster and carry more water generally.

Time to do the job/custy perception. it'll take you just as long to start with if you're thorough. The dividends come later. Awkward custies that you want to keep just do the tops wfp (I've still got one old girl who insists I blade the bottoms!!!!)

Tops of frames - I do 'em every other time. Top Cills I rub along with the brush every time.

Wfp is less tiring so you tend to do more.
 

[cozy]

Yes Malc, it's "painted abit more rosy on here though, you know my situation mate. I'll still be looking at it with Dave in Holland it's just the more I hear, the more problems I can see coming.

My problem is I'm not good looking enough to get away with anything like the Captain Flashearts I see on here!

Knew I shouldn't have posted :

IF/when I go WFP I intend to start with tops only at first to get the IBC's used to it.

[AuRavelling79]

Yes Malc, it's "painted abit more rosy on here though, you know my situation mate. I'll still be looking at it with Dave in Holland it's just the more I hear, the more problems I can see coming.

My problem is I'm not good looking enough to get away with anything like the Captain Flashearts I see on here!

Knew I shouldn't have posted :

IF/when I go WFP I intend to start with tops only at first to get the IBC's used to it.

Cozy, Flasheart was a squadron commander, not a captain! i.e. a major!

[cozy]

In series 2&3 he was a Captain

[dave.e]

 WFP types wear matching socks and NEVER wear string vests

They're also Leonardo DiCaprio lookalikes, Oxbridge educated, speak Queens English and hung like donkeys...and their poo doesn't smell

lol

[JSMC]

indicates what i suspected since i joined this forum that some wfp users are snobs and look down on trad now. (not all i might add just a tiny minority of morons).people with sigs like "climbing higher without ladders"it uses to be people looked down on window cleaners,now we got window cleaners looking down their noses at window cleaners lol what is the world coming to

Very good observations, window cleaning has changed and still is changing.

Don’t think some window cleaners are really snobbish, other window cleaners have not moved with the times.

The idea of helping someone start in this trade by telling them to go buy a ladder & bucket is out dated.
People that have the biggest resistance to wfp are not the customers, but window cleaners!   

why is it outdated? i had all my WFP gear but went trad for 1 year doing all my work.

my fathe rin law is trad and always has been and i can bet he has a bette rbusiness than the majority of us on here. 40 years  and he is still going strong witha very healthy business.

I should flippin' hope so! 40 years and he should've sold up and be taking it easy by now!

Why?

well he is fit and active and loves his job. All his work is commercial and easy to do stuff. Got rid of all the crap and he take shis time and the work will come to me and his daughter soon enough.

He has his holidays and stuff but also loves out meeting people daily.

he said he will always keep his nose in it he reckons as all he would be doing is sitting about or playing golf if not working


he

[martinsadie]

yes, they are all uneducated scumbags and knuckleheads from the dark ages, probably on the dole and moonlighting with a bit of burglary as well as cleaning windows badly with a dirty old rag and a bucket of scummy water, some of them dont even have matching socks lol 

my bootlaces dont match at the moment 1 black and 1 yellow