[drive surgeon]

hi guys just how do you guys cope with all the new vans and guys walking around with ladders?  there are millions of them now. i see new vans and gypsies swarming around like flies around poo looking for work.  they are all undercutting you guys.  i think its a discrace and the government need to clamp down on this fast or it will affect your business's. good luck guys.

[ftp]

You guys? You're not one of us then?

What's a time served window cleaner? You're avin a giraffe!

[Milltown Cleaning]

wow drive surgeon you sure are an unhappy puppy with all this new competition!!

[drive surgeon]

tell me about it, my best mates window cleaning business have suffered really bad and he has twins on the way. i feel sorry for him. it may not be as bad were you are living. i think its bad for the window cleaning trade as a whole. :

[lee_dewing]

I'm not the cheapest;   but i am the best

how's that for a catch phrase.

ow no mrs no! 

Gypsy's

you are awful but i like you

[lee_dewing]

drive suregeon.

sorry to hear about your mate.

where do you live?

[mci services]

i think you will find the same happened in the late eightys early ninetys and only so many survived and a lot will be on here that did survive and are probably doing rather well. most will go as soon as winter kicks in again

[sparklebright]

As I have said before on here I live near dole-on-sea Margate.
Every year we get a few set up for some extra beer money. I saw 4 (yes 4) of them piling out of a car once. All baseball caps and hooded tops.

Never took one of my customers yet though 

As for genuine people who have lost their jobs they have my sympathy it's not nice that.
Most of them will find that it's not as easy as we make it look, and if they turn a coin for a few months good luck to them.

[wfp master]

wait until the winter you wont see them when its freezing cold and thier hands are stuck on the ladders 

[Moderator David@stives]

Hasnt everyone got a right to earn a living  ?

What i do is act professional, keep one step ahead and provide an honest reliable service.

That in itself keeps the competition at bay.

[karygate]

been going now 2 years and have a small base of customers,enough to know there is no turning back.still think there is plenty of room for honest reliable people who just want to earn a living , but some just start up and wreck the image of window cleaners again.

[jonnyald]

unless you live in a real small town theres always bags of windows out there for everybody .

[lee_dewing]

karygate,

don't look at it as cowboys spoiling it for you,

rather making it a lot easier.

if majority of the competition is poor why worry.

I know what you mean though we are all tar'd with same brush,

and it does get me down seeing the distrust in some custy's eyes but if it's that bad just miss em out

lee.

[leapstallbuildings]

hi guys just how do you guys cope with all the new vans and guys walking around with ladders?  there are millions of them now. i see new vans and gypsies swarming around like flies around poo looking for work.  they are all undercutting you guys.  i think its a discrace and the government need to clamp down on this fast or it will affect your business's. good luck guys.

There are always more window cleaners in a recession - particularly now that ladder climbing is largely unnecessary.  Generally I've no problem with that - though I did lose two decent jobs to black economy workers a while back.
The biggest threats around my way seem to be coming from seasoned window cleaners who, IMO, should know better.  Also, there is an upsurge in companies leafletting who are only looking to build rounds in order to sell them.  When they only have to manage a round for a short while, they can promise the customer all sorts of things that could make it uneconomical for the actual cleaner who buys the round.

[simon knight]

it will affect your business's. good luck guys.

I'll let you know when it does mate

[Window Washers]

hi guys just how do you guys cope with all the new vans and guys walking around with ladders?  there are millions of them now. i see new vans and gypsies swarming around like flies around poo looking for work.  they are all undercutting you guys.  i think its a discrace and the government need to clamp down on this fast or it will affect your business's. good luck guys.

There are always more window cleaners in a recession - particularly now that ladder climbing is largely unnecessary.  Generally I've no problem with that - though I did lose two decent jobs to black economy workers a while back.
The biggest threats around my way seem to be coming from seasoned window cleaners who, IMO, should know better.  Also, there is an upsurge in companies leafletting who are only looking to build rounds in order to sell them.  When they only have to manage a round for a short while, they can promise the customer all sorts of things that could make it uneconomical for the actual cleaner who buys the round.

I like the people that canvass to sell, they come up against me and I guess loads of us all the time, I simple say we will be cleaning your windows not selling you off to the unknown... Seems to work, it's al about selling your service better 

[Sunshine/Cleaning]

Hasn't everyone got a right to earn a living  ?

What i do is act professional, keep one step ahead and provide an honest reliable service.

That in itself keeps the competition at bay.

I'm with Dave on this one, anyone has the right to start up. Most newbies who joined this forum in the past 2 years are would be horrified if they felt they were not able to earn a living.

And whats the issues with "Gypsies". Are you trying to say that all travellers are dishonest and don't know how to or have a right to earn a living? Maybe Drive Surgeon should nail his BNP sympathies to his avatar so we can understand where he is coming from.

As for his mate losing work, maybe he should look at how he runs it rather than blaming competition.

[Oakley Windows]

I'm not the cheapest;   but i am the best

how's that for a catch phrase.

ow no mrs no! 

Gypsy's

you are awful but i like you

Fantastic

[tompoole]

Us pikeys need to make a living to you know
Pikey tom poole.
PS if you are honest and do a good job you will always get work, no matter who you are gypo or posh man with van

[Tim82]

 In my experience, if you get to know your customer and are friendly and take time to ask how they are etc, instead of grabbing the money and running, you're more likely to keep them for ages, no matter who comes around undercutting you!