[tony talbot]

i dont know if you guys have come across this before, well heeled custys who don't like the wfp window cleaning are willing to pay a premium for them to be done traditional. As i cover both skills, i,ve started to get a small percentage who will pay well over the odds for trad cleaning, is this the way of things to come or is it just passing fad.

psthe wfp finish is spotless. they just dont like wfp because of the wet walls after the windows have been cleaned

[Sapphire Window Cleaning]

I dont give THEM the option, they dont write your health and safety policies up do they.
I tell them less water hits the walls than a medium strength rain shower.
At the end of the day, they pay you to clean their windows, not what method you use.
You dont tell a mechanic how to fix your car do you!
Ones that moan about the water on the walls, are usually the problematic customers.

[matt]

funny enough some1 has been canvassing mu bigger houses in a little village selling the " trad is best " line  :

i spoke to some1 today about it

[seandyer2003]

Id be tempted to do them if they were low down straight forward houses

especially if you get more dough i bet a nice simple semi you could bang out in similar time not much slower!

[DaveG]

Id be tempted to do them if they were low down straight forward houses

especially if you get more dough i bet a nice simple semi you could bang out in similar time not much slower!

would of a few years ago sean but not these days!!!!

[ftp]

I'd just ask them if they are willing to scrape you off the patio and inform your next of kin not to bother keeping the dinner warm.

[DaveG]

just tell them ladders are illegal





****runs for cover*******

[seandyer2003]

i suppose if you are 100% wfp (im not at all) and dont need the money - replace them and have an easy life

to swap and change methods would be hassle i s'pose if you dont need too plus you dont want all your custies finding out !!!

[GWCS]

Not all houses suit wfp, so i do offer trad.

and yes i do charge extra for it, as it takes longer.

I dont give THEM the option, they dont write your health and safety policies up do they.
I tell them less water hits the walls than a medium strength rain shower.
At the end of the day, they pay you to clean their windows, not what method you use.
You dont tell a mechanic how to fix your car do you!
Ones that moan about the water on the walls, are usually the problematic customers.

strange analogy, especially when you have the option of what parts you want them to fix - the cheap standard copy parts or the manufacturers recommended own OR some other entirely different make (usually uprated parts from standard).

Money talks, its what suits you best.

[AuRavelling79]

Funny old world - I do a bungalow with ali windows and hardwood conservatory wfp. Some of the conservatory windows leak round the opening edges at the top under the transoms so I've agreed to do just the conservatory sides trad. for extra on the whole bill.

I wouldn't use a ladder for upper floors tho'.

[Sapphire Window Cleaning]

Not all houses suit wfp, so i do offer trad.

and yes i do charge extra for it, as it takes longer.

I dont give THEM the option, they dont write your health and safety policies up do they.
I tell them less water hits the walls than a medium strength rain shower.
At the end of the day, they pay you to clean their windows, not what method you use.
You dont tell a mechanic how to fix your car do you!
Ones that moan about the water on the walls, are usually the problematic customers.

strange analogy, especially when you have the option of what parts you want them to fix - the cheap standard copy parts or the manufacturers recommended own OR some other entirely different make (usually uprated parts from standard).

Money talks, its what suits you best.

I don't tell the mechanic not to use a buzz gun but to use a strong arm to remove the wheel nuts, I dont ask them to use the analogue instead of the laser system for correcting wheel alignment.
At the end of the day the customer calls you to clean their windows.
suppose similar happened when the squeegee blade was invent, oh I dont want you to use that on my windows I want you to use the chamois cloths. 

[stephen s]

if a customer isn't happy about WFP   tough  let them get someone else as I wont climb up ladders to please them.    I wont do it for anyone and stick to my guns as I value my safety.

If they wanna get someone else then thats fine as it just means their not worth supplying my services to.


But one thing I would NEVER do is charge over the odds of what the clean is worth,  thats what rogue traders and pikeys do,    I have far too much pride to stoop that low.

[Londoner]

You need to charge a premium for trad because it takes a lot longer to do.

[leapstallbuildings]

The only time I go up the ladder these days is to get onto a roof.  Sometimes I go up steps to WFP an occasional window as it's easier than getting the ladder off.  Yesterday I went up steps to get a pil;e of bird poo off the lower reaches of a conservatory roof.  WFP would have shifted it eventually but it was really caked on badly and would have taken a lot of passes.
Not ideal but sometimes you need to improvise.

[stephen s]

You need to charge a premium for trad because it takes a lot longer to do.

no thats what RIP OFF MERCHANTS and PIKEY'S do    which catagry do you fall in to ?

[Sunshine/Cleaning]

It is entirely reasonable to charge double or triple and use equipment such as a ladder-mate and do them trad. I have been WFP for 4 years now and offer customers a "deep clean" this means hand scrubbing the frames and hand cleaning the gutters. Minimum price £150. After 18 months of WFPing windows benefit from the extra attention.

Some of you guys really have to get over your paranoia. Used properly ladders offer a good alternative and if care is taken there is no reason not to use ladders.

I would suggest anyone WFPing more than a year check the frames esp where the opener meets the frame as you will find dirt accumulating.

[stephen s]

I clean frames as well as glass as standard and not optional

[Sunshine/Cleaning]

I clean frames as well as glass as standard and not optional

So do I stephen, however, you will find that after a while the frames will "gray up" in parts of the frame no matter how well they are scrubbed.

As the the mechanic analogy, it is perfectly possible to get a car that is hand built and crafted. If you have the money you will find them. As for using a buzz gun as opposed to arm muscle, I wish they had when they put my sump plug back on as they cross threaded it and had to re bore the sump, which they did badly I might add. Had to take it back and loose a days work while they re-did the plug.

Your average mechanic will work away like a zombie and get confused if he cant plug something in to do a job.

Same as the average WFPer, never learnt the skill of trad work and gets confused easily if he can't splash water at the window.

By the way I'm WFP and love it, but I'm not so arrogant as to believe that it is a magic stick and can fulfill every requirement. It is a tool to be used.

[sparklebright]

I do a few small shops trad because they fit in with other work.
You will make more per hour wfp than traditional (generally), so charge a premium if you need that piece of work.
But you'd better hope word doesn't get out or lots of your custies might realise they have the option.

I tend to work to suit me, if something is worth doing then I'll do it, otherwise I won't.

[Sapphire Window Cleaning]

Sunshine I have been a traditonal window cleaner for 12 years mate lol
I am quick with the mop and blade but not as quick as WFP and to me the results on the glass are no different than traditional.



But I can see where your coming from.
too many so-called window cleaners that can only do WFP, dont know how to use a mop and blade.