[Window Washers]

I still get caught out, there are lots of unknowable reasons why a first clean might not come good.I could give you ten in a list, but it's pretty pointless telling you because you know it all already.

so keep it to yourself then mush

Steven are you a shell suit wearing southerner ? as you seem to be getting confused

[BORBRYCE]

Been reading this post and laughing. Steven is well known on other forums and I love his posts, I call him the big yin...he is 6 ft 6 and batters the hell out of van thieves as a past time.
He is very right here none the less. Cleaning glass is so bloody simple its hard to get wrong after the first few goes and a wee bit common sense which he has in abundance and always sees him through. Thats all he is saying and why would he need a disclaimer just to do that in normal circumstances.
He loves a good argument and will wind you lot up just for the fun of it.
He has a uniform,,,,a nurses outfit and stillettoes.

[Window Washers]

Been reading this post and laughing. Steven is well known on other forums and I love his posts, I call him the big yin...he is 6 ft 6 and batters the hell out of van thieves as a past time.
He is very right here none the less. Cleaning glass is so bloody simple its hard to get wrong after the first few goes and a wee bit common sense which he has in abundance and always sees him through. Thats all he is saying and why would he need a disclaimer just to do that in normal circumstances.
He loves a good argument and will wind you lot up just for the fun of it.
He has a uniform,,,,a nurses outfit and stillettoes.

Ronnie, I am shocked at you, if Stepen is 6, 6 and wears stillettos you can run faster.

Tell him hes talking out of his hotpants.

[stephen s]

I certainly dont think telling a customer "it may take 3 cleans to get them perfect" is a con. As this seem to be the norm advise you get when you purchase a system from the companies that sell the systems





I do cos it is a con,  its utter drivel   hence the reason the 2nd customer today was happy to pay the extra £3 to have the windows cleaned PROPERLY      maybe its because some people are just too lazy to put the effort in so they come out with that tripe.

as for the norm advice you say ?  don't know what company you got your system from Bob but I'm afraid theve told you a bare faced pack of lies

will say it again HOW HARD IS IT TO CLEAN A PIECE OF GLASS ?    answers over the next 3 months  

You seem to have left yourself wide open here Stephen, there are many of us that do not con people, also many that do a very good job no cleaner can be perfect all the time.


Ian





CIU please sort out the annoying error when replying to posts, is getting right on my errm

Inever said for one minute that everyone on here was Ian,   and I know lots of w/c on here do a honest days work,  let me the first to say that without some of the advice I got of people on here and other forums it would have took me a hell of a lot longer,  but Ive also put that advice to good use in helping other w/cs

as for the perfect clean I know thats not possible but as Ive stated perfect NO  very clean YES

but when you say Ive left myself wide open ? what exactly do you mean by that ?

[stephen s]

S'pose it comes down to how much time you are prepared to spend on a first clean, especially if you're not charging any extra for it.

yes but by doing a real dirty first clean and spending the time that it needs makes the future cleans easier and quicker

[stephen s]

Quoted a house yesterday eve and was asked if I could clean today which I did ( £30 regular clean )

As I was round the back cleaning the lady brings me out a cuppa and starts chatting away when she quips now on month 3 the windows will be gleaming then ?

Now love your windows will be gleaming after Ive cleaned them today,       oh she says but my friend a couple of miles down the road has also just had her windows cleaned and the guy told her it would take 3 cleans before the windows were right.

I told her that the guy has told her friend a blatent pack of lies so he can rush through as quick as possible and get to the next job,  its a total con I told her and explained that if she took her car for a valet and was told that it would take 3 seperate valets to bring it up nice  would she pay ?      no way she said,   yet you were prepared 3 times beore your windows were cleaned properly I said.

I then told her that if the windows were not gleaming after I cleaned then she was NOT TO PAY
 anyway after I finished she told me how delighted she was and would be recommending me to others.


with that her friend calls and she tells her everything I said and her friend asked her if I could come to hers after I finished and have a look at her windows.        so I went down ther gave her a quote ( 25 )   and cleaned them there and then.

after I finished she said the difference was amazing and that I had actually taken 15 minutes longer than the other guy who she was now calling for everything and I don't blame her.


I don't feel bad about taking his job   in fact I feel quite good,    maybe if he did the job properly and not try to use that stupid 3 clean con trick he wouldn't lose his work.

I mean how hard is it to clean a window ?    it aint rocket science.

Could I ask how long you have been cleaning windows for and how long you have been using wfp ?

cleaned window many years ago  but have been WFP just over 3 years and I always clean frames on windows and doors and conservatories  and never had a 1st clean yet that hasn't looiked spot on when Ive finnished

Do you stanbd there and wait for the windows to all dry ? and also check them with a ladder ? I am not in anyway knocking your cleaning becaise I do not know what it is like, what I feel is a bit ott is that you seem to think you do not get any problems on any of your cleans, the reason some will say it can take upto three cleans is because they are being honest that there could be a problem, I feel you are leaving yourself wide open to people laughing at you

as I stated cleaning glass isn't rocket science although from some of the replies it is  bless em

as for people laughing chief then I have to be honest and say I couldn;t give 2 shiney poopes whether they do or not  but hey if they wanna pay my bills then I will worry what they say or think.  until then I won't worry.



as for standing waiting for windows to dry   I don't need to do that mate as I measure how good my cleans are by customer feedback and the feedback is always excellent so hey I must be doing something right.

I try to provide the best possible service to my customers,  I call each and everyone the night before I clean so they know I'm coming and leave access and payment out,  so by simple communication I don't have to do any collecting ever, well I tell a lie there the odd one or two do sometimes forget.

by doing this it also means I don't turn up at a customers and get all set up only for the customer to come out and say not this month,  they can tell me that when I phone up and if so I just say ok will call you next month.

my customers are my bread and butter and my bread and butter is my business so when I clean I always give them a good clean and thorough rinse.  



I know its not just me because Ive met quite a few window cleaners who share my views, in fact it was another w/c who first said to me  HOW HARD IS IT TO CLEAN A PIECE OF GLASS

Leaving payment out is as dodgey! what if they forget to leave it out, but are convinced that left it out, what if it gets nicked before you get there?

Good feedback DOES NOT! mean that your cleans are spottless and errorless!!

IF WE AREN'T DOING A GOOD ENOUGH JOB, WE WOULDN'T HAVE ANY CUSTOMERS!!!!!!!!!!

AS FOR THE 3 CLEANS STATEMENT, IT IS IN FACT A DISCLAIMER!! DO YOU KNOW WHAT A DISCLAIMER IS?

might be dodgy where you are but I have nhever had a problem with customers leaving payment out,  I always get them to leave cheques made out to my company and the customer is happy to do so so no collecting,  as I say a little communication goes a long way

I didn't say good feedback I said excellent feedback and when a customer give me excellent feedback that tells me I'm giving an excellent service   thats how I measure my feedback mate  and as I proved today it got me another job

as for the DISCLAIMER  for the 3 clean con trick   isn't that just something a lazy window cleaner uses to get out of doing a thorough job on 1st clean ?   a cheap cop out for instance

[stephen s]

WOW you call all your customers the night before.

I can clean up to 30 houses on a good day which I presume you could too. Thats means 30 phones calls

Have you got a family? There is no way my wife and kids would let me spend that much time on the phone in the evening instead of quality time with them.

half hour a night mate most calls less than a minute,  but that half hour a night saves me going out collecting for 3-4 hours    but also a lot of my houses are in the sticks and some large houses at that so they text me codes for electric gates and tell me where keys and stuff is   and most important the customers like it because they know exactly when your coming

[stephen s]

sorry couldn't stop myself from sneezing, as I am alergic to BULLpoopE!!

well you do enough brown nosing on here saddo so you will blow poop out of your beak

sorry I cant agree with you mush because to me your no one YOU DO KNOW WHAT A NO ONE IS DONT YOU MR DISCLAIMER

[stephen s]

Im beginning to like you Steve.


Someone with a good sense of humour

Anyway its bloody hard to clean a piece of glass

Bob

I'm a scouser bob and its in our nature to have a good s.o.h    its what makes us tick

its not hard if you smash it,  me and my scouse ways 

[stephen s]

Stephen

Calm down bud

I got my systems (all 3 of them) from Pure Freedom who have one of the best reputations for honesty in their trade. Had they told me a  bare faced pack of lies, I wouldn't have used them.

You are saying that you tell your customers that you clean perfect from the first clean.

Tell me Stephen....from that statement.....Who sounds like a conman?

Bob

Bob believe me I calm mate and laughing like a gooden here.

as I stated in my post my 1st customer I told her about the 3 clean con trick and said if she wasn't happy when I cleaned then she was not to pay me,  she was happy to pay me   and Ive said that to lots of customers    DOES THAT MAKE ME A CON MAN BOB ?      think you could offer that to your customers Bob ?       I can and I know other w/cs who can and do.


anyway Bob  how hard just is it to clean a piece of glass



however Bob you did make me smile with your calm down bud line,    being a scouser calm down calm down is my middle name      thought I would get that in before tha anti-scouse brigade get it in

do you wear a uniform ?

do you mean a shellsuit ?     leave that one up to you mate

[Sapphire Window Cleaning]

your not very consistant with your BS are you?
Firstly you state that you give a thorough clean!
Then you state you clean 30 houses a day!
and that these houses are RURAL!

Do you own a teleport machine??

If you are going to LIE then be consistant with what you are saying.


Brown nosing???

Give me an example? you do know what an example is don't you???

Mush? do I look like a f u c king PEA??

[stephen s]

I still get caught out, there are lots of unknowable reasons why a first clean might not come good.I could give you ten in a list, but it's pretty pointless telling you because you know it all already.

so keep it to yourself then mush

Steven are you a shell suit wearing southerner ? as you seem to be getting confused

born and bred in Liverpool and moved down south 21 years ago,  well I was actually sent here by a magistrate 

go back up to the pool every other month to visit family and friends cos there aint no walton prison in Berkshire 

I'm also half Danish making me a scouse Viking   so yes I wear a uniform 

[matt]

I don't think the 3 clean rule is a con. I think its just a disclaimer to cover our arses.

I agree that time should be spent on first cleans and attention to detail is vital. But sometimes you could spend a long time on them and they won't be 100%

The odd spot, spec or run may still be visible. There are many variables why this may happen but it should only be minimal.

it can take 1, 2, 3 or even 4 cleans on some windows to get them perfect. not on many but it can happen.

I always say to the guys that we only get 1 chance to impress them and the first cleans are really important in building the relationship.

I think the 3 month rule is good because if there not expecting them to be 100% and you achieve that with 90% of new customers then they'll think your great!

good post

the 3 clean is about right, we all know that the rubbers seals might not be 100 % and it takes a few cleans to get rid of the dirt trapped AND washing up liquid residue under the seals

of course you should aim to get them 100 % first time, BUT how many people clean a house even a few years on and its not 100 %, if you say your cleaning is 100 % clean 100 % of the time, you are kidding yourself

hi Matt.

have to say your reply is not only a great reply but a very accurate one,    your very right  you me or any other person will never get a perfect finish as perfect we are led to believe is not achieveable in any walk of life,  for instance a gymnast can score a perfect 10 but when the routine is analized minor inperfections are always found,   seen that in a docu a few years ago

and yes I do agree with you that I would be kidding myself if I thought I could,   but thats not to say a first class clean with windows sparkling and frames cleaned can not be achieved until it has been cleaned 3 times.



anyway yes it is a great post but also nice to get a non negative reply,  whether we agree or not I do value your points

thanks

it makes me wary when people make good posts about me  

on the note of 3 cleans, i allways tell the customer that it can sometimes take 3 cleans to get a standard of clean that i aim to achieve on regular cleans , i point out the washing liquid residue and dirt under the seals, the customer doesn't then look too hard at the finish as they are expecting a not 100 % finish, after the 3rd clean they are used to having you as a window cleaner and you have the job

it works well for me

having said that, when you get asked to do the insides and you look out at your " clean windows " it can be scary  

[stephen s]

Been reading this post and laughing. Steven is well known on other forums and I love his posts, I call him the big yin...he is 6 ft 6 and batters the hell out of van thieves as a past time.
He is very right here none the less. Cleaning glass is so bloody simple its hard to get wrong after the first few goes and a wee bit common sense which he has in abundance and always sees him through. Thats all he is saying and why would he need a disclaimer just to do that in normal circumstances.
He loves a good argument and will wind you lot up just for the fun of it.
He has a uniform,,,,a nurses outfit and stillettoes.

Ronaldo

how can you say that mate ?      I have one to many Pimms and I swear I was minding that nurses outfit for someone and you never let me live it down.   it was bad enough in the court room with all the sn****ring

[bad trippy]

anyone mindif i post on this thread, iam rather tipsy?

[stephen s]

your not very consistant with your BS are you?
Firstly you state that you give a thorough clean!
Then you state you clean 30 houses a day!
and that these houses are RURAL!

Do you own a teleport machine??

If you are going to LIE then be consistant with what you are saying.


Brown nosing???

Give me an example? you do know what an example is don't you???

Mush? do I look like a f u c king PEA??

you really should pay more attention to whats being said and who says it nobby,    I never once stated I clean 30 houses a day   Bob said that to mke in reply to me calling all my customers.

but hey keep up with the reading and writing and all those tractor driving days will be over,   now all you need is a nappy for your nose  




anyway are you not feeling down of late,  I remeber reading one of your posts a couple of months ago saying how you felt down with window cleaning and stuff like that ?

thank god for that DISCLAIMER EH  

[Sapphire Window Cleaning]

I couldnt feel better!

[stephen s]

I couldnt feel better!

good to hear  but I will be honest and say that was bang out of order for me to say that to you even if it was just to wind you up and that is wrong of me and I apologise for that last comment  but you can also do with leaving out any personal attacks  and I'm not a Liar

[Sapphire Window Cleaning]

I couldnt feel better!

good to hear  but I will be honest and say that was bang out of order for me to say that to you even if it was just to wind you up and that is wrong of me and I apologise for that last comment  but you can also do with leaving out any personal attacks  and I'm not a Liar

Apology accepted, I apologise for accusing you of lying, even though I find some of what you say hard to believe.

going back onto subject, most of us give a guarantee.
So any problem will be rectified asap. All my customers know that.
I charge 50% more for first cleans, and I spend 50% longer on them.

[jimboo]

bitches, the lot of yez