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When they insist you Trad their windows when you just want to WFP it

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PJ Bullard

Well-known member
Messages
379
Location
Watford
I had it today. Custy has all leaded, newly fitted and thus far, I've sucummed and tradded it. But today, picture the scene, Im next door cleaning the neighbours with my pole in the rain. She comes out and makes small talk but I said unfortunetly as its wet, I won't be erecting the ladder to do your windows, but you could just let me do them wfp. And then I got the lectutre about how their last windy pulled all the leadings out when he used a pole (Ive heard it before).

Anyone ever had this?

 
Yeah I don't deal with it I'll tell them I will do downstairs trad but I'll charge more for it for time if there leaded sack that had my time buffing lead windows up...to be fair I can just rinse leaded without scrubbing now high flow rate job done

 
I can understand there concern. Ive pulled the leading of loads of windows. Well that stuck on stuff. Fold it back down nice and neat lol.

 
Had one leave a message saying she has got someone to go up a ladder for her. Glad to get rid!!!!!!

I was doing wfp first floor and to try and pacify her, trad ground floor. She was perfectly happy and left a message saying so after last clean. Some customers don't know when they have it good.

 
I never understand them people who say you can pole my one above conservatory but trad the rest...well no madam it's either Or the other

Sorry going off topic a bit

 
I had it today. Custy has all leaded, newly fitted and thus far, I've sucummed and tradded it. But today, picture the scene, Im next door cleaning the neighbours with my pole in the rain. She comes out and makes small talk but I said unfortunetly as its wet, I won't be erecting the ladder to do your windows, but you could just let me do them wfp. And then I got the lectutre about how their last windy pulled all the leadings out when he used a pole (Ive heard it before).
Anyone ever had this?
There right though does bugger the lead up [emoji15]

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ask them if they like running around with there kids and opening xmas gifts on the floor at xmas time so which there will say yes

so replay , so do I and getting up on a ladder falling off being in a wheel chair pooin myself and getting spoon fed by my wife doesn't sound good for 15 pound to clean your windows this is way I use the pole system , so we will call it a day

you should see there faces

 
There right though does bugger the lead up [emoji15]

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Going on past experiences, if you pole side to side upstairs and turn your pole on its side and pole top to bottom downstairs you shouldnt have a problem.

Never had lead lift off doing it this way and on a first clean if the lead looks loose i offer to reglue it back on at an extra charge before i start.

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ask them if they like running around with there kids and opening xmas gifts on the floor at xmas time so which there will say yes
so replay , so do I and getting up on a ladder falling off being in a wheel chair pooin myself and getting spoon fed by my wife doesn't sound good for 15 pound to clean your windows this is way I use the pole system , so we will call it a day

you should see there faces
Further to @noddy 's post. When we changed over to wfp we actually had a customer who we did traditionally tell me that he insisted we get up a ladder and do the windows properly. He was paying for the job to be done that way and didn't care about our safety doing it off ladders. According to him, our safety was our problem not his.

When you get to deal with someone that stupid you very quickly realise its like trying to reason with a terrorist. We just calmly thanked him for his previous custom and walked away.

He replaced us with a trad cleaner who is still doing them off ladders today. Amazingly, he got all his neighbours who were also our customers to dump us in favour of the trad guy as well, so that must have really made his day. I think he may have been rather gutted if he found out that actually, it didn't bother me much at all.

 
Point out the fact that legally a customer is liable if you come off a ladder on their property

That is the law so they can't argue

They have the obligation to know what equipment you will be using and by agreeing to you doing the job that way they are legally responsible

No different from a commercial customer needing rams

 
Expierencing this a lot recently after making change from trad to wfp after 8 years starting to **** me off I don't wanna lose custom but feel like pushing there nose against window and say look clean just like wen I did trad no diffrrence[emoji35][emoji23]

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If i judge a House to be wfp. Then its the Way If im gonna clean it . I would say 95% of my 1st floor houses are wfp. Mostly using the ladder to acces balkonys and stuff.

Stand your Ground ! :thumbsup:

 
Further to @noddy 's post. When we changed over to wfp we actually had a customer who we did traditionally tell me that he insisted we get up a ladder and do the windows properly. He was paying for the job to be done that way and didn't care about our safety doing it off ladders. According to him, our safety was our problem not his.
When you get to deal with someone that stupid you very quickly realise its like trying to reason with a terrorist. We just calmly thanked him for his previous custom and walked away.

He replaced us with a trad cleaner who is still doing them off ladders today. Amazingly, he got all his neighbours who were also our customers to dump us in favour of the trad guy as well, so that must have really made his day. I think he may have been rather gutted if he found out that actually, it didn't bother me much at all.
I had the same thing when I switched to wfp years ago. One of my old customers became quite rude about the whole safety issue. I politely walked away. He found a trad fella and persuaded both his neighbors to change to his trad guy as well. Shortly thereafter the new windie fell off his ladder one very wet morning following a night of heavy rain and broke his wrist. I remember seeing him that morning and being very glad my feet were firmly on the floor. He gave it up shortly after that and guess what? My old customer had a change of heart. I now do all three of those customers and get no argument from them. The original old fella tips me every clean now. The other windie has disappeared.

 
I've got one customer who double checks that I'm NOT going to use ladders every month I clean her windows:))

She sees them on top of the van and asks the same thing every time "you're not going to use those today are you?"

She's literally terrified that someone will have an accident on her property.

 
Expierencing this a lot recently after making change from trad to wfp after 8 years starting to **** me off I don't wanna lose custom but feel like pushing there nose against window and say look clean just like wen I did trad no diffrrence[emoji35][emoji23]

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Don't worry. If I had the choice, I'd rather loose a customer than loose my life. Customers' can be replaced.

Remember loosing a customer is a same as the hole left behind when you pull your arm out of a bucket of water.

.

 
Don't worry. If I had the choice, I'd rather loose a customer than loose my life. Customers' can be replaced.
Remember loosing a customer is a same as the hole left behind when you pull your arm out of a bucket of water.

.

here here ive seen the pics of whats left of windies legs after falling off a ladder not nice ! banging your shin off the tow ball brings a tear you the eye never mind snaping a shin

 
I use a flocked brush for everything. It's loads better on leaded than my old mixed trim one
I also use a flocked sill brush on leaded (Gardiner's) and its the dogs danglies - truely gets the muck out from all the nooks and crannies. However, this custy is the type not to change her mind. I didn't do hers yesterday, but I did her 2 neighbours who dont have a problem with WFPs.

Thing is, her leaded windows were only fitted literally about 8 months ago, so they are brand new. No way would a flocked sill brush pull the lead out, but that is the way she sees it.

 
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