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No I won't re clean your windows trad.

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Eddie dragon

Well-known member
Messages
374
Location
Oxford
Turned up at one of the new ones I'm subbing. Gave a knock an introduced myself. Explained the Wfp, OK she says. So I clean the windows and knock for the payment. Old man answers the door. Before I can say anything he starts. I'm not F ing paying you haven't cleaned them. You will get your ladder of and re do all my windows right now. No sir I won't be doing that. your windows are clean and I did explain to your wife that they would be left wet. I guarantee they will dry crystal clear. No they won't all you've done is splash a bit a of water about. Robbing b. I'm not paying for this.

My wife would be impressed as I didn't blow a gasket. I took a step back and told him OK sir don't pay me today. I will be passing by tomorrow so will call by. Yes you will he said to clean them properly. Oh no sir I will call round, your windows will have dried to a streak free shine. You will them offer me an apology and my payment. With that I walked away. Recon this will be the first customer I dump. What a rude old git.

 
I've had one or two that I have done for some time and then they are home one day, seen that you don't blade them off and have had the same or similar response. I usually ask them if they have been satisfied to date because I've been cleaning them this way for x amount of time with no complaints from them. I may briefly explain the benefits again if I deem it necessary.

Sometimes they're alright about it after that and other times not. I've had one or two drop me and switch to a trad cleaner who I know doesn't clean the frames because he's told me so, and can't clean windows over their conny roofs. But it is their choice and I make it plain that I respect that.

 
I have the odd customer who happens to be in that hasn't 'seen' the aftermath of using WFP to clean their windows before and they may ask why their windows are still wet. I just explain that their windows have been cleaned this way for 6 months now and they'll dry in an hours time. All are fine. If anybody had the gall to demand I clean their windows trad etc then I'm afraid I perhaps wouldn't be as polite as you were as he's being completely disrespectful. The 'do it properly' (by hand) morons are out of touch and simply have no idea. Bet if you were to turn around and tell him you've got over £4k's worth of equipment being used to 'splash a bit of water' on his windows he would have shut up. I wouldn't go again once you've collected the money tomorrow whether he's satisfied or not. Miserable codger.

 
I done a fsg and window clean on a house the customer was over the moon and paid me, got all my gear packed away and just about to jump in the van when she knocked the window with an angry look on her face pointing at all the water on the window.

She opened the window and stuck her head out and asked why I haven't dried them,

I just explained to her about how high the Tds is in tap water and that's why it dries with water marks and went on to ask her how many kettles and showers has she got through due to limescale(really hard water area round here), I then went on to explain to her that using sophisticated filtration technology I remove all the deposits from the water leaving nothing behind to leave marks and to go round now wiping the windows down would leave marks and in fact leaving the water on longer actually helps to penetrate the glass as when it is this pure it acts like a solvent and will go even deeper and remove even more grime on the next clean. By this point she was converted, told her you have my number if by tomorrow it has dried with any marks give me a ring and I will come straight back and fix it.

I think communication is key, explain to them the science behind it and it improves there image of you, giving them the confidence that you know what you are doing, got 6 in the same road now all recommended from the same house so must have impressed her.

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go back tomorow and let him show u what he is not happy about i bet he still finds something or sases he has done them him self lol some old people are just not ever guna move with the times

 
go back tomorow and let him show u what he is not happy about i bet he still finds something or sases he has done them him self lol some old people are just not ever guna move with the times
Or just blind sided by their old ways. 9/10 times WFP does a better and more thorough job than a squeegee could ever do. My customers windows regularly look almost 'as good' as when I left them the previous month when I go back now. The lack of soap on the glass reduces all the **** that would be attracted to it so they're far less dirty than they used to be when I cleaned them traditionally.

 
Had a new customer last week a big farm house only ever been done trad before her previous windies asnt been back for 4 months and can't get in touch with him, had to assure her numerous times before I left it would dry streaked free, gave her the money back guarantee, that was last Thursday not heard anything since, so finger crossed for you hopefully the fella with eat humble pie and agree on a good job.

 
I would have lost the plot being spoken to like that..well done for keeping calm

I am wfp and trad and love wfp for the ease of cleaning frames etc but this is total rubbish

" infact leaving the water on longer actually helps to penetrate the glass as when it is this pure it acts like a solvent and will go even deeper and remove even more grime on the next clean."

Yes it does a great job but water evaporates and then the glass gets dirty so this easier to clean next time bit is ****

The glass is cleaner due to no soap on it but that's about it

 
I would take a camera back tomorrow and take a photo slightly to the side of each window. If they question why, which they will do, then just reply they will be used as evidence if this goes to court.

 
Went back this morning. Gleaming windows. One apology, payment and a tenner to buy a drink with final apology for how rude he was.

 
Went back this morning. Gleaming windows. One apology, payment and a tenner to buy a drink with final apology for how rude he was.
Glad you got your money and an apology must of been a bitter pill for him to swallow

Sent from my SM-A300FU using Tapatalk

 
It's an objection due to customer programming. However it is an objection we hear less of these days.

When I come across it I just say 'don't pay me' and they look shocked.

'I can see you're a bit dubious so dont pay me. They will dry just fine so take a look tomorrow and you will see, you can pay me double next clean once you're satisfied'

They have all insisted on paying on the spot once they see you are convinced enough to put your payment on it.

There is however no excuse for bad manners.

 
It's an objection due to customer programming. However it is an objection we hear less of these days.
When I come across it I just say 'don't pay me' and they look shocked.

'I can see you're a bit dubious so dont pay me. They will dry just fine so take a look tomorrow and you will see, you can pay me double next clean once you're satisfied'

They have all insisted on paying on the spot once they see you are convinced enough to put your payment on it.

There is however no excuse for bad manners.
I agree, there is no excuse for bad manners, no matter how bad one feels. A mild answer does wonders to ease the situation.

When we started wfp 10 years ago the average man in the street had never heard of it. We bought a trad round, were introduced to the customers, converted it to wfp as most houses were dormers and then were confronted by customer negativity.

We also had to say that they didn't have to pay us until they were satisfied that the quality of clean was far superior to the glass only cleaners before who never even wiped the frames. Even I was impressed when I drove down the street looking at the windows of the houses we had cleaned the previous day. The frames were white and the windows gleamed. Because of customer negativity, we ensured that each window was left perfectly clean, not a streak or spotted window in sight. We got paid for every house we did that first day and yes, we want you to continue cleaning them with your new system.

We spent a lot of time trying to explain that as rain water doesn't leave spots on your windows, our water is purer and won't leave spots either. Mostly it went over their heads.

Nowadays I can't remember when the last customer questioned our methods of cleaning. We had one ask us for a quote about 3 years ago and then asked if we use the pole. When I replied we did she said she wanted them done by hand. We politely thanked her for her enquiry and then parted company when I said that we don't offer that service.

We have a young couple cleaning some windows for us. When they were introduced to the customers they were cleaning, one of our customers wanted to make sure that he was using the same system as we used, the brush on the pole, as she didn't want them done traditionally.

.

 
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