How many houses do you guys trad clean.

[Elliott randall]

Hi guys
My dad has been cleaning windows traditionally for coming onto 15 years. He’s absolutely mastered it tbf gathering nearly 2000 bi monthly and some monthly customers. He works with someone else also as they are business partners. He goes out 3 times a week money collecting cash payers who weren’t in etc but I just can’t help but feel like iff he changed over to Wfp like me it would take so much stress off him and he could gain allot more reliable customers with a good cash flow etc but overall make the job so much easier for him. that’s just my opinion anyway.
Let me know your thoughts haha

 

[ched999uk]

I think it will be difficult to persuade your dad and his business partner to change to wfp in the short term. Maybe 1 thing they could do is start trying to promote people paying via BACS, GoCardless even by cheque now most banks allow you to pay them in via their banking apps and taking a photo of the cheques.

I assume he has come out with you or at least seen you wfp cleaning? I'm not sure how long you have been going as when I started I was quite slow but after 18 months I have gained some speed but retained quality. Maybe if he sees how much safer and quicker wfp can be he might be tempted to invest.

It sort of depends on why he is stressed really - is it the cash collecting? If so try getting more customers to pay in alternative ways, someone on here (can't remember who) give their customers a ziploc bag that they leave the money in a known place so they collect as they go.

Personally I do think that he could benefit from wfp but it would be a big transition for his customers and at the beginning it might well take longer and cost him more in overheads.

 

[Iron Giant]

Personally I do think that he could benefit from wfp but it would be a big transition for his customers and at the beginning it might well take longer and cost him more in overheads.

This is the very reason some don't make the switch or go down the backpack route as they don't want to spend the £1,000's in getting a fully set up van system, I had said it before on here when I converted over 14 years ago I got a PF trolley my total investment including pole and a R/O was around £1,100 one other cleaner laughed when I told him how much I had spent on my equipment some simply can't get their head around making such an investment in their business these days a £1,000 isn't that much when we look at buying 2-3 poles

Also as you said it's the time that it takes to convert work to wfp his earnings would be down on a daily basis whilst they get the frames up to standard I did mine in phases doing blocks of work within a day so many wfp and then trad but I had a lot fewer customers all those years ago.

An old fella I know has been trad over 30 years or more he got a backpack after his brother who worked for him died so he was on his own but he still goes up the ladder and most likely does more work trad, he is in his 70's and even a few years ago would never consider going full wfp because he said he needs his car for when he picks up the grandkids

 

[mike007]

If he, is partner and his customers are happy with cleaning Trad, what is the problem.?. Is it you thinking wfp is the only way it has to be done.

 

[scottish cleaning service]

Trad can be really enjoyable in summer time but brutal in the winter. Collecting means you meet your customers and can have a chat with them. He's making enough money and enjoys it then why would he change.

 

[K in Kent]

and how many of his customers would be willing to change? Maybe that concerns him. Yes I know all the arguments about educating them and safety first etc but if he's happy as he is leave him be. We all know wfp is by far the better option but each to their own

 

[Mrgirth]

Iv been trad for 22 years until about 12 months ago started with backpacks and Gerry cans it was just as much hard work as being traditional so I finally invested in a van and full setup
Best thing I ever did yes you get the odd moaner who prefers it the old way and I still do the odd ladder work but now picking new jobs up and adding frames in the prices I will just phase these nuisances out
End of the day Most of us can’t run up and down ladders forever at a great pace so this was a great move for me and would recommend it to anyone in a similar predicament to me

 

[scottish cleaning service]

One of my moaners passed away a few weeks ago so I have only one left on same street. If they don't like it then tell them to find a Trad guy because they can become quite aggressive towards us wfp guys.