Welcome to the UK Window Cleaning Forums

Starting or own a window cleaning business? We're a network of window cleaners sharing advice, tips & experience. Rounds for sale & more. Join us today!

1st job,1st clean,1st complaint

Oneil32

New member
Messages
24
All excited about my new system and new venture but a slight kick in the nuts at my first complaint!

Semi detached house! Upvc windows, moss over the sills,cobwebs, and random stains on the glass on upper level! I scrubbed until I started to think the stain had to be on the inside as it wasn't budging!

Anyway Ive learnt my lesson straight from the begining to spend extra time on those first cleans!

 
I now have a special leaflet printed out explaining why I charge double for first cleans...I hate em...

and I dont bother with some water mark stains as they need specialist treatments...and...I aint buying them unless the custy wants to pay for em..

usually where they have stone lintels

DONT LET IT BRING YOU DOWN...or as daveyboy says..

dont let the barstards grind you down..

wednesday for me was crappety **** but thursday was sweet..

the ups and downs of being a windy..

good luck for the future..if they complain just lap it up and say yes mrs no mrs three bags full mrs.....

and yes ...sometimes the stains are on the insides....I did mine downstairs and the wife said but what are all them streaks...er I said the double glazed unit is knackerd darling...she wasnt having it I had to go outside and prove it to her...

 
Haha,thanks

Because I've just started out and needing the customers I've said I will go and clean them again free of charge!

I do like the idea of charging more for the 1st clean but until I get enough customers I don't feel I'm in a position to chance losing any!

Anyway here is the complaint .....

"I just had a look at the windows from the work you did today and I'm disappointed.

I know that my windows certainly weren't the cleanest however there is still dried bird muck on the upstairs windows and the front room window still has the stain that was there before.

When I pay to have windows cleaned I would expect them to be clean and not still have the dirty parts still there.

I can see they are much better and clearer but I'm not happy with the finished work.

Can you please get back to me

Many Thanks"

 
Yep another reason first cleans are a pain is because people suddenly expect :turd: to shine...so EVEN at double I still take a loss sometimes but at the end you have a custy..

dont worry I have done far too many first times cheap until my new management team from off here took over..

me likes getting paid these days for work no more freebies although I fully understand when you have no work and you just want to get yourself enough to keep going....but I now have enough base custys to be picky...

just mop it up go back have another crack and keep smiling whilst thinking other things in your head....its a good job some custys cant see inside my head.../emoticons/biggrin.png

 
Thanks guys!

Cheapncheerful, I don't suppose you have a copy of the info card you speak of explaining the 1st clean for custys?

I could probably use these /emoticons/smile.png

 
i bleve the old hands at wfp do the 1st cleans on the ladders to make sure its good. now dont shoot me down if you dont , im jus the messenger

 
makes sense Boarcity,but do most do that?

Tbh I would have seen things I missed if I did take the extra time to get the ladder out

 
Please note ..as a first clean takes twice as long I am afraid the price is twice as much as normal!

This really only applies if your windows haven’t been cleaned for over six months..

It is to cover the extra time taken to get bits of paint bird muck spider muck and general built up dirt and grime in not just the windows but the rubbers seals and frames and sills...

A minimum charge of ten pounds will be applied as other wise it just would not be worth me attending and this is also to put people off who just have me get a years muck off and then don’t get me back again.

These days I am afraid I do not have time running around collecting money when a lot of the time people are not in...one house in particular five times and I still have not been paid.

Please either pay online or leave a cheque or leave the money around your property and let me know where it is.

I always leave the property as I find it as regards locked gates etc...I can get over most gates easy by splitting my ladder into two parts.

I prefer contact by email or text as it gives me time to think... there may be a delay on my phone as it is carried in a bag around my neck! Many thanks

plus it has my web site details...I havent actually used one yet as its a new idea ...if you look at the bottom of the forum listings on the home page there are loads of things you can upload that help us out..

you can just delete bits or add your own as you do:D

 
if possible I will always use a customers outside tap for the initial wash and then leave and then redo with pure...and just explain that as it is a first clean some dirt stains are normal...as it takes awhile to get everything clean...

sills can take up to six months of normal wiping to start looking good again..

most first cleans are best done wfp as it gives everything a good scrub...but some bird :turd: thats been on for ages is a bu gger..

 
Thats all right its all part of your learning curve mate, u need a scrapper on some part or insect sheet and paint etc but as said there are some stuff that wont budge and most people wont really mind or notice as long as the rest is spot on, ive often said on a first time clean that it may take several cleans u til they look there absolute best but due to the fact they have been neglected for several years by the look of them they wont come as clean as brand new unfortunately

 
Well I will be going round in the next hour to explain and give it a good scrubb... For free /emoticons/sad.png

Thanks for your advice guys

 
My advice is to first check the windows from the inside to see what the customer is complaining about and make sure it's not blown sealed units and the marks/stains are not on the inside surfaces of the glass or ****/marks on the inside surface in the house. If it's on the outside then identify what it is so you will know if it will come off or not.

Wfping is not as straight forward as ppl think it is just by waggling a stick at a window as there is a skill involved that has to be learnt like any trade.

Here a just a few examples why they may not look good afterwards

Blown sealed units

nothing you can do as the stained/marked glass is trapped inside the sealed unit.

Inside the house

dirt on the inside glass surface so is not down to you

Plastic/ali frames.

Oxidantion - if not been cleaned for a while will turn the water a milky colour as you wash the window down so will leave the glass looking worse if not rinsed off properly.

Rubber seals

can leach out be it black or residue from old soapy and dirt trapped so can cause drip marks.

Window vents

can drip dirty water onto the glass if got wet and cause drip marks. I prefer to wipe over them with a damp microfiber cloth and clean then properly myself including the surround.

Top frames

generally are filthy on first cleans so some decide to leave them out but I prefer to clean then properly so less chance of dirty water dripping down onto the glass if they get wet causing drip marks.

Plastic frame drainage holes

Again can trap dirt so can leach out and cause drip marks.

Hard water staining, Lead staining etc

Spotting issues

There are also many contaminates that will not come off glass just using cold purified water alone and spotting and drip marks left once dries is down to how they are cleaned.

I remember when I first started using wfp method I soon learnt that just using purified water was not good enough on some first cleans/heavily soiled glass. That is when I started using a chemical boost to scrub plastic frames, rubber seals and glass first. Then scrub and rinse down properly using hot/warm purified water.

So say first cleans in my mind as I see it until I do the next clean are really one-offs can take a lot longer to do so I charge extra for the pleasure. Also for plastic restoration work by hand or pole I would be charging extra for that too.

Hope this helps?

 
makes sense Boarcity,but do most do that?
Tbh I would have seen things I missed if I did take the extra time to get the ladder out
cant recall the wfp fellows name , hes a forum poster ,but he has a biggish round with workers and he himself did all the 1st cleans,by ladder .

i know he had open heart surgery or was it an ulcer that bust open, it wasnt both . anyhow i bleve hed be recovered from it by now

 
Usually on dirty first cleans I use virosol on all frames and glass. It melts away the dirt and bird mess.

Then after I've cleaned everything I go back and re do the glass panes only.

I never have any issues and people are usually very impressed with the results.

It does take me about 3 or 4 times longer than a maintenance clean though.

 
I did a first clean on Thursday, but it was a hand job on the frames and sills as they had gone grey. Magic sponge and cream cleaner on the plastics, then neat Ecover on the brush and WFP the windows after.

 
I and I dont bother with some water mark stains as they need specialist treatments...and...I aint buying them unless the custy wants to pay for em..
A bag of 3 lemons from Iceland £1 - And if you dont believe the sheer wonder a lemon is at shifting hard water stains just look at my facebook page. Even though your handles Cheapncheerful I sure you could stretch to £1 /emoticons/tongue.png

 
A bag of 3 lemons from Iceland £1 - And if you dont believe the sheer wonder a lemon is at shifting hard water stains just look at my facebook page. Even though your handles Cheapncheerful I sure you could stretch to £1 /emoticons/tongue.png

What's your face book page?

I like a good picture. /emoticons/smile.png

 
Back
Top