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WFP complacency

Kirksheridan

Member
Messages
31
Location
Plymouth, Devon
Hi all,

Im a new window cleaner been going a couple of months (TRAD) got my number ever increasing through loads of leaflet drops and word of mouth.

Currently have a job working 4 on 4 off so do it on my days off or afternoons after nights.

I must say most of my customers have got hold of me due to there current cleaner being WFP and they don’t like it due to smears, dirty sills and they do t see it as value for money (I assume as it’s so much quicker than trad and is left wet they don’t like it)

My current area of work is a affluent area with shall we say a ageing community.

I price my jobs on what I want to earn hourly (£20) and can clean 2 X 3 bed semi in that time (glass, frames and sills)

Does moving over to WFP make you complacent?

I’m sure this may cause offence and none is intended it’s just 75% of my customers change to me from WFP.

Regards

Kirk

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You either take pride in your work, or not.

Wether you clean trad or wfp doesn't matter if you don't care.

I converted to wfp 2.5 years ago and delivery spotless better results more consistently.

 
Funny you say that we have been wfp about 15 or so years and most of the ones we get like the pole as the frames  are cleaned much better and stay clean longer they are dropping trad cleaners like mad there are only a couple left now , there is a place for trad and ime not knocking it but I think give it 10 years max trad as a main business will be gone bit like the horse  and cart 

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Most of the work I get is from trad cleaners. The customers prefer that I clean all

the frames, doors, sills, and don’t leave holes in their grass, or have to walk on their roof tiles to access certain windows. 

As said above, it’s the not the method that is right or wrong, it’s the cleaner. You’ve just got a lot of splash and dash cleaners in your area by the sounds of it, and also linking that with the fact you seem to be underselling yourself means your going to be the cheaper option too. 

 
Hi all,

Im a new window cleaner been going a couple of months (TRAD) got my number ever increasing through loads of leaflet drops and word of mouth.

Currently have a job working 4 on 4 off so do it on my days off or afternoons after nights.

I must say most of my customers have got hold of me due to there current cleaner being WFP and they don’t like it due to smears, dirty sills and they do t see it as value for money (I assume as it’s so much quicker than trad and is left wet they don’t like it)

My current area of work is a affluent area with shall we say a ageing community.

I price my jobs on what I want to earn hourly (£20) and can clean 2 X 3 bed semi in that time (glass, frames and sills)

Does moving over to WFP make you complacent?

I’m sure this may cause offence and none is intended it’s just 75% of my customers change to me from WFP.

Regards

Kirk

Sent from my iPhone using Window Cleaning Forums


It's the operator not the method that's the issue. You need to make sure you don't "make a rod for your own back" here because when you eventually want to move over to WFP you're going to have problems convincing them....

Personally I would suggest you move over to WFP as soon as possible, it's safer and faster, you can earn more money and you could set yourself up for around £500 with a trolley, backpack & 25L barrels.

 
Hi all,

Im a new window cleaner been going a couple of months (TRAD) got my number ever increasing through loads of leaflet drops and word of mouth.

Currently have a job working 4 on 4 off so do it on my days off or afternoons after nights.

I must say most of my customers have got hold of me due to there current cleaner being WFP and they don’t like it due to smears, dirty sills and they do t see it as value for money (I assume as it’s so much quicker than trad and is left wet they don’t like it)

My current area of work is a affluent area with shall we say a ageing community.

I price my jobs on what I want to earn hourly (£20) and can clean 2 X 3 bed semi in that time (glass, frames and sills)

Does moving over to WFP make you complacent?

I’m sure this may cause offence and none is intended it’s just 75% of my customers change to me from WFP.

Regards

Kirk

Sent from my iPhone using Window Cleaning Forums
Mate if you were WFP, you would look back at that £20 an hour and smile to yourself 

 
Hi,
Thanks for all the replies I am wanting to go WFP eventually,

Like I said I’ve got a full time job that I’m happy with and just doing this on my days off for some extra money happy to get to 50 houses £500 a month roughly and happy to maintain that.

Currently I’m enjoying the trad for the excercise and work but I’m sure this will change in time.

Agree with the comments about pride in work doesn’t matter which way you do it, I never compete or try to undercut others at all don’t think that’s right personally I give them my price and that’s it they decide, even tho I picked up a customer the other day from another trad guy who only done the glass not plastics I couldn’t believe it.

I will definitely look into the back pack and barrels in the new year it would just be getting the filtered water???

Regards
Kirk


Sent from my iPhone using Window Cleaning Forums

 
I do a few trad, mostly older medieval type windows that we sometimes get  out in the sticks.  Would'nt like too many though. You should be lucky water wise in Plymouth, I believe its pretty soft and you should get by with  just di vessel.

 
I think some do get complacent but with competition stronger than ever in my opinion (been doing it over 12yrs) those that are not doing a decent job won't last or they have customer that don't have courage to say. I had a friend who his window cleaner didn't do frames so I said drop him as they had told him to clean them but they felt sorry for him, silly as he won't learn.

 
Hi,
Thanks for all the replies I am wanting to go WFP eventually,

Like I said I’ve got a full time job that I’m happy with and just doing this on my days off for some extra money happy to get to 50 houses £500 a month roughly and happy to maintain that.

Currently I’m enjoying the trad for the excercise and work but I’m sure this will change in time.

Agree with the comments about pride in work doesn’t matter which way you do it, I never compete or try to undercut others at all don’t think that’s right personally I give them my price and that’s it they decide, even tho I picked up a customer the other day from another trad guy who only done the glass not plastics I couldn’t believe it.

I will definitely look into the back pack and barrels in the new year it would just be getting the filtered water???
If you're currently knocking out £500 a month then just invest that in the WFP kit. As Steve said, you will look back and laugh at £20 an hour, thats a really slow day on poorly priced jobs with a WFP.

With regards to people wanting a trad cleaner I normally ask why. The usual response is the last guy left them spotty or my mate had it and he left them spotty. I just offer to clean a window and show them how it should look!

 

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