converting from traditional to wfp

[roy barrett]

Hi , I am a traditional window cleaner with 6 members of staff with continuous staff problems, i'm sick of staff, I have a big 80% domestic and 20 % commercial round ,mostly compact and i'm thinking of converting my round to a reach and wash system , keeping my best work and working with just one member of staff .

I am concerned about how my customers will take to the windows being cleaned with wfp instead of traditional and I would love some advise from anyone that has converted and how it went for them and did you loose many customers etc

 

[Clisty1989]

99% of customers won't care, as long as windows are clean, just may need to explain it. You may lose a couple, but you'll be working a lot quicker so will still earn more money a day. Odd are if you didn't wanna lose all your staff you could do all of it with 2 less, although all cleans will basically be 1st cleans again as you have to strip off years of soap film and soap bleeding out off seals. There's been a few threads on those issues on here before, but after 1st clean you'll be around 25-30% quicker on most jobs

 

[spruce]

Hi , I am a traditional window cleaner with 6 members of staff with continuous staff problems, i'm sick of staff, I have a big 80% domestic and 20 % commercial round ,mostly compact and i'm thinking of converting my round to a reach and wash system , keeping my best work and working with just one member of staff .
I am concerned about how my customers will take to the windows being cleaned with wfp instead of traditional and I would love some advise from anyone that has converted and how it went for them and did you loose many customers etc

I would say you are overly worried.

If you are going to reduce the number of staff and the size of the round, then just go for it. If you loose a few customers you have plenty to fall back on.

As has been said by @Clisty1989, most won't care and you may need to occasionally explain how the system works. Most people know what deionised water is these days. 12 years ago very few knew.

To start with we lost 2 or 3 customers as they wanted the windows done properly. But we also gained more that we lost. As I said on another post, 99% of the trad round we bought were dormers. A lot of people saw our system as the answer to clean windows without having their roof tiles broken. So we found a new customer base.

.

 

[M A S FREEMAN]

A lot of my customers cared when I changed over.

I had to look at why it was good for them (frames included, inaccessible windows etc) and point that out. Then, I started to say how I needed to start changing over with health reasons (aches and pains of ladder work as well as a few risks on the ladder).

Most people were understanding and I said about a 3 month trial (see what it's like) and most prefer wfp now.

Only thing is to watch brushes - I became worried about painted windows and if I was causing damage but with the right brush, easy.

Definitely worth a go.

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[Chris33]

@M A S FREEMAN what did you find was the right brush for such windows mate?

I am also converting a trad round to wfp @roy barrett. Only so many per day as also using a hell of a lot of water on these select few each day.

No issues so far but gently gently does the transition best in my case anyway and information is key i think as pointed out

 

[Phildeeney]

You can't go wrong with a flocked brush imo

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[francie]

You can't go wrong with a flocked brush imo
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Hi phil im also in the progress of switching, is the flocked brush a good allrounder, or just for certain windows?

Bit of topic sorry, but i was thinking when i switch over, i can start in the morning as early as i want, as i wont be " looking " in peoples windows lol

 

[spruce]

Hi phil im also in the progress of switching, is the flocked brush a good allrounder, or just for certain windows?
Bit of topic sorry, but i was thinking when i switch over, i can start in the morning as early as i want, as i wont be " looking " in peoples windows lol

You can't start on every ones house at the proverbial crack of dawn. I certainly wouldn't be happy. Your comments "I won't be looking in their windows" indicates to me you expect people to still be at home and haven't left for work when you start cleaning. It also indicates that people may not be up and dressed at the time you call.

People's privacy isn't about your interpretation of it. Its their interpretation that counts. We had a charity bag put through the door at 5am one morning. In theory that fellow was taking advantage of the early morning and probably was doing it before he had a days work to do. But he triggered the outside lights and pushing the bag through the letter box set the dog off barking waking us up.

You will find who the early morning risers are on your section of the round so you can start with them. One of the local lads looked for small commercial work that he could do first to start the day off before starting his residential. He did the odd house before 8 but says that the earliest you can start in our area is around 9.

You will make a noise on the window frames with the brush stock, especially getting into the corners. In the worst case it will wake people up and least it could give people a fright as well.

Upsetting people is the quickest way to loose customers.

.

 

[J and S]

I phased it in over 3 cleans in the Summer.

I have to admit it is actually frightening to start with but then you find that half the people are out all day and the other half are just interested and like to watch and ask questions which gives you time to explain how it works.

I started on 3 detached houses I new would be empty all day and that gave the rest of the street time to see what I was doing and it gave me a chance to check my work.....I picked a very sunny day to start so if I could get them perfect in the sun I would be more confident.

I didn't lose one customer last Summer and have added £100 in value to my round so far doing some 3 storey that are next to my round but couldn't be done by ladder.

Can you believe as well, one customer last month asked me how long I had been doing them.this way. Shows how much notice some take.

 

[DJTheWindowCleaner]

I was petrified at the time of switch over as I didn't have the biggest of rounds and worried I'd lose customers. In the end I lost about £20 (the kind of customers who complained at the slightest anyway and thought WFP was witchcraft) but have gained easily £200. Lots of 3 storey jobs I wouldn't do on a ladder. I found posting a letter through the day before I cleaned, explaining how WFP works and the benefits of it plus the fact they will need more than one clean to get them to pure water level of clean, really helped. Communication is key.

 

[Dave B]

I just turned up as normal and cleaned

When i knocked the door afterwards if they were in i just told them i am not using ladders anymore as i have had a few close calls and don't want to kill myself, it's pure water so no marks will be left any issues give me a shout and I'll come fix it as you may have muck drip down later if i missed it..no calls and no problems

 

[Philip]

You can't start on every ones house at the proverbial crack of dawn. I certainly wouldn't be happy. Your comments "I won't be looking in their windows" indicates to me you expect people to still be at home and haven't left for work when you start cleaning. It also indicates that people may not be up and dressed at the time you call.
People's privacy isn't about your interpretation of it. Its their interpretation that counts. We had a charity bag put through the door at 5am one morning. In theory that fellow was taking advantage of the early morning and probably was doing it before he had a days work to do. But he triggered the outside lights and pushing the bag through the letter box set the dog off barking waking us up.

You will find who the early morning risers are on your section of the round so you can start with them. One of the local lads looked for small commercial work that he could do first to start the day off before starting his residential. He did the odd house before 8 but says that the earliest you can start in our area is around 9.

You will make a noise on the window frames with the brush stock, especially getting into the corners. In the worst case it will wake people up and least it could give people a fright as well.

Upsetting people is the quickest way to loose customers.

.

Spruce was there not a guy on here last week saying that they delivered leaflets and stuff at 5am so he can get a few extra quid before he starts his window cleaning? It was prob him lol

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[spruce]

Spruce was there not a guy on here last week saying that they delivered leaflets and stuff at 5am so he can get a few extra quid before he starts his window cleaning? It was prob him lol
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It was a charity bag. /emoticons/biggrin.png

 

[Dave Maycock]

I did my conversion slowly. And made sure I was confident with WFP pole. Then started with the jobs I thought I could guarantee good results. Even 1 year after getting a full 2 man system I was terrified of reach and washing some of our jobs. Now I look back I can't believe I hung on so long.

I found it's just about making sure the customer is comfortable when they give you the money. Some people don't care how you do it. Some people are more fussy and require more patience. I have some valued customers I had to have my lunch while they dried and go back and look at them with them. (Especially when it was customers I had picked up after they had got rid of their last guy on WFP and they got me cos if go up a ladder) we've tamed some people I really thought would never have it.

I also have a print out that explains how it works and the benefits. That I can hand to the people who look at me like some sort of moron when I suggest I'm going to leave them wet.

Only yesterday I converted a bungalow I've had about 6 years to WFP and I got the... "you're not gonna leave them like that are you?!?" I explained it like I've had to hundreds of times and told her if there was anything she was happy with in an hour to give me a call and I'd come straight back... she never called.

(I've had our 2 man full WFP 3 years now with a 13 year old round and we're still not 100% wash! Although not far from it)

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[tommy15468]

Hi , I am a traditional window cleaner with 6 members of staff with continuous staff problems, i'm sick of staff, I have a big 80% domestic and 20 % commercial round ,mostly compact and i'm thinking of converting my round to a reach and wash system , keeping my best work and working with just one member of staff .
I am concerned about how my customers will take to the windows being cleaned with wfp instead of traditional and I would love some advise from anyone that has converted and how it went for them and did you loose many customers etc

U will lose some but who cares [emoji1362]

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[CHWS]

I start saying to them , look love I clean my own windows with it and I only live in a bungalow because it's a better job

 

[Posh]

I will never agree it's a better job.

With me depends what mood I'm in.

Sometimes I'll get the pole out sometimes I trad them.

Never had a complaint & never had soap coming out the rubbers.

 

[Poles Apart]

Get a variety of brushes I find Mono is quicker, Use flocked sill Brushes for first cleans.

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