Lesson learned or business opportunity?

[Arnold2408]

Hi all

I would love some of your opions on getting back to work after a nasty fall.

Most, but not all of my work is WFP.   There's a few I still do trad and the odd gutter clean for regular customers if they ask.

I came off the ladder a couple of weeks ago whilst cleaning out a gutter. Even my ladder m8rix didn't stop the accident.

So having time on my hands whilst in plaster has got me re thinking my work.

Would anyone recommend that I just crack on as before when I return work.  After all I worked for many years trad with no injuries.  Or perhaps I should drop ladder work completely.

I have also realised whilst reading the forum that I  have been charging silly prices for cleaning out gutters in the past.

Would this be a good time time to invest in a gutter vac and charge the going rate.  Is there decent money to be made with the odd gutter clean if I charge correctly?

Yours thoughts and advice would be appreciated as I have plenty of time to read them before I'm fit for work!

Thanks. Paul

 

[Part Timer]

Depends what you feel like about climbing a ladder again, why did you fall, were you overreaching? Gutter Vacs are good for heights above first floor but ladders with pro gutter tools are by far and away the quickest for first floor work. Would your customers accept paying considerably more now to have their gutters cleaned?

A good gutter vac and tools is £1k+, do you generate enough work to justify that. Would it not be cheaper to get someone to foot the ladder instead. Get well soon and hope the physio isn't to painful

 

[bloxwich pressure clean]

personally i think you should get back on the horse and carry on , accidents happen and you could just as easy hurt yourself falling off a kerb . as for gutter cleans and prices i have a vac and haven't used it since February , as i tend to find most gutters need clipping back together so i do them from the ladder with a set of pro-tools , as for price here in the midlands i charge £3 a metre to clear £5 to clear and clean but im sure as with everything else it varies wildly up and down the country . and just bear in mind to have a healthy respect of ladders/heights but dont worry about it or you will never get any work done 

 

[spruce]

Now's the time to change everything over to wfp. If your customer want their windows done traditionally then they need to find someone else who doesn't value his life.

You had a warning shot, don't let the bullet hit you next time.

I'm talking from experience. For some unknown reason, I thought I was on the ground and stepped off the ladder. I was actually on the first floor. Fortunately I landed on soft ground - that was my warning shot.

We still use ladders ocassionally for cleaning out gutters, but its on our terms.

Gutter vacs have their place but aren't the answer to everything. Once they are up and running you can clean gutters quickly, but setup time has to be accounted for. We have to arrange for a customer to leave an extension lead out as we don't have a generator.

Once we get back home cleaning out the pipes and the vac of any remaining muck takes me about an hour.

 

[Gazz]

Subcontract the work to someone who wants to do gutters and go full wfp system. 

And focus on windows only and drop all gutters. I'm sure people are now making the same with a full run than messing around doing add ons.

 

[tench0771]

get a gutter vac m8 there ace i wouldent be with out mine now the only time i ladder gutters is to clear blocked down spouts  that way ive minamized any risk of falling off i now also fit gutter bollons on my reguler custmers so i dont have to climb ladder again  ive only had a few jobs were the vac couldent sort it

 

[Guest]

I find gutter vacs useless as the slates nearly always cover too much of the gutter.

ankalad and stand off is king for me.

 

[Nicky]

I wouldn't be without my gutter vac either , I use a generator to power it the customers are well impressed, accidents can happen any time I was once doing a power wash job just finished took my boots off and put trainers on to brush water off stepped backwards down 3inch cerb broke ankle, I would advise for you to climb the ladder again when safe to do so, just so you have no fear of it and to get your confidence back, ladders are a last resort , how did you fall with a m8 tricks 

 

[maxiswindies]

Get a gutter vac mate and go wfp. I took the plunge and invested in a vac recently. It has paid for itself within a couple of weeks. I do gutters 2-3 times per week and its a great addition on for me. I often get people coming over to me to give their gutters a clean at the same time. Great time of the year to do this work as well. I'm finding a lack of window cleaners in my area doing this work so generating a lot of work and new customers at the moment.

 

[Chris33]

Also had a minor fall the other week Arnold, poor ladder positioning on my part though.

Bit of a fright but a safelanding. It got me thinking though, if a customer doesn't realise how dangerous ladders can be on the wfp changeover then it's something we need to inform them off as we convert..on slips on 1st wfp clean for example.

If they are still unhappy after this, then do we want to continue for someone who doesn't value our health at all?



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[Dave B]

personally i think you should get back on the horse and carry on , accidents happen and you could just as easy hurt yourself falling off a kerb . as for gutter cleans and prices i have a vac and haven't used it since February , as i tend to find most gutters need clipping back together so i do them from the ladder with a set of pro-tools , as for price here in the midlands i charge £3 a metre to clear £5 to clear and clean but im sure as with everything else it varies wildly up and down the country . and just bear in mind to have a healthy respect of ladders/heights but dont worry about it or you will never get any work done 

But falling off a kerb won't break vertebrae in your spine 

Wfp for tops is the way to go

 

[Iron Giant]

Fact of the matter is we are humans and can and will make mistakes as their is always one day when we are not fully concentrating, My one day almost 15 years ago to the day resulted in me snapping my spine in 2 places crushing a vertabrae by 70% and breaking my wrist I was very lucky not to be spending the rest of my life in a wheelchair one mistake could have altered my life drastically .

 

[Chris33]

Iron giant you are a lucky chap mate

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[spruce]

Iron giant you are a lucky chap mate

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I couldn't agree more.

Makes my fall seem like a walk in the park - just a bit bruised, sore and a shattered ego. I was glad no one was watching at the time, but on reflection, that wasn't a good thing to be glad about.

Generally speaking, I just can't believe the number of people in all walks of life that just don't believe it could possibly happen to them. Two photos of hurricane Irma are burned in my brain. The first was of a young woman in cutoff jeans standing on the beach looking out to the stormy sea  and the other was of a surfer making the most of the waves whipped up by the winds. That was the area people were told to evacuate because they were in the predicted path of the hurricane. I wonder what happened to them.

Then there is the report of the family who ignored the keep out warning signs and their 11 year old boy fell into a volcanic crater in Italy. The parents also died trying to recue him - they left another child orphaned.

 

[Iron Giant]

Iron giant you are a lucky chap mate

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I don't have many incidents but they always end up being quite bad, I will save the one in a sawmill for another time but it wasn't my fault.

@bloxwich pressure clean falling off a kerb could do serious damage a old school mate and client of mine slipped off the stairs in his house only second off bottom ended up breaking his neck and damaging a vertabrae.

 

[Iron Giant]

I couldn't agree more.

Makes my fall seem like a walk in the park - just a bit bruised, sore and a shattered ego. I was glad no one was watching at the time, but on reflection, that wasn't a good thing to be glad about.

Generally speaking, I just can't believe the number of people in all walks of life that just don't believe it could possibly happen to them. Two photos of hurricane Irma are burned in my brain. The first was of a young woman in cutoff jeans standing on the beach looking out to the stormy sea  and the other was of a surfer making the most of the waves whipped up by the winds. That was the area people were told to evacuate because they were in the predicted path of the hurricane. I wonder what happened to them.

Then there is the report of the family who ignored the keep out warning signs and their 11 year old boy fell into a volcanic crater in Italy. The parents also died trying to recue him - they left another child orphaned.

Their is no telling some people, My wifes friends who were working and living in Florida luckily managed to drive around 1500 miles out of Florida and up into Texas to avoid Irma and they didn't think they would make it as they struggled to find fuel for their car. 

 

[koopmaster]

I am wfp but used a ladder now and then but my ladder fell over while I was on a roof so I decided that was the last time to use a ladder. I told the few customers that I'm not using one and it's now in the shed. I still have a short one but refuse to use it. Not had any reason to use one since June now... Keeping my feet on the ground...

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[Clisty1989]

I am wfp but used a ladder now and then but my ladder fell over while I was on a roof so I decided that was the last time to use a ladder. I told the few customers that I'm not using one and it's now in the shed. I still have a short one but refuse to use it. Not had any reason to use one since June now... Keeping my feet on the ground...

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read that and was reminded of @Dave B when he had to be rescued by @Adams0211 a few months back :1f61c: