Doing it wrong….

[Yogi1872]

I don't care what you have to say on this matter mate...its clearly BS...I've been window cleaning for 31 years(17 on ladders).

The only way a window cleaner could clean 86 houses in a day would be if they worked 10 hours that day and just posted a slip through half of them without touching the windows!

It's 100% the truth, if it takes you 2 and a half minutes to squeegee the window then maybe your just slow at window cleaning

 

[Yogi1872]

If any of you 2 want to put your money where your mouth is on this il happily take both bets.

 

[Yogi1872]

It may be doable but doing bare minimum glass only and missing frosted windows is not window cleaning whatever anyone days
Plus accident waiting to happen running up and down ladders at that speed
Obviously no hse being used and probably using cheap diy ladders and not inspecting them before use or doing regular full checks
When someone does get properly injured due to negligence and not even working on the books legally then that’s game over

Anyway I am stopping being a mod so I can say what I think and not have to be diplomatic anymore
Too many idiots with and sometimes even dangerous advice on here now and I can’t say what I think
Plus no appreciation for what we do

I’m still being offered in private to go meet someone for a row

The company has been going 45 years and he's managed fine, they do use decent ladders tbf, hse isn't up to much either. I've seen there workers still doing 3 storeys with a double section 21 rung ladder fully extended with no one at the bottom footing it.

He must be pulling in around 9k a week profit though. It's absolutely silly money.

 

[Dave B]

It's 100% the truth, if it takes you 2 and a half minutes to squeegee the window then maybe your just slow at window cleaning

But they are still doing glass only
Try cleaning windows PROPERLY at that speed
Do they wear their spurs on their boots at work?

 

[Yogi1872]

But they are still doing glass only
Try cleaning windows PROPERLY at that speed
Do they wear their spurs on their boots at work?

Yip they are only doing the glass. I've never tried to claim they were doing anything other than just the glass though. If it included wiping the frames and wiping all the soap away then that obviously couldn't be done. Glass only, like all I've ever claimed. Definitely can though if your at a part of the run where houses are like that.

He has so much it's like do 5 I'm a row, miss 1 or 2 then it's 8 in a row etc etc. Everything is very very compact. They have that much of a hold on alot of streets that if say 1 or 2 cancel and get a new window cleaner. The new window cleaner stops going asnits not worth his while going in for so little. So they end up back with the original people again.

Although there's not another company who has even 10% of his work that I can think of near me, there will be more than you'd think I bet who's a similar size who still all operate of the ladder accross the country who we just don't know about.

 

[adamangler]

Complete insanity to still doing trad on domestic work. Its a bit like travelling around in a horse and cart when you could just buy a car and be there a lot quicker. Why would you take 6 days to do work that could be done it 5 when you dont have to. Madness

 

[dazmond]

Complete insanity to still doing trad on domestic work. Its a bit like travelling around in a horse and cart when you could just buy a car and be there a lot quicker. Why would you take 6 days to do work that could be done it 5 when you dont have to. Madness

If you switched back to trad you too could clean 86 houses in a day on your own!

And make 9k profit a WEEK!

It's absolute nonsense and why any window cleaner would try and get anyone to believe such total BS is beyond me!Who are they trying to impress?

 

[dazmond]

It's 100% the truth, if it takes you 2 and a half minutes to squeegee the window then maybe your just slow at window cleaning

Your just a wind up merchant!You keep believing your obvious lies but your not fooling anyone else on here!

 

[Iron Giant]

But they are still doing glass only
Try cleaning windows PROPERLY at that speed
Do they wear their spurs on their boots at work?

I wonder if they get something extra in their pay packets to make them go as fast

 

[ks789]

Just another thing on comparing rubbish factory/supermarket type jobs with sole trader, We rarely went off sick at those factories etc, because you didnt get naff all. statutory sick pay is rubbish, not even a ton a week. Yes, I miss the holiday pay. Plus isnt it wrong that because they will have had money took off to go towards retirement, it will stop them getting pension top up and cold weather payments? It doesnt encourage people to make provision. Not saying its right, just a daft old world nowdays.

 

[Part Timer]

I wonder if they get something extra in their pay packets to make them go as fast

Being Scotland it's probably added to their hip flask

 

[Iron Giant]

Being Scotland it's probably added to their hip flask

Will Nescafe instant coffee dissolve in whisky

 

[Part Timer]

Will Nescafe instant coffee dissolve in whisky

Don't know as I don't do either

 

[Yogi1872]

Buckfast is the drink of choice in scotland. Half bottle warms you up in the mornings.

 

[dazmond]

Just another thing on comparing rubbish factory/supermarket type jobs with sole trader, We rarely went off sick at those factories etc, because you didnt get naff all. statutory sick pay is rubbish, not even a ton a week. Yes, I miss the holiday pay. Plus isnt it wrong that because they will have had money took off to go towards retirement, it will stop them getting pension top up and cold weather payments? It doesnt encourage people to make provision. Not saying its right, just a daft old world nowdays.

You miss 'holiday pay'???

I never give it a second thought as I earn a lot more money now than I ever did working for someone else (for a lot less hours per week too!)

I average around 25 hours per week(including admin,purifying water,etc)and have a large emergency fund,holiday fund and various other bank accounts with money in for Tax/NI,etc

When I worked for someone else I was always skint and tired(due to long hours)and always seemed to run out of money with a week or so left before my next paycheck.

I really don't miss them days!

 

[ks789]

You miss 'holiday pay'???

I never give it a second thought as I earn a lot more money now than I ever did working for someone else (for a lot less hours per week too!)

I average around 25 hours per week(including admin,purifying water,etc)and have a large emergency fund,holiday fund and various other bank accounts with money in for Tax/NI,etc

When I worked for someone else I was always skint and tired(due to long hours)and always seemed to run out of money with a week or so left before my next paycheck.

I really don't miss them days!

Yeh I dont miss them either, days used to drag on forever, then keep having to go into the office to get lectured by the boss like I was still at school, well it was like school sometimes, people snitching, tittle tattle etc. Some places werent so bad, like a game really,but others were terrible.

 

[dazmond]

Hi Everyone,

I hope someone doesn’t mind given me a little bit of advice…..

I’m well established and have more than a full round that I am struggling to get round. 3/4 of the work is priced right and the rest needs increasing not drastically, but in line with the new cost of living. I work on a four week basis but this keep going over because of kids, appointments etc…. I’m mostly trad, do wfp but am limited to trolley system so need to invest to have tank for ease and not barrels which are a faff. I just feel like I’m running around like a headless chicken all the time working 6 days a week. I take time off when I want too, but that’s mostly for days out with the family or holidays. This funds it but I need to find that balance. I also need to start putting more in to pension. I’m only in mid thirties but just stuck in a rut and need to come up with a new way of working that benefits me and the family properly.

Obviously the prices need updating to the right levels. I’m sure I will lose some but the others will make up for it which will free time.

I don’t know whether to get rid of some work so I can keep within the 4 weeks or change the cycle to 6 weeks which is much more simpler timeframe to work within, but just keep my commercial work on four weekly (20% of round). All my work is very compact so don’t like idea of selling work to someone, who will then be on the same road more a less than where the rest of my work is. I know you will all recommend going full wfp, which is a hell of a lot easier. But just concerned I will lose more as I keep getting told of new customers they haven’t been happy with the wfp from other cleaners. But I’m guessing it’s not the wfp just the operative? If I did go full wfp I know it’s hard for people to say as no one know my round, me or circumstances. But would that knock a huge percentage of time of the duration compared to traditional. Potentially get round all my work within the four week. I also don’t want to hire anyone at the moment.

I live in the north west and just trying to get a bit of a different perspective and wondered if anyone else has ended up in a similar situation. I’m just getting fed up with it and think it’s not the window cleaning just my inefficiency and being stuck in my ways.

Any advice will be much appreciated.

Many thanks David.

So have you decided what to do?

I was in a similar position (round wise)14 years ago....

1.I went fully WFP.
2.Put all prices up across my entire round.
3.Dropped any jobs that required ladders for flat roofs,etc.
4.Eventually stopped collecting and moved payments online.
5.Dropped down to a 4 day week last year.

I now earn around £26k MORE per year than I did 14 years ago for 15 less hours per week....my average was 40 hours including collecting 4 hours per week (2 on a Fri and 2 hours on a mon). I also take 6 full weeks off a year now compared to 3 weeks back in 2010.