How fast is too fast?

[JEMS Window Cleaning]

How long do you guys take on say a standard 3 bed detached? 

I was cleaning a regular customers windows about a week ago (2 bed retirement bungalow, maybe 8 windows tops).  A cleaner from the local "big brand" company pulled up across the road... I'm admit I'm not the quickest as I can't stand the thought of not doing a good job but this guy did the whole detached house on the opposite side of the road quicker than I did a 2 bed bungalow! 

And even better, I had a message yesterday from that house saying my customer had recommended me, can I give them a price as their current cleaner isn't doing a very good job. 

Do some people have no pride in their work? I've noticed a trend recently with customers coming to me after not being happy with the standard of cleans that they have received from the big companies (2 big ones in our area) 

Do you think that it's possible for a company to get too big? So big that the workers just don't care and only think about clearing their job sheet? 

 

[Pjj]

How long do you guys take on say a standard 3 bed detached? 

I was cleaning a regular customers windows about a week ago (2 bed retirement bungalow, maybe 8 windows tops).  A cleaner from the local "big brand" company pulled up across the road... I'm admit I'm not the quickest as I can't stand the thought of not doing a good job but this guy did the whole detached house on the opposite side of the road quicker than I did a 2 bed bungalow! 

And even better, I had a message yesterday from that house saying my customer had recommended me, can I give them a price as their current cleaner isn't doing a very good job. 

Do some people have no pride in their work? I've noticed a trend recently with customers coming to me after not being happy with the standard of cleans that they have received from the big companies (2 big ones in our area) 

Do you think that it's possible for a company to get too big? So big that the workers just don't care and only think about clearing their job sheet? 

Yes I do we have a firm by us that’s quite big we have picked up a fair bit of work from them as they have been doing a poor job 

 

[JEMS Window Cleaning]

Yes I do we have a firm by us that’s quite big we have picked up a fair bit of work from them as they have been doing a poor job 

I've got a fairly new customer who came to me because the company she was with wasn't doing a good job. She was complaining about a "pigeon print" in a very large living room window. She said she'd complained to the company and they sent someone round to re clean but it was still there... I thought she was having me on but low and behold, I turn up and there is a full outline of a bird that had slammed into her window... Took maybe 30 seconds to scrub it off... She's now with me monthly paying £5 a month more than she did with the big company! 

 

[Part Timer]

We literally have work all over the country because we are reliable and do a good job. 90% of the jobs are very well paid.

There are loads of companies, far bigger than us, that would jump through hoops to get our work but can't guarantee our quality or reliability.

Employees don't have the care or concern as much as owner operatives.

 

[Iron Giant]

Employees don't have the care or concern as much as owner operatives.

Sometimes mate, it's the owners at fault as well they want to clash out every job and that's were mistakes get made, I have picked up work from other lads who I know because the customer wasn't happy with the results, I found no issues with the frames or sills so I'm guessing they weren't rinsing enough on some jobs and that resulted in a poor finish. 

 

[mike007]

Presume a "worker" see,s his job sheet in a morning and thinks instead of finishing at 4pm,  by rushing through (cutting the odd corner) can get finished and in the pub by 2pm and so does so....still getting paid for turning in. Whereas if we lose a customer to poor work we have literally lost x amount and not just for that Month, but also the subsequent Months that a satisfied customer remain on our books.

 

[laddergarder]

Presume a "worker" see,s his job sheet in a morning and thinks instead of finishing at 4pm,  by rushing through (cutting the odd corner) can get finished and in the pub by 2pm and so does so....still getting paid for turning in. Whereas if we lose a customer to poor work we have literally lost x amount and not just for that Month, but also the subsequent Months that a satisfied customer remain on our books.

I encourage this in a way. Not the poor standards obviously, but allowing staff to finnish early.

A number of years ago I had a guy I took on, and he was beyond slow. Half the pace of myself and the guy that still works for me.

Ever since we have used hourly targets. So basically once they have completed there target for the week, they can call it a week. Its my way of getting consistent productivity, and it works well. Obviously if there is any problems, they have to go back and sort it(which seldom happens), so its still in there interest to get it right. It also lets them be flexible, and work there hours around there own life and commitments.

 

[HWCS]

Quality work can be done at a pretty rapid rate, as long as your thorough i dont think it matters how quick you are.

A great example i have is one of my first customers timed her old windy on her cctv from pulling onto drive to pulling away on a 3bed detatched to pulling off was 6minutes 18seconds, they were charging her £18 and wanted to increase it to £20, she sacked them off for not doing the job properly. I quoted her £15 as its 6 windows 2 doors and she timed us at pretty much 8minutes and a quality job that shes happy with.

 

[Jonny 67]

86 mph on the motorway, 76mph on a duel carriageway and 31 mph on a residential road ??‍

 

[dazmond]

i tend to splash and dash most of my work but theres a fine line between doing a good job at a brisk pace and taking the pee....?

 

[Pjj]

i tend to splash and dash most of my work but theres a fine line between doing a good job at a brisk pace and taking the pee....?

My response to anyone would be you are paying  for clean windows you were happy with the price and quality of the work so it doesn’t matter if it takes 5 muinits or 5 hours the jobs done to a high standard , I think most people expect you to be there for  ages , I did loose a few many years ago like this but not anymore most  are happy to have clean windows and aren't in when they are done so don’t know how long it’s taken anyway , I much prefer it when they are out .

 

[scottish cleaning service]

We did a job on Sunday and got bumped for a few quid because we done the job in a day. Mate had priced for day and a half. The reason we can do it is because we have spent money on tools to make the job easier. Client not interested in the money we have spent to make our job quicker and safer. Its human behaviour I'm afraid and don't think it will change.

 

[Pjj]

We did a job on Sunday and got bumped for a few quid because we done the job in a day. Mate had priced for day and a half. The reason we can do it is because we have spent money on tools to make the job easier. Client not interested in the money we have spent to make our job quicker and safer. Its human behaviour I'm afraid and don't think it will change.

But that falls flat if the job had taken more time you couldn’t charge the customer more , we never price per day for this very reason they are given a price nor the job time is irrelevant 

 

[scottish cleaning service]

But that falls flat if the job had taken more time you couldn’t charge the customer more , we never price per day for this very reason they are given a price nor the job time is irrelevant 

Yes, absolutely as I got told that decades ago but it was my mate that priced the job. Lesson learnt but it was for a junior football team and all the guys maintain the club for free. I do the same with my church but I ended up getting most parishioners windows to clean so as they say God looks after his own and I'm not arguing. ?

 

[Iron Giant]

Quality work can be done at a pretty rapid rate, as long as your thorough i dont think it matters how quick you are.

A great example i have is one of my first customers timed her old windy on her cctv from pulling onto drive to pulling away on a 3bed detatched to pulling off was 6minutes 18seconds, they were charging her £18 and wanted to increase it to £20, she sacked them off for not doing the job properly. I quoted her £15 as its 6 windows 2 doors and she timed us at pretty much 8minutes and a quality job that shes happy with.

Some Jobs can be done very quickly, but the exact same house down the road can take longer for certain reasons trees next the house etc and this is what some windys miss they think that every job can be done fast and it just can't 

I also think some are clueless regarding a first clean, a few years ago a old custy of mine had to go into a home house was sold and was renovated over months the windows were minging, I was cleaning the house right next door identical it was, another windy turned up and finished next door before me, I could see there was those tiny specks of dirt all over an upper window as he hadn't clean the windows properly but he is cheap so they stuck with him. 

 

[Davy G]

I wonder if he's still in business? If he is I doubt that he's thriving.

 

[Iron Giant]

I wonder if he's still in business? If he is I doubt that he's thriving.

If you meant to quote me, yes he is his dad started the business over 30 years ago and had barely raised prices in that time, his son in question is doing much more of the work these days but his dad told me he was pricing all new jobs higher

They are using a trolley with about 6 containers in the car, the son now on his own wfp tops and has lad tradding the bottoms, they get a lot of work and maintain it because they are well known in the town everyone is pally pally so some go with certain lads because of that, yet I know in the past their work standards have been and may be still are below par.