I used to have a window cleaner, BUT................

[ks789]

'we used to have a window cleaner but the dog ate it'

 'erm, ok then cheerio'

 

[mike007]

No, one is better being honest and nearly all self-employed are looking for £40 an hour. Too many unseen costs for the self-employed to strive for anything less. What I'm finding now is manual jobs have good wages because few want to do them. Landscape gardeners are making a fortune up here because you need to wait over six months to get one. I do a few slabbing jobs and can easily make 200 to 300 a day easy because no one wants to do it. Going to see one today and may ask if he has a window cleaner. ?

Thing is customers are not concerned about the unseen costs though we have them...they think "hold on he is spending 15 minutes doing my windows and ends up earning more than me, I don,t earn £40 an hour" that is the mentality. Remember a post year or so ago a windie pulls up at petrol station on his brand new motor bike, one of his customers see,s him with the new bike, and ends up sacking him from doing his windows through envy!!!

 

[scottish cleaning service]

You don't need to tell them but that's what to aim for £40 an hour. I got a clean a few months ago at a tenner a clean. Alex drove up and told me it was his old customer and he only charged her £8 a month. I am maybe the exception because i am very busy with other work so I can price higher. When you get a full round you can bump up the price by a pound and see how it goes. I am spending £500 to get the bottom of my van reprayed to get rid of the rust. In the end it all costs money and the customer has to pay, I try and bodyswerve mean folk who don't appreciate my work.

 

[Part Timer]

Thing is customers are not concerned about the unseen costs though we have them...they think "hold on he is spending 15 minutes doing my windows and ends up earning more than me, I don,t earn £40 an hour" that is the mentality. Remember a post year or so ago a windie pulls up at petrol station on his brand new motor bike, one of his customers see,s him with the new bike, and ends up sacking him from doing his windows through envy!!!

I have just bought a new van and waited to use it until I had my private plate on it, purely for this reason. Sad but true 

 

[steve garwood]

Joking aside that's about the going rate where I live 

I have just bought a new van and waited to use it until I had my private plate on it, purely for this reason. Sad but true 

There is another way of looking at this. I work in posh areas and have a newish sign written van. I get people approach me as they have the attitude of ‘nice, clean new sign written van, must be good at what he does’ ?

 

[scottish cleaning service]

I think it all comes down to the area one is working in. Posh areas don't want workpeople to arrive in an old white van with scruffy overalls. Council scheme folk don't want their workers to arrive in nice new Merc vans, i would imagine. Horses for courses but clean and tidy will always be welcome.

 

[Part Timer]

There is another way of looking at this. I work in posh areas and have a newish sign written van. I get people approach me as they have the attitude of ‘nice, clean new sign written van, must be good at what he does’ ?

Agreed, but this is brand new. If it was a year or 2 old then it wouldn't have bothered me. Most of my work is commercial so image is important but everyone has residential work where the envious and jealous watch everything you do. My simple reply if anyone did say anything would be well I didn't get it by just washing your windows. 

 

[dmw]

Agreed, but this is brand new. If it was a year or 2 old then it wouldn't have bothered me. Most of my work is commercial so image is important but everyone has residential work where the envious and jealous watch everything you do. My simple reply if anyone did say anything would be well I didn't get it by just washing your windows. 

We shouldn't feel guilty about earning a reasonably good living, but I find when talking to some customers I found myself talking down about holidays, the car I drive etc. We shouldn't, we work pretty hard, and work in all weathers but I do.

 

[scottish cleaning service]

if we were vat registered then we have a new van every 3 to 4yrs because we can offset the vat. So a kitchen fitter told me, he gets a new van every 4yrs. I'm not up to speed on vat and limited company but its what i am striving for.

 

[Part Timer]

We shouldn't feel guilty about earning a reasonably good living, but I find when talking to some customers I found myself talking down about holidays, the car I drive etc. We shouldn't, we work pretty hard, and work in all weathers but I do.

I don't feel guilty, I just didn't want the jealous having a go. I usually have a 2 week holiday in May in St Lucia, don't have a problem telling anyone who asks where I've been. However they are usually the ones that appreciate we work hard in all weathers and respect us for it. I don't however have a car, but the Wife does though ? 

 

[Iron Giant]

I think it all comes down to the area one is working in. Posh areas don't want workpeople to arrive in an old white van with scruffy overalls. Council scheme folk don't want their workers to arrive in nice new Merc vans, i would imagine. Horses for courses but clean and tidy will always be welcome.

Not the case always me thinks, when I had my leased L200 which would have been over 30k to buy, I was dropped by 3 jobs and I am almost 100% certain it was because of the shiny new truck as one customer was a bit off with me then days later I got dropped then her neighbour and friend dropped me and then her sister all within days of each other,

the first one claimed they were dropping me because I had chased them for money when they owed 2 cleans after been good clients for over 10 years, I had faith and trust in them but felt I was being messed around regarding them owing me money at that time, which to me give them there excuse to drop me, the wife of the house had made comments over the years about the motors I was driving as I became more successful, clearly a lowly window cleaner can't do so well for themselves one comment that sticks in my mind was "are you dealing drugs" I just laughed it off and ended up forgetting about it, any other client that asked about the truck I told them it was leased and had no issue letting the ones know who politely asked about the truck or any motors I had owned over the years.

 

[Pane]

omg if i hear one more..."I had a window cleaner but" when on quotes im going to write a book with the same title and just list the reasons, here is what i have heard so far and every single one has been a trad cleaner.

I had a window cleaner, but....

he never shows up

he borrowed my ladder and didnt return it

he stole my patio furniture so i sacked him

he wanted paying when he hadnt cleaned the windows

he was coming every week in the end.

WHAT "I HAD A WINDOW CLEANER, BUT" STORIES HAVE YOU HEARD???

I approached an owner of a road with lots of big/large houses.

Ive been looking for & rung 7 different window cleaners..they all use WFP's.I want a WC with a Ladder..i said..at that height..i doubt it!.He shrugged his shoulders,i gave him my flyer,call me for a quote when you want a price.Then walked off.

 

[Cleanco]

Not the case always me thinks, when I had my leased L200 which would have been over 30k to buy, I was dropped by 3 jobs and I am almost 100% certain it was because of the shiny new truck as one customer was a bit off with me then days later I got dropped then her neighbour and friend dropped me and then her sister all within days of each other,

the first one claimed they were dropping me because I had chased them for money when they owed 2 cleans after been good clients for over 10 years, I had faith and trust in them but felt I was being messed around regarding them owing me money at that time, which to me give them there excuse to drop me, the wife of the house had made comments over the years about the motors I was driving as I became more successful, clearly a lowly window cleaner can't do so well for themselves one comment that sticks in my mind was "are you dealing drugs" I just laughed it off and ended up forgetting about it, any other client that asked about the truck I told them it was leased and had no issue letting the ones know who politely asked about the truck or any motors I had owned over the years.

How was the l200 for working with? I’ve just bought one for the misses and I’m gonna use it as a back up work vehicle also. 

 

[RWCleaning]

Last year I picked up a new customer, and the next time I went she said “I’ve also given your number to a friend of mine around the corner, she had a window cleaner but..... he was a pervert and made her feel uncomfortable” 

I was worried thinking hope I’m not her window cleaner already haha 

 

[Robbo]

When a customer says to me 'they used to have a window cleaner who stopped coming', that rings alarm bells for me.

Sometimes i'm out so quick, I leave skid marks!

 

[Iron Giant]

How was the l200 for working with? I’ve just bought one for the misses and I’m gonna use it as a back up work vehicle also. 

In all honesty in the 6 years I used them I was always really happy working from a truck until last few months were to be honest I just got sick of it, I had a 400ltr flat tank which near enough filled the load bed completely and the hose reel had to be disconnected and go on the back seat, so I never had the best set up

You can fit a 600ltr flat tank in there if needed or an upright tank of a suitable size if you have a full canopy on the back, as a back up motor it will work really well, here is the two I had below, I went for looks over practicality maybe ?  

 

[Cleanco]

In all honesty in the 6 years I used them I was always really happy working from a truck until last few months were to be honest I just got sick of it, I had a 400ltr flat tank which near enough filled the load bed completely and the hose reel had to be disconnected and go on the back seat, so I never had the best set up

You can fit a 600ltr flat tank in there if needed or an upright tank of a suitable size if you have a full canopy on the back, as a back up motor it will work really well, here is the two I had below, I went for looks over practicality maybe ?  

View attachment 18219

View attachment 18220

That’s good to know. ?Mine has the full canopy so got loads of space.