Rinsing help please please please

[Bwfc]

Does depend on the property new windows are generally a dream to clean. Some old ones struggle and have runs because of old seals. U will get to know with time the windows to watch out for

 

[Den]

We do an old cottage with leaded windows quarterly and you only have to squirt the water on them for them to start to leak, the majority of them leak as well. Wouldn't like to even try and trad them as they're the small panes and very very fragile. The owner knows they leak and doesn't appear to be bothered.

I have quite a few listed properties on my books that do this I turn flow down and just tickle the glass gently as the possible for fear of pushing the glass thru ?

 

[dazmond]

you ll gain more confidence as you go on.......i remember my first day WFP(with a 50l trolley system!) after 17 years trad!i worked 9am-8pm!...the longest day ive ever worked window cleaning!it took me 3 hours LONGER THAN TRAD!

10 years on that same days work is cleaned between 9am- 3pm usually so 2 hours quicker than my trad days and 5 hours quicker than my first day WFP!?

you get to know which are the problem windows on your round and how to get the best finish in a short amount of time....my AVERAGE hourly rate is usually between £45-£50 an hour over the course of a days work

i also have a 500L tank and use around 400-450L per 5 or 6 hour working day

 

[Neil Leen]

Could some of the more experienced guys  post some photos of what  a typical 3 bed semi   In their areas that takes 10/15 minutes Looks like please?

 

[Pjj]

Could some of the more experienced guys  post some photos of what  a typical 3 bed semi   In their areas that takes 10/15 minutes Looks like please?

I don’t have any pictures but front have 3 windows plus a porch window and front door , back 3 windows patio doors , end wall one window and some have a door as well . We are doing around 300 next week so will try and get a few pictures 

 

[dazmond]

most of the small 3 bed semi estate work on some parts of my round that take me 10 mins to clean have around 8 windows and are mostly 4 weekly jobs....3 on the front plus front door,2 on the side(landing and bathroom windows)and 3 on the back plus back door....all frames,sills and doors are washed down too....you can burn through work with a high flow/hot water if you know your round inside out and you re organised......

 

[Marko067]

I don’t have any pictures but front have 3 windows plus a porch window and front door , back 3 windows patio doors , end wall one window and some have a door as well . We are doing around 300 next week so will try and get a few pictures 

Here's a typical 3 bed end of terrace I currently clean. This one has a decent size conny on the back with glass from the waist up on two sides only and a set of French doors in it. It takes 12-15mins depending on time of year

 

[Pjj]

Could some of the more experienced guys  post some photos of what  a typical 3 bed semi   In their areas that takes 10/15 minutes Looks like please?

Hear you go this is our typical 3 bed semi /terraced it took me 6 muinits to do the front of two houses and 7 muinits to do the backs , that’s not rushing or running about , so total of 13 muinits for two full houses . Today two of us will do around 56-65 houses each depending on size but this is very compact work only 4 van moves down one road on an estate 

 

[Dave B]

Done every 6 months ish.. neighbor of a good customer. 

Took 20 minutes earlier.

8 windows on the back, 2 on the side plus door.

7 on front and door. 

 

[Bart90]

Ah, the conversing with customers challenge 

It’s a skill which in our job is as important to learn as how to clean windows. ?

The learning how to be friendly but knowing how for to go without drawing someone into a long conversation or allowing yourself to be drawn in, getting to know the ones who are more likely to draw you in and how to handle any interaction with them. Also, when someone genuinely is in need and being able to give them a listening ear for a few minutes.

I don’t always get it right, but I’d like to think I’m getting better at it.

Couldn't agree with you more Mark - handling customer conversations is a skill!

My trouble was when I started out, I was way too OTT with chatter, and so with some long standing customers if I were to cut short our usual chat now then they'd think I was being rude lol Thankfully it's down to only a few these days but I learnt the lesson the hard way ?.  I've been pinned for a solid 20 minutes before now being talked at. Depressing! 

I try to work on a '1 contact' approach with customers. If they come out at the start of the clean it's hello, payment and goodbye! Where as in the past it was Hello...chat....then a knock at the end , get payment, another chat then goodbye. These little tricks save you time and as you get busier are in invaluable in being more productive each day.  Some customers just get a wave, depends on the people and how they pay.

Then there's the pschylogical part.  I'm probably going overboard with this but.....if iturn up at a group of jobs and I know I've got a chatterbox and they're in, I will always do them last so I've got most of the work done before th onslaught ? .  Somehow the 5 minutes they talk at you is less annoying when you've got most of the work done. I'll even do some as the very last job of the day if it fits the schedule!  

 

[Pjj]

Couldn't agree with you more Mark - handling customer conversations is a skill!

My trouble was when I started out, I was way too OTT with chatter, and so with some long standing customers if I were to cut short our usual chat now then they'd think I was being rude lol Thankfully it's down to only a few these days but I learnt the lesson the hard way ?.  I've been pinned for a solid 20 minutes before now being talked at. Depressing! 

I try to work on a '1 contact' approach with customers. If they come out at the start of the clean it's hello, payment and goodbye! Where as in the past it was Hello...chat....then a knock at the end , get payment, another chat then goodbye. These little tricks save you time and as you get busier are in invaluable in being more productive each day.  Some customers just get a wave, depends on the people and how they pay.

Then there's the pschylogical part.  I'm probably going overboard with this but.....if iturn up at a group of jobs and I know I've got a chatterbox and they're in, I will always do them last so I've got most of the work done before th onslaught ? .  Somehow the 5 minutes they talk at you is less annoying when you've got most of the work done. I'll even do some as the very last job of the day if it fits the schedule!  

I have some wealthy customers who expect me to stand and talk with them while the guy who works with me does the windows , I don’t like having to do it ide rather be cleaning the windows , but again we pick up a lot of extra work from people like this so it’s worth the effort .

 

[Marko067]

One of the funniest moments I remember was old Mrs Jackson, deceased now. One particularly bad day she caught me and after about 30 minutes of telling me all about her family oversees in Canada and their daily business, I finally took the plunge and said, 'Well Mrs Jackson it been fascinating, but I really must be on my way now and get some work done.'

She cut's me off and says, 'Just a minute young man, I haven't finished yet.'  ?

That told me! ??

 

[LS Window’s]

Done every 6 months ish.. neighbor of a good customer. 

Took 20 minutes earlier.

8 windows on the back, 2 on the side plus door.

7 on front and door. 

View attachment 21188

View attachment 21189

How much do you charge for that out of interest?

 

[dazmond]

How much do you charge for that out of interest?

i would charge £20 4 weekly and £25 8 weekly..i have quite a few pockets of jobs like these......20 mins to clean is bang on......

 

[Dave B]

i would charge £20 4 weekly and £25 8 weekly..i have quite a few pockets of jobs like these......20 mins to clean is bang on......

I'm not answering as he's in my area lol.

(Don't help the competition)??

Let's just say I'd only need 7-8 of them for a days work lol.

 

[Windowsforever]

That is a high price for my area..  That's similar to what I have bought from someone and they are priced at about 7.50..

 

[Dave B]

That is a high price for my area..  That's similar to what I have bought from someone and they are priced at about 7.50..

So you would do 17 windows including 6 patio doors and the window above the high sloping roof for €7.50?

Madness. 

I'm over treble that.

 

[Pjj]

That is a high price for my area..  That's similar to what I have bought from someone and they are priced at about 7.50..

Lol no one would do a property like that for £7:50 is has to be £25-35 anywhere in the country 

 

[Part Timer]

Lol no one would do a property like that for £7:50 is has to be £25-35 anywhere in the country 

You would struggle to get £20 in mine, not saying you wouldn't but would miss a lot more then you got. £15-£18 would be the range for me.

 

[Pjj]

You would struggle to get £20 in mine, not saying you wouldn't but would miss a lot more then you got. £15-£18 would be the range for me.

Dear me that’s cheap but better than £7:50 ????

 

[Dave B]

You would struggle to get £20 in mine, not saying you wouldn't but would miss a lot more then you got. £15-£18 would be the range for me.

Still a lot more than £7.50