Son put off window cleaning by bin man LOL

[johnny bravo]

Managed to get my son out last week, some trad some wfp. had him wash trad and i bladed off, break him in gently. let him do some wfp , he was doing ok. gave him £25 for 4 hours work. he was very pleased with getting paid. plus a 50p tip by a chap who said about his change, ahh give it to the kid. my son reminded me when getting paid, so it became £25.50p.

any way while cleaning the binmen were doing there rounds, they are fine always acknowledge each other while working.

One says to my son If you got better grades at school you wouldnt have to clean windows or be a binman. then laughed. all meant as a bit of fun, banter.

i forgot all about it untill his mum was asking when is he going to go out with his dad again. he said hes not anymore. he then mentioned what the binman said. his mam just laughed and said why didnt he answer back something like im getting more than you emptying other peoples rubbish, or something similar. but he must have took it seriously, as it was a loosers job window cleaning.

i told him its all said in fun. so he now thinks everyone else thinks the same. as if your a looser doing window cleaning. he may change when he needs cash on hand.

i told him live your life for yourself, never worry to what people may think about you.

everyone wil have an oppinion about someone, be it good or bad.

i had a couple of customers tell me what a great job i was doing last week, thats rewarding enough for me.

 

[TolishAPurd]

If done badly, this is a mugs game.

If done well, this can be the best trade you can be in.

Done badly: Under charging, running around all over the place with no structure, doing a rubbish job of itand not working on a good rep.

Done well: Charging well/over the odds, structuring the day to get the most out of your time/petrol, doing a good job to build up a rep that leads to referrals.

A bricklayer can go to college for years, be considered an apprentice or improver for a few more years, and then eventually startto earn a decent wage- generally around £120-150 around here. Whereas if you build up a good round you can earn that easily doing trad in no time. WFP, even more.

Its a no brainer./emoticons/smile.png

 

[peter rogers]

people look at me and say cud i not get a better job and i say im no smart enough for a better job

 

[mark]

I had a bill for my van it was £170.i told a custie about it.she turned around & said "that's a shame,i should imagine you have to work all month to get that back"there are so many misconceptions about window cleaning.

 

[joe34]

I was a tower crane driver for 10 years and when I've told people in the past that I left that to do window cleaning people think I was made to give up a job like that ,fact of the matter is I can earn just as much cleaning bird crap of Windows in 7,8 hours as could sitting up a crane for 12 hours a day that's with out travel too ,have alot more time to myself and more money.

 

[Green Pro Clean Ltd]

My wife goes home for six weeks every year to spend time with the elderly parents, I have a few customers that comment on it as in 'oh well six weeks isn't that long' thinking she goes alone as window cleaners cant afford it.

Truth is she goes alone so I get six weeks fishing, poker nights and no one telling me how much I can drink! /emoticons/tongue.png

We have the perfect understanding that it's a break for both of us and that is why we have a sound relationship as a window cleaner I can afford to send my wife away for six week vacations! /emoticons/smile.png)

 

[Alien Human]

How old is your son Jonny?

£6.30 p/h would be a dream to a 10 year old but if he is let's say 20 then he may question how much £ there is to be made within window cleaning.

 

[johnny bravo]

hes 17, kicked out of college, gets no money at all. only what we give him.

so £25 for helping me out and learning was ok for him. i told him if he got better at it he could earn more .

 

[CMRwindowcleaning]

People used to think this way when I first started. I really didn't give a toss. I'm probably the highest earner in my group of mates. I'm 25 so not that old have got a full time and a part time worker and support a family of 4 we all wear nice clothes eat put regularly and I have a decent car and new van.

 

[CMRwindowcleaning]

And then the remarks stopped coming. The point is first they laugh then they copy!!!

 

[Alien Human]

hes 17, kicked out of college, gets no money at all. only what we give him.so £25 for helping me out and learning was ok for him. i told him if he got better at it he could earn more .

Fair-do's mate.

Hope it all works out for him - whichever route he decides to take /emoticons/smile.png

 

[Dave B]

I did well at school and did an apprenticeship in panelbeating only for the garage to go into liquidation before i could finish

Got into window cleaning with a mates dad

Had a spell of about 8 years doing other stuff including stock management for the 2012 olympics on around 15 quid an hour while still having a small round of loyal customers i had for years but decided I'd start on the windows for myself again as have never been happier and can't stand answering to people

 

[KieMan]

I've got a degree in graphic design - worked in industry for 7 years and max wage I got up to was 20k per year - started window cleaning 4 years ago and let's just say I earn more than I ever did making someone else richer - moral of story we're there's muck there's money. been advertising gutter cleaning heavily lately - checkatrade - yell - flyers etc and made what I used to in a week in one day. Plus no one on my back.

 

[boarcity]

lifes what You make it, especially in this trade

would guess that the money should keep your lad coming back for more. id mention "the moneys there if you want it "

 

[Jacob]

I like this job and the lifestyle ot throws off. Just so funny when custys and family goes like: "can you live of being a windowcleaner?" Yes? i am not doing it for charity. The tips are great though when some custy feels a bit sorry, because if they not gave me that xtra quid i woul be going to sleep hungry lol :laugh:

 

[Poles Apart]

One bad debtor who owes me 20 quid and is refusing to pay told me to get a proper job, that's not the first time that's been said to me.

 

[Dave B]

Owes money then insults you..that is the kind of situation where I lose the plot

 

[johnny bravo]

i was going to quit a couple of years ago, started using backpack, less ladder work.

the last few years ive found the winds getting bad in autumn and winters. got sick of clinging onto window ledges as the wind swirled around me.

anyway got used to purifying water, plus ro set-up. got all gear. less and less ladders. i now have a van mount set-up, a ford focus for leisure driving, and most of my work is now waterfed pole cleaning, wind no bother now. picked up a lot more work. i wouldnt be able to get a job now with the hourly wage i can get now.

do what i want, go out when i want, finish when i want, no one tells me what to do, i can pick and choose whos windows i clean, and any add ons customers request.

this is why i am keeping at it, oh and most of all , decent loyal customers.

i used to get embarrased about saying i was a window cleaner, but not now. i just say i run a succesfull exterior cleaning company.

 

[MrBump]

After a few months either looking for work or in a shop or take away for minimum wage like moat other kids his age, he'll soon realise being your own boss and earning more cash is the better option. I do have alot of respect for bin men though, that's one of only a couple of jobs I would never do and our country would be full of disease with out them.

One bad debtor who owes me 20 quid and is refusing to pay told me to get a proper job, that's not the first time that's been said to me.

Tell that nobhead to get some morals! Ironic isn't it that they ask for a service then say its not a real job - if it's not a real job then why did they ask for it doing?!

I hope they pay up, if not they are a prime candidate for spreading muck all over their windows.

 

[CMRwindowcleaning]

One bad debtor who owes me 20 quid and is refusing to pay told me to get a proper job, that's not the first time that's been said to me.

That is actually disgusting and for it to have happened more than once makes me feel sick. How dare someone say something like that to someone he's probably envious doesn't like the fact you probably made that £20 in 20 minutes cleaning his windows.

 

[James Allen]

I like the freedom this job gives . Not having to say to your boss I won't be working tomorrow etc .and sorry to hear your son took it the wrong way from the bin man .

If he like it encourage him .

But I have done other jobs including funeral directing and applied for a job a couple of months ago which I didn't get as I was to over qualified for what they were looking for . So I love both jobs as you can get away from all the nagging and clear your head if needed work your own hours