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Eddie dragon

Active member
Messages
374
Location
Oxford
It seams silly season is around again.

Lot more cars with ladders around, clothes on window sill. Not knocking working from a car, did it for a year.

But please. One crew of two with triple an double ladder on a little Citroën. Top award goes out to today's crew. Three Eastern Europeans. Battered estate car held together with duck tape. Bin bag rear window.

I passed them leaving a job enquiry from fb. I quoted an did the job. Lady didn't like the look of the other crew.

Liked the sign written van, uniform and said so. She accepted a price agreed no problem on double first clean. Told me I was nearly four times more expensive. But to go ahead kettle going on cash OK. Sold only on image.? Yes the fact that I told her I could produce insurance paperwork right there. It seals many a deal.

Honestly it doesn't cost a massive amount to get a cheep print t-shirt even. I didn't spend a fortune on sign writing, But even a magnetic sign on her car gets my wife's friend work ironing.

 
It always baffles me when I see guys working from non sign written vans and in jeans and a t shirt. Of course everyone can do as they wish but it doesn't take a lot more effort to appear a little more professional. And like you say it can be the deciding factor for some customers.

 
Forget vehicles, it was the battle of the trolleys for me today. I splashed out for a pre-made since I'm only now going for my driving test and wanted a semblance of professionalism. Me in polo shirt and khakis getting stared at by a scruffy lad with a sack trolley (no offense to the diy job, this one looked mank). I split the area with a two-man van job and this guy appears overnight. Good luck to him

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Nothing wrong with a non sign written vehicle I have worked from cars in years gone by , But have chosen a Mitsubishi L200 for the last 6 years and only had signage on my last truck for a short while .Although I have worn a uniform for about 10 years and gone from embroided work wear up to my logo so I have portrayed a visible professional image .

Just started carrying a copy of my insurance docs to prove i am fully insured for all the jobs I carry out including add ons got my ott cover from Gleaming Insurance this year but feel its worth the extra spend .

 
It's the whole image collectively though.

Nothing wrong with a decent looking unsigned van etc,but when you have an unsigned van,shabby appearance of workers,bad reputation, poor upkeep of vehicle it all says stay away.

 
It is also about how you come.across as a person

Not signwritten my kangoo yet for my own reasons but will be in a couple of weeks

Depending on where i am working i may have trousers, jeans or even trackie bottoms but i always come across as professional in my attitude and the recommendations from customers speak for themselves

 
I work in mainly affluent areas "petts wood, Hayes, Chislehurst etc). This is where I think it is important to look professional. These people keep their massive gaffs in top nick so expect others to have pride in their appearance and equipment

 
We all have to start somewhere, I don't see the point in splashing out on sign written van and embroidered uniform and then find out you hate Window Cleaning.

Insurance and a polite professional attitude is the minimum (and something to clean the windows with of course)

Once the money starts coming in invest slowly.

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I've done this 26 years and still wear what i want

I used to do big posh houses in west london and still wore jeans

 
It's the whole image collectively though.
Nothing wrong with a decent looking unsigned van etc,but when you have an unsigned van,shabby appearance of workers,bad reputation, poor upkeep of vehicle it all says stay away.
Totally agree Chris but some people will still have cleaners on a cheap price

I got a referral today because the last windy was a perv apparently that was a first in 17 years.

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Totally agree Chris but some people will still have cleaners on a cheap price
I got a referral today because the last windy was a perv apparently that was a first in 17 years.

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Funnily enough i got a message yesterday from a good friend of my brothers wife and it's the first i have had it too

This is a bit of it

Cool, 2 monthly would be great! Sarah said I can pay you by bacs? Never have any cash in the house!

Been here 12 years now! You probably have! I have a bad memory! Lol! Had to get rid of the last window cleaner coz he was a massive perv. Ask sarah for the details! x

 
@BombG it's not expensive. I got an eBay seller to cut my sign writing to size of van sides and applied myself. 26 quid and almost a year later still like new
 
Asked my sister in law and she said he was perving through the windows at her and acting really strange and made her feel uncomfortable..and skimpies gone missing off the washing line lol

 
@BombG it's not expensive. I got an eBay seller to cut my sign writing to size of van sides and applied myself. 26 quid and almost a year later still like new
I got a mate of a customer who owns a graphics place local

Gonna do mine sides front and rear for £100 fitted

 
@Iron Giant nothing worse to kill a reputation eh lol l. We had one up here last year,rumours started about him *kid crimes and he was outed from a massive compact area he had. How true the rumours were I have no idea.
 
@Iron Giant nothing worse to kill a reputation eh lol l. We had one up here last year,rumours started about him *kid crimes and he was outed from a massive compact area he had. How true the rumours were I have no idea.
If just rumours that is out of order but if there is any truth in it the last place you want him is prowling round peoples houses

 
That's cheap davey. The sign writing I got is 1 quality grade *thickness* down from what sign writers use,it'll do fine for now I guess.

 
@daveyboy no one seemed to know any specifics but they all got rid. Not one could name an event though. Bunch of sheep really but perhaps they were right,who knows for sure. Not them that's for certain lol
 
It's proper stuff mate and quite a bit of it but he is doing me a deal for cash and he is best mates with a good customer who sent me to him using his name to get a good deal

Selling my astra next week so graphics and a shop at Mr Gardiners is in order methinks

 
It seams silly season is around again.Lot more cars with ladders around, clothes on window sill. Not knocking working from a car, did it for a year.

But please. One crew of two with triple an double ladder on a little Citroën. Top award goes out to today's crew. Three Eastern Europeans. Battered estate car held together with duck tape. Bin bag rear window.

I passed them leaving a job enquiry from fb. I quoted an did the job. Lady didn't like the look of the other crew.

Liked the sign written van, uniform and said so. She accepted a price agreed no problem on double first clean. Told me I was nearly four times more expensive. But to go ahead kettle going on cash OK. Sold only on image.? Yes the fact that I told her I could produce insurance paperwork right there. It seals many a deal.

Honestly it doesn't cost a massive amount to get a cheep print t-shirt even. I didn't spend a fortune on sign writing, But even a magnetic sign on her car gets my wife's friend work ironing.
I totally disagree you need a sign written van and uniform. I have been going almost a year and my van is smart and kept clean but no markings and I wear whatever I want as long as clean and smart. I have built a very big round already with new customers every week mainly now from walk ups or reccomendations. I am not cheap either in comparison to others in area but i am very confident when selling my product. I am in some very expensive areas with big houses and rich occupants. I am very polite and turn up when I'm meant to and do a great job. 2 of the biggest window cleaning business round here that have been going for 15 years plus have a few unmarked vans with workers in hoodies jeans etc and they have huge rounds. I also think having uniforms and sign written vans is great if that's what you want but by no means essential. Maybe in high class areas of London etc i think a lot get so carried away with having logos on everything that they forget what the customer really wants, clean windows

 
I totally disagree you need a sign written van and uniform. I have been going almost a year and my van is smart and kept clean but no markings and I wear whatever I want as long as clean and smart. I have built a very big round already with new customers every week mainly now from walk ups or reccomendations. I am not cheap either in comparison to others in area but i am very confident when selling my product. I am in some very expensive areas with big houses and rich occupants. I am very polite and turn up when I'm meant to and do a great job. 2 of the biggest window cleaning business round here that have been going for 15 years plus have a few unmarked vans with workers in hoodies jeans etc and they have huge rounds. I also think having uniforms and sign written vans is great if that's what you want but by no means essential. Maybe in high class areas of London etc i think a lot get so carried away with having logos on everything that they forget what the customer really wants, clean windows
I agree you don't 'need' sign writing and logos. I just think it looks more professional. Each to their own etc /emoticons/smile.png

 
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