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This is my areas mentality about pricing and water fed...

Suhrly

Well-known member
Messages
722
Location
North East
I saw this on my Facebook feed today from someone who had just had her windows cleaned (They weren't cleaned by me btw!) :

 'Aren't window cleaners meant to dry your windows after they washed them? 10 quid to wet my windows...don't think so mate ? not a chance..'

Now, this was for a typical 2/3 bedroom semi-detatched house in the North East of England. What does this say to you? How would you react?

 
I would say to her - you do know you have just had your windows cleaned by purified dionized water, which has zero metal in it. Its not tap water, its not mineral water its totally different,  water drops left do not leave any stains so you get a flawless finish plus your frames and cills will be spotless as well. If I was you I would get back in touch with your cleaner and ask him whens hes going to comeback for the next clean, before you get replaced by a new customer, probably your neighbour who noticed how clean your windows are and was very jealous.

 
Firstly the customer shows a little ignorance and if asked her window cleaner would have explained the method and allayed any fears.
Secondly when you see these little Facebook rants, is this customer going to berate the window cleaner, "wet windows, don't think so mate" to his face.
Or thirdly, " Thank you Mr window cleaner, I've never seen my windows so sparkly! More tea?"
Take your pick "nowt queer as folk" as they say up here, lol.

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Done a Job beginning of the week

Wfp tops&Trad bottoms
She comes out and says
‘What’s this’
So I’m trying to explain the theory of pure water and how I’ll be using this for tops and all I can see as I’m explaining to her her nodding her head as if I can wet my windows myself with a hose
I just felt like squeegee her face!


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I saw this on my Facebook feed today from someone who had just had her windows cleaned (They weren't cleaned by me btw!) :

 'Aren't window cleaners meant to dry your windows after they washed them? 10 quid to wet my windows...don't think so mate ? not a chance..'

Now, this was for a typical 2/3 bedroom semi-detatched house in the North East of England. What does this say to you? How would you react?


There are some people you just can't please. Wpf is a recognised and accepted window cleaning method today. I wouldn't even waste my breath trying to talk reason with someone like that - more so if it was genuine.

We cleaned a customers windows for 4 years wfp. They didn't know how we did it as they were never in. We collected every Friday evening and they were always as happy as larry to see us. Then one day we cleaned while she was in. She was not happy that we left the windows wet to dry. I explained we had used this method ever since we started cleaning and they were always very happy with the results.

But it seemed it was like trying to reason with a terrorist. The next time he aggressively cancelled us in favour of a trad cleaner and they've totally blanked us ever since. It doesn't matter to me at all. They are the ones who have lost out as I replaced the job.

We had a referral about 3 months ago from an existing customer. The potential one asked if we used the method with a brush on the end of a pole. Yes I told her. Well my husband wants it done properly by hand.

OK, but I can't help you. I fell from ladders once in the trad days and that was my warning shot. Thanks for your enquiry. Bye.

.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
A tenners a lot of money up here.

A guy walked past me yesterday morning, nice area...how much for a 3 bed semi in that road?

£10 I said (cheap imo) he turned his nose up and said I'll ask my landlord and walked off

Facebook is a pain, the price they seem to like round here is 6,7,8 quid.

Anything into double figures is a hard sell

 
Don't see the issue with fb unless you are advertising on selling pages people will try it on for cheap prices.

And as for the original post I wouldn't react at all unless they were slating my business directly.

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A tenners a lot of money up here.

A guy walked past me yesterday morning, nice area...how much for a 3 bed semi in that road?

£10 I said (cheap imo) he turned his nose up and said I'll ask my landlord and walked off

Facebook is a pain, the price they seem to like round here is 6,7,8 quid.

Anything into double figures is a hard sell


Absolutely mate! The only way I generally can go into double figures is when they have a conservatory

 
To be fair, if the tds readings are low, you will get pretty decent results just with taking a hose to the window. A lot of people do that here on the islands, and it works fine enough.

Doesn't get off bird droppings and salt that easily, but if done regularly a lot of people are content with a slightly sub par result.

If someone mocks my prices, or I don't want a job, I can find myself saying "just take a hose to it".  :1f602:

 
so i had a cussy that was never in when i cleaned via wfp til last month, at which point they kicked off about wet windows,its not doing them properly etc...at which point i said no problems, il stop cleaning your windows from now on,ive a waiting list!
should have seen their face!!!!

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Had one similar a while back. Big conny on the back, no way the windows above it were going to get done trad. Wife was over the moon when I switched to wfp  I could do them all including the frames. Four years on, her husband was at home one day and was dumbstruck that I'd left them wet. No matter that they were spotless each month when they dried out. Cancelled me and took on a pal of mine who ridicules wfp. However, he has never cleaned frames in his nearly 40 yrs of window cleaning and won't under any circumstances. "I'm a window clener not a frame cleaner," is his stand.

So now they don't get either their frames or windows over the conny cleaned again. Bizarre or what? And there was no reasoning with him either when I asked him if they had been drying dirty and was that the real issue?

 
Had one similar a while back. Big conny on the back, no way the windows above it were going to get done trad. Wife was over the moon when I switched to wfp  I could do them all including the frames. Four years on, her husband was at home one day and was dumbstruck that I'd left them wet. No matter that they were spotless each month when they dried out. Cancelled me and took on a pal of mine who ridicules wfp. However, he has never cleaned frames in his nearly 40 yrs of window cleaning and won't under any circumstances. "I'm a window clener not a frame cleaner," is his stand.

So now they don't get either their frames or windows over the conny cleaned again. Bizarre or what? And there was no reasoning with him either when I asked him if they had been drying dirty and was that the real issue?


It's truly amazing Mark isn't it. I just can't fathom some people out. You think it's best to try and educate the customers before you start with WFP? Try to explain first so they know exactly what's gonna happen.

 
I had a customer cancel me due to not liking the water dripping down the wall, she actually said the wfp did a great job but just didn't like the dripping water, unbelievable or what. I asked her how big her umbrella must be to cover the house when it rains, don't think she had a sense of humour. I've already picked up over 10 new jobs since losing that one.

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A tenners a lot of money up here.
 
A guy walked past me yesterday morning, nice area...how much for a 3 bed semi in that road?
 
£10 I said (cheap imo) he turned his nose up and said I'll ask my landlord and walked off
 
Facebook is a pain, the price they seem to like round here is 6,7,8 quid.
 
Anything into double figures is a hard sell
[/That shouldnt be the case at all mate. Unless youre in the south east of england prices should be the same nationwide.


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Ignorance is bliss. Bless the trad cleaners that are also jumping on this band wagon to try and steal business from pure guys too. See that all the time these days and can’t understand what everyone’s problem is. 

“So you wouldn’t like me to clean your windows, frames, sills and doors with my £500 pole and £3500 system which costs me £100 a month to produce the water. Instead you’d prefer a £20 squeegee and 4 house old water and washing up liquid in a bucket?”

I could argue this til I’m blue in the face and I was trad for 10 years. WFP is the future of this industry, and the sooner insurance companies really clamp down on ladder work the better. 

I’m fortunate to have a brilliant customer base who recommend me to everyone they know, and I’m still growing, but these shitty little £6/8 cleaners driving battered up cars and trying to play down just how good WFP systems are get right on my tits. 

 
I do a mixture of both, my wfp is a trolley system and I only take 75L extra with me for upper floors and awkward ground floor windows.. Following trad mans advice All new customers get an info sheet which explains how the wfp system works and the windows will be left wet.

In the leaflet i also explain that sometimes I work in the rain. 

I think this has worked well and customers are fully aware of my methods before I start, therefore minimising the chances of a misunderstanding.

In our business you can't please everyone though!

 
It's truly amazing Mark isn't it. I just can't fathom some people out. You think it's best to try and educate the customers before you start with WFP? Try to explain first so they know exactly what's gonna happen.


I did the explaining thing when I first started due to the fact I was one of a very few in my area actually using the wfp system, and most had no idea what it was all about. It did work as I only had a handful of skeptical customers. Nowadays most have seen it in operation and seldom ask questions. Walk ups see me using it and usually ask for my services because I'm using it. I usually do make sure that they know that their windows are going to be left wet and will dry fine. If not then they can call me and I'll come back and redo them if necessary to remedy any issues. I seldom have problems with this approach.

Even so, people sometimes change and there's not much you can do about it.

 
Had one cancelled last year as didn't like wfp. Came back last month as trad guy didn't do frames. Also got one on round been done for three years wfp. She was home summer last year an told me she didn't like system. I won't it done the old way. Wrong I know but I have kept doing them wfp an she pays every time on time. Lol. 

 
Bottom line is clients should know what they are signing up to.

If they have seen you working or found you through a business website or Fb then they can't claim otherwise and kick up a fuss, more if they have being happy with the results.

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See my second argument to this is as follows;

If a tradesman arrived at your house to do plumbing/building etc. would you question their tools or methods?  If your windows are clean it doesn't matter if I used unicorn pee to clean them, the job is done, the final finish (albeit when they're dry if you're using pure) is satisfactory so why complain about how it was done?

 

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