Pole or ladders

[James Turner 2]

For about a year, I have been using a pole and a Moerman Fliq pad to clean tops. Recently,  with the sunny weather  returning to Scotland,  it's been a struggle using the Fliq pad and I am seriously  thinking about turning back to the ladders for the summer. It feels like a catch 22 with moerman gear. More Fairy needed for using it but makes the water dry up faster. Anyone got any thoughts on it?

Edited March 25, 2018 by James Turner

[Nudel 440]

You could look into a simple WFP system for doing tops only?

 

I love my fliq, but agree it doesn't work too well in hot weather.

[James Turner 2]

I do have WFP for some big jobs but a lot of the customer I have want it old school. Tried it again today and I had to redo tops with the ladder as they were a smeary mess. I do love the tool but I think I'm going back to ladders for the time being.

[scottish cleaning service 715]

11 minutes ago, James Turner said:

I do have WFP for some big jobs but a lot of the customer I have want it old school. Tried it again today and I had to redo tops with the ladder as they were a smeary mess. I do love the tool but I think I'm going back to ladders for the time being.

 

only use the pole for above conny roofs. WFP and backpack is your next step forward unless you want to play the hokey cokey and stuck half way in. This game is a process, Trad, pole over obstacles, Backpack connected to wfp for tops, then finally all wfp. That's what everyone seems to do on this site and it works! Customers either take it of leave it but if you do it in this fashion, you are slowly converting them and they don't even know it. Go against it and you end up the way you say it is. 

[keithlonsdale 0]

I have been having the same problems. Today I used ladders on the side the sun was shining. The opposite side I used the pole. I try to use pole in the winter months for safety reasons. I think the long term solution is WFP.

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[Nudel 440]

I agree with @scottish cleaning service, I decide how I want to work. I don't do ladder work any more, and that's that. Some people insist on having it done old school? No problem, but they can't be a customer of mine.

 

So @James Turner, you need to decide if you can live with ladder work in the summer or not. If you are perturbed by the thought of climbing, switch to wfp and prepare to loose a few customers.

 

It's never fun in the beginning to loose some customers, especially if you've cleaned them for years. But once done the feeling is magnificent! One of the first things I read when joining the forum was "a window cleaners round should not be static, but a living breathing entity where the worst work is constantly replaced by better work". And "work smarter not harder". Word to live by for sure, and it have reduced my stress levels immensely!

 

 

[Steve E 46]

23 hours ago, James Turner said:

For about a year, I have been using a pole and a Moerman Fliq pad to clean tops. Recently,  with the sunny weather  returning to Scotland,  it's been a struggle using the Fliq pad and I am seriously  thinking about turning back to the ladders for the summer. It feels like a catch 22 with moerman gear. More Fairy needed for using it but makes the water dry up faster. Anyone got any thoughts on it?

I agree with nudel. I use wfp for on a trolley for upper floors. I explain method and reasons to customers and they all accept it. It's quicker as well as safer!

I am still happy to continue to trad ground floor though.

[albootyerbaws 58]

ive dumped a few that were dodgey done with ladder they were on a slope. told them i was not doing them of ladder as was to dangerous started doing them with wfp they did not want them done that way so never went back. always have a look up at the windows when iam passing & they are minging probably not been done since i last done them. i just have a wee  to myself.

[albootyerbaws 58]

19 hours ago, Nudel said:

I agree with @scottish cleaning service, I decide how I want to work. I don't do ladder work any more, and that's that. Some people insist on having it done old school? No problem, but they can't be a customer of mine.

 

So @James Turner, you need to decide if you can live with ladder work in the summer or not. If you are perturbed by the thought of climbing, switch to wfp and prepare to loose a few customers.

 

It's never fun in the beginning to loose some customers, especially if you've cleaned them for years. But once done the feeling is magnificent! One of the first things I read when joining the forum was "a window cleaners round should not be static, but a living breathing entity where the worst work is constantly replaced by better work". And "work smarter not harder". Word to live by for sure, and it have reduced my stress levels immensely!

 

 

dump & replace. if ive got a house i hate doing  i say next new customer i get this is getting dumped.

[Green Pro Clean Ltd 4,739]

Stop using Fairy. Glass Gleam 4 has much slower evaporation rates. Also less suds so more forgiving. 

[scottish cleaning service 715]

9 minutes ago, Green Pro Clean Ltd said:

Stop using Fairy. Glass Gleam 4 has much slower evaporation rates. Also less suds so more forgiving. 

 

I use Ungers liquid and it seems great, no smears and good evaporation. Will give GG4 a try.

[Den 978]

Not for pole work but the combinator is great on hot days as it's a one pass, think mine is Aldi magnum premium or something like that been in the van for over a year 😀 only use it for a few internals spray fine mist of water on glass couple spots of liquid on mop and way you go, like I say though not for pole work.

[James Turner 2]

Well, I used GG3 today and I must admit... it's fantasic. All the issues I had virtually disapeared. I did find that I had to add a very tiny bit of fairy to the pad just for a bit more slip and to see the solution on the glass but apart from that, it worked fantastically. Great advice! Is there much difference between GG3 and GG4 apart from GG4 being more suitable for hard water areas?

[mike007 194]

On 3/25/2018 at 21:35, James Turner said:

For about a year, I have been using a pole and a Moerman Fliq pad to clean tops. Recently,  with the sunny weather  returning to Scotland,  it's been a struggle using the Fliq pad and I am seriously  thinking about turning back to the ladders for the summer. It feels like a catch 22 with moerman gear. More Fairy needed for using it but makes the water dry up faster. Anyone got any thoughts on it?

Not had problem so far, are you wetting too many windows when hotter,hence giving some time to dry before squeegeeing perhaps?

And are you doing straightish type pulls or fanning?

[tench0771 1,428]

Sounds like you just need to master wfp it takes time and after a wile you can tell if the glass will dry just my looking at it from the ground when it's wet as for sun u just need to go slow and rince more I scrub then rince then 're scrub then a nice slow rince on the second scrub u will fiel the brush glide easer if it fiels the same as the first then scrub a 3rd time and rince master one house at a time other wise u will get boged down and and try to rush through and get complaints i had the same issue as you mate years ago every one hated wfp and likes the old school but if u can get the glass perfect or at least as good as trad they can't mone. The only jobs I do trad now is builder cleans that need to be scraped or the odd wood fraim job that's gone powery all the best

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[James Turner 2]

On 18/04/2018 at 07:22, mike007 said:

Not had problem so far, are you wetting too many windows when hotter,hence giving some time to dry before squeegeeing perhaps?

And are you doing straightish type pulls or fanning?

I try to wet the applicator as much as I can between  windows. Bit of both depending on the size of the window. Glass Gleam has helped a lot though.  Also I decided  to stop and spend a bit more time making sure my angle adaptor  was set right, instead of leaving it in the same position all the time.

[rugbywolf 323]

On ‎26‎/‎03‎/‎2018 at 20:21, Nudel said:

I agree with @scottish cleaning service, I decide how I want to work. I don't do ladder work any more, and that's that. Some people insist on having it done old school? No problem, but they can't be a customer of mine.

 

So @James Turner, you need to decide if you can live with ladder work in the summer or not. If you are perturbed by the thought of climbing, switch to wfp and prepare to loose a few customers.

 

It's never fun in the beginning to loose some customers, especially if you've cleaned them for years. But once done the feeling is magnificent! One of the first things I read when joining the forum was "a window cleaners round should not be static, but a living breathing entity where the worst work is constantly replaced by better work". And "work smarter not harder". Word to live by for sure, and it have reduced my stress levels immensely!

 

 

This is the trouble today. wfp are prepared to loose customers, and that in the long run breaks up what were compact rounds. I sold a large round off a few years ago, virtually every house in every street (it was a medium sized village). I had been doing it about 15 or so years. The new gang said they could and would do whichever the customer wanted, but in reality they only did wpf. And now, by their own admittance, they have already lost about a quarter of the round. I have met so many wfp people who I know have bought rounds with the intention of only creaming off the best work and let the rest fall away. Not really good customer service.

[scottish cleaning service 715]

@Nudel I read this:-   "a window cleaners round should not be static, but a living breathing entity where the worst work is constantly replaced by better work". And "work smarter not harder".

 

I like the bit that says, "worst work or customers is constantly replaced by better work"

I had mother and daughter next to each other and I hated cleaning the windows, needed 3 ladders because it was on a hill. I pi55ed the daughter off and she got another cleaner for both of them. Best thing that happened because I didn't have the heart to walk away. Now I would have no hesitation of upping my prices just to get rid of the arrogant ones. I only have 30 customers and all are good.  

Edited May 18, 2018 by scottish cleaning service