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Man Down, fall from height

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Danfire

Danfire

Well-known member
Messages
700
Location
Petersfield
Started a new customer last week, she told me her previous cleaner was a postman and he just stopped calling. I had heard a couple of years ago about a local cleaner that fell off his ladder and I seemed to remember him being a Postie. I mentioned this to the new customer and she said, "no that's Barry, he lives over the road, he fell of his ladder and he's in a bad way".

Fast forward to today, I picked up another new client that was a walk up from the previous new customer. I thought it was a first clean the frames were that black with grime but bizarrely the glass seemed not too bad. I mentioned this to the customer (elderly lady). She said "I did have cleaner but he had an accident" (which explains the glass being clean). She asked me if I knew Barry, I told her I didn't but I understand he lived in her street and he had fallen from his ladder. She corrected me, her information was he was sat on an upstairs windowsill and the window fell through and he fell head first into the patio. This happened a few weeks ago just before the lockdown.

Poor old Barry is 70 years old and is now paralyzed from the neck down. I can't believe there's windies out there in their 70's still laddering up to clean windows.

 
Its shocking really, I'm sure many many moons ago there was no alternative but to use ladders but now theres no excuse for a ropey pitch. I speak with a few in my area after the initial get off my patch...? and I get asked are your customers fine with you using WFP. 

Did make me wonder if people are scared to switch over due to losing customers as some of theirs have said I'd they wouldn't be keen on it. Dont get me wrong I know a majority will be fine no accidents etc etc which is fantastic but it's not worth putting your self at risk for a customer that's happy for you to risk it for what a £15-£20 quid job? 

Just throwing it out there, obviously some people myself included actually like trad but do you think its fear of losing customers that keeps people using ladders as they worry about the impact on their business? 

 
Poor guy. 

Yes I think some people don't want to make the change to wfp,cos of the chance people not happy with, wfp,which can be justified with some windows.

I have a friend, who is a window cleaner n hates the mess it makes n he is too tight fisted to buy the kit, his knees are jiggered from ladders he n only does ladders on decent priced jobs, each to their own, I suppose. 

I just tell customers it's not worth dying for,cleaning a window,most agree.

 
Amazes me the amount of new customers or ones who are home for the first time when see you at work and ask if you're gonna dry the windows. As if. All that wfp effort and efficiency just to then go and dry off with a cloth ?. I do try and educate if I see them, but some are surprised when home the first time and see it. one had been fine previously, and then when home this time phoned me after i'd gone asking if i was gonna dry them, I explained no. And she phoned next day and said there were water marks. wasted my time, went there, and the only marks were on the inside. Ah well,?

 
I'm thinking of opening up a lonely hearts club. Getting calls each day through Checkatrader, yesterday the old guy was telling me his windy cleaner retired after 22 years and he has a new windy cleaner who uses a pole thing with water coming out the end and its making his red sandstone villa dirty underneath the windows. I tried to explain its pure water and draws dirt out of anything it touches. After describing his 16 windows he ask how much I would charge to clean them. So I replied if its a posh area you could be looking at £65 a month and he went quiet. Today's customer was asking if I could clean a large grey slab patio but I would need to bring my own water for my power washer. I told her to go round her neighbours and ask if they have an outside tap and I would use that even if its a 100 metres away. So she said she would go and ask them all and rung off. Then I did one of my £13 a month cleans and did a temporary repair on her gable eaves where the birds were getting in. She then told me next door has got a new window cleaner who only charges £6 and he is telling everyone. I replied that's why I lost next door to him because he cancelled last week. I reminded her that the £6 guy may only be here for the summer and gone again like the one before him. I'm in two minds if I should take anyone back again when the £6 guy disappears, I don't want to but it makes business sense as I have 5 next to each other. 

 
scottish cleaning service said:
I'm thinking of opening up a lonely hearts club. Getting calls each day through Checkatrader, yesterday the old guy was telling me his windy cleaner retired after 22 years and he has a new windy cleaner who uses a pole thing with water coming out the end and its making his red sandstone villa dirty underneath the windows. I tried to explain its pure water and draws dirt out of anything it touches. After describing his 16 windows he ask how much I would charge to clean them. So I replied if its a posh area you could be looking at £65 a month and he went quiet. Today's customer was asking if I could clean a large grey slab patio but I would need to bring my own water for my power washer. I told her to go round her neighbours and ask if they have an outside tap and I would use that even if its a 100 metres away. So she said she would go and ask them all and rung off. Then I did one of my £13 a month cleans and did a temporary repair on her gable eaves where the birds were getting in. She then told me next door has got a new window cleaner who only charges £6 and he is telling everyone. I replied that's why I lost next door to him because he cancelled last week. I reminded her that the £6 guy may only be here for the summer and gone again like the one before him. I'm in two minds if I should take anyone back again when the £6 guy disappears, I don't want to but it makes business sense as I have 5 next to each other. 
Click to expand...
Mate what did I miss ☝?

 
windowsurfer said:
£6 guy, 20p a window guy, is he licensed n insured?
Click to expand...
She said the builder next door got him from Renfrew, I guess he will be using a ladder. With all the cars on the driveways I find it difficult to use the pole. One of my customers has a £60k car on driveway so I think I'm safe with them. You will see this beer money type popping up more often after the Lock Down. Folk will become desperate for work and money, the commercial team will lay folk off and in turn they will turn to domestic. If anyone has built trust with their customers then they will standby you, I hope.

 

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