Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: DG Cleaning on February 07, 2013, 08:03:53 pm
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Had an interesting chat with my wc, he used to be wfp but ditched it to go back on ladders. He had one or 2 complaints but I think all those first cleans were doing his head in because he wasn't making as much per day. There were 2 of them working out of a van on backpacks. He still uses them a few days a month on a new estate but that's it he wont do them all. Has anyone else done the same?
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Came close a couple of times when i first swapped over... i expect a lot came close
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Those who didn't plan it properly.
Those who have a wishbone instead of a backbone.
Those who let their custies tell'em what to do.
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no and i never would, just doesnt make sense overall, may need to get used to it a bit, but worth perseveribg
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I use a ladder sometimes for garage roofs but to clumsy
to work from a ladder full time. I do believe that I could control my quality
better using trad methods but I wouldnt last a year.
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Had an interesting chat with my wc, he used to be wfp but ditched it to go back on ladders. He had one or 2 complaints but I think all those first cleans were doing his head in because he wasn't making as much per day. There were 2 of them working out of a van on backpacks. He still uses them a few days a month on a new estate but that's it he wont do them all. Has anyone else done the same?
loads and loads, thats why wfp has a bad name (because people cant manage the change over) then again that helps us too :)
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I asked him about the safety aspect but he said he's not bothered. Been at it nearly 30 years. ;D
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A quitter never wins, A winner never quits ;)
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i do both, only trad ladderwork on the easy acess areas, i use my backpack in some areas also, i can go canvassing now knowing i can clean almost any house regardless of height and awkwardness. if i didnt have backpack id probably be earning around £200 per month less. in the wind we have had recently it was no problem for me, i would not have been able to do ladder work, i would have lost £££££££££ssss. this xtra money is hopefully going towards my pressure washer setup. id find it too much pressure having a van mount only. when things go wrong.
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There's not much to go wrong with a van mount to be honest
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Dont even want to think about going back Trad :o :o :o
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After doing a few trad on a garage roof today id never go back lol
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we use two backpacks .due to our round .bin using them few yrs now .we did lose a few custies .old dears mainly .didnt like water left on windows .but go back to ladders .no thanks .still taking ones on near other custies
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I know a lad I helped set up with WFP doesn't use it much. His customers told him they didn't like it so he went back to ladders. He's struggling now, we've tried to help him with it but to no avail. Even his brother can't get through to him.
His issue was his customers opinion, in the OP's comment I would say the issue is the fact that they were trying to just use backpacks. If you can only afford (water wise) to use a small amount of water any first cleans can be a real pain.
When I started there were 2of us with 250L. We did just upstairs but soon I realised that doing them all was the way forward. Backpack purchased and water conserved as much as posible. Horrible on first cleans (and even second ones)
Now on my own I get through 350L whereas we were trying to manage with 250 between us.
The key to geting it right is not only having the right equipment and plenty of water but also having the right mindset.
Dont get me wrong you can do it with a backpack but it takes more effort and patience.
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Think the investment puts a lot off, but once you have changed and taken the hit it is so much easier and safer.
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i think everyone should go back to ladders apart from me then il pick up all the work they cant manage ;D
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i always pland to go wfp as soon as i could .i could not see the point of risking death for jus a few pound. i got a few quid saved and bingo up and running did a bit of resurch dont get me wrong made a few school boy errors but once you have the confiedence every thing falls in to place but you always get folk jumping on the band waggon not bothering to do the job correctly which will give wfp a bad name imo.
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i will never go back customers would not allow it they love it i love it ;D
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I have never been comfortable with wfp, the manager of a residential home wants to speak with me next week said the residents have issues with water left on the windows to be honest I see them leaning out of the windows drying them sometimes it doesn't matter how well you put the concept across to some they'll never get it if I was 10 years younger I'd probably go back to ladders, it's crazy really because when you've done both you know pure water is a better way the results must be yet people never seem to moan about soap residue or sun smears, it's made me paranoid when wfp cleaning if I see one tiny dirt spot I keep checking and rinsing and it's making the jobs take longer when in actual fact you probably wouldn't see anything wrong when they are dry unless you put your face up against the glass with a magnifying glass, I did a commercial job with a mate which is done every 6 months, I was doing inside upper glass while he was poling outside there were small dirt spots on nearly every pane which we wouldn't see from outside I never mentioned anything to him because we would have gone over them all again making the whole job take about 8 hours for 2 people for a £350 job if they are done twice a year then what can be expected, if you used ladders and soap it would be a nightmare they would need scraping you can't win.
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I have done trad and wfp and find there is nothing in common between the two methods. Must trad chaps and vice versa, changing to W F P seem to expect WFP to be easy because they can trad. Its a completely different ball game. I never see them as the same thing. I don't compare them at all. Each has a place in the market and I feel as a window cleaner I should be doing both. But never let the customer get involved in my method as they pay for results so there no negotiation as far as I am concerned.
Allowing your customer to dictate, is a problem of who is in charge of your business you or the customer.I have no problem with who runs my business.
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I did once and woke up in a cold sweat thank god i was only dreaming ;D ;D .Mike
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I have done trad and wfp and find there is nothing in common between the two methods. Must trad chaps and vice versa, changing to W F P seem to expect WFP to be easy because they can trad. Its a completely different ball game. I never see them as the same thing. I don't compare them at all. Each has a place in the market and I feel as a window cleaner I should be doing both. But never let the customer get involved in my method as they pay for results so there no negotiation as far as I am concerned.
Allowing your customer to dictate, is a problem of who is in charge of your business you or the customer.I have no problem with who runs my business.
There is no comparison with the two but you try telling a pensioner that wfp is good when they want a man with a flat cap and a bucket of water climbing up a ladder it's not a case of telling the customer who is boss it'll just end up in a rant. they probably didn't like chamois leathers being replaced with squeegies either it's called progression but they will never get it.
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Must trad chaps and vice versa, changing to W F P seem to expect WFP to be easy
It is easy, so long as you've got a bit of nouse about you, and have done a little bit of research.
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Must trad chaps and vice versa, changing to W F P seem to expect WFP to be easy
It is easy, so long as you've got a bit of nouse about you, and have done a little bit of research.
+1 wfp is easy enough, it's only difficult when people who aren't sure what they're doing think they know better and start cutting corners. All they achieve is making life harder for themselves or the next cleaner who has a hard time convincing the customer that you can get good results wfping
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I have done trad and wfp and find there is nothing in common between the two methods. Must trad chaps and vice versa, changing to W F P seem to expect WFP to be easy because they can trad. Its a completely different ball game. I never see them as the same thing. I don't compare them at all. Each has a place in the market and I feel as a window cleaner I should be doing both. But never let the customer get involved in my method as they pay for results so there no negotiation as far as I am concerned.
Allowing your customer to dictate, is a problem of who is in charge of your business you or the customer.I have no problem with who runs my business.
you are spot on
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When I switched over I had one 2 complaints one justified which was sorted and one who just fancied a moan, I also lost one. The customer who I thought would be dead against it now prefers it, she's really into her cleaning does her insides weekly, she can see what a good job it does and likes having clean frames. I really take my time on first cleans though perhaps too much but it seems to be working. I never explain the system either unless they ask. ;D
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i seriously dont understand some of your customers complaining because you use WFP? ??? ???
I VERY RARELY GET ANY COMPLAINTS USING WFP!!in fact im more likely to get complements on how good the system is.
i did have one or two cancellations and problems when i first started but i soon ironed them out when i got a bit more experience.
i only use ladders on a few jobs a week and thats usually for opening a locked gate or the odd flat roof but most of the time they stay locked up on top of my van
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dazmond, your the best ;D
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Isn't it amazing that a thread titled 'anyone ditch wfp for ladders' turns into a wfp v trad type thread wherein wfp is the supreme master and any who clean windows with those ancient death causing stone age tools, the ladder plus a mop and squeegee, is some sort of inferior twitt.
I think this forum needs a section for trad users and one for wfp.
If I was still cleaning windows trad style I don't think I'd bother going on this forum
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I don't mind doing trad ;D
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I often use ladders and trad on first cleans if they are mingers to get them up to (my) standard!
Cream cleaner on the frames and TFR after the initial clean WFP is a doddle to maintain the standard.
First cleans use too much water, takes too long and doesn't bring the frames up half as well.
G.
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I agree with Granny ;D
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I often use ladders and trad on first cleans if they are mingers to get them up to (my) standard!
Cream cleaner on the frames and TFR after the initial clean WFP is a doddle to maintain the standard.
First cleans use too much water, takes too long and doesn't bring the frames up half as well.
G.
Can't actually believe what I'm reading here. :o :-X
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+1
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+2 :D
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+3
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+4
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What is wrong with doing the 1st clean by hand,i do not use cream cleaner or anything like that,just ecover and water and use ladder to get to top windows,give the frames a good clean by hand and makes it much easier with the wfp from then on,am i doing it wrong????
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Because theres no need to, with regards quality of work and it's slower. Apart from that, no reason.
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yes i have. & i have just traded in my blue ray player for a beta-max
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So for a first clean wfp gets frames cleaner than using a green sponge and something like g101 or Strongarm and then rinsing down with wfp?
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If you need to use something like G101 or any other detergent why get a ladder out, use your gutter spraying pole in just the same way. Still no need for ladders if they really wont come up good with just pure.
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Im sorry im reasonably new to this,so what type of brush would you use for a first clean as the super-lite i bought from gardiners is probably too light is it?
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Super-lite is fine for a first clean, i use an extreme for first cleans
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Ok Thanks for that i will give it a go,probably because i have had no training on wfp,just bought it and went cleaning :)