[AuRavelling79]

Prospective new customer turns up at my house two days ago ( good job I'd cleaned the windows within the last month, for a change. ) saying he'd been recommended by one of my custy's. Cutting a long story short I go and price it at £25 every two months. Detached with two small conservatories.

Him: Fine, go ahead the last guy used a blade and couldn't do two of the upstairs windows and left a line round all the edges (true - he must have used a filthy scrim) he charged £15 and left some squeegee marks.

So I start today wfp and he lists his last three window cleaners:-

1) Trad: Father and son (son on drugs) team - charge £10 a pop but son came up saying he'd cleaned them and took £10 when he hadn't.

2)  Wfp: Only charged £15 but only took 20 minutes and "left spots everywhere" told him that by the third clean they'd be ok - they weren't.

3) Trad: Lines round edges and smears (saw these myself)

4) Me, wfp took an hour and a quarter (1st clean) and if even I say so myself I made sure they were perfect. The front had dried by the time I finished and they were top notch. Next time and half an hour will be ample.

He pays me there and then and is over the moon.   

So this post isn't to boast but to point out that whether you are trad or wfp doesn't always matter - sometimes it's workmanship that counts with some customers and they will pay a premium for it.

[Mike_G]

Your his fourth window cleaner in a matter of months? I wonder how long you will keep the job, you only have his word about window cleaners 1 and 2  maybe they did a good job and he is another one of these not today thanks kind of guys and they dumped him.( and the fact that he only wants them doing every other month and not monthly does not inspire confidence) And the third window cleaner might well of been him with a squeegee from b&q. You might be ok and have a good customer but only time will tell and you will have to let us know.

[scrimit2]

I get your point, and that is how it should be, its the end product that people pay for, how its achived shouldnt matter (within reason) 

[AuRavelling79]

Your his fourth window cleaner in a matter of months? I wonder how long you will keep the job, you only have his word about window cleaners 1 and 2  maybe they did a good job and he is another one of these not today thanks kind of guys and they dumped him.( and the fact that he only wants them doing every other month and not monthly does not inspire confidence) And the third window cleaner might well of been him with a squeegee from b&q. You might be ok and have a good customer but only time will tell and you will have to let us know.

Thanks for the input Mike G ...

Please bear in mind the main point I was making was that we can be a poor (or good) window cleaner whether you are wfp or trad., not whether I retain the customer or not.

However, taking your points one at a time ...

Fourth window cleaner in a matter of two years. Not months.

I know window cleaners 1 and 2 and they are "known in the area" as he describes them. I.e. druggie and slapdash (but admittedly cheap!).

The "every other month" schedule is my doing, not his. I am so busy that I am only taking on eot's (at a higher price than monthly) now.

The latest window cleaner? Not himself - why would he describe him as going round the edges with a dirty old rag? (The symptoms of which were evident on each window.)

And he was recommended by a very good customer of mine who works with him.

Fussy? Yes - but I'll take longer if I get paid well for it.

Maybe I'm an optomist but what have I lost? £25 for an hour and a quarter isn't so underpaid I'll cry about it!

[Londoner]

I was always very worried about how customers would react to WFP but you are right they don't care at all. In fact some new customers have said they want me to do their windows because I use a pole which they regard as high tec.