[Sir Squeaky]

I picked up two shops today from another new one who recommended me for my good results.
After cleaning them I was told that they already had a w/c but they would dump him.

Now I wouldn't care, but it turns out to be someone I'm quite friendly with and we get on well.

I'm not sure how he'll take this, but surely I've played by the rules, as I was approched by the customer who wanted me instead.
Don't want to start a poaching war.

I am in the right aren't I?

[simbag]

If they're gonna dump him anyway, then who's gonna clean their windows?......

[Thecleanerservice]

If they had dumped him already ok, but personally I would rather walk away from a couple of small jobs than be having to watch my back from now on.  just my opinion
Pj

[Sir Squeaky]

That's the thing PJ, they probably weren't until I turned up and "outshined" him.

But I've got very little shops and I want a foothold, even for a few quid it's a start.

There'd be no question if it was domestic.

[Thecleanerservice]

Squeaky

You said that you get on ok with the guy, can you talk to him about it.  Would he see reason?  Maybe you've got something he could have as a trade off.  No hard feelings like.  Maybe I'm complicating it.  Some guys are worth keeping in with some are not.  You'd be the best judge which one he is.
I'd find it difficult too.

Pj

[rosskesava]

We've had the same twice over the last few years.

The first time we were a little apprehensive but the w/c concerned stopped us and said good luck because they never pay their bills. The reason the shop concerned didn't pay was because the w/c concerned either didn't turn up or did a bad job.

Since then we've been paid every month with no problems at all.

The second time we got call a pile of names, got sworn at, threatened  and so on but since then, even though we've seen the w/c a few times, he's ignored us.

If I was on good talking terms with the w/c concerned I think I would find that difficult.

I think I would just simply say the situation to him as to be honest, money is why I work. I enjoy my work but I have to pay my bills.

If the job was not worth much or I did not need the work I think I would say the situation to the w/c and give him the option of acting on it. Either by going and seeing the shop keeper or whatever.

Then if the shop still gets rid of him then what can you do? Decline to do their windows? If the shops have made that decision then I would think they would stick to that whether you do their windows or not. They will find another w/c in the end anyway.

Very few people or business's dump w/c's for no reason.

Still, what a difficult position to be in.

Cheers

[Sir Squeaky]

To be honest not many w/c's around town think much of him.

Just don't want to get hassle.

I spoke to Ian Giles after it happened and he said he would go ahead, but they hate each other....they've got history!

[davidsabishop]

If you really wanna be squeeky clean then take the work but OFFER TO PAY the guy for it at the going rate.
Better not be any of my shops sunshine

[Ian Rochester]

If they had been happy with their current window cleaner you would not have been approached, the only reason you got the jobs is because he obviously wasn't doing a good, timely job.

The only time I would deem it as being wrong is if you seriously undercut them on price or if you slate them in order to get the job.

[Roy Harding]

Take it I know {S/G) would if boot was on the other foot.

Roy

[Sir Squeaky]

Cheers Roy.

You're absolutley right there, he'd do it to me.

[gaza]

Ihave a w/c in my town does 172 shop windows how many toes has he stood on,that nearly every shop along the high st,Iknow two lads used to do some may be hes took their work.THESE COMPANYS THAT EXPAND QUICKLY AVE ALL STOMPED ON OTHER PEOPLE TOESand hes the first to moan or threaten people.I told him strait Im heading to were he is and our paths going to cross so he knows. Iwouldnt bother  to much just dont under cut him,he has a leg to stand on then.

 gaza

[matt]

i know a JW guy who does ALL the windows in my town, and i mean them all

thats his only work, he starts monday and slowley works around them

he cleans my mrs hair sallon and ive watched him, his water is BLACK, he mop hasnt been washed in years, my mrs has even seen him spit on the window to wipe a mark off. he miss's the corners and does a POOR job

BUT

he is DIRT cheap, and i mean dirt cheap, i had a chinese takeway ask me for a price as he miss's the tops pof the windows as he is too short, i gave them a price of 9 quid

how much did this other guy charge




2.50   

when he retires and its not far off, they will be in for a shock

[windows_chepstow]

Take it I know {S/G) would if boot was on the other foot.

Roy

I know him too.  He'd have no problem taking them off you; he'd probably feel quite 'proud' of himself.  I've heard him gloat over accounts he's poached.

Make sure you charge a bit more; so he can't accuse you of undercutting.

[thewindowcleaner1]

Go for it as long as you charge same or more,

I done the same on a couple around here explaind that they had aprouched me said sorry and carried on,

If they are on the lookout for someone else then it will happen so why not you.

So far with the exception of one who I don't know I think I get on well with every one.

At the end of the day I have to feed my family no one else

In fact a couple of w/c's have approuched me and asked if I could clean the signs of some of thier customers, (why not we all do the same job) with a WFP I can do it in a fraction of the time the other w/c is happy to have saved the time and I,ve built a relationship with another w/c

Work with them if you can but the only person to look after you is YOU

[Justin Ruggles]

Yeah you dont get Asda moaning to Tesco for moving on there patch and nickin g customers,if you do a good job and if the customer is happy they will not move even if they can get it cheaper.

I have had window cleaners tell my customer there do it half the price that I charge and never lost none due to that, had one go with a £3 ago chap for one month and then asked me to go back, which I did and the price went up to £12 from £10 a month.

If the customer is happy and your doing a good job then you have no worries.

Justin

[Ian_Giles]

Mmm, Roger is right, we do have history, this guy took one shop off me by turning up a few days before I was due to start cleaning it and claimed he worked for me, the upshot being was that she was to scared to make a fuss, ergo, he 'poached' the account
On another occasion he called on every single shop I have in town (and that is 4 days worth of work, week in week out) and offered to undercut my price by a minimum of 50p. (He didn't take a single job)
He has also bragged to others he has knocked me out ( We haven't spoken for years let alone got close enough to exchange blows!)
I always told him when a customer complained about his work, or asked me to take the job over, always gave him the benefit of the doubt, but he would always dump on me (or anyone else for that matter).
Oh, and when he first worked for me, he also nicked scrims off me!

Final straw was when another lad that was working for was asked to clean one of the accounts that ‘S’ did, this chap simply cleaned it and told me I would be along to sort the money out.
So I didn’t really have the chance to intervene before it was too late.
 ‘S’ was charging £20.00, way, way over the top.
We told the guy that we could do it for £15.00, but that we would inform ‘S’ and he would probably match the price.
It could have been done for a fiver and not been under priced.
I met ‘S’ in town and told him that all he had to do was match the price to keep the job.
Instead he took a pub we cleaned for £25.00 a week.
He took it because he knew the guy behind the bar.
Was all Georgian, so he didn’t do it for long, he only took it to spite me.

So yes, it could be said that we don't really get along!!

Rog picked up 2 shops, the first was as he said, the customer approached him and Roger was unaware that this other guy cleaned them, then the shop over the road approached him, ‘S’ wasn’t doing the glass above the door, even after having been repeatedly asked to do so, So Rog also got to do that one too.

This ‘S’ has had a good couple of weeks, 3 weeks ago I took one off him (one that he poached off me (yet again he knew the new manageress) but in the intervening couple of years he just hasn’t done a decent job, the next manager saw me and asked me to clean it…I’m charging £2.00 more than he was too!
And now I’ve taken a local Spar shop off him too!
I could have taken this one at any time over the past 4 years, I’ve just been waiting for the best time to take it off him!
I’m charging £2.00 more for that one too!
It’s amused me because he has not put up his price on this one for 4 years, my missus is a supervisor in there, and he has been scared I’ll take it off him for years lol
But to lose 4 commercial accounts in a couple of weeks, 3 of them in 2 days…ahh revenge is sweet, he’s going to be steaming!
And unless the shops that Roger took of him tell him which window cleaner has taken them, he’ll think it was me!! And that makes me feel even better lol.

Mind how you go,


Ian

[windows_chepstow]

I've a few stories about the same lad, although I don't have any issues with him.

I know he's had a few psycological problems in the past; even though he initially can come across as a 'diamond geezer'; he's just the opposite.  He's one of the few window cleaners who I keep at arms distance. 

You can find him on a Saturday night, alone and 'mateless' in Chepstow's only nightclub; wandering about trying to chat the girls up.

[windows_chepstow]

he cleans my mrs hair sallon and ive watched him, his water is BLACK,

Hey, as long as the windows end up clean, who cares what colour the water is!  I try my best to make one bucket of water last all day! 

It's good for the environment!

[Sir Squeaky]

Both moderators posting on my topic, I'm honoured!
Not really... They're both from the same town as me and know about this!

Anyway, all that bothers me really is getting attacked in the street over this, or is he not like that?

Wish I could think of something he's done to me, but I can't.

Roger.