[Steve_c]

I always find it a little embarrassing to admit my profession even now. Very few people take the pee but even a visit to the doctors or hospital always kills the conversation dead when they ask what line of work I'm in.
Some customers though are great and treat me as anyone else. It's friends/family and former work collegues who are the worst.
The great thing is of course - you never have to work for anyone you really don't like.

Would you like to go back into to print? No chance for me i couldn't give a monkeys what people think.

[Neil271052]

TBH I think anybody who cleans windows for a living is a useful if fairly lowly member of society and I'm one myself.

When low image is thought about it is not always about the money as some folks on here seem to think it is how one is reckoned by their peers.

Nurses, teachers and folks in the forces all probably earn much less than us but  are probably looked on with more esteem than a window cleaner and rightly so IMO.

Does cleaning a bit of dirt off glass make us the more valuable?

I think not.

At the end of the day it is a pretty non essential job that requires no study or exams for hence possibly the lowly status, brand new van or not. 

[darren clarke]

who cares what people think of us,  we prob make more than them

[Helen]

TBH I think anybody who cleans windows for a living is a useful if fairly lowly member of society and I'm one myself.

Can you explain exactly what you mean by a "fairly lowly member of society" please.

[Sunshine/Cleaning]

TBH I think anybody who cleans windows for a living is a useful if fairly lowly member of society and I'm one myself.

Can you explain exactly what you mean by a "fairly lowly member of society" please.

He's probably not bright enough to understand enough English to use the word 'Humble'

[A & J Owen Window Cleaning]

OK, some would view window cleaning as menial. However, how many other jobs perceived as being higher status actually are anything other than menial themselves?

Up until quite recently my job consisted of the following:- chase other people for pointless information, input pointless information on computer system, chase people for pointless information and then update my diary to say I had chased said pointless information. This was an office/managerial occupation which I'm sure would have been viewed as high status and yet it was a total waste of time and added no value whatsoever to anything or anybody.

At least we get windows cleaned and IMO any job well whether it be cleaner/window cleaner is no lower in status than any poncey office job.

Anyone who thinks otherwise can bugger off

[Ian101]

At my Rotary Club last week we were hosting the 1st round of the annual district quiz and we had another club over as the opposition ... at the start of the quiz the teams have to introduce themselves and say what they do for a living .. came to my turn and as I said "window cleaner" their was a laugh  from the auduience ... guessed it was someone from the other club as all my club members know what I do for a living so looking in the direction of the laugh I said "oh ok if you prefer Im a company director of my own building maitenance company, either way I love my job and oh the pays fantastic too !! no laugh after that  

still lost the quiz though  

and as i used to sell used cars for a living in most peoples eyes ive stepped up a level or two but dont bother me what people think  

DEFINITION OF STATUS = When you buy something you dont need with money you havent got to impress people you dont like.

dont give a toss about status just so long as im happy

[Helen]

TBH I think anybody who cleans windows for a living is a useful if fairly lowly member of society and I'm one myself.

Can you explain exactly what you mean by a "fairly lowly member of society" please.

He's probably not bright enough to understand enough English to use the word 'Humble'

Your words not mine Stuart  

I just wondered why he felt this way.
I am made of flesh, bones and blood and have a cleaning business.
my next door neighbour is a nurse in A & E and is made of flesh, bones and blood. Apart from our chosen professions, not much difference really.

[Sunshine/Cleaning]

Monty Pythons "I look down on him..." comes to mind. Everybody wants to have someone to look down to.

The point is not what value others, strangers, put on your life. It's the value that those closest to you have of you.

A soldier is defined by his 'job' it's a way of life, I'm not defined by mine. My friends know me and respect me for far more things than the work I do to 'pay my way'.

[Neil271052]

TBH I think anybody who cleans windows for a living is a useful if fairly lowly member of society and I'm one myself.

Can you explain exactly what you mean by a "fairly lowly member of society" please.

Did you not read my post fully?

I was trying to establish why window cleaners may have a low image in answer to the OP ( Re: Low image of window cleaners or myth?)

"Society" means the whole strata of people.

I tried to explain that although some people bang on about money how much you earn is not indicative to your standing  or how you are perceived in aforesaid "society".

As I said previously most people would place lower money earners like nurses, teachers, lads and lasses in the military higher in their estimation of value to "society" than window cleaners.

If you were in hospital who would be uppermost in your estimation, the nurses or the window cleaner?

If you were at school, college or university who would be uppermost in your estimation, the tutors or the window cleaner?

Just because we are all in this business  shouldn't make us blind to what goes on outside and how "ordinary" people perceive us.

[A & J Owen Window Cleaning]

Personally, I think having the gumption to set up your own business automatically sets you above someone who works for someone else because it shows you've got the bottle to go it alone. I have said this to many people who sneer and it always shuts them up. In my experience it's the office workers who look down on us and most of them haven't exactly got that much to be proud about!

[Neil271052]

I just wondered why he felt this way.
I am made of flesh, bones and blood and have a cleaning business.
my next door neighbour is a nurse in A & E and is made of flesh, bones and blood. Apart from our chosen professions, not much difference really.

No it's exactly the same.

The last time I looked all humans were made of blood, flesh and bones (with a fair few other bits) and in that respect all are equal.

However if you had an accident with your blood flesh and bones who would be of more use to you and society in general?

A nurse or window cleaner?

If you honestly think that your neighbour an A&E nurse is on the same level of usefulness as a window cleaner you have missed my point altogether.

[Neil271052]

Personally, I think having the gumption to set up your own business automatically sets you above someone who works for someone else because it shows you've got the bottle to go it alone. I have said this to many people who sneer and it always shuts them up. In my experience it's the office workers who look down on us and most of them haven't exactly got that much to be proud about!

I couldn't agree more.

Office workers in general haven't as much status as anybody self employed.

[G Griffin]

Monty Pythons "I look down on him..." comes to mind. Everybody wants to have someone to look down to.

 It was from The Frost Report not Python.
 C`mon you`re giving window cleaners a bad name  . No wonder Ian101 lost the quiz  .

[Neil271052]

Monty Pythons "I look down on him..." comes to mind. Everybody wants to have someone to look down to.

 It was from The Frost Report not Python.
 C`mon you`re giving window cleaners a bad name  . No wonder Ian101 lost the quiz  .

Indeed it was and the protagonists were John Cleese, Ronnie Barker and Ronnie Corbett in case it ever comes up in a quiz. 

[Sunshine/Cleaning]

Monty Pythons "I look down on him..." comes to mind. Everybody wants to have someone to look down to.

 It was from The Frost Report not Python.
 C`mon you`re giving window cleaners a bad name  . No wonder Ian101 lost the quiz  .

Indeed it was and the protagonists were John Cleese, Ronnie Barker and Ronnie Corbett in case it ever comes up in a quiz. 

I'm obviously not bright enough to retain quiz answers!!

[Sunshine/Cleaning]

I just wondered why he felt this way.
I am made of flesh, bones and blood and have a cleaning business.
my next door neighbour is a nurse in A & E and is made of flesh, bones and blood. Apart from our chosen professions, not much difference really.

No it's exactly the same.

The last time I looked all humans were made of blood, flesh and bones (with a fair few other bits) and in that respect all are equal.

However if you had an accident with your blood flesh and bones who would be of more use to you and society in general?

A nurse or window cleaner?

If you honestly think that your neighbour an A&E nurse is on the same level of usefulness as a window cleaner you have missed my point altogether.

There is a big difference between value of the job and value of the individual. In my eyes they are not the same.

I simply dont care how others view me.

[Craig 72]

I do cringe a bit when an old friend asks what I do,if I'm honest.A small price to pay though for being your own boss.Starting and finishing when you want,nobody looking over your shoulder,low stress and potential to make decent money if you're willing to put in the effort.If the only bad thing is a snobby pratt looking down on you once in a while it can't be too bad.Been doing this for 18 months or so and my only regret is I didn't start much sooner.

[Wc Solutions]

i think its still around a little within the domestic sector of customers ... but with commercial customers it seems to have nearly gone in my eyes.

we still get alot of domestic customers who think we are thick and dont run a business just beer money and bookies money earnings.

if you meet an irish man that cut trees or did drives does that automatically make him a pikie?

customers always right? i think not!

are trade and such alike are gaining more and more very clever and business savy guys due to the stress of high powered desk jobs... they see out door work as more flexible and less stressfull.

[Jonathan Spencer]

We are probably looked down on but I do not gice a monkies what others think.  Some mates of mine used to take the pee until I hinted on how much I earn.  They soon shut up about it and now praise me for having the balls to start up on my own.