[Stuart webster]

There are several WFP window cleaners setting up near me, no doubt trying to keep within the HSE rules. The problem seems to be that their customers are calling traditional window cleaners, such as myself, because they are so unhappy with the quality of the work.

This isn't down to the customer not understanding the system, but rather, to the individual user not being aware of their own workmanship.

This is sending completely the wrong message about our business.
Iv'e not yet gone over to WFP, and i'm sure soon I will, however, I am concerned about the reputation that is developing locally due to shoddy workmanship.

I know their are many very good WFP users, who check their work regurlaly, but, the possibility of bad workmanship increases when the worker cant get his nose on the glass.

I'm finding that customers wont comment about bad work for a variety of reasons, they like the guy and dont want to tell him his £2k piece of kit was a waste, or, they are frightened they wont find anyone else to do them.

WFP's should have hightened the professionalism of our business, sadly anyone with £500 can set up and splash water at the windows.

The future is not as bright as it first seemed.

[Simon Carter]

It's no different from squeegee work. Some will use their wfp kit well & others not. The trend is nonetheless very much toward this method of operation & increasing acceptance.  As always, there will be good window cleaners & bad window cleaners.

[matt]

WFP's should have hightened the professionalism of our business, sadly anyone with £500 can set up and splash water at the windows.

The future is not as bright as it first seemed.

at least they dont have to spend 2 K t splash some water though, that would be a waste

picked up 3 jobs today, WHY

well i do a good job and i was recommended by others, 3 nice size jobs aswell

i explained about the first 2 or 3 cleans, they said "oh you do Mrs jones windows, she is happy, so thats enough for us, we will bare with you on the "settling in period"

[AuRavelling79]

A mates brother moved down from oop North and to help him out I gave him about half a dozen low end customers to get him started. Anyway he's just gone onto the pole system and some of the customers are begging me to go back and do them because "he's no good" (at window cleaning).

Apparantly he's doubled the prices and is doing a bad job.

The water is further muddied (pun intended) by the fact that an unknown is leafleting and my old customers are telling me that If I don't take them back (they'll pay the new prices - which are fine)they'll try the new guy!

I do the pole and have not yet lost a customer so I'm a bit miffed that the guy is not doing a good job because it all reflects on me a bit!

Ah politics! How to handle this one with kid gloves eh?

[Stuart webster]

I'm only commenting on what is happening locally. I doubt any who use this site would do a shoddy job.

How though, do we stop those who do?

I will be WFPing soon, but am worried about entering this field with this reputation.

[Moderator David@stives]

Stuart

One day we will all be doing it ,so if i was you i would be getting a start with it or you may be the last to switch and be left behind a bit.

Dave

[rosskesava]

Over the last year we've picked up load of work because the w/c's were using wfp and the results were not to the customers liking.

We've picked up none from any w/c doing a bad job with trad methods.

I am still not satisfied that wfp does a better job and I've yet to see it with my own eyes either from our own wfp work or from other local wfp's. I think the results are ok but that's it.

To me, the main benifits are safety and speed. Also conservatory roofs are quick and easy and come up much better as does places next to the coast where salt on the windows is a problem.

Cheers

[callum macleod]

hi I must admit when i first started wfping i made a mess of it !! probably put some ex customers off but i have learned ! and now i am getting to grips with the system it works very well but like everything if you don't use correctly !! like using a squegee then you will lose customer's but i would say by far i have improved greatly in the customer services dept and done my best to keep customer's i wanted to keep and let the customer's i did not want go! as now i am able to take on work that pays better  

[Stuart webster]

Over the last year we've picked up load of work because the w/c's were using wfp and the results were not to the customers liking.

We've picked up none from any w/c doing a bad job with trad methods.

I am still not satisfied that wfp does a better job and I've yet to see it with my own eyes either from our own wfp work or from other local wfp's. I think the results are ok but that's it.

To me, the main benifits are safety and speed. Also conservatory roofs are quick and easy and come up much better as does places next to the coast where salt on the windows is a problem.

Cheers

You have a better way of putting things than I do.

I have no problems with the equipment, rather NEW window cleaners who dont check their work.

Stuart

One day we will all be doing it ,so if i was you i would be getting a start with it or you may be the last to switch and be left behind a bit.

Dave

Dave,

I'm hardly likely to get left behind anything, rather I would like to see how some WFPers cope before spending my cash.

Stuart (The Bear)

[steve massey]

Hi all,

I have had wfp 650ltr systerm for 3 years. I do commercial work every morrning using pole and then after dinner we do houses the trad way.

We have never lost a house yet and after turn new customers away.
I dont belive the wfp setup is good for houses they dont always dry clean. One week they might the next they wont depends a lot on the weather i think

Also alot of the time ive used 650ltrs of water before dinner.
So i'm out of water.

Do you think it would be quicker using wfp on houses?

We work as a gang of 3 and do around 7 - 3bed semis in one hour

[kiral1404]

I started wfping 5 months ago from scratch building my customers as i go i've lost a few along the way some done to my then lack of knowledge on wfp some done to the fact they are ultra fussy.

WFP is good and does work but not for everyone. I tell people about the spots and to give it a few tries and if theyre not happy then theyve tried it. I cant say fairer than that.

had a customer today phoned up a week after first clean said they had to go over it as it was filthy. I was polite but grateful she cancelled maybe if she cleaned the poop off the lawn and bothered to clean the insides once a year i'd have cared.

I'm still new and learning wfp i cant afford to lose customers but some arent worth having.

1 customer has had 1 clean and recommended me to her church to clean that.

Swings & roundabouts eh!

[rosskesava]

We've only been using wfp since the summer.

What I've personnaly found is that for really grimmed up windows use traditional methods first and then wfp (if you can).

Today we did a house and the windows and frames were seriously bad. New owners had moved in and the windows looked like they had never been done and the place was on a main road.

We went round all the glass with a mop and wire wool (excluding the frames) and then went over it all with wfp including the frames. It came up a treat (but I still think a squeeie cleans the actual glass better than wfp).

The owners were stunned at the result and happily paid the double cost of a normal clean.

As for grease, badly caked on bird poo, anything sticky, and so on, my experience (please note the 'my experience) is that wfp doesn't remove it as well as trad methods and sometimes doesn't remove it at all. The problem often being is that you cannot see what hasn't been removed especially if it's on the 2nd floor. I did the insides of a place like that recently (an old victorian house - for 2nd floor read 3rd floor anywhere else) and was shocked at just how much seagull poo was left behind that wasn't visible from the ground but as the owners couldn't find anyone else to even attempt the 2nd floor with any method, they were more than happy.

For one story normal houses whatever size, we do the tops with wfp and squeegie the ground floor but it's best to give the wfp'r a head start as water drips down the walls for a while.

One thing though, for those horrible places that need 3 extention ladders and several moves of the ladder for each bay, wfp beats that hands down. We do a number of places like that and what was a 45 minute job for 3 people costing maybe £30 or so is now so fast and quick, sometimes under 10 minutes, that it's money for old rope so to speak.

Wfp - all in all, a very good investment and very worthwhile.

Cheers

PS I've just read the above posting just as I went to post this. To me, there does seem to be a relationship between customers who moan about their windows with wfp when the insides are filthy. Odd eh?