[DASERVICES]

  For you guys that employ people need your words of wisdom.

  I will soon be going WFP in the next few weeks which I can't wait, one thing
  that bothers me is anyone who rejects WFP should I ditch them, houses that
  are not suitable for WFP should I ditch these.

  I've have a great freindship with my customers so if I start being ruthless
  will this have a bad effect on my busisness.

  There is no one else in my county who is doing domestic / commercial with WFP
  so I dont know if this will go against me or prove to be a blessing.

  I dont want to stop here but start taking on people gradually what is the best
  way, employ someone or contract.

  Loads of questions on my mind but what the knowledge from you guys as to
  wether I should think big or not, and what are the pitfalls.

  Your advise please.

  Much appreciated.

  Doug

[Sir Squeaky]

Interesting one Doug...

These are my reservations and would-be questions.

I was in town the other day and saw Ian Giles doing a shop with a washer and squeegee.
When I asked why he was not doing it with his pole he tells me that the poor condition wooden frames would leak dirty water out onto the glass.

Fair enough, until I realised that half of my nice reliable customers I've had for 8 years or so in the country have windows just the same...

I'd be pretty knackered I reckon.

(This isn't anti-wfp, just stating a important point )

Rog.

[windows_chepstow]

Doug,

You've asked about five different questions in one post.  You'd probably get a better response if you'd asked seperate questions in different posts.

I can't answer your 'employing' question, but can help out with about your transition to WFP, having recently done it myself.

You shouldn't lose many - if any - customers if you communicate why you use a WFP and how it works.  Use David's WFP explanation letter.  It works.

I've not lost one because of WFP that I know of.

Also, if you find some properties unsuitable for WFP, don't drop them straight away.  Keep them for a few months.  With experience, you may find an easier method to clean them with your WFP.

If the property still seems unsuitable, don't ditch them, there's no need to be too ruthless.  Try and find that customer another window cleaner.  I've passed on ten or so accounts to a local lad who started up around eight months ago.

WFP is spot on mate.  I hope it goes well for you.  We've done work that would've taken us two days to complete in one day, plus two-and-a-half hours this morning.

We finished at midday and went for a drink, walked the dog and did some shopping.

Okay, we did nothing exciting, but it beats the pants out of working.

[D woods]

Hi Doug

Several years ago my company faced a similar problem, at the time we were one of many small window cleaning companies employing 5-6 window cleaners and we needed something to differentiate us from the competition in order to enable us to expand. It was then that we decided to give the green light to water fed poles, at the time we were the first window cleaning company in the London area to invest in these systems. I feel that our investment in these systems has been repaid many times over and has given us a huge advantage over our competitors. We are now widely acknowledged as  the leading independent window cleaning company in London and this reputation has been strongly enhanced by the use of water fed poles.

With regard to employing staff, you are far beeter to employ full time staff as this ensures that you have full control over them.

[Ian_Giles]

A warning note over employing staff though

You really do need big paying work, if you've experience with employing people then you will know what you are getting into.

Employers liability insurance is very expensive, the costs are really quite extensive.
Taking someone on in a self employed basis is very risky, get caught out by the tax man and he'll happily empty your bank account.

If you've got what it takes then the sky's the limit, one man can only earn so much money, so employing staff is the way to turn over huge sums of money and earn yourself really serious money.
But it isn't easy.

roger was quite right about the window in question, but parts of the frame have been tacked on, it's a bit of a ramshackle frame when you look at it closely, not many wooden windows are unsuitable for WFP, and as Tosh has said, stick with them, you may well figure out a way to get the job done to an acceptable standard.

The conversion is worth it, big learning curve involved, but life is easier, safer and more profitable, how much so is down to the individual.

Ian

[poleman]

If you won’t to GO BIG as you put it, then you needed to think I am capable of this? WHY! Because it’s OK cleaning some windows with your someone, to going big, it takes a lot of time, hard work and luck, its what you think you are capable of, if you do go for it then good luck but remember “turn over for vanity profit for sanity”

Andy     

[preston powerblast]

I just went over to WFP last week and I lost one customer and to be quite honest she was no great loss, the house was under priced and I was just in the process of putting it up, so i probably would have lost her anyway.
But overall it was a good move.
As I believe if you want to increase your work load then you need to be able to increase your productivity.
Wfp is certainly a lot faster and you can get so much more done in the day.
                                        Gary

[macc]

i went over to wfp 2 months ago, 1st month was getting the moans about spots, lost a few but most of them are no great loss, already picking up work cause of wfp, 2nd month they are coming round.