[Jakey boy]

Do the course what course,look lads there a big flat square panel there scrub it with the brush first and then rinse it off,if there are fools out there willing to pay to learn something that takes 2 minutes to explain fair play. Sounds like he's doing it so when people look on there website it says something along the lines of we clean solar panels and are certified to clean them,it won't catch on though people couldn't careless your covered on your public liability or I am anyway.

Exactly, well said that man.

It's ridiculous to charge for such a ridiculous course. It's daylight robbery. Solar panel cleaning does not need to be learnt via a paid course. There is plenty of free info on forums, why would you pay for a training course and a certificate that has no reputable meaning what's so ever?

I'm gonna set up a course soon called 'how to buy a squeegee' should be good, because lots of people don't know how to buy one!

You get a certificate, and it only costs you £150, now start the que!

[Dave Willis]

The people going on this course simply need work! They are not there to learn how to clean a solar panel, they are there to sign up as a subcontractor and have work spoon fed to them by Steve's company. They aren't going to come on here and spill the beans because they would jeopardise their chances of getting any work subbied to them (probably signed the official secrets act anyway).
So, in essence £250 or whatever it costs to get some work probably doesn't seem a bad deal to them.  Personally, I'd rather stick pins in my eyes than clean fields of identical panels day in day out but each to their own.

[Rich Wilts]

I'm gonna set up a course soon called 'how to buy a squeegee' should be good,

"How to use a squeegee" and you'd have some potential clients. Theres plenty on here can use a brush on a pole but havent the slightest idea about traditional cleaning. I was told theres a fella who franchises work to legitimate guys around the Southampton area who cant squeegee. Seems remarakable to me that you claim to be a window cleaner but cant actually clean using one of the recognised methods that the majority of shiners still use.

[PoleKing]

Couple of things:

Daylight robbery? If you want to go on the course, pay for it. Nothing more nothing less.

Public liability insurance will not cover the solar panel being worked on. There is no liability to the public. If you're insured to work on solar panels, then you're insured, you won't be just because you've got PLI.

Steve promotes himself. He's clearly doing ok. It's how all businessmen should be.

I didn't go on the course but I haven't got a FWC badge, Impact one ConstructionLine or all of that other toot. If you want it, take it. If not, don't.
Why the vitriol for someone who's just trying to promote his business? (That's rhetorical)

[Rich Wilts]

Guys that do well under the noses of others are always going to get shot down. The thought of others doing better than them in their market-place has been known to sting so it would seem.

[Bungle]

I'm gonna set up a course soon called 'how to buy a squeegee' should be good,

"How to use a squeegee" and you'd have some potential clients. Theres plenty on here can use a brush on a pole but havent the slightest idea about traditional cleaning. I was told theres a fella who franchises work to legitimate guys around the Southampton area who cant squeegee. Seems remarakable to me that you claim to be a window cleaner but cant actually clean using one of the recognised methods that the majority of shiners still use.

👍

[LT carpet cleaning]

Cant belive Solar Steve is on here as well, Steve your like poverty you get in everywhere

I'm afraid so. But if you care to look back through my previous threads, you'll see the number of posts and page views are among the highest seen on here. So what I'm doing is obviously of keen interest to someone out there.



I'm glad you are taking note of my threads on other forums.

My days of justifying myself on here are over. Arguing with idiots is like playing chess with a pigeon...No matter how good you are, the bird is going to crap on the board and strut around like it won anyway.

Look out for future threads. I'm going nowhere. 

Haha! You tell them. You'll always get the jealous idiots. Ignore them.

[Jamie Thomas]

I think you will find you have to wear his t shirts with his name on. your van has to have his advertising on and if you stop subbing for him you have to give back the certificate that you paid 250 quid for. so unless you get work from him 5 days a week you will be turning up to your own jobs with someone elses advertising on, less you got a spare van sitting on your drive that you can wheel out when solar steve has a bit of spare work to throw your way. And the world wonders why there are so many con artists about.

[Perfect Windows]

"How to use a squeegee" and you'd have some potential clients. Theres plenty on here can use a brush on a pole but havent the slightest idea about traditional cleaning. I was told theres a fella who franchises work to legitimate guys around the Southampton area who cant squeegee. Seems remarakable to me that you claim to be a window cleaner but cant actually clean using one of the recognised methods that the majority of shiners still use.

I assume that's aimed at me, though I'm at a loss as to what makes my guys "legitimate".  You may wish to check your facts before shooting your mouth off.  Find a place where I've ever said I don't know how to use a squeegee.  I've repeatedly said that I don't use one.  That's very different.

My franchisees don't use squeegees and they all earn a great deal of money.

Vin

[Rich Wilts]

"How to use a squeegee" and you'd have some potential clients. Theres plenty on here can use a brush on a pole but havent the slightest idea about traditional cleaning. I was told theres a fella who franchises work to legitimate guys around the Southampton area who cant squeegee. Seems remarakable to me that you claim to be a window cleaner but cant actually clean using one of the recognised methods that the majority of shiners still use.

I assume that's aimed at me, though I'm at a loss as to what makes my guys "legitimate".  You may wish to check your facts before shooting your mouth off.  Find a place where I've ever said I don't know how to use a squeegee.  I've repeatedly said that I don't use one.  That's very different.

My franchisees don't use squeegees and they all earn a great deal of money.

Vin

Its not aimed at anyone chap, I was saying I'd heard there was a fella in Southampton etc etc.

If the person who said this was refering to you then so be it, but I dont know maybe he means someone else, how many franchise window cleaning businesses are there in Southampton? If you're competent with a squeegee theres nought to concern yourself is there.

[Perfect Windows]

Its not aimed at anyone chap, I was saying I'd heard there was a fella in Southampton etc etc.

If the person who said this was refering to you then so be it, but I dont know maybe he means someone else, how many franchise window cleaning businesses are there in Southampton? If you're competent with a squeegee theres nought to concern yourself is there.

Your wide-eyed innocence is laughable.  "Not aimed".   "How many franchise..." etc, etc.  Very droll, I'm sure.

Conflating "being a window cleaner" with "being able to use a squeegee" is nonsensical.   I'm not remotely concerned about squeegee skills.  None of my franchisees use them or have the skills; there is no situation that we have come across that requires them.

I sincerely hope that you know how to dry rag a window.  You're no sort of shiner if you can't.

Vin

[Rich Wilts]

Oh FFS put a sock in it. I don't need to lie or insinuate anything, get back in your pram and behave little man.

[deeege]

I think you will find you have to wear his t shirts with his name on. your van has to have his advertising on and if you stop subbing for him you have to give back the certificate that you paid 250 quid for. so unless you get work from him 5 days a week you will be turning up to your own jobs with someone elses advertising on, less you got a spare van sitting on your drive that you can wheel out when solar steve has a bit of spare work to throw your way. And the world wonders why there are so many con artists about.

This can't be true, can it?

[Perfect Windows]

Oh FFS put a sock in it. I don't need to lie or insinuate anything, get back in your pram and behave little man.

Aww, bless.  Insinuation, innocence and now patronising abuse.  What's next, leave in a flouncing huff and stamp up to your room?

Why not deal with the meat of the argument rather than attacking me on a personal level?

It is perfectly possible to be a window cleaner and never use a squeegee.  Discuss.

Vin

[Rich Wilts]

That would be like someone discussing the pros and cons of a mechanical soil digger with you compared to manually digging the garden. As you've only ever known how to use the mechanical device frankly it would be a pointless conversation.

Apparently.

By the way not all your franchisees are ignorant or incompetent when it comes to using a squeegee.

[PoleKing]

I think you will find you have to wear his t shirts with his name on. your van has to have his advertising on and if you stop subbing for him you have to give back the certificate that you paid 250 quid for. so unless you get work from him 5 days a week you will be turning up to your own jobs with someone elses advertising on, less you got a spare van sitting on your drive that you can wheel out when solar steve has a bit of spare work to throw your way. And the world wonders why there are so many con artists about.

This can't be true, can it?

As with the best lies, there is an element of truth in it.

[Dave Willis]

Just to clarify:

"Because of the value of the information that we will be sharing, we have a number of objectives that we will need our subcontractors to agree to:

1. Promote the Clean Solar Solutions brand by way of our logo and a web link from your website to ours and a vehicle decal being added to your vehicle signage. This is mutually beneficial. Our brand will gain wider exposure. Your potential clients when they are searching for a solar panel cleaner in their area will see that you are a Clean Solar Solutions Ltd Approved Contractor. Because of the reputation we hold within the solar industry, this will give you an edge over your competitors who claim to be 'fully trained';. They will not be fully trained because there is no training for solar panel cleaning available apart from our training course. You will be able to present a certificate of training, whereas they will not. If you have information flyers or packs which you present to clients, having our logo present is also mutually beneficial for the same reasons as above.

2. Wear Clean Solar Solutions branded tops on industrial/commercial/agricultural jobs. It is important that subcontractors are seen to be Clean Solar Solutions representatives when they are on one of our sites. If it is a residential job, we are reasonable. For the time it will take to do the job and because it is likely to be fitted in with your regular work, we would not expect for you to change clothing. However, on commercial scale jobs, wearing our branded clothing will be a requirement.

3. If for whatever reason you decide not to continue subcontracting for Clean Solar Solutions Ltd, we will ask you to relinquish your training certificate and you will no longer be able to represent the Clean Solar Solutions brand. This is to protect our brand from potentially unsafe or substandard work being carried out under our brand.

4. We will not train two potential subcontractors in the same area. This would be counterproductive for all parties.

The cost of attending the event for the first person is £199.00 +V.A.T. If you would be interested in bringing along more than one employee from your company, the cost for each further person is just £99.00 + V.A.T. This provides exceptional value for money considering the possibilities the solar panel cleaning industry holds."

[Bungle]

It is perfectly possible to be a window cleaner and never use a squeegee.  Discuss.

Vin

Until you get asked to clean insides and you turn round and say, "I'm sorry but I can't use a squeegee."

Totally unprofessional in my book 👎

[Perfect Windows]

Until you get asked to clean insides and you turn round and say, "I'm sorry but I can't use a squeegee."

Totally unprofessional in my book 👎

I agree, and only a madman would say that.  We just say "we don't do insides, sorry.  We just have to charge too much".  Then we show them how they can do it with a good quality microfibre (which we give them) and a plant sprayer (which we also give them).  The result of that conversation is:

1. They are pleased because we've saved them a lot of money.

2. We are pleased. because we don't have to mess about finding people in.

3. I'm ecstatic, because I HATE being inside customers houses for a dozen reasons.  Quite possibly the customer feels the same.

4. We make more money because we stick to doing what we do best, namely cleaning the outside of peoples' windows with WFP.

5. No-one has ever asked us to clean the insides after being given the kit.

I think (recalling from memory here) that we regularly do the interiors of about half a dozen panes of glass spread across all of us, generally for pensioners.  I also do one house about once a year for an old biddy who simply can't do them herself.  We use a squeegee on the communal area of one set of flats, so the squeegee skills that every window cleaner must have are honed four times a year.

Vin

[Smudger]

Dave, is that genuine ?

I mentioned this when Steve started a thread a few weeks back before it got pulled, what and which official training organisation is backing up this training ?

If none my "training certificate " is as valid as any other in this instance

If someone has "passed" a training course you can not demand a certificate to be returned because they no longer wish to do your work.

This sounds more like an "approved supplier"  set up to me,  to which I have no problems with.

Just don't like Hong Kong phooey that your a superior, trained solar panel operative.

Two arrays were done by ourselves today, fully trained, and I can knock you up a certificate  from my notebook should you wish to see one 

Darran