[Matthew Broadhead]

So guys apparently I've broken a window with my pole. Despite the fact that the hole is twice the width of the end of the pole and it's a double glazed unit and it's a perfect circle. What do you think??

[Nathanael Jones]

were you cleaning when it happened? Do you use hot water?

[DaveG]

Football

[philip.parkin@talk21.com]

I work for Matt. I was cleaning the window when it happened apparently. 3 months ago. There are a couple of extra details such as that the circular piece of glass from within the whole was still in place last month. It was just a circular crack last month.

[Nathanael Jones]

I've seen a few broken windows in my time & they usually have cracks radiating out from them if they've been hit by a ball,... its a very unusual looking break & looks like the kind of break you'd get from thermal shock,.. thats why I was asking if you use a hot water system....

[AuRavelling79]

More detail and background please.

[Smurf]

I work for Matt. I was cleaning the window when it happened apparently. 3 months ago. There are a couple of extra details such as that the circular piece of glass from within the whole was still in place last month. It was just a circular crack last month.

Not being funny but if you already new it was cracked why did you still atempt to clean it.
When you see cracked glass  surely you should inform the customer and  leave it well alone

[philip.parkin@talk21.com]

We use cold water and we havent cleaned the broken pane since it was broken. The break happened between July and Augusts clean. I know for a fact that the window was fine on July's clean and when we did Aug clean there was a circular crack on the pane so I didnt clean that panel. Its the bottom pane of a sash. This month matt was cleaning the top pane and the disc fell out of the hole. The customer cane out and said that her husband was supposed to have rung him months ago.

[Ian Lancaster]

We use cold water and we havent cleaned the broken pane since it was broken. The break happened between July and Augusts clean. I know for a fact that the window was fine on July's clean and when we did Aug clean there was a circular crack on the pane so I didnt clean that panel. Its the bottom pane of a sash. This month matt was cleaning the top pane and the disc fell out of the hole. The customer cane out and said that her husband was supposed to have rung him months ago.

That's significant   How many people, believing their window cleaner had broken a pane would dither for 'months' before tackling him about it?  however that crack was caused, it wasn't the end of a pole, there would have been an impact mark (probably small hole with cracks radiating as Nat has said).  There is no way you could strike a pane and cause a circular crack some inches from the point of impact with the centre of the circle of glass showing no sign of impact.  Whatever caused it they are trying to pin it on the window cleaner to get him to pay for repairs.

Having said that, the sensible thing to have done would have been to inform the customer immediately the damage was noted.  That way the customer couldn't have blamed the window cleaner if he hadn't started cleaning that particular window.

As for poking a hole with the pole, that means the pole was reversed and the butt end caused the damage - how likely is that??

[philip.parkin@talk21.com]

Poking a hole is impossible its an upstairs window and I never touch the glass with any part of the pole other than the bristles. If there is anything that doesnt scrub off I get ladders off and scrape it. There are images on google of bird strikes causing similar looking damage but I personally think its a football as ive cleaned ball prints off his windows before.

[Spruce]

Unfortunately this is one person's word against another.

In a court of law the owners would have to prove it was you who caused the damage. I doubt they could beyond reasonable doubt, but you never know the justice system. The customer admitting a delay with the complaint doesn't help their case as Ian has pointed out.

So you have 2 choices. You either pay for a replacement window pane or you don't.

If you get insurance involved the replacement glass would/could be less than the excess (in my case anyway.) So if you are going the goodwill route then you would be better off paying for the replacement yourself.

If you don't and refuse to accept any responsibility then  there could be a future small claims court action for the cost taken out against you including 'reasonable' costs. Have you got the time to mess on with fighting that - lost earnings etc? Bearing in mind that both of you (the owner and the cleaner) would have to attend.

What sort of bad mouth publicity can this customer do to your reputation?
Would they be the type of people who would bad mouth you, whether you paid for the replacement or not?

Are you prepared to loose this customer, although there is no guarantee they won't dispense with your services after the glass has been replaced anyway?

No easy way out I'm afraid.

[Spruce]

Poking a hole is impossible its an upstairs window and I never touch the glass with any part of the pole other than the bristles. If there is anything that doesnt scrub off I get ladders off and scrape it. There are images on google of bird strikes causing similar looking damage but I personally think its a football as ive cleaned ball prints off his windows before.

It certainly looks like a large round object has hit it.  I would doubt you caused this IMHO.

[Smurf]

No such thing as a good will guesture spruce.

Offering to pay for the damage in my book is admitting it was your fault regardless. If you certian that the damage caused was not your fault why the hell would you want to pay out. If so go tell them to  do one in a nice way is what I would do as if they are trying it on they will not take it any further as you would have called their bluff so to speak.

Are you a man or mouse is the real question? 

[Rich Wilts]

You lead a very black and white life.

[Don Kee]

Thats a very 'clean' break...

The insides of the edges look pretty smooth, no  many 'proper' cracks....if it wasnt for the shape of the holele i'd say someone had tried to cut it out!!!

[windowswashed]

Thermal shock shatters all the glass into tiny pieces, nothing like that photo. I know as I've had three shatter a day or a few weeks after they'd been cleaned using hot water in cold winter months.

[Mike #1]

Poking a hole is impossible its an upstairs window .

How come i can see your hand and the customers lawn and driveway in the reflection the window looks to be a downstairs window  Just Saying

[Mike #1]

2 wheelie bins and a garden wall

[Matthew Broadhead]

I climbed the ladder to have a proper look and the garden slopes up to the road. My thoughts exactly gents. Definitely not taking responsibility

[jd services]

If it was your method or your tools why does every window not break?  Customers are often looking for a scapegoat. Their argument is usually...'well it was fine before you touched it'...One customer of mine said that there wasn't a wasp nest in the attic before I turned up...so I must have caused it. Normally have to pay for these things and move on.