[oliver collins]

Hi guys
I live in the north east on the coast and next week will b the third week of rain  that has prevented me from working as I would normally
I have done about 3 days in the last two weeks so not ideal so I am thinking of just getting out there in the rain on Monday and seeing my customer reaction
What do the rest of you do when it comes to working in the rain ?
Oliver Collins rise n shine cleaning

[Mike #1]

I work all day in light to medium rain without issue and have done so for almost 8 years i live outside Durham , Only had 2 custys turn me away and Friday was the best day after the sleet and rain stopped .

Just after i knocked off on Friday i spoke to a fellow windy who had only managed about a days since the new year and he was well behind before xmas .

[8weekly]

I work in the rain. I can't see how you can live in the north east and not work in the rain.

[Clever Forum Name]

This year i have decided to keep a diary on ACTUAL time lost from the weather.

Thursday i struggled to open van doors without the wind ripping them off, decided to sack that work off (on a hill) then start somewhere else. Then the rain started with the wind.

i cleaned a normal day and went back on friday and checked houses to see what they had dried like.  Apart from one window they all just looked normal to me. Normal WFP results.

Last year i lost less than 10 days due to weather, i think it was about 5 or 6

Customers do not think about window cleaning like us, just go out and clean in the rain!

[windowswashed]

It rains a lot in the south west, if I didn't go out in the rain working, life would be a struggle some months. Don't like working in the rain but on goes the waterproofs and out I stay all day, at least I'm earning money to pay the bills, better than staying home thinking should I go out and what will the customers think........some might whinge but what's the point being self employed and not earning a living, sometimes you need to get out for the money and for sanity.
If you had a really bad run of inclement weather, would you stay home not earning and getting further behind with work with customers wondering if you've packed up and possibly lose customers and get into debt or would you perservere working in naff weather but maintaining your bills and lifestyle. What's the point in staying home avoiding the rain, people expect you to clean their windows, what difference is the rain going to make unless it's blowing sideways with strong winds?

[Smurf]

That's one of the advantages of using wfp method over trad as you can continue working in the rain.

[paulben]

I don't start cleaning in the rain but will finish whatever I have started but my position is different from most ie no mortgage /rent kids have left home work 4 weeks on 5th week I use to catch up or go away somewhere .

[dazmond]

Hi guys
I live in the north east on the coast and next week will b the third week of rain  that has prevented me from working as I would normally
I have done about 3 days in the last two weeks so not ideal so I am thinking of just getting out there in the rain on Monday and seeing my customer reaction
What do the rest of you do when it comes to working in the rain ?
Oliver Collins rise n shine cleaning

just get out there mate and work in it.i used to be like you and its a crap place to be.

good waterproofs and boots.just get on with it as if its a normal  day.you will get the odd customer saying leave it this time but its only the odd one or two.after a few years customers get used to you working in the rain and often will not even mention it when you turn up in a downpour.

the future looks wetter and wetter with climate change etc.

the truth is most customers will understand you run a business and cant just have whole weeks off work earning nothing getting further and further behind schedule.

i have lost the odd customer due to wet weather working.sod em!i dont ever worry about them!it never makes a dent in my earnings overall over the course of a year.

i do have my limits though.sometimes its just too bad(heavy rain and strong winds) and ill finish early or have the whole day off but its only a few times a year.

you ll often find it very rarely rains solid from say 9am-4pm so your only working a few hours in the rain at most.

with wfp you can work in virtually all bad weather IMO.

[Ian101]

Customers do not think about window cleaning like us, just go out and clean in the rain!

good advice

[dazmond]

If I wanted an hourly paid 9 to 5 job I would go back to being an PAYE employee, I don't mind working in light
rain or between showers but there's no way I'm heading out in torrential rain or stormy weather, now if this was to effect
my yearly target then I might have to rethink my policy.
There's no need to work in all weathers unless you have under priced your work or just keeping your head above water week to week which isn't a good place to be if your self employed.

it just depends how much money you want to earn sean.its got nothing to do with underpriced work or just "keeping your head above water" as you put it.

if you want to be an average earning sole trader then sack it off when its raining.if not crack on in the rain and make a bigger wedge for yourself over the course of the year.

[SB Cleaning]

Customers do not think about window cleaning like us, just go out and clean in the rain!

good advice

Yes it is...

I'm willing to bet the vast majority of custys dont even check the windows...we clean they pay and the cycle starts again   

[stan stansfield]

i dont work in the rain, i get no pleasure from it still earn a nice crust and enjoy the job

[paulben]

Spot on Stan

[Mike #1]

Their is nothing like wfping and singing in the rain , Some guys no matter what you tell them wont graft in the rain because their to soft to put it bluntly scared of getting chased off or sacked by custys .

[Walter Mitty]

Their is nothing like wfping and singing in the rain , Some guys no matter what you tell them wont graft in the rain because their to soft to put it bluntly scared of getting chased off or sacked by custys .

I believe that I have been sacked by a number of custies down the years over this issue.  It can be hard to tell though as they're not usually direct about it.  However, the money lost through being sacked by a few is far less than the money I would have lost if I had stopped working.  The added bonus is that the remaining customers (95%?) either don't mind me working in the rain are are prepared to tolerate it as they know it won't be every time.
I don't work if it's throwing it down or blowing a gale.  Rule of thumb:  intermittent wipe on the windscreen = work; constant wipe = stop - and take a break in case things improve or go home if it looks like they won't.

[dave f]

I agree I wouldent want my windows doing in the rain old school I suppose having said that I am contemplating to start cleaning in the rain but only drizzle .the thing that had put me off is the amount of knock backs .like it  looks like its gonna rain  etc

[paulben]

wrong mike not worried about losing customers want to loose about 20% of customers this year to take more time off and do what I want . I just don't like getting wet while working

[dazmond]

I agree I wouldent want my windows doing in the rain old school I suppose having said that I am contemplating to start cleaning in the rain but only drizzle .the thing that had put me off is the amount of knock backs .like it  looks like its gonna rain  etc

you wont get many "knock backs" after a few years.trust me i know mate.i was just like you  years ago.

if you dont work in even drizzle conditions your gonna lose thousands of pounds over the course of a year if you have a fullish workload.

a customer can never knock me for being unreliable!

[Mike #1]

No one likes getting wet but since i started wfping almost 8 years ago rainfall year on year has increased i have only lost a handful of custys over the years due to working in the rain .

I am the main earner in my house we have a mortgage etc so i get out and crack on and maintain the regular schedule i promised custys without any issues , I would go mental and my head would go if i spent day after day sitting in the house worrying about what custys would think and how i would pay my bills etc .

Also i have been  approached quite a few times by custys of a fellow windy asking me to clean their windows because they thought he had packed in as he never turns out even in light rain .

[dazmond]

No one likes getting wet but since i started wfping almost 8 years ago rainfall year on year has increased i have only lost a handful of custys over the years due to working in the rain .

I am the main earner in my house we have a mortgage etc so i get out and crack on and maintain the regular schedule i promised custys without any issues , I would go mental and my head would go if i spent day after day sitting in the house worrying about what custys would think and how i would pay my bills etc .

Also i have been  approached quite a few times by custys of a fellow windy asking me to clean their windows because they thought he had packed in as he never turns out even in light rain .

good post mike.

i also used to take notice of the weather forecast and sack it off because the weathermen said it was going to be bad.lots of times it wasnt half as bad as forecast and could of got a full day in................

resulting in me falling behind with work even further,bills mounting up and debts to pay.not a nice place to be for sure.