[Sir Squeaky]

Cheers old pal, old buddy, old mate.

[jeff1]

Shuuuuuucks sqeaky!

I'm filling up with tears now!

[chris@c.m.s]

Jeff stop blubbing man and get a grip 

[jeff1]

  ok

[Ian_Giles]

No, there is no turf war around us Chepstow window cleaners, just a difference of perspective is all!

Roger,
On a different thread I offered you out on a straight forward bungalow.

for me it is under 20 minutes work and it £14.00

All UPVC, all straight forward windows, including the conservatory, you are taller than me so should cope easily without the need of a ladder.

If you are quicker than me on it then I'll pay you the £14.00

If I am quicker than you I keep the money.

Regardless of the quality of work you do, if you can snag mine afterwards and find more mistakes in my work than I find in yours, I'll give you the money for it regardless of who is the quicker.

We'll do it as the last account on a friday, say, around lunchtime, at this time of year it will dry out really quickly, so it won't take long for you to be able to check my own results.

I can find plenty of houses where I could cream you, but this is a bungalow, all easy windows.
And I need to draw out almost all of my 50m of hose to be able to do it too.

Put your money where your mouth is.
you have also mentioned a couple of accounts I do in town, only one of which on one siingle occasion has there been spots.
The others I will take a lie detector test on, not a one of them were sub standard.

challenge me, find me an account I have done a poor job on, and I'm not talking about the occasional account with flaky paint or oxidised panes, aluminium or otherwise. I always explain to customers that these are the achilles heel of WFP.

Take me up on it, but be prepared to have your own faults highlighted (and I have never done so, here or elsewhere by the way)

you criticise WFP and its standards constantly, implying continually that they are simply not a patch on trad and are strewn with spots all the time.

It does get annoying, both methods have their downfalls, but both do a good job, its down to the operator, not the tool.....

Take me up on the challenge, make me eat humble pie....

[batterbee]

Hi

I don't think it's squeakys decision to stay trad that people are having a go at, but the fact he won't have it that wfp can do just a good job as trad.

Squeaky you may have seen some inferior results, I'm not saying it doesn't happen because obviously it can if not used properly, but the majority are finding it does work great so why don't you just respect wot there saying.

Lets face it if everyone was perfect at trad cleaning then people would never be on the look for a better window cleaner, so i think we can agree that just because people still carry on cleaning windows the trad way it's not without it's own problems.

I totally agree everyone has the right to there own opinion but when it's not always backed up with 100% fact i think it's then when people have a go back.

Anyway that's my opinion on these debates, who's next.

Regards

John

[Londoner]

I think thats about right. I still enjoy using trad methods and would hate to lose the skills.
In particular I lke using pure water in my bucket, I wish I had learned that years ago. Pure water and a tiny drop of Ettorre Squeegie Off is wonderful.

I did a first clean on a bungalow on thursday and did it trad just because I felt like it. So what? I am now a WFP man and it is better, no argument there.

[JohnL]

sounds as though things are getting personal down Chepstow way and vacancies may soon occur at the Tesco breakfast   

cool it down lads,  opinions are opinions and crossing burnt sausages at dawn is not what is required

    

JohnL

[neil100]

Oh Squeaks your hotting things up in chepstow,

Take up Ians challenge, I would be intrested to see how you fare, In fact I think when you compare your finnished work with wfp. Trad will have more faults with it.

I started wfp this year, I'm in my 27th year w/c, I have done 5 months wfp and when I started wfp I hated it and thought I will never enjoy w/c again with this new system.

How wrong I was. In fact I prefer wfp to trad.

I know trad is great in the terms of it being so easy in that you come home and go straight into the house and put your feet up and it seams less hassle. But after 5 months of wfp I am now not messing with the van anymore because I have got everything how I like it. From putting the van on the drive at the end of a days work it takes me 10 mins to switch a battery over,fill backpack, fill tank, put scrims in the wash.

If you are trad I spent ages in winter trying to get about 10 scrims dry for the next day. I have three at the most now.

Once used to wfp you dont think about it much like trad. Once you are through the first 4 months you stop worrying that you are going to losse customers cos of wfp.

In 6 months I have lost £195.00 of work, four customers only stopped me cos they did not like wfp, not the finnish it gave just the fact they did not want water running down their walls cos it looks messy. The rest due to price increase of 20%.

I have gained £910.00 of new work in 6 months, May being my best month with 17 new customers worth £234.00.

I still do Trad as well, On friday I worked for three hours, Two hours of that I was doing it trad only cos of frame issues and the fact that i do 6 terrace houses in a row that I find less hassle to do it trad.

Wfp works in terms of quality, SAFETY, and increased earnings, I went wfp hopeing to earn an extra £4000.00 a year. I earned that extra amount in three months, I am now looking at an extra £16000.00 a year above trad w/c. I am a lot safer, I am not as tired as I would be if I was doing it trad. I am working over £200 more each week while spending less time at work.

For me wfp works,

Nel.

[Sir Squeaky]

....crossing burnt sausages at dawn is not what is required

[jeff1]

Oh Squeaks your hotting things up in chepstow,

Take up Ians challenge, I would be intrested to see how you fare, In fact I think when you compare your finnished work with wfp. Trad will have more faults with it.

I started wfp this year, I'm in my 27th year w/c, I have done 5 months wfp and when I started wfp I hated it and thought I will never enjoy w/c again with this new system.

How wrong I was. In fact I prefer wfp to trad.

I know trad is great in the terms of it being so easy in that you come home and go straight into the house and put your feet up and it seams less hassle. But after 5 months of wfp I am now not messing with the van anymore because I have got everything how I like it. From putting the van on the drive at the end of a days work it takes me 10 mins to switch a battery over,fill backpack, fill tank, put scrims in the wash.

If you are trad I spent ages in winter trying to get about 10 scrims dry for the next day. I have three at the most now.

Once used to wfp you dont think about it much like trad. Once you are through the first 4 months you stop worrying that you are going to losse customers cos of wfp.

In 6 months I have lost £195.00 of work, four customers only stopped me cos they did not like wfp, not the finnish it gave just the fact they did not want water running down their walls cos it looks messy. The rest due to price increase of 20%.

I have gained £910.00 of new work in 6 months, May being my best month with 17 new customers worth £234.00.

I still do Trad as well, On friday I worked for three hours, Two hours of that I was doing it trad only cos of frame issues and the fact that i do 6 terrace houses in a row that I find less hassle to do it trad.

Wfp works in terms of quality, SAFETY, and increased earnings, I went wfp hopeing to earn an extra £4000.00 a year. I earned that extra amount in three months, I am now looking at an extra £16000.00 a year above trad w/c. I am a lot safer, I am not as tired as I would be if I was doing it trad. I am working over £200 more each week while spending less time at work.

For me wfp works,

Nel.

Good comments Nel
Just out of Curiosity why do you use scim on wfp

[windows_chepstow]

Quite friendly with a big hotel actually.....

You'll have to get a WFP first, before taking that job off me.  Both managers are clued up about health and safety and the Working at Height Directive.  I made sure of that in my covering letter which I submitted with my risk and method statement.

Plus, would you really want to 'handbash' a leaded-window hotel anyway?  It was hard-work for two of us; it'd be an awful job for a trad one-man-band.  It's not a big hotel anyway.  I've had the Hilton Newport.  That was a big job; nightmare!

Squeaks also said:

Well you've already taken a commercial job off me, so I'll be canvassing myself soon.

I didn't 'take a job off you', I was asked to quote for it on the change-over of management.  I didn't know you did it in the first place!  At £15 per fornight, it's a nothing to get upset about anyway, and I think you told me you did it for £8.00; you can have it back if you like. 

It'll cost you a crate of quality beer; and it's yours.

Regards,

Tosh

[Sir Squeaky]

The point is Tosh, that once you found out it was my account you laughed and still carried on doing it.

If I picked up a job and then found out it was your's or Ian's I'd say "Oops sorry, didn't realise" and leave it.

You're right, I'm not bothered about £8, I've probably gained twice that since then anyway, it's just the principle of knowingly taking work off someone you know, and not giving a toss.

I don't want to fall out with you over this mate, but I'd just appreciate a little fair play that's all.....

Rog.

[brett walker]

Its very easy to pick a job up from a bad trad window cleaner wether it be word of mouth, someone watching you do your work or it is that their trad window cleaner is that bad they'll take the risk and have you anyway.

Once someone has had a bad wfp'er i think it is hard to convince them to have you as a wfp'er again as they just seem to see it as there is no skill involved, as it just looks like you are just brushing the windows and rinsing them.
They think they are just going to get the same results as the last guy, i have had 3 customers that had previous wfp'ers that were very bad and its been hard convincing them to change back to wfp.  With doing the job correctly i have convinced them but its not been as easy as trad

A lot of people get the wrong perception of wfp i found this to be because it is different and some people dont like change and some are over the moon with it.  I have also found in one of the areas i clean ladder users are slagging it off that know nothing about it.  I would not keep ramming wfp down a ladder users throat just because i am wfp as long as they are working safely as wfp may not be suitable for their work, i'll be the first to admit that wfp as not been easy so at the end of the day if you use trad or wfp and do a professional job to keep our industry looking professional
and moving forward

Brett.

[windows_chepstow]

I don't want to fall out with you over this mate, but I'd just appreciate a little fair play that's all.....

Rog.

Okay, Rog, it's all yours.

You don't even need to give me a crate of lager!

But remember, I didn't take the job; I was asked to quote for it by the new management, and I believe the pub in question had shut down for a number of weeks or months in between.

The first I knew you used to clean this job, was when you 'claimed' to clean the account during 'breakfast at Tescos'; which was a little bit strange!

I assumed wrongly, there must be two pubs of the same name!

It made Roy Harding laugh anyway, and the next day when I turned up and cleaned the pub windows, I quizzed the management; they didn't have a clue about you!

So I'm not sure what you were on about to begin with.  I suspect you were bragging that you had more commercial accounts than you actually have, and were caught out!

Anyway, please inform the management that you're the new window cleaner.  They'll be well chuffed if you only charge them your old price of £8.00.  That's nearly half of what they're paying presently.

If you're not prepared to do this, please let me know, since I clean a number of her families houses and I'd hate them to think I'm unreliable.

Sorry for being hard on you, Roger, but your crass posts are annoying me!

I'm also stepping down as 'moderator', so I don't have to tread so lightly.

Regards,

Tosh.

[Roy Harding]

Tosh & Rog

Your right I did laugh, and have watched this tread change. Your both great bloaks and when I sugested to meet up you both have put your self out to do so. And in my book it says a lot about a person.

However I do have a opinon about what happened, but will not get involved, but I shall start a new thread and throw it open to the masses.

Roy

[Sir Squeaky]

If you're prepared to carry on going up there you might as well do it.

I didn't bother calling this month as I didn't see the point.
No point me going back now.

Seriously, go for it.
I don't want to do some tossers windows when they ask someone else shortly after anyway.

Couldn't understand why that happened in the first place.
After I did them he was well impressed and said "That's worth £8 of anybody's money", as I was extra thorough, being a first clean....

Then he asks someone else.....oddball.

[Sir Squeaky]

I quizzed the management; they didn't have a clue about you!

So I'm not sure what you were on about to begin with.  I suspect you were bragging that you had more commercial accounts than you actually have, and were caught out!

Oh yes they do, I don't know what they're playing at. :

She's called Zoe, has black hair with red streaks and drives a Subaru.
He's called Phil(i think), has short close cropped hair and is quite muscley build.
They have a young child too.

Seriously, there's no reason why I'd make out I had an account when I didn't.
What's the point in that?

Roy asked if I did the Huntsman, and I said no, but I do the Carpenters arms and The Tredegar Arms.....

My missus says that Zoe is a cow from years back, and not to work for her anyway.

[windows_chepstow]

Couldn't understand why that happened in the first place.
After I did them he was well impressed and said "That's worth £8 of anybody's money", as I was extra thorough, being a first clean....

Then he asks someone else.....oddball.

Well, it seems extremely strange, particularly since you're a trad window cleaner and we use 'second-class WFP', and that they prefer us over you.

By-the-way, I WFP the ground and 1st floor while Wor Lass cleans the inside.  I then go in and help her finish off.

They must be oddballs! 

Particularly since Squeaky said:

I've heard too many moans about it already.

Only once or twice I've thought they're acceptable.
It's far to inconsistant for my liking.
Doesn't look shiny, and leaves bits behind.

Did I mention spots? 

These customers, according to Squeaky, dumped him for us and we use a WFP and charge nearly double the price than Squeaky does/did!

I think they're paying for the 'bits' we leave behind!

[Sir Squeaky]

They didn't know you were wfp before they asked you.

Like I said, he was extremely pleased with the job I did.
He praised the finish no end....

It was nothing to do with quality.
Must have had something against me, yet he seemed friendly.

Perhaps his mrs remembered my mrs, and said get rid of him.....