[jeff1]

I have had this customer for seven years now, and today I started to clean his windows, (but i noticed them sparkling)and out he came as usual, how are you mr Rob, just like i always say, I'm not to good was his reply, and I also have some bad news for you?

With this I climed down my ladder, and he began to explane, that his mate next door,who has just had his house done up, called in a local firm after the work was finished to clean the property, and the windows, he was so impressed with the results of the windows that he told my customer, my customer checked them out, and he to was impressed, he got them to do his, he said he had no complaints about my work,and I always did a good job,

but even I must admit, if that is the results of wfp,there is no way I could match it in the same time. I told him that I to am changing over in the next few months, and he said well when you do I'll have you back.
If I am quite honest with you guy's, I realy didn't mind loosing out to wfp,after seeing the results,and knowing that I to will be changing over to wfp.
they also did inside, and he told me they had some sort of spray thing, what would of that been? could it have been a normal spray bottle with pure water in?

This was the first work that I had seen by wfp, so are all your results the same? do they all dry to a sparkling shine, even after there first clean. your comments on this would be most welcome?
These were the dreaded leaded type windows

[callum macleod]

hi the spray bottle most likely was just pure water and possibly some gg3 in it. I have to say the first clean is hard to get right first time though not impossible its got a great deal to do with how you use pole and probably using a higher water flo rate. As with everything there is an knack that you have to learn.

[Trevor Knight]

Hi Jeff,

yes the results are generally very good on first cleans although like Tartan says, it takes alot of water and good pole use to get the best results. I changed over to WFP some time ago now, to be honest I was very unsure but now having heard many of my customers praise the end result, wish I had done it sooner.

No one likes change, but sometimes you just have to go with the flow and believe me you won;t be dissapointed.

Good luck, Trev

[Moderator David@stives]

I never have problems with first cleans ,i usually make double the effort on a first clean just to be double sure.

The problem areas are :-
On top of opening lights /sashes whatever you want to call them, or just an opener.
The top of these openers usually get neglected when cleaning trad and over the years they collect a lot of dirt and it takes quite a while to wash away. If i were you i would pay extra attention to the tops of frame whilst you are still doing them trad as this will help when you finally switch.

The second problem area is the top of the frame where the window meets the brickwork above for obvious reasons.

On a first clean get into every nook and cranny and clean right up to the brickwork, clean all the complete windows in this manner some people say just do frames first but i find that counter productive, you might as well have the complete window soaking as this will help to lift the dirt.  Then once i have done all the windows in this manner ,afterwards i will just do a quick fly round to basicaly remove any runs or drips that may have accumilated.

Then on each and every subsequent clean you are basically doing a maintainance clean rather than a thorough clean and there will not be a build up of dirt to cause any future problems with runs ,spots etc.

As for soap being a problem i cant really see any problems with old soap residue, it is the dirt that causes the problems not the soap.

There has been a lot of excuses mostly from the manufacturers to give your customers if the first clean is not up to scratch, old soap residue being one of them ,3 cleans to get them up to scratch being another. which in my opinion if you cant get them right on a first clean then that is user error, even though i do give the said excuses just in case i have not got them quite right, but i dont really have no problems and so far no complaints about the quality of my work.

Dave

[chris@c.m.s]

I think even if first cleans dont come up perfect, by the second or third they will be chuffed with the results I intend to get all my customers used to the tops being cleaned wfp so they know how well it works, then provided there isnt a drought order I'll start doing the bottoms as well, on the right window I really dont think the finish could be any better.  

[garry]

 good ad for wfp this hope squeaky clean reads it

[Trevor Knight]

Hi Chris,

to be honest if your doing tops there is no reason to do bottoms the traditional way, its a waste of time changing over etc.... Do the whole house and save your time for counting the extra pennies you earn

Good luck, Trev

[Sir Squeaky]

good ad for wfp this hope squeaky clean reads it

Sorry, did somebody say something?

[windows_chepstow]

After using a WFP for seven months now.

This morning I cleaned a pub; outside with WFP.  I worked quickly, nothing more than a quick scrub and rinse.

This afternoon I called back to the pub with Wor Lass for a pint.

The windows were immaculate.  I'm still surprised at how good a job it actually does; for relatively little effort and time too.

[JM123]

What a William Anchor!!! He dumped you after 7 years even though he has no complaints and you're changing over soon???




Text edited by moderator.
 

[batterbee]

 If i were you i would pay extra attention to the tops of frame whilst you are still doing them trad as this will help when you finally swith.

Dave

Hi Jeff

I personally think that cleaning the tops of the frames is the best bit a of advise anyone can give you, and if you do it now while your still using a ladder then even better.

I was told to do this by who i bought my wfp system from and i haven't had a single complaint about my quality of work ( and that is the honest truth ) i do however get lots of great comments on how the windows are staying cleaner longer and the frames look great.

I have lost 3 customers to wfp but they were down to not liking wfp rather than bad workmanship.

Any customer that were a bit weary ( and of coarse you will get some ) i won round pretty quick and now all love it

John

[jeff1]

Hi Guy's

Thanks for all your great comments

I already wash all my frames, all in the price, it was with the offer of frames, I was able to gain higher prices, I always give the customer the choice with two diffrent prices, and I must admit, I never had one go for just windows only.

I think I was misled by company's or people ,I can't remember were I read it, about the three cleans to get it upto scatch. (ie to get rid of all the soap) The quality of there first clean was top marks.

I was on time for this paticular customer,and to be honest I wouldn't miss him or his leaded windows, under normal circumstances I probably would have been gutted,as i can't remember the last time I lost a customer, but on this occation I lost out to wfp, and I was so impressed by the quality of the Job, it made swollowing the loss so much easier,and I look on the possitive side, that the word is already spreading to customers about HSE and now about the quality of the work, so another way to look at it its one up for wfp, from a traditional wc well done lads,

I know from squeaky's threads he will never go to wfp, but squeaky, have you ever seen the results of wfp? this is not a knock at you, because i am still traditional, just an honest question. 
I was gobsmacked. 

For me to get results like that, would have taken me double my normal time.
And to lose one, its not the end of the world, look at it this way for every one I loose after the change over, I'll be taking another ten on.

[Moderator David@stives]

Well
At least squeeky says he would try wfp before he would watch BB.
Looks like he is coming around to the idea.  SLOWLY   

[brett walker]

I havent had any wfp complaints i am suprised how many customers like it better, i still get the odd one who doesnt understand it like one chap yesterday.  He said there is plenty of water in the outside tap if you need it or you get asked what chemicals are in the water, obviously they didnt read the explanation notes.
Ive only been up the ladder twice this week for 2 windows

Im getting fat

Brett

[chris@c.m.s]

Hi Chris,

to be honest if your doing tops there is no reason to do bottoms the traditional way, its a waste of time changing over etc.... Do the whole house and save your time for counting the extra pennies you earn

Good luck, Trev

Hi Trevor yes I agree with what your saying but with a possible drought order on its way it would not be easily excepted for me to clean the bottoms wfp, It was also mentioned in the drought order hearing that most window cleaners could adopt the same method to save water sort of meeting them half way. 

[macc]

Well
At least squeeky says he would try wfp before he would watch BB.
Looks like he is coming around to the idea.  SLOWLY   

Squeaky even passed a job over admitting wfp would be better for that one .

Hes coming round. 

macc

[Sir Squeaky]

I'd soon end up "round" if i used wfp.

My job keeps me fit (ish).

[Londoner]

Nobody has mentioned that it doesn't just bring the glass up gleaming.
The frames look brilliant as well, especially UPVC.

[Trevor Knight]

Hi Trevor yes I agree with what your saying but with a possible drought order on its way it would not be easily excepted for me to clean the bottoms wfp, It was also mentioned in the drought order hearing that most window cleaners could adopt the same method to save water sort of meeting them half way.

Fair point Chris, I can see where your coming from.

Think I will wait until the ban looks more imminent than doing it now. Although with the last couple of weeks rain I am not sure we will get to that stage anyway.

Still, a good option, and worth remembering.

Nice one 

[Sir Squeaky]

I know from squeaky's threads he will never go to wfp, but squeaky, have you ever seen the results of wfp? this is not a knock at you, because i am still traditional, just an honest question. 

Yep, loads of times from plenty of different w/c's.
So there's no need for people to say "You haven't tried it".
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?