[Jonny Swirljet]

Hi - I was hoping someone could help me out with an answer to a  question that I have please.

I mainly carry out WFP window cleaning after cleaning customers UPVC & conservatories; from this have built up a small round of clientele in my local area. Some customers have said they don't have regular window cleaner and requested future visits by me to fill the void. I've been doing this for about five years and in that time I've never been requested to apply traditional cleaning methods on any customer’s windows, which suits me. For some reason a customer who I don't wish to disgruntle and who is incidentally, a manager of a local estate in my area and thus I consider him a bit of a golden goose if you see what I mean, has requested the aforementioned. Because I've never been involved in traditional window cleaning, although I feel confident enough to carry it out, I am reluctant to do so mainly because I abhor working at height on a ladder, why look for trouble when you can be safe and sound on terra firma, especially; if like me you are in your twilight years.  My question is a simple one which some of you old salts who cut your teeth on chamois & shim may be kind enough to answer for me please.
Question - If for arguments sake one charged £15 to clean the windows of a simple, not difficult 3 bed semi house using WFP method, how much more, if any would you charge to clean the same house using the traditional system with a ladder for the upper floor?   

[Cookie]

Personally I wouldn't use a ladder. WFP or nothing for me.... If you explain the reasons for using WFP, particularly the H&S aspects, hopefully you'll win him round.

There is one WC in my area who claims that he's not insured to use ladders. I'm not sure whether this is true or whether he's making this up but the customers seem to accept this ...

NB: I believe some on here charge double for trad.

[Dry Clean]

Agree with Cookie, tell him you cant get insurance to work from a ladder and remind him he could also be liable for anybody
who gets injured whilst doing so, there's not much point in having a golden goose if your unable to do the work because of injury.
Its not worth the risk Jonny and only a scumbag would want you to take that risk when another safer alternative is available.

[Susan Dean (1stclean)]

Hi - I was hoping someone could help me out with an answer to a  question that I have please.

I mainly carry out WFP window cleaning after cleaning customers UPVC & conservatories; from this have built up a small round of clientele in my local area. Some customers have said they don't have regular window cleaner and requested future visits by me to fill the void. I've been doing this for about five years and in that time I've never been requested to apply traditional cleaning methods on any customer’s windows, which suits me. For some reason a customer who I don't wish to disgruntle and who is incidentally, a manager of a local estate in my area and thus I consider him a bit of a golden goose if you see what I mean, has requested the aforementioned. Because I've never been involved in traditional window cleaning, although I feel confident enough to carry it out, I am reluctant to do so mainly because I abhor working at height on a ladder, why look for trouble when you can be safe and sound on terra firma, especially; if like me you are in your twilight years.  My question is a simple one which some of you old salts who cut your teeth on chamois & shim may be kind enough to answer for me please.
Question - If for arguments sake one charged £15 to clean the windows of a simple, not difficult 3 bed semi house using WFP method, how much more, if any would you charge to clean the same house using the traditional system with a ladder for the upper floor?

1.  if you fall off the ladder and snap you back how many eggs will your golden goose give you to help out with the bills when the only thing you caNn move is your eyes ?

2. after being in the cleaning trade over a 100 years we must of had 1000s of these golden gooses which all the layd was bull poo never one golden egg . even when we had 6 carpet cleaning vans out daily and had the haxfax work (all of the north east) we were under cut buy guy doing a single carpet for 8 pounds where ever it was and unseen it didn't mater that he could do half the houses because there was no power on and we could rock up with a truck mount and carry on weather there was power or not worked for them for 2 years and head office binned us because he was 1 pounds a house cheaper we were only charging 40 !

3. if hes a estate agent he will know better , if you cleaned off the ladder at one of his work jobs then hes a cowboy thats happy to breck the law and let you work uninsured as the three e.a. we work for had us sign a discloser saying if they ever seen us more then two steps up a ladder we would be sacked on the spot !

the short answer id tell him tanks but no thanks

[paul alan]

How much is life/spine/legs/arms worth?

[robbo333]

Hi - I was hoping someone could help me out with an answer to a  question that I have please.

I mainly carry out WFP window cleaning after cleaning customers UPVC & conservatories; from this have built up a small round of clientele in my local area. Some customers have said they don't have regular window cleaner and requested future visits by me to fill the void. I've been doing this for about five years and in that time I've never been requested to apply traditional cleaning methods on any customer’s windows, which suits me. For some reason a customer who I don't wish to disgruntle and who is incidentally, a manager of a local estate in my area and thus I consider him a bit of a golden goose if you see what I mean, has requested the aforementioned. Because I've never been involved in traditional window cleaning, although I feel confident enough to carry it out, I am reluctant to do so mainly because I abhor working at height on a ladder, why look for trouble when you can be safe and sound on terra firma, especially; if like me you are in your twilight years. My question is a simple one which some of you old salts who cut your teeth on chamois & shim may be kind enough to answer for me please.
Question - If for arguments sake one charged £15 to clean the windows of a simple, not difficult 3 bed semi house using WFP method, how much more, if any would you charge to clean the same house using the traditional system with a ladder for the upper floor?

I think you've answered your own question...
and everyone else has answered it for you.

[AuRavelling79]

Johnny, you said ...

For some reason a customer who I don't wish to disgruntle and who is incidentally, a manager of a local estate in my area and thus I consider him a bit of a golden goose if you see what I mean, has requested the aforementioned. Because I've never been involved in traditional window cleaning, although I feel confident enough to carry it out, I am reluctant to do so mainly because I abhor working at height on a ladder, why look for trouble when you can be safe and sound on terra firma, especially; if like me you are in your twilight years.

If I might add my twopenneth to the other posters.

After explaining to said gent that you will not climb a ladder for very good safety reasons I am sure he will understand. If he doesn't then tell him  "to do one" in the vernacular.

[dazmond]

Hi - I was hoping someone could help me out with an answer to a  question that I have please.

I mainly carry out WFP window cleaning after cleaning customers UPVC & conservatories; from this have built up a small round of clientele in my local area. Some customers have said they don't have regular window cleaner and requested future visits by me to fill the void. I've been doing this for about five years and in that time I've never been requested to apply traditional cleaning methods on any customer’s windows, which suits me. For some reason a customer who I don't wish to disgruntle and who is incidentally, a manager of a local estate in my area and thus I consider him a bit of a golden goose if you see what I mean, has requested the aforementioned. Because I've never been involved in traditional window cleaning, although I feel confident enough to carry it out, I am reluctant to do so mainly because I abhor working at height on a ladder, why look for trouble when you can be safe and sound on terra firma, especially; if like me you are in your twilight years.  My question is a simple one which some of you old salts who cut your teeth on chamois & shim may be kind enough to answer for me please.
Question - If for arguments sake one charged £15 to clean the windows of a simple, not difficult 3 bed semi house using WFP method, how much more, if any would you charge to clean the same house using the traditional system with a ladder for the upper floor?

i just wouldnt bother mate.why does he want you to go up  ladders and clean the old fashioned way?

i lost a few when i first switched to wfp because i wouldnt clean them from a ladder.sod em.

you cant please everyone.

[lal]

  Just tell him you stopped using ladders for safety reasons years ago, because there is a safer alternative WFP.
  If he is not happy for you to use WFP, tell him sorry but i can't help you, simples

[combat1]

Use a trad pole and ettore backflip.
Problem sorted safely.

[paul alan]

Use a trad pole and ettore backflip.
Problem sorted safely.

Much safer than doing a backflip off a ladder!

[KS Cleaning]

Use a trad pole and ettore backflip.
Problem sorted safely.

He hasn't got any traditional work experience,  no way will he be able to do upstairs windows to a suitable standard with a backflip.

[combat1]

Cut the top edge, wipe the blade every second pull, not exactly rocket science and easily learnt.
Still do it now and again .

[Og]

 Vertigo.

[KS Cleaning]

Cut the top edge, wipe the blade every second pull, not exactly rocket science and easily learnt.
Still do it now and again .

I am well aware it's not rocket science, I am also well aware that people without any trad skills find it difficult enough to do downstairs windows with a mop and squeegee in hand, never mind upstairs windows with a backflip on the end of a pole.

[AuRavelling79]

Not aimed at the OP but some people do make an easy job unnecessarily hard.

[Spruce]

Hi - I was hoping someone could help me out with an answer to a  question that I have please.

I mainly carry out WFP window cleaning after cleaning customers UPVC & conservatories; from this have built up a small round of clientele in my local area. Some customers have said they don't have regular window cleaner and requested future visits by me to fill the void. I've been doing this for about five years and in that time I've never been requested to apply traditional cleaning methods on any customer’s windows, which suits me. For some reason a customer who I don't wish to disgruntle and who is incidentally, a manager of a local estate in my area and thus I consider him a bit of a golden goose if you see what I mean, has requested the aforementioned. Because I've never been involved in traditional window cleaning, although I feel confident enough to carry it out, I am reluctant to do so mainly because I abhor working at height on a ladder, why look for trouble when you can be safe and sound on terra firma, especially; if like me you are in your twilight years.  My question is a simple one which some of you old salts who cut your teeth on chamois & shim may be kind enough to answer for me please.
Question - If for arguments sake one charged £15 to clean the windows of a simple, not difficult 3 bed semi house using WFP method, how much more, if any would you charge to clean the same house using the traditional system with a ladder for the upper floor?

1.  if you fall off the ladder and snap you back how many eggs will your golden goose give you to help out with the bills when the only thing you caNn move is your eyes ?

2. after being in the cleaning trade over a 100 years we must of had 1000s of these golden gooses which all the layd was bull poo never one golden egg . even when we had 6 carpet cleaning vans out daily and had the haxfax work (all of the north east) we were under cut buy guy doing a single carpet for 8 pounds where ever it was and unseen it didn't mater that he could do half the houses because there was no power on and we could rock up with a truck mount and carry on weather there was power or not worked for them for 2 years and head office binned us because he was 1 pounds a house cheaper we were only charging 40 !

3. if hes a estate agent he will know better , if you cleaned off the ladder at one of his work jobs then hes a cowboy thats happy to breck the law and let you work uninsured as the three e.a. we work for had us sign a discloser saying if they ever seen us more then two steps up a ladder we would be sacked on the spot !

the short answer id tell him tanks but no thanks

Susan, I fully agree with the contents of your reply. You've hit the nail right on the head albeit a bit bluntly. 

[Splash & dash]

All the above comments are very valid, we would explain to the customer that we would not do it on safety grounds and that he would also be liable for asking/expecting us to carry out work in this manner , only trad work we do these days is insides of commercial customers if it's high stuff we use a back flip on a pole but generally not intrested in this type of work as people don't want to pay what it would cost . Plenty of exterior pole work out there so we wouldn't be intrested in Evan quoting for this type of work

[Dave66]

Clean windows are clean windows.....some people!! 

[kikjason]

He probably won't be in when you clean. So Iwon't no I'd you trad them or wfp