[Lee Burbidge]

Pop over to Clean It Up's, Window Cleaning Magazine section tomorrow and catch up with ep 3  of US VS UK Window Cleaning.

Tomorrow the US team quote houses in Nottingham and discover that Robin Hood was not the only 'robber' from the city, or so it would seem to our American visitors.

Out to view on Saturdays here: http://www.cleanitup.co.uk/smf/index.php?board=52.0

[Bungle]

How come 3 yanks got flown over and when they were on top of the building waiting to abseil they were told they couldn't go over the side. A bit of a p1553r eh?

[Lee Burbidge]

How come 3 yanks got flown over and when they were on top of the building waiting to abseil they were told they couldn't go over the side. A bit of a p1553r eh?

So, the US Team that consisted of Jamie, Josh, and Corey ( Lake Tahoe Window Cleaning) and Carrie ( Window Ninja) arrived in the UK to work with much more than rope access window cleaners. Not being able to rope access demonstrated what would be a raft of discoveries throughout the whole series surrounding the differences between US and UK window cleaning.

In some states of the US the rules are just as tight as the UK regards rope access, however, the US has not got ALL building owners and facility management companies bought on NO TICKET, NO DROP, yet like we do here in the UK.

It is important to note OSHA ( same as our HSE) has strict guidelines for everyone choosing to clean windows via rope access.

Here in the UK IRATA has successfully positioned themselves as the ticket you need, although SPRAT is making a bid for a similar position.

You watched the first episode https://youtu.be/9O0xBly8pyY Rope Access. Did you watch the second, Monster water fed pole in London? That is here https://youtu.be/XnLHMQcNSfk

Episode 3 will be ready to view today in our Clean It Up section here http://www.cleanitup.co.uk/smf/index.php?board=52.0

[Susan Dean (1stclean)]

wow big deal i wouldn't of be able to get to sleep without knowing this bull

[Lee Burbidge]

wow big deal i wouldn't of be able to get to sleep without knowing this bull

I guess you sleep tightly at night

[Simon Trapani]

I thought it was great Lee. Some really interesting videos.

I didn't know you had your own section. I've just spent the last hour looking through videos!

[Pete Thompson]

I wonder what would have happened if you told them in advance (which I’m sure you knew) that they wouldn’t be abseiling.

I doubt they would’ve come.

[Lee Burbidge]

I thought it was great Lee. Some really interesting videos.

I didn't know you had your own section. I've just spent the last hour looking through videos!

Haha sorry Simon, yes the Window Cleaning Magazine can be found in Clean It Up here http://www.cleanitup.co.uk/smf/index.php?board=52.0

[Lee Burbidge]

I wonder what would have happened if you told them in advance (which I’m sure you knew) that they wouldn’t be abseiling.

I doubt they would’ve come.

Hello Peter, it was not that sort of trip buddy - they would have arrived in the UK for the filming even if they knew. We had 3 companies lined up for this project and good old Tom ( one-man band in Nottingham).....  The rope access part was just a 5th of what we had planned in the UK.

We found out pretty late in the day that UK rules prevented the Lake Tahoe crew dropping off the side of the building - at first, it was a disaster since I really wanted the footage of  Jamie and her crew repelling in the UK, we had to roll with it and re-think the scenes. I decided to keep this from them and asked the UK rope access team not to let on purely from a creative point of view in regards to my rethink ideas.

We got the reaction on camera we were looking for and at the same time, the 'genuine surprise' framed the key points we were making between rope access rules and regs in the UK compared to the US.

[Stoots]

It was quite interesting to learn they do a lot of really high work traditionally off ladders. Seems they dont trust the water fed pole to do a good job.


Some of the work on their website you see them cleaning trad not only scares me to death with the height they are on ladders but I can't believe they dont use the wfp on some of it.

[Lee Burbidge]

Episode 3 of US VS UK is ready to watch, follow the Clean It Up link below:
http://www.cleanitup.co.uk/smf/index.php?topic=212076.new#new

[John Mart]

Yawn.

[Lee Burbidge]

Yawn.

Typing out a sound you make when you're bored or tired?  You probably wasted more time typing that out than thinking this topic is not for you

But you engaged so that's good.

[Shrek]

Wow 100 dollars!!! That’s a great price even if it’s one off jobs- not sure how it works in America, do they do yearly cleans instead of monthly?

[Lee Burbidge]

Wow 100 dollars!!! That’s a great price even if it’s one off jobs- not sure how it works in America, do they do yearly cleans instead of monthly?

I hope you don't mind - somebody asked the exact same question over on the YouTube channel, so I copied and pasted my answer here for you... hope that's ok?

"So, yes... most properties would be once per year. But everything is done, inside and out, tracks, screens ...... even paint flecks are removed, its that detailed and expected."

The same person also said that 'the US must have a lot of customers'.... so I messaged him this...

"Yes. In the UK once you have a residential customer set up - unless you mess up big time in some way, that is a regular income. The benefit to the UK window cleaner is once you have reached the desired number of customers, that's it - you may never market again.

In the US you have to market constantly, every year.... it helps that you build service and trust and that it is this type of US customer, that becomes a 'returning' customer.

With a 'returning' customer there is no hard sell required ( in fact 'up sale' is the order of the day), you did that on the first clean and proved your service.

The UK customer base once set up - you may never speak to that customer again. But you keep turning up every month, unannounced when you feel like and get paid on top with NO SALES required."

[Lee Burbidge]

It was quite interesting to learn they do a lot of really high work traditionally off ladders. Seems they dont trust the water fed pole to do a good job.


Some of the work on their website you see them cleaning trad not only scares me to death with the height they are on ladders but I can't believe they dont use the wfp on some of it.

Hi Adam, sorry I missed your post earlier. Yes, the Lake Tahoe crew are firm believers of traditional work and the lack of trust with the water fed pole is specific to the Alpine landscape they work in. Even when using a water fed pole, first cleans will always be nose to glass.

Yes, they do work at frightening heights in difficult terrain, some houses are surrounded by mountain boulders and steep slopes.

We use extension ladders in the UK, they use 'stack' ladders. Stack ladders are  6ft sections that you build to the height you want, great for internal works and tight spaces, but they are used for everything out there.

I am hoping to film their work so that window cleaners understand better the difficulties they find in an alpine landscape using water fed poles and how they tackle this.
 

[Shrek]

Wow 100 dollars!!! That’s a great price even if it’s one off jobs- not sure how it works in America, do they do yearly cleans instead of monthly?

I hope you don't mind - somebody asked the exact same question over on the YouTube channel, so I copied and pasted my answer here for you... hope that's ok?

"So, yes... most properties would be once per year. But everything is done, inside and out, tracks, screens ...... even paint flecks are removed, its that detailed and expected."

The same person also said that 'the US must have a lot of customers'.... so I messaged him this...

"Yes. In the UK once you have a residential customer set up - unless you mess up big time in some way, that is a regular income. The benefit to the UK window cleaner is once you have reached the desired number of customers, that's it - you may never market again.

In the US you have to market constantly, every year.... it helps that you build service and trust and that it is this type of US customer, that becomes a 'returning' customer.

With a 'returning' customer there is no hard sell required ( in fact 'up sale' is the order of the day), you did that on the first clean and proved your service.

The UK customer base once set up - you may never speak to that customer again. But you keep turning up every month, unannounced when you feel like and get paid on top with NO SALES required."

Cheers lee! I do find this quite interesting 👍

[Lee Burbidge]

Wow 100 dollars!!! That’s a great price even if it’s one off jobs- not sure how it works in America, do they do yearly cleans instead of monthly?

I hope you don't mind - somebody asked the exact same question over on the YouTube channel, so I copied and pasted my answer here for you... hope that's ok?

"So, yes... most properties would be once per year. But everything is done, inside and out, tracks, screens ...... even paint flecks are removed, its that detailed and expected."

The same person also said that 'the US must have a lot of customers'.... so I messaged him this...

"Yes. In the UK once you have a residential customer set up - unless you mess up big time in some way, that is a regular income. The benefit to the UK window cleaner is once you have reached the desired number of customers, that's it - you may never market again.

In the US you have to market constantly, every year.... it helps that you build service and trust and that it is this type of US customer, that becomes a 'returning' customer.

With a 'returning' customer there is no hard sell required ( in fact 'up sale' is the order of the day), you did that on the first clean and proved your service.

The UK customer base once set up - you may never speak to that customer again. But you keep turning up every month, unannounced when you feel like and get paid on top with NO SALES required."

Cheers lee! I do find this quite interesting 👍

No problem .... anytime

[Lee Burbidge]

Nottingham is not the only place US VS UK was filmed, here is a 20-second trailer of the US team in Sheffield, South Yorkshire

https://youtu.be/zfGX-lPfJPo

[Shrek]

Just been on lake tahoes Facebook & website, they got over 2300 likes!! doesn’t say anything about yearly cleans though on their website- they offer weekly , bi weekly & monthly . I wouldn’t like to use ladders that high though , looks like a lot of work 😓