[chrismroberts]

Argh!! I have a customer who said EVERY MONTH "you cleaned the windows with dirty water last time".... so now she comes out before I start and insists she changes my water.  I told her yesterday I had just changed the water, and she didn't believe me 

I finish up, go to collect payment and this is how the conversation goes...

Customer: "I'm gonna charge you next month if you don't use hot water"
Me: "You prefer me to use hot water?! Whats the difference?"
Customer: "Yes, I dont like them being done with cold water"
Me: "Theres really no difference! See you in a few weeks"

The thing is, I've only ever had 3 complaints. 2 of them have been from her. Its only £10 so I think I'm gonna politely drop her if she says anything next month!! 

[s.hughes]

Why dont you just fill up with hot water from her if thats what she wants?

Steve

[Ian Lancaster]

When I was exclusively trad, if anyone questioned my method, I would tell them that I'm the window cleaner.  How I do them is my business.  All they're entitled to do is criticise the result, if they're clean, I've done my job and they should pay me.  If there's a problem I'll do them again.

I told one particularly awkward woman:  "I'll rub them with the top of my head if I want to, if they're clean afterwards I've done what you're paying me for."

Don't let the custys dictate to you, you're the expert, not them.  Would they dream of telling the plumber they wanted him to use Plumbers Mate instead of PTFE?

Cheers,

Ian

[Alex Wingrove]

hang on a second, am i getting this right shes gonna charge you for not cleaning her windows with hot water?

ahhahahah that's the biggest load of rubbish i have ever heard, and ive heard some rubbish, forget wfp and blade, had a women few weeks ago wanted her plain glass patio door etc. cleaned by hand,

[chrismroberts]

Why dont you just fill up with hot water from her if thats what she wants?

Steve

I guess I could do, it just seems to me to be a slippery slope... you never know what shes gonna complain about next! She said every month for ages I'd done them with dirty water, when I knew for a fact my water was sparkling! It just seems so irrational.

I told one particularly awkward woman:  "I'll rub them with the top of my head if I want to, if they're clean afterwards I've done what you're paying me for."

LOL!! I like it... might try that next time round. It feels good to be an expert!! Where are you based Ian?

Thing is, I kinda already resent doing them.. I canvassed her last summer when I was desperate for work, and dropped the price from £12 cuz she complained then. Lesson learned!! 

Chris

[chrismroberts]

hang on a second, am i getting this right shes gonna charge you for not cleaning her windows with hot water?

ahhahahah that's the biggest load of rubbish i have ever heard, and ive heard some rubbish, forget wfp and blade, had a women few weeks ago wanted her plain glass patio door etc. cleaned by hand,

Yup, thats right! Don't know how shes gonna do that!!  :

By hand?? With a chamois leather?! What is this.... 1907? 

[Ian Lancaster]

Where are you based Ian?

Sittingbourne, Kent

[chrismroberts]

Ah right, not the "Ian" from St Davids Park in North Wales then? LOL. I share one of my estates with him and I often wonder if he comes on here!

[Alex Wingrove]

yeah by hand using scrims, the sort you would do on leaded or Georgian, don't think we will going back there

[Paul Coleman]

hang on a second, am i getting this right shes gonna charge you for not cleaning her windows with hot water?

ahhahahah that's the biggest load of rubbish i have ever heard, and ive heard some rubbish, forget wfp and blade, had a women few weeks ago wanted her plain glass patio door etc. cleaned by hand,

So you wiped ypour hand over it?   
I once had one tell me that she would prefer me to use newspaper and vinegar.  I asked her if she wanted salt on it too.  She left me alone after that.

[Alex Wingrove]

haha, i bet shed been watching aggi, from how clean is your house,

my brother in law, had a brother of sort, well i think it was his brother, who clean(s)ed windows in notting hill, with newspapers, not vinegar, just newspaper and water, he had some really famous clients, didn't do a good job, but they just didn't have the heart to sack him

it just goes to prove, what ever works for you

oh btw we wont be going back

[Paul Coleman]

yeah by hand using scrims, the sort you would do on leaded or Georgian, don't think we will going back there

I see you're from my home town Alex.  You wouldn't be related to Ernie and his wife Pat by any chance, would you?  Not trying to spook you.  Ernie did some painting jobs for my Dad very many moons ago.

[Alex Wingrove]

oh nooo,

you really are spooking me, yeah thats my mum and dad,

who are you and what job did he do,

[jeff1]

Phone your local water board up and ask them for a list of what is in the water, They will send you this free of charge, the one I had was about 15 pages long, the list went on and on.

If anyone ever questioned me what was in the water, or was it clean,  I would produce the water boards document and say you tell me, as soon as you try to give them the document, they would grumble walk away and never question you again.

[Alex Wingrove]

do you really need to goto all that hassle, is it worth it

just put up the price

[Paul Coleman]

oh nooo,

you really are spooking me, yeah thats my mum and dad,

who are you and what job did he do,

Oh right.  Just wondered as it isn't a common surname.
Really sorry if I spooked you Alex.  It honestly wasn't my intention.
Just so we have a level playing field, my name is Paul Coleman and my father is Derek.  You may have even met him on one of his occasional visits from Devon.
The main job that Ernie did for my father was a church in Hastings back around 1972/73.  I believe there were other jobs too but I didn't work for my father for very long.  They used to have some great laughs together and it really was fun when your Dad was working on site.  He used a paint sprayer for the internal walls of the church and by the time he had finished, he looked like one of the Cyberrmen from Dr. Who.  My Dad did do some window cleaning in the 60s and may have worked with Ernie for a while on that too but I can't be certain.
Ask your Dad about the time he cleaned a brush out (in Horley I think).  He was spinning it round in his hand when a gust of wind came along and the paint went on some guy's car.  I wasn't there but heard about it.
Just in case you're wondering, (don't want this to be an issue but I know how it can be), I did leave the family home very young and wandered away from certain other things in the process.  Nobody kicked me.  I just walked so.
I last met Ernie a few years ago when he conducted a funeral service at a "mixed" funeral after my friend's father had died.
Although I haven't been involved for 35 years, I did take the trouble to go to a remembrance service for Renie C. last year.  She was a top lady and I often used to bump into her around with her pushbike (the one that was a replacement for the stolen one.

[Alex Wingrove]

yes i know you, and Derek, you have the blue overalls at work right? use the wfp now?

the spraying incident was at Hayes bridge? yeah i remember him telling that how he was spraying the ceilings and it just wouldn't shut off when he released the trigger, be time he had climbed down the ladder and run to the machine 2l of paint had gone everywhere, them spray machines and stupidly powerful

i don't have any issues with people paul, wastes too much time, i don't have time to worry about what people have and havnt done, what you do is your business and not for me to judge you or w/e. when you start worrying about that you forget what's important in life, and life is just too short,

i remember renie's funeral, haha that good old bike she was a character like none other

[Paul Coleman]

yes i know you, and Derek, you have the blue overalls at work right? use the wfp now?

the spraying incident was at Hayes bridge? yeah i remember him telling that how he was spraying the ceilings and it just wouldn't shut off when he released the trigger, be time he had climbed down the ladder and run to the machine 2l of paint had gone everywhere, them spray machines and stupidly powerful

i don't have any issues with people paul, wastes too much time, i don't have time to worry about what people have and havnt done, what you do is your business and not for me to judge you or w/e. when you start worrying about that you forget what's important in life, and life is just too short,

i remember renie's funeral, haha that good old bike she was a character like none other

Hi Alex.  I wondered if we had met around as I've met a number of window cleaners on my travels.  Not sure which one you are, though I recall bumping into a few younger guys in Kitsmead, Copthorne some time back.
I have been using WFP on the windows since late '05.  Best business decision I've ever made.
I don't know about Hayes Bridge though.  I recall hearing about an incident but not sure of the exact location.
I am the guyt in blue overalls but I've recently stopped using them after all these years (I haven't had the same set in all that time - hoestly !! ).  .
I recently decided to go for t-shirts, sweatshirts, and a fleece with my business name and number on.  I was having a break in a café recently and some guy started doing the old George Formby number on me  .  I was wondering how he knew I was a window cleaner when I realised that it was plastered all over my clothing - so although it wasn't a job enquiry, it shows that it can get you noticed.  Have to get my van done next but more important things to pay for first.
Is Ernie still doing a bit of painting or has he stopped work now?  I know he's a fair bit younger than my Dad (he's 78), but I can't recall by how much.

[NWH]

If a customer asked me to rub the windows over instead of blading them and insisted i would make sure i done an awfull job just to teach her a lesson.

[Paul Coleman]

If a customer asked me to rub the windows over instead of blading them and insisted i would make sure i done an awfull job just to teach her a lesson.

I wouldn't even get that far.  I just wouldn't do it.