[brett walker]

Hi all

was at work today one of my customes handed me a flyer that another window cleaner had put through with some very cheap prices, i have seen this bloke about spoke to him once hes got 3 young lads working for him.  Hour later got a call from one of my customers cancelling she lives in a 3rd storey house and i charge her 13 pound hes quoted her 8, fair enough if she wants to go with him but i wont have her back. 

Anyway my wife phoned him later just to check how he cleans 3rd storey windows as i know he only uses ladders as i was a bit miffed about being undercut as i had done this ladys for over a year but business is business. When my wife was asking him if you could only clean 3rd storey by wfp he said to her ' let me correct you dear', he said he cleans off ladders all 3rd storey work and that its perfectly safe and leagal and hes insured to go up 3rd storey.  He also said that the wfp jobby is a waste of time and that you cant see if you are getting the bird muck off from the ground and its just like using your hose on them, and he said he had been cleaning windows for 35yrs and described the wfp as being 'crap'.  He offers better service than window cleaners that use wfp

This bloke is obviously too old to go up ladders himself as he gets the young lads to do it, we all know ladders are safe in the  right hands but 3rd storey can be a bit dodgey or is he right is it legal to go up to 3rd storey on ladders.
Also what annoys me is him slagging off wfp when hes never used it

regards

Brett

[Bobs Window Cleaning]

There are a lot of window cleaners who think just the same as him.
But in a couple of years he wont have a choice, we all know what the score is with ladders.

Just a shame some cleaners cant help others rather than pinch work from them.

As you say...hes obviously too old to do it himself

Bod

[brightnclean]

What a prat!!

I bet his lads are working on the side as well.

It is illegal to use ladders when a viable safer method can be used at any height as well.

Want to post his phone number Brett?  lol  

[NWH]

In the not to distant future i think you`ll find that ladder wcs will be the ones that are getting stick and the mickey taken out of them rather than the WFPolers.My customers are often saying to me,god that`s better than doing it off a ladder and it does a better job.

[martin19842]

hi there

the chap has to have a valid method statement and risk assessment, all credit if he does,

but i suspect he doesnt.!!!!

unfortunately the general public, still need to be educated in this, but they will always look to get a good deal.

when will this change.

regards

martin

[paul saunders]

What a prat!!



It is illegal to use ladders when a viable safer method can be used at any height as well.

 

Can you back that statement up. :

[brightnclean]

What a prat!!



It is illegal to use ladders when a viable safer method can be used at any height as well.

 

Can you back that statement up. :

YUP!!!   

[paul saunders]

Well................... I'm waiting

[brightnclean]

Are you really?

Do your own homework.  :

[paul saunders]

So, you can't back it up then. :

[brightnclean]

Oh yes I can but I don,t have to. Also you should know the regulations regarding the business in which you operate. 

[Mr. S]

Not Again!

[NWH]

Sod the regs,he must be mad if he wants to go up 3 floors.If i want to see that i`ll go to the circus mate.

[paul saunders]

I do, and nowhere does it say that it illegal to use ladders to clean windows.
What it does say is that if an alterative method is available then that method should be used.

[SherwoodCleaningSe]

If it's third story being between 6 and 9 meters he can get away with it at the moment if he's being footed.  At those prices I doubt he's going to pay a lad to stand at the bottom of the ladders.

I wouldn't want to take a customer on just because I was cheaper they'd make a rubbish customer.  And what will she say when her frames start getting dirty.

As for missing birds muck, well I suppose if he's been in the business for 35 years he might be a bit old and going blind.  How ever there are many wc's on here that aren't going blind have been in the business longer and rave about wfp.

It also annoys me someone making young lads take risks by going up silly heights and not taking the risks themselves.

Sleep well Simon.

[Alex Wingrove]

What a prat!!

I bet his lads are working on the side as well.

It is illegal to use ladders when a viable safer method can be used at any height as well.

Want to post his phone number Brett?  lol   

so the safer method being not to them them at all, i mean, you might drop you pole on your head

you could take that to all extremes

soon you wont be able to use wfp, you'll need a cheery picker to go right up to the window,

but until that time, lets stop squabbling, you can use a triple ladder, you can even use a triple 20 if you wanted to do 4 stories.

I do it, lots of people do, don't jump on the old. ladders are so 20th century

[Alex Wingrove]

but on the other hand

undercutting

tut tut very bad, over cutting well that's just cheeky :p

[paul saunders]

I rest my case.

  quote:Also you should know the regulations regarding the business in which you operate

[NWH]

Yeah but why would you want to,i`m not breaking my back for a pane of glass.

[brightnclean]

It is illegal to use ladders when a viable safer method can be used at any height.

Exactly what I said.  If you dont have the alternative method then you are not within H&S Regs.

Boring this isnt it?  lol