[Jimmy1]

Got a new custie who told me she had a bit of a set to with her last window cleaner but I didn't ask and she didn't tell - until I finished cleaning her property. It turns out her last window cleaner was on the dole. The custies house has a large roofed porch over wich 4 of her 6 bedroom front windows are. The last cleaner used to get on the roof to clean them, and he fell off - it went to court and he got 15k. They were not allowed to take into account he was on the dole. apparently this guy had asked her husband if he could clean their windows as he was building up his round. The custie was furious luckily their house insurance paid up, but they were told this guy could have got as much as 150k. So when she saw my leaflet she phoned and booked straight away as she hasn't had a window cleaner since her experience.

Just goes to show - you read about these things, but this is the first time ive ever met anyone this has happened to. He used a no win no fee firm

[Jeff Brimble]

There is something wrong with this society. On the dole and working then suing a custy !!  Wonder if the IR know ?

[AuRavelling79]

And if I'm in on a quote I always tell my prospective custies that if they use a non-ground based window cleaner (eg ladder user) then this is always  a possibility.

[tomy jackson]

is ther a posiblity of geting sum detales of this as it wood help with custys who dont beleve you when you tell them about these isues

[Jimmy1]

Next time I go I'm going to ask her if it was in the papers. Custies never believe you. Even members of my own family don't believe me, they say 'oh window cleaners round here just would'nt do that' but it would be nice to actually get some proof this does happen - I'll see what she says and let you know if there is any outcome.

[SherwoodCleaningSe]

That's a shocking story.

This is a little more tenuous, one of my customer's son had his brand new car smashed up and garage roof destroyed by a fat WC who fell of his ladder and through their garage.  He didn't have insurance.  The irony of it was, the son had a WC who used wfp.

Simon.

[Jimmy1]

unbelievable! Bet they were sick!

[davids3511]

I picked up a customer the other day whos last window cleaner dropped his ladder on her next door neighbours caravan and smashed the roof. Needless to say he was never seen again and customers had no number, name or address to chase him.

[cvdewsbury]

I picked up a customer the other week she said whilst a fat w/c was perving at her in the bath he fell through the bahrrom  window  taking the sink off the wall and causing flood damage to the batroom and lounge room electrics...needless to say the fat window cleaner wasn,t insured and was never seen gain...true storey that

[eddie d]

the fat wc should have sued .

[mark dew]

It amazes me that people can do business with others without having contact details. And i mean just a mobile number.
I always check my custies on 192.com. Maybe i'm just paranoid. But i like knowing who i am dealing with.

[mark dew]

It's a people search.
It's free to browse, but if you buy credits, you can put an address in and it will list the people who lived there past and pesent.

[mark dew]

Just to add, it is very good for finding customers who have moved without paying. But they only update once a year after the electoral roll has come in.
So plenty of time for a customer to forget about you until taht claim you have registered against them comes through the door at their new address.
The other way to find them is to get on with the postman. And ask him. Or her.

[dai]

Well guys this is news to me, my understanding was that only business premises were duty bound to provide a safe working environment, whist private individuals have no such requirements.
I have never heard of a tradesman making a claim against a private householder.
This guy took a chance, went onto a roof and fell off. How was the householder liable?
You can only claim if the accident was not your own fault, in this case it was very much the window cleaners own fault

[Neil Williams]

This guy took a chance, went onto a roof and fell off. How was the householder liable?
You can only claim if the accident was not your own fault, in this case it was very much the window cleaners own fault

There's clearly some key details missing here. It would be very helpful to get the full storey.
And as mentioned report this guy to the IR/DHSS etc who could claim all that money back, how sweet would that be.
What next a gardener putting a fork through his foot and suing the householder?

[craig jwc]

I think that it is looked at the Customer is the employer and the W/C the employee.

If you walk down the footpath to their front door and trip on an uneven paving slab and brake your arm, for arguements sake, you can sue them as it is classed as a public right of way.
If you climbed over there garden wall and fell and broke your arm you can't do anything about it as over the wall isn't a public right of way.

As your employer though you have to make sure that the employee works in a safe manner.
I do find it strange though how you can sue the customer for falling off their roof if it was you own fault.

[Nathanael Jones]

My father in law fell off a porch roof and landed on the brand new mini cooper below causing €800 worth of damage. This was before he even had insurance too. On his way home from hospital he called back to the house and wrote a cheque to cover the damages out of his own pocket. IMO it's the ONLY thing to do in this situation,... at least if you want to keep your custies and your reputation as a professional.