[Simon Carter]

Sensible answers only please, but has anyone got a crystal ball?. I'm thinking about the medium to long term impact of water fer pole window cleaning on residential business, which is my main focus.
Having been using one myself now for about six months, it occurs to me that it removes all the main reasons why people delegate window cleaning rather than doing it themselves. There's no real skill factor, unlike with a squeegee, it's quick & of course it negates the need for a ladder. As people become more aware of the option &  DI residential systems become common place, will the residential window cleaner become obsolete, or at least less in demand?
I know this has been asked before. Inevitably most topics are cyclical. It's just that I have a developing business & this is what I plan to do for the next 20 years. If you pardon the pun, if you are going to climb the ladder of success, make sure it's leant against the right wall. Industries & careers have been blighted in the past by technological developements.
I've asked people in the industry that I know personally if they feel this question is valid & generally the response is no, & that I shouldn't fret, but I'm not convinced.
Sure, people have busy lives & will delegate wherever possible, but surely the answer to my question is not if, but how many will do there own windows who don't at the moment.
One more question that might help to indicate the validity of my concern. Does anyone know of someone who has purchased a system just for home use, or indeed lost a customer as a consequence?. Might this is not just be the thin end of the wedge?.
Sorry to be a doom merchant.

[Davindo Cleana]

Plenty people have domestic house cleaners and I am sure they could do it themselves. Is the service industry not just about people who often get others to do work for the convenience of not having to do it them selves.
We still have painter and decorators, carpet cleaners, car valeters... the list is very long.  Stop worrying

[Simon Carter]

I'm trying. I'm sure you are right in the main, but my concern is not totally unjustified. My business is based upon lots of customers, 1500 at the last count, mostly delagated. I don't really want to be in a shrinking market, whatever the cause. Just trying to think ahead.

[s.hughes]

I have had concerns myself, You can buy a system that just plugs into the outside tap and it filters the water as you use it. Off course these systems are not that expensive, they are more than a customer would normaly pay for just the windows. But at the end of the day these systems will also do their cars and eves etc.
I am keeping an open mind on it. I think that it will be years before customers will think about these systems. How many times do you get a customer who says that her husband is suppose to clean the windows but never gets round to it. I think it will always be that way.

Steveyboy

[replacement]

I lost a customer whom told me shes got one of them pressure washing poles like mine and shes going to do them her self from now on. I could not be bothered to explain about Pure Water and technigue you need, she will find out soon enough. Lost one that month gained 20 no lose really.

Theres loads of people whom clean there own windows or dont bother having a window cleaner, you got to remeber we brits are lazy and would rather pay someone a tenner to clean the windows.

As for the no skill, you need to have some good knowleadge to WFP and have a correct technigue to do it like a squeegee, I bet alot of WFP users whom started end of the summer/spring time lose customers over the coming months due to the sun shinning on them windows and showing spots that have been there for months alll of a sudden appear.

Justin

[Duke]

In a past reincarnation...I was a Chef. Oddly enough, people still stay in and cook and eat it....all those out of work Chef's must be crying in their soup by now.....not...

[rosskesava]

There will always be those who will pay for others to do the job for them. Especially the rich and wealthy.

With companies, maybe one or two might get an employee to do the job but then there's the problem of what would the companies position be should an accident or injury happen?

Interestingly enough, yesterday I was out touting for more commercial business and a few places that were smallish premises that were part of a chain (H & S Tool Hire etc) had supplied the employees with a mop and squeegie, bucket, and so on. The companies idea seems to be 'why pay a window cleaner'? Needless to say these places had filthy windows because no one was inclined to clean the windows.

Personnaly, I can't really see many companies getting there own pole system. It's too involved and the staff would need training anyway.

[The Bear]

I don't think any of us should worry, esp WFPers,

There will always be people residential and commercial who need window cleaners.

Trad method workers may find it a little harder, my theory is WCers will either be Trad Residential or WFP Commercial.

no amount af legislation or cheap WFP's will substitute for peoples lazyness,

[matt]

i asked this question last year, and the answer was, we shouldnt be concearned

ask yourself this

how many of you have bungalows to do ?? ?

[s.hughes]

Matt, thats a good point

Steveyboy

[AuRavelling79]

How many firms with offices employ staff to clean said offices - most get cleaners in - even tho' staff are physically capable. Same with windows.

And on domestic? Well, the elderly -  infirm -  disorganised - lazy or snobby "that kind of work's beneath me" types will still want them doing.

[Ian Rochester]

You may see the odd person with a residential WFP system, but it's likely that these are the fit and able people who insist on doing everything themselves and want all the latest gismo's in their garage, they probably already have a set of ladders and window cleaning gear anyway.

I cannot see it becoming the norm in every home, and if it does, so what, advance with the times and keep ahead of the competition, branch out into other areas. 

Use your crystal ball, not to see the demise of window cleaning, but for spotting the next business opportunity!!

There has been more advances in window cleaning and carpet cleaning in the last couple of years than there has probably been in the last 30, ie WFP, microfibre, microsplitters, etc.  Stay up to date with it

[thewindowcleaner1]

Why not assemble a kit for domestic use and sell it yourself, think of the repeat bussiness for resin/filter replacement?

[s.hughes]

Its a good point about carpet cleaners. Think of all the machines you can buy to keep your carpets clean. Do you buy them? Dont think so, just vacum the carpets thats good enough and get the pros in to do the hard work.

Steveyboy

[Simon Carter]

Much as I thought. No one has a crsytal ball. It's all speculation & conjecture. My point is that WFP window cleaning is very easy & a lot less involved than with a ladder & a squeegee, which is what puts most off cleaning their own windows.
Someone said here the other day that suppliers are starting to target the domestic market & above it was suggested that I do the same, both of which indicates that home owners will increasingly have the wearwithall to do their own windows a lot easier than at present. I agree that most probably will continue to prefer to pay the likes of us. Nonetheless, I do believe that the percentage of home owners who do their own windows will increase as a result of this technology.
I certainly don't plan to lie awake worrying about it. Just trying to think ahead.

[c w window cleanin]

Plenty people have domestic house cleaners and I am sure they could do it themselves. Is the service industry not just about people who often get others to do work for the convenience of not having to do it them selves.
We still have painter and decorators, carpet cleaners, car valeters... the list is very long.  Stop worrying

I AGREE COMPLETLEY--PEOPLE ARE TO BUSY THESE DAYS TO DO THEIR OWN CHORES(WHICH MOST PEOPLE VIEW CLEANING WINDOWS AS). I THINK THE PRICE ISSUE WIL STILL KEEP THE WFP OUT THE MAJORITY OF MOST PEOPLES REACH. I NEVER LOOKED AT IT THAT WAY BEFORE--WALL PAPER AND PAINT , MISTER SHEEN AND BLEACH, ARE ALL FREELY AVAILABLE BUT THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE STILL MAKE GOOD LIVINGS FROM PAINTING DECORATING/CLEANING ETC. NO WORRIES HERE!

[marc al]

 i know 2 people who make a decent living out of washing cars! That goes to show how lazy homeowners are, they just aren't going to clean thier windows if they can help it, I bet everyone's round has approx 50% of thier customers who's insides are dirtier than thier outsides, thats only because we do the outsides regularly for them!

[windows_chepstow]

author=How Much?? link=topic=7623.msg57067#msg57067 date=1114672411]
Its a good point about carpet cleaners. Think of all the machines you can buy to keep your carpets clean. Do you buy them? Dont think so,....

My missis bought one - just for our (her) own domestic use.  Is she sad or what?

But wasn't there a programme recently about the domestic service industry being a booming 'growth industry'?

Around here there's a few Ironing companies that collect, iron and deliver your clothes back to you; even though just about every household in the country has an iron.

Also the UK worker works the longest hours in Europe (although the output is similar to other countries who work less hours - funnily enough).  Not only that, in most families both the male and female go out to work, and this trend won't change.  So that means two incomes and not a lot of free time to do extra chores; like window cleaning.

Just keeping the house in good order is difficult enough after a hard days graft.

Cooking is another area where the average time spent cooking a meal is something like fifteen minutes, compared to a lot longer not so long ago (apologies for the vague statistics - you get the gist though).

I'd bet good money that the demand for residential window cleaners will rise, rather than fall, now that the 'Sony Playstation Generation' are leaving school, getting jobs, buying houses and having kids.

I think the problem will be MORE COMPETITION.  Ladders are difficult and not everyone can use them.  WFP opens up our industry to more people.  And if they're easier to use than ladders; quicker too, then each WFP user can increase his output.  I know for a fact this is true for our new mod, Ian_Giles.

My crystal ball says we're safe, residentially wise, for the long term future.

[Pureandclean]

About 10 years ago, there was some panic in the window cleaning fraternity, when a non stick coating was invented for glass, once applied dirt slid off the glass which was supposed to stay clean.
 I went to see a couple of companies that were offering    " Franchises " for applying this coating. I decided against it, and have never heard of anyone that has had it applied.

Where there is muck there is money to remove it.

 : Blessings  :

Graeme

[rosskesava]

Very interesting thread.

There is a percentage of the population that do their own windows anyway. Before I was a w/c I did my own windows.

I think as society gets more and more stressed and people work harder and harder and as windows_chepstow says, the hours are getting longer and longer,  they will not want to have to bother with cleaning their windows.

Since the year dot in this country, in spite of labour saving devices, the domestic service industry has always been there.

I cannot see it changing.

A good few months ago we lost a commercial contract for a lot of glass for a local Wyevale garden center. The idea being that someone within that particular garden center could do the job. I think it was an idea by some idiot manager at the head office who thought it a brilliant idea to save pennies nationally.

A few weeks back we happened to see the manager out shopping with his wife and he said he can't get any member of staff to do the windows which doesn't surprise me as it'd take them hours and hours to do and that the windows were filthy. He reckons within a few months we'll be back doing the windows.

Also, most staff in most companies do not see themselves as window cleaners. This manager said it had caused arguements between his staff and had de motivated them.

Also, should w/c become a technology that is simple and cheap, the price of buying it will rocket as the sharks seek to make ever bigger and huge profit from householders buying WFP kits. Then it will all go back to as it was and that seems to be how it works and the way of industry for years and years past.

In the end quality and skill will always be required and there will always be those prepared to pay for it and those who are lazy and have money.