[lee_dewing]

I'm wfp.

only use ladders  for flat roofs and climbing over gates.

I really hate having ladders on roof and would love to leave them home.


has anyone got any of these gadget ladders that pack up small and fit in my escort van.

Oh yeh have a couple of jobs i still do trad.

any solutions anyone thanks lee.

[pingu]

I have a set of telescopic ladders an they are the 'dogs danglies' great for access to garage roofs....etc...well worth the money.

[lee_dewing]

thanks pingu,

can i pry ?

how much, where from, would they be ok to use to clean house windows as have couple of jobs,

oh yeh do they solve the climbing over gates prob, as i have to split ladder into 2 sections put either side of gate.

2 telescopic ladders?

thanks lee

[lee_dewing]

http://www.laddersandscaffoldtowers.co.uk/acatalog/copy_of_Trio_Telescopic_Ladder.html



just found this, promo vids good love music

don't know in step ladder option if that would be tall enough to act the same as seperating two piece ladder to climb over gates?
Lee

[Halfadaylee]

Hi Lee
Your right about the music but not sure about the ladders though.
How clean would you have to keep them to ensure they still operate smoothly, we all know how much crap the hose pick's up. They look good though but are the tough enough?
Art.

[prestigeclean]

i used to split the ladder to get over them , but the guy i took on recently is like a monkey and just climbs over them , get yourself a monkey lol regards alan

[concept]

Never climb over gates or fences now, I did when I started but soon realised it’s not a requirement for cleaning windows.

how come?!

have you just got rid of any problem houses?

[simon knight]

Never climb over gates or fences now, I did when I started but soon realised it’s not a requirement for cleaning windows.

how come?!

have you just got rid of any problem houses?

I'm forever splitting the ladders...goes with the job :

[steven ainger]

i never climb gates either, i call the night before for them to unlock the gate if there padlocked, or if there only bolted at the bottom i have a 4ft trad pole with a ring spanner attatched to the end, and i stand on my steps reach over with the pole and pull the bolt undone.

[GWCS]

yes ewen only does easy peasy houses or those that leave gates open for him.

otherwise they are gone ------------------------------------->>>

[leapstallbuildings]

Never climb over gates or fences now, I did when I started but soon realised it’s not a requirement for cleaning windows.

Just checking my temperature   .
I totally agree with you Ewan.

[leapstallbuildings]

i never climb gates either, i call the night before for them to unlock the gate if there padlocked, or if there only bolted at the bottom i have a 4ft trad pole with a ring spanner attatched to the end, and i stand on my steps reach over with the pole and pull the bolt undone.

I've "trained" a few of them to ensure that the bottom bolt is well lubricated and to get into the habit of positioning it so i can knock the bolt sideways with a pole.
I have a few jobs where the bolt is a bit far down for comfort.  i use a long crowbar on these as you can hook it around the bolt and undo it like that (while leaning over from stepladder).  Bottom bolts and padlocks are a different animal though.  I have one customer who uses bottom bolt.  Not sure if they are aware of it but I can reach underneath to undo it and redo it up     .

[leapstallbuildings]

i used to split the ladder to get over them , but the guy i took on recently is like a monkey and just climbs over them , get yourself a monkey lol regards alan

Do you pay him peanuts?

[GWCS]

i used to split the ladder to get over them , but the guy i took on recently is like a monkey and just climbs over them , get yourself a monkey lol regards alan

Do you pay him peanuts?

No, Bananas 

[simon knight]

Never climb over gates or fences now, I did when I started but soon realised it’s not a requirement for cleaning windows.

how come?!

have you just got rid of any problem houses?

Just arrange access if necessary, when I did climb over gates I thought it was a complete nuisance and looked unprofessional you don’t see other tradesmen doing this regular! And if you think about it why should you climb gates & fences it’s usually a request by the customer for you to do this just because they can’t be bothered to unlock.

Yes I agree it is a hassle and that gates left unlocked are better but customers (at least my customers) have the memory span of a goldfish. So I turn up and they've forgotten to unlock...what do I do?...fronts only?...or split ladders and nip round the back to complete the job and get full pay?

In an ideal world I'd work from home:

Ring ring...Ring ring...Ring ring...
Hello?
Oh hello it's Mrs Smith from Station Road...can you clean my windows please.
Of course Mrs Smith...just drop them off at my house tomorrow morning and I'll have them done for you to collect later in the afternoon.

 

[simon knight]

Do fronts only then and still bill them the full amount, write a polite note saying if they remember to unlock back gates you will clean the windows at the back.

I can’t remember that last time I had to climb over a gate, goes with the job. 

Mmmm, again in an ideal world I'd love to do that. Unfortunately round here we have more window cleaners than ever and more by the day...so for me it isn't a good idea to get clever with them. Ho Hum!

[simon knight]

If you have informed the customers that your coming to do there windows and make sure you have access to the back, I don’t think there’s any reason to let the customer get clever with you.

Bill them the full amount, they soon learn if they don’t and complain drop them for being PITA customers.

I know what you're saying but in all fairness splitting my ladders and climbing over a 6ft gate doesn't fuss me that much. Also if I sacked every PITA customer I'd be left with about as many customers as pork chops at a Jewish wedding.

Don't get me wrong! I like the easy life and if somebody becomes a real PITA they get canned, but as in all industry "perfect" customers are few and far between and so us providers have to accept the foibles of the minority.

Shopkeepers have shop-lifters
Chefs have fussy diners
Taxi drivers have p1$$ed people being sick in the back of the cab
Electricians get electrocuted
Actresses occassionally have to appear nude...and us window cleaners?,..

...well occassionally the customer forgets to unlock the gate. If I can rectify the problem by nipping over the fence/gate then why not?

And as for charging people for work not done I don't think you can legally do that!

[simon knight]

Well if you just consider the money and not the in connivance to yourself, just a dozen monthly customers on your books who keep there gate locked will eventually cost you a day in time lost over a year, assuming you are quick over the gates.

It’s up to you if you want to climb over your customer’s gates, but it’s not necessary.

I ONLY consider money. I can live with inconvenience. A 6ft gate takes approx 1 minute over and 1 minute back...so 2 minutes in all. This might happen once or twice a week or annualised anywhere between 94 and 188 minutes a year...hardly an entire day!

Blimey I spend far more time yakking with customers over a brew :...makes the job worthwhile. I'll leave the time and motion studies to you youngsters

[simon knight]

Fair enough, I got the impression you do it everyday.

But I still think every week is too much.   

I'll tell you a funny one: Bunged the ladders against a fence to climb over and the bloody fence fell over (rotten to the core)...at least I didn't have any problems getting back  . Customer actually had the nerve to expect me to replace the fence.

To cut a long story short I went round and staked the fence up with a couple of B&Q broom handles and to this day still do the house...I go round whip out the broom handles, fence collapses, I clean back windows and prop fence up again.

All praise to B&Q broom handles they've held the fence upright for 5 years

[perfectpanesplymouth]

I have one custie (given to me by my brother) who insists on keeping the gate locked even though he knows when I'm coming. (He used to do it to my brother as well). He hasn't worked out yet how I still clean the rears .
He has a wrought iron gate that he padlocks with a chain, he doesn't realise that I just lift the gate off its hinges