[formb]

 

[Mike #1]

defo did almost 12 years trad how can you do insides the vikan easy shine is to pricey and probably to slow comparerd to trad both in cost and time to clean

[Gav Camm lammy 283]

deffinatly jus wot im sayin if u cant trad yr stuffed for insides etc

[Martin ccs]

yes they should! ive spoke to wc that dont even own a bucket and mop n blade....

i did a poll a while ago regards this and all the cowboys just had a go at me saying you dont need to use a mop n blade.

i said i agree in some ways but what about insides of houses and commercial jobs - got stupid replies like i dont do them or i would employe someone cheap to do it

[dazmond]

ive been cleaning trad for 16 years but if some of the newer guys just use wfp and dont do insides WHO CARES!

maybe its not needed!i will always do some trad like bungalows or when its icy!(downstairs!)

[telboy]

As I said in previouse thread
your not  a window cleaner if you cant use trad
You are a "water fed pole operator"

[AuRavelling79]

As I said in previouse thread
your not  a window cleaner if you cant use trad
You are a "water fed pole operator"

This makes me smile! I've been a w/c for 13 years now and can trad. It's what I did all day long. A good friend of mine who gave up being a carpenter to go wfp window cleaning with his wife three years ago doesn't do trad. They were away for eight weeks in the summer in Europe and he asked me to cover a day for him (which I did with my daughter helping with the hose etc.).

Now bear in mind this is work I had never seen before and yet in 6 hours I earned (because he paid me the full rate) over £300 on non-compact domestic work between 8am and 3pm. I also think I did a more thorough job than he does - but the point is his custy's are perfectly happy with his work. I have to tell you it is an unusual day when all my best work aligns that I could do that rate on my own stuff.

His pricing is excellent, his business sense is good and his work quality is average (IMO) - but if he can do that then why would he care about "keeping the craft alive" by worrying about doing trad.? Doing trad would earn him less! And if it means gaining a contract then by all means pay someone a £100 a day to do it for you.

I've said the analogy before - why run a railway with steam when you can do it far more efficiently and lucratively with diesel?

[telboy]

As I said in previouse thread
your not  a window cleaner if you cant use trad
You are a "water fed pole operator"

This makes me smile! I've been a w/c for 13 years now and can trad. It's what I did all day long. A good friend of mine who gave up being a carpenter to go wfp window cleaning with his wife three years ago doesn't do trad. They were away for eight weeks in the summer in Europe and he asked me to cover a day for him (which I did with my daughter helping with the hose etc.).

Now bear in mind this is work I had never seen before and yet in 6 hours I earned (because he paid me the full rate) over £300 on non-compact domestic work between 8am and 3pm. I also think I did a more thorough job than he does - but the point is his custy's are perfectly happy with his work. I have to tell you it is an unusual day when all my best work aligns that I could do that rate on my own stuff.

His pricing is excellent, his business sense is good and his work quality is average (IMO) - but if he can do that then why would he care about "keeping the craft alive" by worrying about doing trad.? Doing trad would earn him less! And if it means gaining a contract then by all means pay someone a £100 a day to do it for you.

I've said the analogy before - why run a railway with steam when you can do it far more efficiently and lucratively with diesel?

So good luck to him if he is happy being a water fed pole operator
no harm in that
I wasn@t being vindictive

[davids3511]

Wouldn't you be just a mop and squeege operator?

[simon knight]

Squeegee? I'm still trying to master how to wring out the leather. They call me Amish Boy around here  

[jouk45]

some of us just dont have the time to do trad, if your wfp that is,

[Blue Frog Systems]

The last debate on this I was in the no category.

I've since eaten humble pie and practised my blading and can do it now.

I do think its a valuable skill to blade. Some may never use it, others it may come in handy.

This winter changed me. I found I lost a day because of not being able to trad. I went out, bought some more kit and practised.

So here is me eating humble pie... I think window cleaners should know how to trad even if they don't intend to.

[gary999]

i can use a mop and squeegee but only used it for around
a year before i went wfp so im def not a speed merchant when it
comes to using them but def comes in handy now and then.

[sparklebright]

As I said in previouse thread
your not  a window cleaner if you cant use trad
You are a "water fed pole operator"

Well said it like the difference between being a chef and being able to burn a fry-up

Well maybe not but it's the only analogy I could think of

[formb]

I've said the analogy before - why run a railway with steam when you can do it far more efficiently and lucratively with diesel?

Because diesel is finite

[telboy]

Wouldn't you be just a mop and squeege operator?

If thats what you think fine its your opinion

[AuRavelling79]

I've said the analogy before - why run a railway with steam when you can do it far more efficiently and lucratively with diesel?

Because diesel is finite

So's coal formb - and when the diesel runs out will have converted to electric anyway! Even better.

[SherwoodCleaningSe]

WFP is more profitable and in nearly all cases better (Diesel to steam).  However there are some jobs that need trad, the other day I picked up a small bungalow that had frames falling apart right next to properties I already clean, I could have turned it down but it's 5 minuets work with a squeegee, wfp would have wrecked the frames and done a rubbish job.

I'd say it's more like a carpenter that has both power tools and hand tools, most days he will use both.  Ok you can do whole days with wfp and be fine but there is the odd job and I think to say sorry I can't do that one as I can't use a mop and blade is a bit like a carpenter saying I won't do that job as I don't believe in chisels.

Simon.

[formb]

I've said the analogy before - why run a railway with steam when you can do it far more efficiently and lucratively with diesel?

Because diesel is finite

So's coal formb - and when the diesel runs out will have converted to electric anyway! Even better.

My point is wfp (deisel) are great but not perfect. Surely it makes sense to have the option? I could clean a window with a soggy tea towel.

[AuRavelling79]

I too can squeegee and do so where appropriate - but you don't have to - while I might take on a bungalow and squeegee it, as a wfp only boy he could just turn it down and make more money in less time somewhere else.

If he is going to be a fast squeegee operator then IMO he needs to have enough work to justify becoming fast at it. If you've been doing it for years anyway then it comes naturally.