That’s the problem with WFP industry. Neither the client or the provider can expect nice clean windows with a WFP on a first time clean. You see these inexperienced companies like FISH that want to send their employees out with a WFP and basically rinse the windows off when they really need some detail cleaning with a lift. If you actually had time to demonstrate and explain the difference in a bid process to the client, it might level the playing field a little bit. I takes a lot of extra time to move a lift on a job and even more time when the operator doesn’t understand the machine and is also trying to clean windows. It’s so much easier when you can just teach someone to operate a WFP in about 10 minutes and even easier if the customer has no idea what a clean window actually is. Commercial is usually “get done with the lowest price”, residential is “get it done right and I’ll invite you back and tell my friends how great you are”
I use the water fed pole on one time cleans all of the time. It rinses out the exterior seal better than a paintbrush and a microfiber It gets the frames and in my opinion it can do the glass just fine. There is nothing my Tucker brush can’t get with the proper scrubbing that 3M white pad cannot.
Look at this everyone!
As long as there is no scraping of paint, stucco, or sealer that needs to come off, then it is fine.
Well that goes for traditional cleaning too. I don’t think anyone is on a disagreement that post construction has to be done nose to glass
Painters leave a mess, stucco can be from repairs, not necessarily CCU, years of caked on debris and they finally get their windows cleaned. Just saying WFP isn’t the ideal tool, in some, cases for first cleans.
Lol everyone knows that! When I say first cleanse I mean cleanse bird doodoo fingerprints bug guts etc of course a scrape job needs to be done traditional.
I ended up doing the cleaning this week. It actually went well this time and I think overall the frustrations were my fault.
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These were supposed to be WFP maintenance cleans but in my experience to be honest WFP doesn’t really do much on anything other than dirt. The one house has mulch around all the windows.
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The $100 price was supposed to be discounted for more frequent cleanings-which 1 person didn’t even rebook. I thought about this from the get go, charging full price for the first 2 cleanings and applying the discount for the 3rd, but I thought in good faith I’d go forward with the original deal as I didn’t want to come off as not trusting them. I will not be discounting my work at all going forward, I hate working for a discount.
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They left cash for me so I got paid, they also would like me to give them a price on gutter whitening.
Just chalk it up to inexperience on my part.
Great news, customer A emails and says windows are crystal clear even after our rainstorm and we would like info on gutter whitening.
Customer B emails and says my services will no longer be needed because they meticulously cleaned the insides before I came, and the windows don’t look good. Feels so good to get fired.
I’m in my second year and have done close to 200 jobs, many many positive comments, reviews, and referrals. Realtors call me for million dollar homes and this little old lady with her norwex clothes is not sastified.
If there is any type of non regular debris on the glass it will not be removed during a standard window clean (even 1 spec of paint) … PERIOD!
Understand something strip washer and squeegee is the same as WfP . They’re both the same type of cleaning . Whenever something needs more then these two methods the price goes up for me
What ever a strip washer and squeegee can do a WFP can do.
yea when I clean using trad methods I get everything. I keep razor, steel wool, walnut pad and magic eraser. If theres paint, grout, silicone. fungus etc I get it off. Obviously WFP is not able to get those things off.
If I were to do that I would have to double my price, I don’t do CCUs for free lol.
I wasn’t the person who neglected to properly cover the surfaces before conducting painting or other messy trades around the window, sure I could remove it if I wanted to. But that would add an extra step to the process which is time and risk damage to the glass which I would be liable for.
Nominal amounts of debris like a few specs of paint or silicone from glazing, etc., I usually don’t charge for - BUT if there is a lot and therefore it is obvious that someone slopped their way through a job, or it is post construction/remodel CCU, then there is a charge for that; time is money. A few spots here and there - eh - I go ahead and do it. Different business model.
Verbiage on your estimates an setting the expectation level is the key. With everything … power washing , and window cleaning. It’s that simple . Put it in your estimate ,then your not responsible for doing anything you say your nOt doing.
If I was scraping every window and taking off silicone the price would be near double and maybe even more . But all I do is standard window cleaning . Let someone else do that stuff. Not me , I got easy work to do. Not enough time in the week to do the easy work let alone scraping glass that has the chance of scratching. No thanks !!!
I really appreciate you posting this. I give a short description and usually ask a lot of questions before giving an estimate but this makes it very nice and clear.
