Decision Making - $10,000/hr Mental Tool Box

1

I was on a Mnemonic Forum, a gentleman was wanting to know the quick and easy/fast track to success in that arena. I realized I’ve gained some heuristics building my window cleaning business, I will try to cohesively articulate below:

This is an interesting topic. I know I’m 3 years late to the conversation, but nonetheless feel I may be able to add to the conversation.

I too want to learn mnemonics for business use within my company and future businesses, after I’ve moved on from my current business.

To provide a bit of context I see being useful for the OP, I own a window cleaning business. I started it fresh out of highschool, I had a buddy who started cleaning windows for a seasoned business around the time I started my company.

After a year or 2 of struggling and testing squeegees I found one and stuck with it.

Believe it or not squeegees are a HUGE heuristic I learned, that I believe is applicable to MANY different areas of life, allow me to explain.

Guys on window cleaning forums get all huffy about their favorite brand of squeegee being the “best”. What does “Best” in general terms mean to a window cleaner?
-Amount of time it takes to use
-Dynmic-ness of use (how many different applications it can be used it)
-Secondary consequences; how long it takes to change the rubber compared to other squeegees, how closely to the edge of the window it removes water (the closer to the edge, the less detailing with a rag and the faster it cleans) how much the rubber costs required for the squeegee, etc.

I used to kick myself for not doing what my buddy did, and first work for a company. I had to learn the hard way, which meant lots of money, trial and errors with different brands, and types of squeegees. I thought I could eliminate a lot of “wasted” time trying to find the “best” squeegee.

Now I look back and I’m glad I had the struggles I did. The reason why is because I’m more versed and well rounded, so I can more accurately gauge what specific type of squeegee would work best for the specific situation. The struggle and perseverance also provides better perspective for problem solving in general.

I now can take a problem and have a heuristic for solving it.
-What’s the ultimate goal, what will will the end result look like when successfully completed?
-Use the Pareto Principle: What 20% of (in this case mnemonic techniques) produces 80% of the results for 80% of the people?
-Who has accomplished what I want to attain? How did they function in their behaviors, attitude, and beliefs to reach that goal?

Pro tip: If you do hire a memory coach, instead of looking for the “best in the world” research the the 3rd-20th best in the world, their still in the top 0.01% Percentile of the best in the world, and can deliver over 80% of the value for 20% of the cost. (likely).

I hope though this was somewhat vague, and possibly ambiguous it was still helpful in pointing you in a profitable direction.

Cheers

1 Like
2

the study and development of systems for improving and assisting the memory.

A heuristic or heuristic technique, is any approach to problem solving or self-discovery that employs a practical method that is not guaranteed to be optimal, perfect, or rational, but is nevertheless sufficient for reaching an immediate, short-term goal or approximation.

One who can actually come to your house, won’t clean your glasses, and probably did at some point miss a spot.

3 Likes
3

Gobbledeegoop.

Get good, be better than the rest in efficiency and talent, study markets and others pricing and skill. Use a liquidator. Watch Polznbladz and TradMan. Boom. Welcome to the upper echelon of glass wipers.

I just made you 10 grand an hour without the psychobabble. Now just get yourself 50 some employees and maybe you’ll make that 10k an hr.

4

Liquidator is garbage.

1 Like
5

Windex and newspaper is all you need that’s what real pros use

1 Like
6

Best squeegee on the market.

7

So when and if you reply, please detail how it’s garbage and how it’s a tool problem and not a you problem.

You talk so much smack against the liquidator but have failed in elaborating. You sit there towel drying lines while I get detail free work and I know you have been in the business a whole lot longer than I. So, explain the intricacies of its inherent crapness.

8

It’s crappy because I wasted 6 months maybe a year trying to get it right. It’s not like a just saw a plastic crappy made tool and said “eh trash”
I Gave it a fair shot, it doesn’t work for me. I broke more of that brands tools than I care to think about.
I am fast, efficient, and produce great quality work. Even if I have to detail edges and clean up my sills.

9

Bro, I believe ya. I’m sure you’re good. I took a lot of pricing tips from ya. But. 6-12 months to work the liquidator out?! What? Maybe if you didn’t hate polznbladz or listened to TradMan you woulda clipped it with unger clips or SOMETHING. I dunno exactly what your issue with it was but facts are facts. Detailing is a dinosaurs problem if you get good with the liquidator. Period. Don’t blame me, I’m a self-aware Moerman squeegee cultist but at the same time it is what it is. The best squeegee. Period, again. It took me maybe 2 weeks tops to get used to it. No brag. I just sincerely can’t imagine what the actual heck or crap you went through to not grasp it properly. It is a fantastic albeit plastic based Godsend. Wiping and detailing adds A LOT of time in the longrun and leaves wipe streaks crazy. I can tell me vs. a local cleaner just by looking at the edges of windows. Give your customer the added oomph, get good with the liquidator. This is a message to strangers at this point, not you. It’s clear to me you’re completely closed off to getting good at the liquidator. I’m just not going to stand to not put my two cents in on the best squeegee if a noobie is reading this and takes your short-sighted anti-Mo advice to heart. Dear stranger, watch Tradman and Polznbladz if the liquidator doesn’t “work out” for you. Moerman could adjust a couple things with it for sure but the flaws are infinitely less than brass crap aka detail half your day away garbage. Wanna talk real garbage? Answer: Every other squeegee.

10

I was lucky enough to have a very early beta of the Liquidator demonstrated to me. I liked the concept.

I was one of the first in line when the OG version came out. Had all sorts of trouble with it. The biggest issue is that I had to literally change the my hand positioning, angle etc in order to use it. I spent about an hour with it before I said its not for me.

Its personal preference and skill level here. I can rip it with an Unger squeegee with minimal detailing. That doesn’t mean that WCers that use Ettore / Moerman / Sorbo etc are wrong, or that those products are “garbage”.

Not to mention, it is much easier for a one man operation to adopt a new way of doing things. Its a bit tougher when you have to re-train a dozen people to use the “new technology”

1 Like
11

That’s what I’m getting at… hand positioning had to be all changed, I also bought that first run of liquidators that came out available from WCR.
I only say they are garbage because in my hands to get that poles and blades perfect UK window no detail it was not happening unless I moved to the UK and had those windows.

I still have to wipe the top of windows and locks on the inside… what am I saving by not detailing the 2 seconds per pane? Maybe 3 minutes per job?

1 Like
12

Exactly !!! To think this saves a lot of time like a WFP does , or that it makes the job look better is asinine.
Hey if he likes the liquid thing than all the power to him. It’s silly to think this thing is a great time saver . You … I , and others who don’t use the liquid thing could use this thing for a week or so and get the hang of it , but why fix what ain’t broken . The minimal if any detailing that needs to be done after squeegeeing is not a game changer by no means at all even if you mastered the liquid thing,

2 Likes
13

If you can have one of the two tools . Liquid thing or WFP what would you choose ?

14

Liquid thing. The liquid thing is the thing I would choose for liquid-related work aka squeege slingin zero detailing next level trad work. Definitely the liquid thing for me. You know detailing leaves lines a lot of times, or else you gotta use a hundred dry hucks on a huge job. Also WFP I have never done and have no interest doing albeit it has obvious benefits with length of reach and simplicity, like the weird hate on the liquid thing there are many differing opinions. I’ve heard WFP leaves spots many times. Is this true? No idea and frankly don’t care at all because I’m 100% trad and not changing that anytime soon. Maybe in the future I’ll do WFP. I dig the cardio and labor involved with tradding whether pole or ladders, and as far as squeegees go you guys are biased and totally wrong on the “no time saved” with the liquid thing mentality aka Moerman Liquidator aka Best Squeegee Ever.

No one who can actually use it properly has debunked me. Not only do you save time but you get a perfectly cleaned pane, if you know what you’re doing with it, without tainting it by wiping soapy lines around with a cloth because you like overrated outdated tools. I heard the Unger S channel does fairly well with this, but still not on par with the LIQUIDATOR THING.

15

We never said there was no time saved. We said it’s minimal to say the least. Not worth all the hype your brining to the table about it. It’s not like a WFP that will save half of the time especially with cut ups. No … if used properly it won’t leave spots. Just like if a squeegee isn’t used properly it will leave lines. I don’t know why you think a large job needs a lot of rags. We just got done saying after squeegeeing there is Minimal if any detailing at all when done properly, and with someone who is good at window cleaning. I also don’t know why you think you can’t get perfectly clean glass with a regular squeegee ?
So all that time your saving , which is minimal, and not worth bragging about … is lost while your setting up and taking down ladders … Just saying , So maybe loook into a WFP if your really looking into saving a lot of time. Just tying to help.

16

No, I’m saying the “minimal time saved” is not minimal, not that you guys are saying there is “no time saved”. It’s a thorough waste of time having to detail major wet side lines left by a non-angled channel. I don’t know why this is such a hard thing to grasp other than people that say things like this just simply hate the liquidator because reasons that are debunked by literal children that can use the thing fine. We’ll talk in circles as far as debating that, just stating the facts as they are. It saves time. Funny how the guys that hate the tool come up with a thousand reasons it sucks or isn’t worth it.

A large job does tend to need a lot of rags or towels, frame cleanup, drips (even after catching with wand in other hand dual-wielding), you need more rags the more you detail. I don’t know why this point is even being brought up to debate what I said. When a rag is wet it streaks. You detail every window, you need more rags. If you cut back the detailing, boom two or three rags used on a house in and out.

The ladder comment can be true, but you’re assuming I don’t pole. Fliq and liquidator when used right is even quicker than WFP. Depends on the level of slime and gunk the window has, at that point at worst best to bring a ladder. All depends on the job but you give me a Fliq and Liq on my xero pole and I’ll toast the WFP competition in speed. I’ll be way ahead by the time you set up the tank and hose and all the extra steps that thing takes to get rollin’.

You may be trying to help, but all I’m doing is debating you on your flimsy opinions on the liquidator. That’s my opinion on your opinion. We’re both trying to help :stuck_out_tongue:. We can agree to disagree. I am in no way taking a dump on you guys as dudes but your view is your view. Keep it. Whatever, my good sir. Fact of the matter is the liquidator is THE BEST SQUEEGEE ON THE MARKET.

P.S - No hate towards liquidator haters and WFP users. I love you. It’s just window cleaning.

17

WFP allows one to reach areas unreachable with Trad unless you’re in a bucket or hanging on a rope. That, my good man, is not opinion, it’s fact.
Incorporating this technology means a business can engage any job they approach, only limited by the length of their longest WFP.

Staunchly opposing WFP without trying it doesn’t make you a hero or the white knight of trad; it makes you someone using dialup when fiberoptic is available.

It is indeed your choice.
And I don’t care what new tech comes out, liquidator or otherwise, if it increases profit, decreases effort and limits my time on a ladder and corresponding chance of falling off said ladder, I’m in. That’s my choice.

2 Likes
18

Wfp has no set up if you have a tank system. Turn the pump on grab your pole and wash. Now I’m not good traditional cleaning with a pole but I’ll do it when I need to. I have a lot of respect for guys who make pole work look so easy but when doing residential I just can’t imagine getting good enough results with it on most windows. You just can’t be very detailed with it.
I do love the moreman liquidator for the handle. It is by far the best handle I’ve tried for rhe different angles it gives you but I just couldn’t get used to those end clips so I rip all my clips off. Maybe I’ll take your advice and give them another shot some day. I felt they did good on the edges but left more lines on the rest of the glass??

1 Like
19

I still use sorbo and unger and Moerman handle with brass channel squeegees weekly but my daily in the BOAB is the gen 2.0 Moerman. The original Moerman liquidator made me angry with WC. I kept rotating through numerous squeegees until I had tried 80% of those sold by WC.com during the first 2 years cleaning windows.
I finally got to where I do not modify anything on the Liquidator 2.0 and just roll along streak free.

No one squeegee is PERFECT for every job but may be perfect for an individual WCer.

Now that being said the Moerman drywalker is the perfect BOAB! lol I did by that $200+ monstrosity that is always out of stock…my 4 helpers tried it too and it today sits in the storage unit with all the wagtail crap. Again, my personal opinion.

20

I just found a video of cleaning 2 panes, so out of curiosity I checked the time stamp for detailing…
6 seconds to detail both…
There were 50 panes like these, high interior step ladder work…
So I spent about 4-5 minutes just in detailing them… if I had only saved all that time changing my technique to learn a new squeegee. I could save at least 10-20 minutes A DAY! What a game changer!

1 Like