Hello forum… First post, but I have learned a lot on here so thanks to everyone for that!
I have been working for a property service company in Vancouver B.C for about 5 months. As I took initiative, and spent hours upon hours learning and practising window cleaning I am now one of the main window cleaners. Not the fastest yet, but getting faster and pretty solid results all things considered . We work on a lot of big million dollars plus homes often. Today was my first ccu… Job sheet says 91 panes( so 180 inside out ) and 2 guys. So it’s just me… And more like over 200 panes… Full track detail, ccu and sticker removal( nice low e tempered glass) and scrub squeegee all nose to glass… Spent 8 1/2 hours, no food just water and no breaks… Frames had drywall mud, grout dust(?) sawdust in tracks , paint , greasy tarlike mystery substance , pencil writing( window install guys?) some bits of blue painters tape and the glass had a variety of intermittent paint overspray , paint drips , black marker , stickers , and sloppy painted edges around 6 wooden doors. I did about 85% of the inside in 8 1/2 hours… The first 2 hours with the home owner standing beside me, and then opening the windows after I moved on to the next window to check all the tracks etc… Which was fine… I was cleaning the shit out of everything , vacuuming, wiping using orange solvent on the goo and tough stuff… And scrubbing , oh so gentle scraping and squeegeeing and detailed checking before moving on. So I obviously can’t finish today. I showed up at the shop at 7:30… Got another crew loaded as I waited for my partner who was a no show( with reason ) then left for the job , got fresh razors and a few supplies on the way, and worked until 6 pm… Got home at 7. The last 2 hours all I heard was how it was supposed to be a one day job and how we better come early and we need to be done as we have an appointment at 4 and God forbid we should be working on exterior Windows without them home as we will obviously have a frat party whilst they are away… Also my boss says we can’t fit them in until friday( it’s tuesday) as they haggled on the price hard and " aren’t fussy" they sure as f are. Job was ( underbid in money and time) at 785… I could have slapped my boss when I showed up on site and saw the actual work vs the work order … It’s like 3 and change per pane per side CCU … Rediculous !!! They ground him down on price. That’s fine. Reduce services and manage expectations. All I know is I gave platinum service as I knew any less would result in a do over. My boss can eat the labour.
Ahhhhhhhhbhhhhh… That’s better.
Thanks guys.
this is what dogs, beer, and whores are for. 
Hahaha… Beer is enough today…and I have 4 dogs… So I should be good
Great first post! But yeah sucks to be you. It sucked to be me on several occasions… It’s the great circle of life.
Not a very fun day in general, but I did learn a lot. and I’m mostly annoyed because I do care and really do a good job and really meticulously clean everything … Vacuums, crevice tools, elbow grease , …
Plus I am careful and and conscientious … Towels under the feet of the step ladder, did not bang into one wall with anything, carefully removed flowers and plants etc in the window sills( thanks clients … Really enjoy it haha) and I know anything less would require doing it over and losing even more money… So I just stick to my guns on quality because I only want to do great work( or try to) or just not do it.
I’m grateful for every skill I improved today, and hopefully I didn’t enhance bad habits. I just knew the forum would understand because you’ve been there… So I’m still smiling and tommorrow is a new day… With inside outside windows and then a pressure washing job… Best not have too much beer !!! Said no one ever
Sounds like you’ve got your head screwed on straight. And you take ownership of your work.
Are you planning on going out on your own, soon?
Anyway, Kudos, JudoJones 
There is potential to build a window division , sweat equity into a franchise or go on my own. I get a decent wage , and have been buying equipment with my performance bonuses… So I’m not sure what the future may hold, but I’m getting crew lead wages as I build my skills and it will come down to which direction fits my life better eventually.
i started with a company like that and left after the first season.
Thanks Buzz…(lightyear that is…)
I did very politely explain that we were short staffed, and really wanted to get finished as much as they did but as hard as I was trying , I could not compel the impossible . There were no complaints about the quality… Just timeline. The company is In the terrible stage of a one to one and a helper growing to 2 or 3 crews… Proper standardized procedures have yet to be implemented. I really threw myself into learning literally everything I could , as I was thrown into many window jobs with basically no experience , and I’ll be damned if I show up to someone’s house and look like an incompetent fool. So I cleaned the same 2 windows on my deck for 4 hours the night before I was to do a full window detail job with a new rookie and only a handful of windows under my own belt haha.
Kind of trial by fire but it will make me stronger. Leaning towards going on my own.
What did you do when you realized the order was for 91 panes but there was 200? You should have called the office and sorted out.
None of this is your problem. You are just there to clean windows. If the customer complains tell him to call your office. They can explain why there aren’t enough people or someone miscounted the Windows.
91 panes inside , 91 outside…so 182…i did call…they tried to sluff it off on me to sort it out…i told them and my boss to call him…it just sucks when you are the one in front of them…haha…
Anyhoo, welcome to the forum!
Sounds like it was annoying to have the owner onsite but at least they had "real time"knowledge of the procedures and there won’t be any hanging chads.
I heard that real estate is getting quite pricey in Vancouver. Are the WC jobs priced accordingly? Sounds like the CCU rate at your company was bid at approximately $6 per pane per side? If this a standard CCU bid for your company might be kind of low.
200 panes (100 in/100 out) divided into $785 gets $3.93 a pane.
I disagree with ya a little Buzz,
if he’s only an employee, its not his job to calm the client down. He should only be concerned with whats on that workorder, and the fact that his numb skull boss should have sent him some help. If my guys did that I’d be furious!
Its really not his fault, so it shouldn’t be left up to him to iron out the issues generated from the office. Know what I mean?
He don’t get paid enough to put on the hat of customer care rep too, right?
If I were the employee, I’d be very concerned that if things keep moving in that direction, I may be out of a job very soon.
He spends his money on equipment? This man has 100 percent of himself in his job. That is a very rare quality. I’d do anything I could to make him happy and stay!
Well done man.
Sounds like the company is tempting him with sweat equity translated into future franchise potential… makes sense this guys investing into equipment, practice etc…
Sorry to stay away for a bit guys… I took the week off… From work… Social media… My wife ( haha. ) financially I’m not ready to be much more than a reasonably equipped bucket bob… But there are many things bothering me about returning to work. I have spent almost 14 hours off the clock outfitting the van I use for work( their van) and spent $180 dollars for brackets and bins and hose nozzles( that are good) and brass shutoff valves and brass splitters( for those annoying jobs where there is only one hose bib… It happened) I mounted the ladders, strapped in the pressure washers , organized everything to have a home( not perfect but a good start… Built shelves and strapped and bungeed everything in( like the leaf lower that leaks when it tips over) need duct tape? I bought it… Need steel wool… Got that too… Need some random little brush thingy… Yup… Then I get humming and hawing about getting reimbursed and the van is used over the weekend, and half the shit is missing or all fucked up or just a jumble fuck…I’m trying to build a culture of efficiency and productivity, but I’m not feeling it will end up being very reciprocal. I don’t really want to go back and half ass it because I care to do a good job, but I’m having trouble putting my heart into it for them . Maybe I will spend the weekend canvassing some storefronts haha. Maybe I can at least be a bucket Robert …
Dude, sounds like you seriously need to go out on your own. You didn’t sign any non-compete or anything like that right?
Be your own boss and never worry about these ass clowns again.
