I see alot of window cleaners offer a rain guarantee. Is there a process or something that is applied that keeps the glass clean after it has been washed? I actually just washed the windows at the firehouse today and it is raining a little. I’m curious to see how dirty (or hopefully clean) they will be.
Also, I was cleaning some residential windows that the frame that holds the glass pane stuck out from the glass only about 1/8th of an inch. I found that when I was fanning the window, my squeegee kept overlapping onto the frame and causing lots of water left behind. Is there a better method for these type of windows?
Thanks all for you help!!
I think that when the windows are clean and then it rains, theyre not going to dry dirty and spot. I too would like to know if theres something else other wcers use in their solution to keep windows cleaner longer. The only rain guarantee i can give in ohio is “Yes, its gonna rain”
I have been back and forth on a rain guarantee and have deicded not to offer one. I have been cleaning windows for four years and I have never been called back to relcean a persons windows. I have cleaned many homes where it rained the next day and even while I was cleaning the windows. I have had it poor down on me and the home owner had no problem with it.
There are several schools of thought regarding rain guarantees. I offer a 7-Day Rain Guarantee. If inclement weather is responsible for mucking up the glass up to 7 days after the completion of the service, then we’ll return to touch up the glass. We do not re-do the cleaning (unless really, really needed), we just use towels (hucks, micro’s, etc.) to erase the erronious left overs.
Usually, like others have said, the windows are clean and will not spot. However, I have seen them quite dirty afterwards. Two reasons I think: 1.)here in north Texas, it muds, it does not rain. So sometimes there is just gunk on the windows. 2.) the rain washed something off of another surface onto the glass. We usually correct this issue and sometimes up sell a house wash too.
We have it in our T&C’s the fine print about our guarantee. I’ve only been called on it now, lets see, twice for residential clients, and maybe six times on commercial accounts.
I just chalk it up to offering a level of service that other cleaning companies in my area do not offer.
I use GG4 and I have heard the detergent actually has a chemical that repels dirt. I’m not sure how, i guess i don’t remember.
As far as the overlapping is concerned: My advice is to use a smaller squeegee and not go over the frames.
I was using a 12" squeegee on this particular window. I just wasn’t sure if I should fan these windows or do straight pulls? I guess I should just get out and practice some more. I am however getting much better with my fanning technique!! I’m pretty excited about it. I couldn’t stop doing it once I got the hang of it.
In almost 10 years of a rain guarantee no call backs, last year I thought I was going to get some. Right after I finished the third house of this particular day the wind started blowing (2 of the houses were right next to farming fields) after about 45 minutes of wind the rain started come down. I just knew those south windows were trashed, but no phone call.
The guarantee just gives reassurance to your customers. Last week I got my first call, I cleaned the house the day before, and just before I left I reminded her of the guarantee, the next day it is just pouring down, and she calls me and says the rain is running down the front windows, I tell her look at them tomorrow and if there are any problems call me back and I’ll come out and fix it, she never did call back.
It’s not about getting called back to clean the windows. It’s about getting customers to keep their appointments.
We all know rain is always coming…next day, next week, next month…sometime. We still want our customers to keep their appointments with us. Offering a rain guarantee puts the customer at ease. It sealed the deal on at least 3 clients of mine last month. One day I did 3 houses and it poured the next day, as was forcasted. I reminded all 3 of my guarantee, and they all kept their appointments. None called me back after the rain.
If you expect your customer to keep their appointments, even when rain is coming (as I said, rain is always coming), then take that worry out of their mind.
As for keeping windows cleaner, I use wfp on exteriors of most homes. There is no detergent used, thus no residue is left behind. Also, the frames get cleaned with this technique. If a rain comes, it has no dirt or residue left to spot the window.
I do not, however, offer such a guarantee for commercial accounts.
I’ve been doing a 2 week guarantee this year to stay ahead of the competition. It has been our wettest June I can ever remember. No call backs.
I second what has been said. It is purely about keeping appointments. I have had several customers call to reschedule and I just tell them about our guarantee and they are completely happy. If we get called we use our DI systems and knock it out real quick (we don’t include screened windows).
Everyone has been happy. Usually rain will not mess up windows unless it’s one of our mountain dust storms. It is a gamble on my part, but I’m willing to take it because we get/keep a lot more appointments and make a ton more than we could possibly lose.
Hmmm see here I go again, maybe I will offer a rain guarantee, that is some good wisdom just offered up above, I never thought about it that way!
As for your question I think you answered it your self. Practice your technique, try the stright pull. My only suggestions is to have a range of differnt size squegees to select from and pick one that allows you to only do one stright pull.
I dont offer the rain guarentee yet…but probably will. i like the idea. It offers something “free” for the customer.
If I had the guarentee last week I am sure I would of been called back…I did a big house. I got a call from the customer(2 days later) because I put her sliding patio screen in backwards(stop laughing). When I went back the next day to fix it, Many of the windows looked like we were never there. With the rain and the pollen mixed it, covered the windows. she never complained. i wanted to do something, but it would of been a Re do for the whole side of the house…
Even with this…Ithink I will still do the rain guarentee
I was a window cleaner 10 years ago. I’m getting back into it now. In the meantime I have a janitorial company.
Here’s how I see the rain guarantee. In my janitorial service, we do general cleaning in some buildings once a week and some every night. Not one of my customers expects us to come back in between now and the next visit to “touch up”. Cleaning (anything) is an ongoing process. And the accumulation of dirt is an ongoing process. (In Indiana, at least)
When I was cleaning windows 10 years ago, I had this question a lot from customers. My response was something like, “it’s going to rain sometime between now and the next time you get your windows cleaned. And just like the last time they were cleaned, it’s not the first rain that makes them dirty, and it’s not the second rain - rather it’s an accumulation of many rains over a period of time.”
Then I followed with,
“Besides, much of the fog on your window is actually on the inside of the glass, from cooking, air conditioning and heating air movement”
The whole concept revolves around the idea that they almost never call and when they do it’s only one side of the house on a few windows. I have seen 30 day guarantees on some sites. I only offer a 3 day guarantee, that way I can also guarantee that it will actually rain in 3 days or less, that always makes them laugh a bit.
What do you all think about offering the guarantee as a markup? I think of my time as “worth something” even if I only get the occasional call.
In my other service businesses, I find that customers are much more likely to understand the value of my time when there is a charge for it. When I start giving stuff away for free, as I have in the past, there can be a tendency for “today’s added value to become tomorrow’s expectation”.
On the fanning problem, just slow down and watch the leading edge of the squeegee. If your not really good at fanning yet just do straight stroke. Fanning isn’t used in every situation. It might look nice but some times certain situations don’t call for it.
Jim Willingham spoke of offering rain insurance, where, for an extra fee (15%?) the customer would pay into a pool to account for the added expense of a follow-up visit.
If you speak to those with a rain guarantee, you will hear that it is rare to be called for touch-up. Best to keep it part of customer care, and provide it for free if you have a guarantee in place.
I started the rain guarantee this year with 0% call backs. Brought it up to several of my customers while doing their windows (weather was looking pretty nasty during the cleaning). No call backs. I could see the relief on their face when i brought it up. Relief and a little confused look on their face as to how I could extend myself out like that. I only do a 24 hour guarantee though.
If you break down the whole process of doing windows, its very simple to see why rain doesnt spot glass. Dirt lands on the glass and rain just moves it around which is cconsidered spotting and streaking. If you get the glass clean, water shouldnt bother it for a while. There are some exceptions of course depending on the environment you work in.
I offer the guarantee because my competition offers it. Shouldve offered it from the beginning.
