Hey Gary: About how many is a lot?
Actually since this started to appear as an informative thread why not answer questions? Perhaps I am missing something.
What? Am I missing something? What’s an informative thread?
Bits and pieces were. Guess it is really about going to Finland.
I guess this isn’t technically a question, but it has the same effect, and it’s only one example from this thread. Sometimes, in your zeal I assume, you come across as an interrogator. People get defensive and assume that they are being called “stupid.” Then they clam up.
I’m trying to give you a suggestion. You can take it or ignore it. But don’t forget the definition of insanity. If you’re not getting through, try a different approach.
I don’t think you could find one message from him - in this thread - that wasn’t a one liner.
Nobody here has asked him anything.
But people are asking me questions and I’ve been trying to answer them.
I’ve written about 100 messages here that I put sincere effort into.
Could you cut me some slack, please?
You know what Gary? I withdraw any suggestion that you alter your response, or behavior. Carry on as you will. You have my confidence.
You put sincere effort into your assumptions about me? Somehow I doubt that. It wasn’t very well thought through, or very interesting…you basically made a straw man and attacked it, when I put quite a bit of useful info out there, that could give other window cleaners real ideas.
I’ve been reading Gary’s very informative posts for about seven years. I have to admit that he can be annoying at times. One day I decided to just let Gary be Gary. “Live and let live.” 
Mike,
I think you’ve put yourself at risk by providing a form of written assurance to the builder that you can prevent damage due to “possible imperfections” - and I think there will be hell to pay if you try to invoke the waiver they signed.
You and I started talking about your promotional materials shortly after I said this:
That’s when you mentioned the walk-off job - and shortly after that you mentioned your promotional materials builders were willing to pass along to homeowners for you - that help you differentiate yourself.
In my opinion, the only way the builder and homeowner both like the same “education” is because you’re trying to make them both feel safe.
They would not both feel safe if your materials mention the builder’s responsibility - or the waiver.
2+2= you must be telling them to trust you with possible imperfections. (In writing, no less.)
Don’t try be a hero - they’re gonna be extra mad at YOU when things go wrong.
I think you figured it out Gary. No, I’m sure you did.
We’ve got to start sticking up for each other - and I do not mean we need to unite.
We just need more people getting more vocal about NOT instinctively pushing each other under the bus whenever there’s a scratch.
I appreciate the likes when I get them, but since I’ve started raising the alarm about time-delayed tempered glass scratch growth, I haven’t had one window cleaner - anywhere - declare they were going to curb the criticism or contempt they have for other window cleaners.
Surely somebody’s thinking those thoughts - I just don’t see anything happening until people start saying it.
I always tell people that say they have a window cleaner that I don’t want to take others work away from them unless its a business that has some significant meaning to me like Carl’s Jr. being my favorite fast food restaurant for example I feel I deserve that account I’ve eaten there since I was a young child and everybody knows its always been my favorite. So in this sense I do stick up for other window cleaners.
I do not pick on other window cleaners that do their best not to scratch glass. I do however in a heartbeat call out laborers/janitors/maids that aren’t “window cleaners” who do construction clean up and scratch windows or who did the construction clean up on the Lin’s marketplace that just opened up down the street for half price and get the account and scratch the windows to hell.
Gary I guarantee I would not have scratched those windows to hell, guarantee it. That being said I do think you may know more about glass science than me based on your reputation alone. In regards to putting down other window cleaners when I know for a fact I could have done a better job, I don’t know what you expect me to say.
I don’t go around trying to put people out of business like some people I know in my service area. As far as guaranteeing absolutely no scratches being a bad idea with FD I understand your logic, but saying I can do the best anyone can do in regards to preventing scratched glass by using professional methods that some may not have yet mastered, I can confidently say I can.
I don’t really expect you to tell the owners you did the exact same thing once - except it didn’t turn out so badly because the tempered glass you ran into wasn’t quite so bad.
I don’t expect you to tell the owners they got stuck with some really poor quality tempered glass - help educate them by handing them a bunch of reading material about why that happens.
And I don’t expect you to teach that other window cleaner what actually happened with that poor quality tempered glass, and teach them how tempered glass scratches look worse now than they did at first.
But that’s what I would suggest.
I would never tell a customer about serious mistakes from my past unless it can be a useful teaching method otherwise thats just bad business I think. I always explain to the customer what problems if any they have especially when I detect FD glass. And if I like the window cleaner and if I know who they are (not just a phantom you know what I mean) then I would gladly educate them I have a great reputation with most other window cleaners except one for sure in my area and there are a lot of them.
I think I’m starting to kind of understand your point in all this Gary and I think your on the right track. I just read the other thread mr clean magic erasers towards the end and reading along with this one I see what your trying to do and I’m with you.
Now we can all gather around the campfire, hold hands and sing koombyeyah…
Please don’t heckle.
Gary: no malice intended. We are allowed to have some friendly bantering on this forum. I am genuinely glad to see a meeting of the minds. However the more I read about the dilema we are facing as window cleaners the more I want to go out to my truck roll up the windows and scream.
Nobody really cares about banter and screaming.
Let’s talk about changing attitudes instead - about actually setting examples that help lead our industry out of its own mess.
