As a Window Cleaner I just want to do my job, get paid, and go home. Why should I bother to get a headache trying to understand all of the research the IWCA has sponsored on scratched glass? The burden is always going to be on the Window Cleaner. The float glass manufacturers don’t care. They will never fix the problem. And I know when I am on bad glass.
OK. I do believe as a fellow window cleaner that I need to protect myself. Part of that involves not sticking someone with my pole. Another part includes telling my new or potential customers that they have or could have scratches on their glass because of bad surfaces. Then give them a brief simple explanation of what a bad surface is and how common such has become these days. Also I don’t like headaches either. And to be completely honest this information is over my head too. But since I am now a member of the Glass Committee I will work hard at understanding it, and then find a way to explain what really matters most. We should all understand this research. First out of gratitude to the people who sponsored it. Also because the burden will always be on the Window Cleaner. And we need to know our enemy. Our employees also need to know this enemy. Yes the manufacturers of float glass don’t seem to care about trying to fix this problem. So we need to understand it better so that we know exactly how to deal with it, how to identify it, and how to educate our customers in the field. Just five minutes with a new customer will show them that we are concerned about their assets too. And can mean more work down the road.
Check out the article I did in my Products blog called A Glimpse of the Ghost Particle. Pull it up on your phones. This should give you something to show your customers. There are some nice pictures there and video links. Information like this will continue to be posted on the blog and other industry publications.
Henry
