But I figured we would start an official thread here.
There is a new Window Cleaning Certification plan being put together for our industry by a bunch of pressure washing contractors. I was told by the person in charge over a year ago that it will be a major revenue source for those that choose to get on board with putting them on. I never really felt good about it.
Will a certification program ( Other than the IWCA - I think what they do for our industry is great ) be good for us as Window Cleaning contractors?
My personal feeling is its a big scam⌠But that just me.
The education that would come with certification would be great for us as cleaning contractors. Iâd love to get that education and search for it regularly in bits and pieces since I canât seem to find a place for comprehensive education. But âcertification,â not so much.
I think it would be âokâ for the industry until manufacturers become involved and throw their money around (which they would once they see the certification will be around for more than 6 months). After that, the certification itself wonât be so much about education and strong work/business ethic - itâll be about finding ways to regulate which tools/chemicals/methods a contractor can âprofessionallyâ utilize. Itâll be hard for new tools/products that donât have strong financial backing (no matter how great they are) to get a foothold, in which case we may miss out on some great innovations.
Will it matter to customers? Overall, no. However, I can see where a certification on glass restoration (scratch or hard water removal) may enjoy some benefit on insurance claims (where an insurance company would call you to restore windows to avoid replacing them.) But for the most part, your average customer wonât care whether youâre certified or not. Especially on a âluxuryâ service.
I think quality training is of great value. The IWCA has done a great job in providing an environment, classes, networking and vendor exposure for new and seasoned window cleaners. I have a bunch of certifications and have mixed thoughts about their value. I think overall they do not tend to be worth it to the attendee. Having a certification model changes the emphasis of the training and the overall event. Most home owners do not care about certifications. Most property managers, business owners, etc. donât care. It has some marketing value but minimal. I think the real value to be had is in quality training. If you are simply trying to pass a test for a certification the quality of the education is lesser. I canât put my finger on it but I would much rather spend more money to go to an event with several different topics that have an emphasis on education for the benefit of the contractor not the event owners, staff and board. The spending of money isnât the issue, rather the focus. I would feel we had done a disservice for those seeking certification by not providing a better vehicle for their initiation and growth in our industry. I donât think having certifications is the way to go. I have spent plenty and have a drawer full of pieces of paper so I have tried that model. IMO
CERTIFIED WINDOW CLEANER ? Oh Sheeeeeesh ⌠! Well i guess all of the bucket bobs on craigslist has a new headline to put on there ad !
[B]
[U][COLOR=#0000ff]( CRAIGSLIST AD ) [/COLOR][/U][/B][COLOR=#ff0000]
CERTIFIED WINDOW CLEANER 1 MONTH + EXPERIENCE ⌠WILL BEAT ANYONEâS PRICE GUARANTEED !
.15 cents PER WINDOW
CALL NOW DAYS ARE GETTING BOOKED[/COLOR]
I would only be certified until when?..Oh thatâs right until I didnât renew. Then all my knowledge would disappear. Send me 100$ and you will receive a custom printed certification certificate!
I agree with you all. mainly just a bunch of nobodys living out of their mothers basement coming up with new avenues to scam innocent people. Just like the BBB.
If it makes you feel any better I can design a âseal of approvalâ in photoshop for you to put on your website. lol
I think that more and more people and places are going to try to make these âcertification coursesâ as a Get Rich Quick scheme. It is just a glorified window cleaner.
Most importantly, it is not the fact that you are âcertifiedâ in window cleaning, pressure washing, etc. that matters, it is who certified you.
It doesnât matter who sponsored the program, but who certified you.
What makes you a good candidate to certify someone?
Bottom line is YOU need to be certified by someone who also is certified to certify. And you can have all the letters you want in your business name. OSFTRA Graphics, HDYTXZ Agencies. It doesnât matter to the client. All they are are letters.
OSHA. Everybody knows that. That would carry you a long ways.
Iâm certified in CPR. Though it doesnât matter in window cleaning, the name is recognizable. Get my picture?
These people that are coming up with these programs that are seeded from a non existent company (or one that doesnât matter) are a scam in my book.
I have never been involved in WC certifications in any way.
Back in 2005? I went to a 2 day course on Stone and Tile care and passed a written test and was certified for a year. Big deal. I didnât have to prove anything but head knowledge.
Iâm curious, whatâs the whole scenario with monetary investment/ROI for guys that come up with their certification programs? Or is it not like that?
Why do I need to be certified to clean windows? Its not exactly rocket science. I can understand it for high rise or even scratch removal. But I am strictly residential. No thanks
Hey, Mr. Mole! I know that if I was at a point in my life where could âgive back to the industryâ in a meaningful way, it would probably be unconditionally. At this point in my life it would have to be âworth itâ monetarily.
I love the biz, but I donât quite see the industry as a living entity that has [B][I]given[/I][/B] me anything. I hope that statement isnât taken to mean I donât care about the industry. I certainly do.
Lack of heavy-duty regulation allowed me to get into window cleaning with $20 literally. Lack of heavy-duty regulation allowed me to grow slowly as I needed to.
