the ones that come to mind that mean something are the ones that are regulated by the govt and must be had to do that activity in the first place:
real estate license
financial planning
contractor license
electrician license
so there’s
licenses
certifications
awards
pretty much licenses and certifications say you really do know what you say you know
awards are for something outstanding and not easily achieved
what about awards? but based on what (that would be meaningful to a customer) and awarded by who? (wines win awards, chefs win awards, etc etc that makes them desirable or preferred)
I suppose that gets into the Angie’s list stuff, but that’s customer feedback based
what, in a service business, could be awarded and be meaningful to a customer?
I’m all for walking the walk and being a bona fide business owner, but a lot, not all, of the aspects of safety are common sense. At this point in the game, it seems to me that the ones who can’t market themselves effectively or just want to have a new revenue stream are the ones who get big on certification.
I can see some point to it. But at same time were only freakin cleaning windows here now for scratch removal I could see but window cleaning all I can do is laugh
I think the only real certification that would be of value is safety. IWCA Has been teaching that for years. OSHA certification Would be very valuable. But anything else would just be a scam. I would say there’s an agenda in mind.
I would like to point out when I said I am against certifications that I was wearing my window cleaner hat… Not my supplier WCRA hat.
I am very much in favor of anything safety related. I am not in favor of a organization pushing a [B]you must use one of our certified cleaners[/B] agenda. Especially if these certifications are being put out by folks with limited window cleaning knowledge themselves or from outside our industry all together.
Are you insinuating that an illustrious career at the Walmart deli and then 6 years cleaning windows as a one man show doesn’t qualify one to write the certification program that will “weed out the non qualified contractors” and be a complete “game changer”?
I completely agree. Chris is waaaaaaay out of line on this. I certify tile cleaners and promise I can teach anyone to clean tile just as good as the guys who do it on youtube. Which is handy since my training program consists of emailing links to those same videos so that registrants can learn by watching them, just like I did. So why, you may ask, do I believe in the need to certify tile cleaners? It’s very simple. I owned a “successful” tile cleaning business for years before I sold it. (What I don’t tell most people (and please keep this confidential) is that “successful” is subjective and doesn’t necessarily mean “profitable.” And I did sell the business… in a sense. The IRS and multiple creditors now own it.) So, since my successful business is now successfully owned by someone else, I’m feel it’s important that I teach others and certify them to be what I never could. Oops - I mean, to be successful like me.
Just to clarify… my 6 years of experience cleaning windows is not ALL as a one man show, Thaddeus. I don’t know if you’re aware or not… but I’ve recently doubled the SIZE of my company, by adding my son in law Malachi and my daughter Rebekah to the already large work force I managed, of my wife and I.
I think the ‘certification’ of residential window cleaners will be their reputation which is increasingly visible with the likes of Angie’s List etc. If we are unashamedly the best we can be as window cleaners, then having a dedicated channel for just window cleaners makes a lot of long-term sense … I think windowcleaningconnect.com has the potential to deliver this to window cleaners …
Think 5 years in the future with hundreds of favorable comments for your business name - and think of how that can add tens of thousands of dollars of goodwill value to your business when you go to sell it ! ’ I am the best ’ is no longer a lonely proclamation from the man to the crowd ! It is now something a man can take pride in quietly as he reads online hundreds of people giving 5 star awards back to him !
I cant see how this will help anyone… Unless your the guy selling it. Ive been cleaning windows for 27 years and I don’t know it all… But I do know a lot…
I wouldn’t put the word “scam” to the certification idea, but at this point I don’t see need to. Like many of you, I have been washing window for a decent amount of time. I was bothered by a comment made that this cert program would “weed out” the quality wcers from the rest. So, after 16+ yrs of doing this, I choose not to certify and I am ‘weeded’ out? I can see the benefit for high rise, using bucket lifts, and scratch removal, but for store fronts and residential, I guess I just don’t see the need. Just my opinion. Certainly is a divisive topic.
