Fakers in the industry

hi All, in recent times on the UK window cleaning forums there seems to be a real durge of fakers posting their poppycock . i personally cant abide that sort of pathetic behaviour,
i class a faker as somebody who online [or otherwise] pretends hes a bigtimer window cleaner-but in reality is MOSTLY sitting online talking the talk but not actually walking the walk. Lately some of the fakers have turned to creating multiple fake profiles,i imagine this gives them extra thrill posing as a newbie looking for advice[ for example].
Perhaps some of you guys look in on the UK forums[cleanitup or windowcleaningforums] ,if you do please be aware that many posters these days arent what they seem. Most of the real window cleaners move on once they realized whats up.
Talking of fakers i know of 2 real life fakers locally to me who have the fancy website and flashy WFP van but are Never seen at a window.iv been behind them on occasions when driving to jobs . iv noticed each time the vans IS HUSSLING ALONG ,its certainly not got a full tank o water loading it down. One time i was cleaning windows when one of these fakers pulled up for a chat. i could see immediately he was no ladderman[big gut] and tried to tell me he had quit early that day due to rain where he had [apparently] been working- yeh rite! What this fakery is about iv no idea !

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So basically these guys have enough money and free time to just blow gas all day? And window cleaning is so high profile that they want to pretend to be cleaners? I guess I just donā€™t see it.

There are pros and amateurs but I canā€™t see someone just posingā€¦

Must sort of be like bloggers who blog about blogs while sitting in a coffee shop with all the other ā€œauthorsā€ working on their books?

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My wife and I were visiting a friend in Michigan and on the way back home to Chicago we stopped in Detroit Sponge to replenish some things. As we were at the counter checking out a guy comes in and checks out at the counter next to usā€¦ Out of nowhere he starts telling the cashier ā€œYeah I pretty much dominate all of Detroitā€ " I clean all the homes of the Redwings and Piston players". When we went to our car we saw him get into a beaten up truck that would barely start and he had an old wooden extension ladder hanging out the bed. Does that mean he isnā€™t successful? Not necessarilyā€¦ But I do believe he was exaggerating. I actually feel sorry for people who have to make themselves appear more successful than they are.

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although not as bad as Stolen Valour [ where a faker pretends to be a vietnam vet/Seal ] its still very bad form in my opinion. In September is the window cleaning show in the UK and i know[from reading the forums] at least a couple of online fakers are going along to it . im going to the show myself and defo hoping to avoid bumping into these braggers

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Donā€™t let it take up space in your mind, ā€œlet them do themā€ and ā€œyou do you!ā€ :wink:

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Yeah. + 1 here :smirk:


but in all seriousness, Iā€™ve come to pity the ā€˜fakersā€™ or ā€˜posersā€™. In reality, itā€™s usually because someone is deeply insecure about themselves that they feel the need to put on pretenses, or tell ā€˜big fishā€™ stories.

And Iā€™ll admit I do it to an extent, too. I like to mention the big ticket jobs here and there, or a day when Iā€™m just really busting it out. And it feels nice sometimes to leave others with the impression that itā€™s like that every day.

In reality, this past week was pretty lousy. I had several days where little jobs just dragged out for hours longer than they should have. Just wasnā€™t in the right head-space. I didnā€™t have a single day over $360 this week. Was running late 4 out of the 5 days (thankfully mostly vacation homes that I didnā€™t need to tell anyone I was running late, but that can be a 2 edged sword when youā€™re not feeling motivated and thereā€™s no one there looking over your shoulder). Two of the jobs I had to drive back the next day to finish just a few windows. Got a nasty gash on my right thumb from a window frame. And all sorts of other stuff that made the week just lousy.

I should probably post this story over in the ā€œdepressionā€ thread. But I wouldnā€™t say it was exactly depression, per seā€™

So what do I do most of the time that Iā€™m feeling completely useless? Post here on WCR and try to put on a brave face. Try and get some positive reinforcement from my peers, by posting up pics of my vehicle lettering, or some little tip or nifty innovation Iā€™ve come up with.

So I pity the Fakers. The ones that feel the need to take things several steps further and actually fabricate stories to feel accepted by people they most likely donā€™t know in real life, on a forum for window cleaners, of all people

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iv jus remembered ,heres a story. About a year ago [on the forums] a guy started posting, big in commercial he was . by chance he worked in my area so my ears pricked up and i exchanged a few messages with him. id never seen him around but put it down to him being commercial and me mostly resi. ā€œwe must meet up someday on the streetā€ was how the messages went ,of course we never met
months later one lunchtime i pulled into the local McD, 4 of us in the 1 van we were hungry . Well who dya know,tucked away in corner of the car park theres Mr Commercials van ,so i drive over and pull right next to it and tap on his window.
He shot up , either was sleeping or more likely was pulling his chain. face was a picture!!!

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Someone piss in your cornflakes or what? Mind your own business.

I know what you mean. Last Sunday I was in my Ferrari and saw another so called window cleaner driving a camry. Really? I mean if youā€™re not doing 1 mill in glass per year, you straight up posing.

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Sorry, I only carry hundreds.

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Sorry I canā€™t reply to this thread. Iā€™m drinking Dom on my Yaht. :champagne::v:ļø:sunglasses:

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Best response yet Jared!! :sunglasses:

uh yeah, I wasnā€™t going there. He does have guns to his head in his defense. Just shoot me.

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