Hey guys so the other day I got my first customer and today was my first time ever working for an actual customer. ( I also got my second customer yesterday, one of the business I gave a quote to a few weeks ago called and they want me to clean there windows, and I may have a third customer on the hook)
Back to today’s job ( first one ever) it went well they lady said her windows looked fantastic so she was happy. I took my time as I’m still new and learning I figured going slow and doing a good job was better than speed right now. It was basically an initial clean as her windows were really dirty and haven’t been cleaned in months. I did the whole exterior and both interior and exterior of the doors. Took me about 1 hour and 10 minutes ( a lot longer than it should) but again it was a learning experience, I also scrubbed each window/door with steel whool which added some time. Let me know what you think
Lol. You could have crossed the street to grab the pic! Serious, good on you for being out there hustling. Its not luck that your getting calls from peeps from a couple weeks ago. Remember that every time you hear no. I found it’s easier to double you’re income on exterior only jobs like that when the customer is super impressed. Tell em “Your only seeing half the result…” more often than not they’ll say how much for the inside too? Your already there- its found money at that point.and it’s rare to have to steel wool interiors.
lol I was so worried / wrapped
Up in cleaning the windows and righting the invoice I forgot to take a picture. The pic I provided was google street view lol
Get a pic or two of every job, you’ll want them later. Try and make it a habit before and after cleans.
Nice! Definitely good to get pics posted. If you don’t have a website then social media such as FB and Instagram are free and user friendly.
I’ll definitely get into that habit. So oblivious it took me a lot longer than it should, and a lot longer than it would take most of you to do it, the job had 9 exterior pains and two doors that I did inside and out. Again it was an initial clean and I added the extra step of steel wooling everything by hand. How long would it take you, should it take you ? It took me an hour and ten minute.
I use mostly bronze wool. You can get it in pads, or square pads, even in sleeves for T-bars.
I find wooling by hand with small bunch pads, takes longer than using square pads on a doodlebug pad holder.
Using square pads speeds me up. Using bronze wool also means I can use those pads much longer. Steel wool pads will sometimes rust on me within an hour.
20 minutes tops first clean 9 panes. Lol
Wool too?
I think a lot of new guys don’t realize how much time they waste in between panes. It’s not about being fast it’s about being efficient. A fast AND efficient window cleaner cleans like a well oiled machine. And he makes more money
Good job and congrats!
Def. Take before and after pics. I have regretted forgetting at times. 1 was a bad water stain removal and the other was paint all over and crud. Huge difference and it would have been great for online viewing.
Consider the 70 minutes on the job as prime time marketing. Other people get to see you working and see your results. This is an excellent opportunity to pass out business cards.
Sometimes I slow down of I’m in high visibility. Tbh @Trenchfeet it really depends on size and condition as to speed
Congratulations on your first job done.
Your speed will increase over time. The more time you spend cleaning glass the faster and more efficient you will become.
+1
wish more people talked about this
Let’s start now. This thread is as good as any especially since my lack of efficiency and time between panes is what caused a 20 minute job take 70 minutes
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Cell phone.
Stays in the car on the job.
No non-essential web surfing, texting between jobs.
Ok, thats out of the way, now on the job… -
Footsteps.
Reduce them.
Not scrub, scrub, scrub down the line… squeegee, squeegee, squeegee back… detail, detail detail back a third time.
Finish a window or two, move to the next 2, next 2, next 2…
- Trips back to the vehicle/forgotten items.
-Reduce/eliminate.
Have everything you need from the start.
Mental checklist before every job:
Scrubber
Squeegee(s)
Pole(s)
Bucket
Rags
Scraper
Abrasive
Sunglasses
- Insides first/Logical workflow/Claim your space.
Break the inside of big jobs into zones. Zone is defined as section of windows that will be inaccessible if a customer sits there. Could be 1 could be 6 or more windows.
Clean potentially busiest zones first.
Clean drive thrus when not busy.
Claim space by dropping a clean huck towel on the row of tables blocking windows immediately ahead to be cleaned. Remove hucks as you go.
- Toolbelt.
Know it. Be able to reach, grab tools and replace with minimal looking down. Autopilot. Muscle memory. Like a concert pianist. Or skilled typist.
Same movements over and over again. No variations. Perfect your motions. Start slowly. Speed will come naturally.
- Spot checking as you go.
As you move along, look back at windows already cleaned. A different angle, distance and lighting will reveal what you missed but doing it while cleaning the current window or as you move from one to the next.
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Chit-Chat.
Keep it short and pleasant. -
Direct Sunlight.
Avoid it if possible. Except in winter, where it can be your friend.
If you are in it, clean top half, detail if necessary. Clean bottom half. Onto next…
- Straight pulls.
They are the fastest.
Pole working as much as possible also is faster.
- Wagtail.
Buy a 14 or 18 inch Combi or Precision glide. Screw the pad right into the extruded aluminum with self trapping screws.
When you have the Wag mastered, move on to Excelerator.
These two tools will reduce your time considerably.
Looks to be about a 30 minute job for me. (With minimal scraping)
I can’t tell if the top has a frame? If not, less than 30.
I’d mop the tops first… then I’m forced to work quickly. Then go back and finish 3-4 at a time.
You will get faster for sure.
I’ll clean as far as I can before water starts to evaporate. Clean my way back. Cloudy days work goes faster.
Also, I keep my phone on me. Don’t want to miss any important calls. You never know, the president of the United States may need to consult with me. Lol
I guarantee you could shave 15% off the job if you complete 2 windows at a time (storefront work). Especially if you pole the whole thing. No tool transitions. At least scrub whole window with pole. Not applicable in all situations and sometimes you just need to change it up but we are talking true time-savers.
Footsteps. They are a profit killer.
That phone will slow you down. Im talking cold, hard efficiency here. Those calls will be there 10 minutes later.
