There is a part of me that is slow to ask for a scratch waiver. I figure that I should know or be able to examine the glass, maybe test an area and then price the work according to conditions. To ask for a waiver and then scratch the glass because I’m ignorant and then excuse myself because I have a waiver seems unethical. Am I missing something here?
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Ive always thought the same. Its like saying after im done there may be scratched glass but I cant be blamed.
Rather, I take precautions and educate the customer that fabricating debris is a wide problem with glass manufacturers but I am knowledgable to safely remove debris without dislodging debris.
If an issue arises I identify, document and discuss with customer prior to moving forward. This really only happens a very few tines a year.
I believe education and times and places where razors can be used is my responsiblilty.
Bids that require razors or heavy debris removal need an inspection of the glass for your protection and if an issue is seen bringing to the owners attention then shows your professionalism and knowledge of your industry.
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I think there’s several things that go into a waiver.
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Like @anon46335951 said - you need to educate the customer about FD as well as demonstrate your professionalism, experience, and knowledge. This gives confidence to the customer.
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When you bid the job and when you do the job can be separated by days, weeks, or even months. And you’re the last one on site. What you inspected might before the drywall monkeys threw their poo over everything. It might be before the masonry guys finished scraping their cement off your windows. It might be before the metal guys finished grinding metal into your window. So a pre-clean inspection is probably a must as well as a pre-bid inspection.
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Old Castle and friends. What about all those scratches that show up only between 9:30am and 9:45am? The sun hits those windows perfect at that time and that’s the ONLY time you can see all those swirls and scratches and standard Old Castle quality? When you cleaned them that afternoon you didn’t see any scratches. When you inspected them you didn’t see any scratches. But now that the owner has moved in and spends all day looking out the windows, THEY see the scratches.
So waiver signed, inspection completed, knowledge of factors demonstrated, professionalism displayed, I’m not going to be blamed for scratches. Period.
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Only if your waiver explains to the customer that you will be ignoring manufacturers care instructions and using non approved methods to clean and the likely result will be scratches, and that there is another option that will not cause scratches but is far more labor intensive and the cost will be far more substantial.
Windows cleaners do not have the right to blame FD.
There is no formal legislation for window cleaning, there is for glass manufacturing. As far as the glass industry the product does not require to be free of FD the glass industry has acknowledged that these exist and issued care instructions. as a Professional it is YOUR responsibility to be aware of the any changes that are made.
This makes CCU’s for me something I no longer go after due to the basically BAN of blades on tempered glass, Its not fun scrubbing 1 spec of paint with de zolv and wool x1000000 specs of paint/silicone,concrete.
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True.
My waiver was written before GANA completely sold us out. My updated waiver would include language that we’re going to use razors and if you object, then you’d better cover the windows during construction and we’re still not going to be held liable for scratches.
You can educate the customer but after my experience with Old Castle, you really need an iron tight waiver. And yes, when I say you could only see the swirls and scratches between 9:30 and 9:45 am, that’s not hyperbole.
Great feedback guys/gals. thx.
Yea, the “scratch waiver” seems to be a controversial issue. I have opted to put language that describes what I will do and I am accepting of as far as inherent issues from construction debris. Want it perfect? Perfectly protect those windows from debris.
Proposal.pdf (340.3 KB)
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