Are all window cleaners hard work?

[bobstersmum]

We seem to have no luck with window cleaners, over the course of ten years two have vanished after being paid in advance for a few months (my own fault for doing this I know but I was never in when they came)
Then we had one that just came as and when he felt like which was sometimes months on end before he came. Then the current one swore blind a few weeks ago that we ( us and next door) owed for 2 cleans and not one (we were both certain we didn't) so we paid and then he arrived yesterday to clean again when not due for another 10 days.
Is this just the way it goes with window cleaners?

When we moved in we had a window cleaner knock on said he was fed up we owed him hundreds. I explained we had just moved in we don't have a window cleaner the previous tenants are gone etc. He knocked on a couple of weeks later saying he'd been trying to catch us we owe him so many weeks I said we never wanted a window cleaner I never expressed you were to carry on cleaning and refused to pay him. I never once seen him clean our windows and I was happy doing them myself

Very similar here. They often say they’ve cleaned and I’m not sure they have. Random days too.
They say they’ll clean the back windows so I leave the gate open but they never do it. They’ll admit they haven’t done it when challenged and promised to do it next time. Frustrating

Eh, the only complaint we really had with ours was he never seemed to do the corners. (he was older, ladder and cloth type none of those fancy tools)
One day he just stopped doing them and never came around for money again, i don't recall any warning. Not had another one try to take up the job since and it's been about a decade. Funnily enough, the rain cleans them just fine.

Yup. Hard work.

I'll let you know if we ever get one! We've had them in the past and they've come a few times and then we've not seen them again. Another put nice glossy printed flyers through the door recently advertising his business and I've put in two requests for quotes and had no response.

Oh god I thought I was the only one!

Mines great. Comes every 8 weeks as I requested (he wanted to do every 4). Puts his card through the door and I pay by bank transfer. Easy.

I had one years ago where he'd clean them during the week when I was at work then call round later for me to pay him. He came one evening when I'd been at home all day asking for payment, I asked him if he'd done them that day & he confirmed he had-I did face & said funny I never saw or heard you... he didn't get paid & left sharpish.

Mine is lovely. Comes once a month with two young lads, gets the job done quickly and efficiently. They don't even mind the stupid dog barking at them. If we are not in he leaves a note to say he has been and he usually appears on a Friday around tea time to collect the money. I have loads of windows and live in a breezy, muddy rural location so he is well worth the money.

I’ve asked 4 to come in the last 6 months, 2 just never turned up, 1 messaged to say he couldn’t come on the day we arranged (after I’d waited in all day) and then never came and the 4th came once then didn’t turn up when we’d arranged 3 more times until I told him to forget it. I think people think it will be easy money but then when it comes to it they can’t be bothered 😕

If I ever manage to get one I’ll let you know! Been in this house over a year and I’ve yet to manage to find one who can a) find the place without a bloody neon sign and personal landing crew and b) actually bothers to turn up and then doesn’t get shitty when you have the temerity to ask if they are coming or not. Seriously starting to give up- I’d hate to be a window cleaner in our area as they all seem to have gravely ill family members, broken vans, broken equipment or a lack of communication device just when it would be really helpful to have one. You’d think it might be worth their while to come and clean all 40 of our windows, but apparently not!

Oh and I had one who did manage to turn up for a quote- he declared he couldn’t do my velux windows as they were too high. Well yes love, that’s why I need a window cleaner to come and clean them, because they’re too high for me to get to on my own!

Mine comes about every 6 weeks, puts a card through the door to say he's been, and then comes back a few days later after 6pm to collect the money. Never had an issue with him!

Mine is brilliant. He does all the outside windows upstairs and downstairs every 4 weeks for £12 and a bucket of hot water with washing up liquid in it. He also does my inside kitchen window for a cup of coffee when he realised that it was dirt because I could no longer climb onto worktops to reach it.

Yep i have had two one cleaned a couple few times i paid him then i was out a couple of times so I missed paying him I haven't e en him since , the next one was my neighbour hes always trying to make money in the summer doing bits of jobs like gardening and window cleaning but he's completely unreliable he cleaned my Windows once and came around for the money i didnt have the correct change so paid him for two cleans ,hes never cleaned them since

Unfortunately, there's a reason that "some" people become window cleaners - it's because they're incapable of doing anything else nor holding down a job. Of course, there are "some" brilliant window cleaners too! I've had a succession of people over 20 years who just randomly turn up when they feel like it, sometimes don't even clean all the windows, lie they've been when they havn't.

I’ve recently started a new one, so far so good. He texts the night before so gates are open cleans very nicely with a water power brush system and does doors and sills all for £10 which I can pay in cash or by phone bank transfer

I have friends elsewhere who even have a window cleaner who puts Christmas lights up as an additional service

Mines good (sorry!).

Texts us the day before he's due to come so we can make sure velux windows are shut and then texts us when done so we know to transfer money straight to his bank account. First time he came one of the velux windows needed an extra rinse and he came back and did it, no problems and no issues since.

I think Kazzy is right about the type of men who become window cleaners, so I think we must be lucky.

We use a proper window cleaning company with probably about 8 employees. We pay £15 every 5 or 6 weeks , and weather permitting they always turn up.

Op, why not have a chat with some neighbours to see if anyone could recommend someone? We found ours that way.

Mine's great. Cleans every week (is my street particularly manky?), front windows only unless I'm in. £3.50.

Mine is great. £10 every 4 weeks. He pushes a slip of paper through to say he’s been and I transfer the money online.

I accidentally flashed him when breastfeeding this month though so he may not come back again .

Fucking impossible to find a wheely bin cleaner round here though...

Ours was sporadic, never knew of or when they were coming but we always paid when they knocked. Until one week one guy called to collect the money, saying it was his mate who had cleaned them the day before. The windows were filthy. I was in all of that previous day.
Asked him to check with his “mate” and he never came back. Funny, that.
Rain does a pretty smashing job btw

Excellent window cleaner, who comes twice a month, weather permitting. Has been for over thirty years. Occasionally does the inside patio doors, if I haven't done them to his standards!

It looks like it's not just me then!
Although I have to say current one does do a very good job and is the cheapest we've had, I just hate not knowing when they are going to turn up as we don't really have cash in the house but when I know they're coming I make sure I have it ready. If the agreement is every 4 weeks then surely that is when they should come, at some point in the fourth week (I'm not to a day) but not at the end of the second week!

Mine is great, he's been cleaning ours for about 8 or 9 years now and comes once a month. If I don't have the money handy he'll either wait till next time or call round later for it.

Check with your council, ours has a list of registered window cleaners.

Our guy is great, comes once a month, does a great job and sticks his card through the door. I then pay him by bank transfer.

Alternatively ask your neighbours to recommend someone.