This guide will help you find and hire a great window cleaner first try. So be sure to take the few minutes it takes to read. It could save you from major hassles and much wasted time and energy.
You’ll learn what to look for and what to avoid in a window cleaning company, how to become a preferred client and inspire the company you hire to do a great job.
There are some companies who are not really service oriented so it would be unreasonable to expect excellent work from them. Some companies may have lost touch with customer needs but many of the small to mid sized companies are very service oriented.
Let’s face it, most of us want to have the satisfaction of having contributed and enhanced the life of somebody through our work. No matter how mundane the job may seem, earning money is only part of the reward. The good feelings inside from a job well done at a reasonable price, surely are considered a benefit by your best service professionals both to you and to themselves.
In this guide you’ll learn to take these essential and specific steps before hiring:
Hiring a great window cleaning Company is a snap if you know what to look for and what to avoid.
First off you’ll want to be sure the window cleaning company you hire is insured. Asking to have a copy of their proof of insurance emailed or faxed to you is the best way to be assured they have insurance. This way you can check the date of the policy and make sure they have at least $1,000,000 of coverage.
When your window cleaning contractor can produce proof of insurance, your concerns are addressed and can be set aside. That‘s a sure sign of more good things to come.
You may want the window cleaning to lock in a price before starting the job. We recommend letting the window cleaner work within a range, understanding that the price will not exceed the high end of the range. When cleaning your windows for the first time, there may be unforeseen difficulties which may extend the amount of time originally determined to complete the job. If the window cleaner knows there is flexibility in the pricing he won’t need to cut corners in order to complete the job at a predetermined set price. This way you are assured the window cleaner will be paid a fair price and will do any extra work needed.
A lot can be gleaned from their website. For instance: Is it professionally done? Do they guarantee their work? Are they offering any specials?
A guarantee demonstrates that this contractor takes pride in their work, is confident with their ability to provide excellent customer service and will stand by their work.
There are other indicators as well. According to studies on human behavior, we glean 90% or more of the information we get in any single interaction with another person non-verbally.
Not only that but this non-verbal information is very often more accurate than verbal information is. So there is good sense in trusting your gut feeling. You should feel at ease having this contractor in your home. If you are not comfortable with whom you are allowing in your home, you should trust your instincts and cancel the service.
Find a window cleaner that specializes in residential window cleaning is best. Commercial window cleaning businesses generally have a high turnover of employees and may not be experienced in dealing with home furnishings, not experienced with being careful with their ladders and buckets of water inside your home. Even outside the home a window cleaner must take extra care to not damage plants or let your pets out of the yard.
It is important to find a residential window cleaner well established in your local area. Look for a window cleaner that has been in business for at least 5 years and limits his service area within a 20 miles radius from where you live. You want a window cleaner that plans to be in business for a long time.
Once you’ve taken these steps, there is a good chance that the business you choose today could be the one that you develop an ongoing, enjoyable, long-term relationship with over the course of many years.
Experienced window cleaning businesses will be able to give an over the phone or email estimate. Just be prepared to provide them with some basic information.
You should know that the going rate in most areas is about $3-5/panel of glass on average but of course that also depends upon ease of access and the average size of each panel. It may depend upon how many screens you have as he will be cleaning those too unless you specify otherwise.
Another question which may be relevant to you is whether there will be a crew on the job or just one person and the estimated time the job will require.
This is an excellent question and one that many customers ask. It’s important to have your windows maintained and cleaned regularly. Beyond just the aesthetic enjoyment of a clear view of the world outside, it can actually prolong the life of your windows.
But it is, of course, a matter of preference. Most people get their windows cleaned every 6-12 months. Some people who live perhaps out in the country or close to the ocean will need to have them cleaned more often because they get dirty much more quickly. If quarterly cleaning is needed you have the option of just cleaning the outside every other time. This schedule is best for keeping costs to a minimum while maintaining a clear view of the world outside.
An important fact to keep in mind when determining how frequently to have your windows cleaned is that like anything else they need maintenance. If they are not cleaned regularly accumulated dirt and minerals can etch themselves into the glass making it very difficult or even impossible to restore to their original transparency.
So, on average, the recommended cycle is 6 months to one year.
It doesn’t make much sense to clean the windows and reinstall screens that are covered with dust. Some window cleaners leave this as an optional add-on that they charge extra for. To me that seems unprofessional and a little unfair to you as a client.
A real pro will just include cleaning the screens in the price of the job.
Not only that, he’ll have an effective and fast technique to get them clean before he re-installs them. It’s not hard to clean screens. You just have to know how to do it.
Washing the screens is the most effective. Using the wooly or soaker tool they use on the glass and then they towel dry them.
For really dirty screens that haven’t been done for a while it may be necessary to repeat this process.
This is a good question to ask up front and it’s another indication of whether you’re speaking to a pro or not.
Including cleaning the tracks is a process is very easy to do as they will get wet anyway. Cleaning them actually means little more than wiping up the water left behind from cleaning the glass.
To ensure a great job you may want to vacuum the tracks before the windows are cleaned to remove debris. By doing this, your professional window cleaning company will be able to clean up the remaining debris more easily and more thoroughly.
The main thing that your window cleaner will want from you is a clear path to the windows.
If you have things cluttering up the window sills or delicate things near the windows that could accidently get damaged in the process of cleaning, like lamps as an example, he will greatly appreciate you taking the initiative to clear the space ahead for him so he can stay focused on his job: cleaning glass.
Alternatively for little knick knacks in the sills he may just scoop these into a container to clear the way if you haven’t already done so.
This should cover most of the questions you may have about hiring a great window cleaner, one that you’ll enjoy doing business with and having in your home, one that you will quite possibly want to have coming back year after year after year.
Whether you’re planning to stay in your home for a while and just want to maintain it well or you’re selling your present home and want your home to look it’s best, I hope our guide, How to Find and Hire a Great Window Cleaner has been helpful to you.
The most important thing to remember is that there are a lot of really good guys out there cleaning windows and there are also a few who may not be so good. It’s not hard to tell the difference.
Asking these questions will help you sort it out. Not only that but it will make your needs clear and the conversation will inspire a good window cleaner to do a great job as the conversation will clarify the value you place on a job well done.
As a client you have the power to inspire great service. Now you have the technique as well. It’s simple really. Good luck and happy hunting!
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