Window Cleaning Certification. Good idea or not?

I'm here to tell you that in my area if you have 2 mechanics and one is ASE certified and the other isn't most are going to the certified guy.

A window cleaned by an un-certified window cleaner isn't going to strand you 50 miles from home or cost you thousands of dollars in repairs and towing.
 
A window cleaned by an un-certified window cleaner isn't going to strand you 50 miles from home or cost you thousands of dollars in repairs and towing.

he might fall off your roof and claim why didn't you hire the certified guy. Why did you make me climb that ladder when you knew you could have hired the certified guy.
 
Before I go on a small rant, I truly believe all of us deserve to be entrepreneurs. But, with recent corporate downsizing more CEO's, VP's, etc etc thought starting their own window cleaning business was going to save them. The truth is, it may have saved their mortgage but some of us were affected negatively. Now on the upswing many of us have benefited even more. But, I would have rather trained 40 competitors than competed against 40 amatuers. I see how certifications help this. So the next time you see hour competition ask them if they have joined an association, and why not.

Nick Welcome to the UAMCC
 
he might fall off your roof and claim why didn't you hire the certified guy. Why did you make me climb that ladder when you knew you could have hired the certified guy.

Anyone can fall off a roof..... you can be certified, uncertified whatever. Accidents do happen. You do not have to be certified to be insured and if it ended up in a court of law, I doubt that the judge and jury would find a homeowner at fault for accepting a proposal from someone who bid the work or advertised for that work that you gave to them. If you are certified and do not follow what your certification trains you to do, you would be in a poor position to defend yourself if you ended up in court tho....
 
he might fall off your roof and claim why didn't you hire the certified guy. Why did you make me climb that ladder when you knew you could have hired the certified guy.

The Org certified guy could fall off your roof and claim why didn't you hire the OSHA certified guy. Why did you make me climb that ladder when you knew you could have hired the OSHA certified guy.
 
I think you are getting the idea Tony! Its a chance for customers to know that their are standards your employees are held to that are controlled by a peer review from the industry, not just what the company says.


Which is exactly where a concept like this should originate....with the customers. Without a ROI, a provable benefit, there is no connection to the bottom line. There are many examples of certification attempts just in our small family of exterior cleaning businesses. They all failed because the could not address this fundamental problem. It's an issue of cost. A national campaign to inform the general public would cost millions. There isn't enough dues and cert fees to pay for it even if you had 100% membership.
 
If you are certified and do not follow what your certification trains you to do, you would be in a poor position to defend yourself if you ended up in court tho....

I know you are using this against certification but it actually is a positive reason for certs. If you know you shouldn't be doing something and have trained to do it right but do the opposite you are getting what you deserve.
The certification adds a level of accountability that can give clients more peace of mind.
 
The Org certified guy could fall off your roof and claim why didn't you hire the OSHA certified guy. Why did you make me climb that ladder when you knew you could have hired the OSHA certified guy.

yes....
 
Anyone can fall off a roof..... you can be certified, uncertified whatever. Accidents do happen. You do not have to be certified to be insured and if it ended up in a court of law, I doubt that the judge and jury would find a homeowner at fault for accepting a proposal from someone who bid the work or advertised for that work that you gave to them. If you are certified and do not follow what your certification trains you to do, you would be in a poor position to defend yourself if you ended up in court tho....

I agree, was being ridiculous.

Hire a non certified guy for motor work, warrantee gone!!

Hire a Non certified Collision expert , insurance company won't pay.

Go to a windshield repair place that not certified insurance won't pay.

The reason is the standards of safety and material these people are not necessarily better. Possibly even lower, the point is that they are held to standard that acceptable.

So I think its does matter, if you certified with us your going to protect the consumer by having the proper insurance.
 
Anyone can fall off a roof..... you can be certified, uncertified whatever. Accidents do happen. You do not have to be certified to be insured and if it ended up in a court of law, I doubt that the judge and jury would find a homeowner at fault for accepting a proposal from someone who bid the work or advertised for that work that you gave to them. If you are certified and do not follow what your certification trains you to do, you would be in a poor position to defend yourself if you ended up in court tho....
 
While I'm sure a certification that could give the customer a TRUE reason to expect a risk-free experience from a proven high-level professional would be great, I'm not convinced that up to this point anything out there besides safety training is much more than a marketing ploy and a second-rate attempt to make the Bucket Bobs go away.
Not to say I'm against "investing" in certification that would give me the edge. My personality would dictate that I had better live up to the claims, no matter who made the claims that I was elite.
What standards does the UAMCC hold to?
 
Could UAMCC have window cleaner certification before the IWCA does?
Guy from the IWCA glass committee was on my WCN email group this morning, saying they're going to start working on the framework of window cleaning certification soon.
>>>>Another vanguard project from the IWCA GC (that is only in framework right now) is something akin to the IICRC carpet cleaning certification program, but applied to window cleaners. A category based TECHNICAL certification program, not safety based (not to downplay safety), but a set of technical levels that window cleaners would be taught, tested & certified in by the IWCA, allowing buyers to know that the IWCA company they hire is staffed with knowledgeable window cleaners. That elevates not only IWCA members, but the entire profession.<<<<
I had heard UAMCC would accept training from other orgs such as IWCA for window cleaning - but what happens in an industry where the training doesn't exist?
(And likely won't exist for a few years - at least from the IWCA - because it's "only in framework right now".)
Do you wait?
Beat them to it?
 
Gary Beating isnt the issue, putting the source for standards and practice together is whats needed. Training??? Theres a bunch of training out there already, OSHA and other groups that Sell training. Some give the training Away, certification is all about awareness. Its just a tool to provide a contractors has been exposed to the right standards and practices.
This ultimately means he might have a better chance to mot get hurt than someone who knows nothing about Lifts Scaffolds or ropes. Doesn't mean that he will know more than a guy that has been responsible for 30 years learning and bettering him of herself.

What if Truck Drivers didn't have to have a CDL? Would it be worse than we have now? Sure not all truckers who do Drugs are caught, not all the guys who fake log books are caught. But if truckers didn't have these restrictions they would break the rules more. Thus the roads would be more dangerous.

Beating anyone at anything is not my mission, we will use the IWCA training for the UAMCC.

The UAMCC are more than window Cleaners, we have carpet, pressure washers, KEC and many others in the org.

Training in house is not and orgs Job, thats been the problem with many of these orgs over the years.



Could UAMCC have window cleaner certification before the IWCA does?
Guy from the IWCA glass committee was on my WCN email group this morning, saying they're going to start working on the framework of window cleaning certification soon.
>>>>Another vanguard project from the IWCA GC (that is only in framework right now) is something akin to the IICRC carpet cleaning certification program, but applied to window cleaners. A category based TECHNICAL certification program, not safety based (not to downplay safety), but a set of technical levels that window cleaners would be taught, tested & certified in by the IWCA, allowing buyers to know that the IWCA company they hire is staffed with knowledgeable window cleaners. That elevates not only IWCA members, but the entire profession.<<<<
I had heard UAMCC would accept training from other orgs such as IWCA for window cleaning - but what happens in an industry where the training doesn't exist?
(And likely won't exist for a few years - at least from the IWCA - because it's "only in framework right now".)
Do you wait?
Beat them to it?
 
While I'm sure a certification that could give the customer a TRUE reason to expect a risk-free experience from a proven high-level professional would be great, I'm not convinced that up to this point anything out there besides safety training is much more than a marketing ploy and a second-rate attempt to make the Bucket Bobs go away.
Not to say I'm against "investing" in certification that would give me the edge. My personality would dictate that I had better live up to the claims, no matter who made the claims that I was elite.
What standards does the UAMCC hold to?

Dan I was involved in these Years ago with a Guy Named Tom. The Bridge was Built by us, I'm sure others will and have claimed the credit. No worries I attend my chapter and many other org we will foster relations for commercial Saftey in all aspects of cleaning , environmental especially
 
Gary Beating isnt the issue, putting the source for standards and practice together is whats needed. Training??? Theres a bunch of training out there already, OSHA and other groups that Sell training. Some give the training Away, certification is all about awareness. Its just a tool to provide a contractors has been exposed to the right standards and practices.
This ultimately means he might have a better chance to mot get hurt than someone who knows nothing about Lifts Scaffolds or ropes. Doesn't mean that he will know more than a guy that has been responsible for 30 years learning and bettering him of herself.

What if Truck Drivers didn't have to have a CDL? Would it be worse than we have now? Sure not all truckers who do Drugs are caught, not all the guys who fake log books are caught. But if truckers didn't have these restrictions they would break the rules more. Thus the roads would be more dangerous.

Beating anyone at anything is not my mission, we will use the IWCA training for the UAMCC.

The UAMCC are more than window Cleaners, we have carpet, pressure washers, KEC and many others in the org.

Training in house is not and orgs Job, thats been the problem with many of these orgs over the years.

So you just proceed without the technician parts? Because for example, neither the IWCA nor anyone else trains you to remove paint from various types of glass?
 
Continuing education should be the ongoing goal of any responsible cleaner. Certification allows them to showcase that education. It allows them to sell themselves to clients as a contractor that is serious about his trade and is growing his skills and knowledge continually.
 
So you just proceed without the technician parts? Because for example, neither the IWCA nor anyone else trains you to remove paint from various types of glass?

Do you know how?

I have three nephews never went to master plumbers school. My brother in law as a master plumber trained all three. State of Florida, the oldest is the best plumber. He is not a master because he wouldn't fork out the money for the license. When pops biz was handed down it was to the middle son. Not because he was a Better plumber because he went and took and paid for the test twice.

The younger one I wouldn't let change my wax ring.

Here's the deal, my brother in law trained them. He's trained all of them, no outside help other than other journeymen training them over the years.

My middle nephew also loves to teach his trade to his employees. We have talked about the benefits of this has given him. To start he has learned who will make and who won't. The growth teachers receive is tremendous. State registrar has him signing off on many plumbing licenses.

Who do I want to show me how to remove gum safe off a sidewalk? A group that formed to train washers or me?

I chuckle when folks start in who certified the certified!!!

No Scholars have written a thesis on any of this. Even if they did I would elect me to show them or someone with my knowledge.

Maybe like plumbers or electricians will require them to train a certain number of years. Will require they continue to train others to re-certify.

All my thoughts above are my own.

If I wanted to learn how to remove paint from a painted window I would call Ryan. He is a guy I've known for 25 years , so far I have not paid for any glass he damaged. He recently removed signs off 28 location that remodeled recently. This was a huge issue, he showed the engineer of construction his method and all was good. Green light!!! I want him to teach me, not a group of people who read about it to read this to me. Offer a test and lean over my shoulder to help me pass.

We will have people who fail, already have.

Set standard adhere to them. Stand by them, all good business people do already. So good people stand together apart from the others.


Text me anytime for question 480-522-5227
 
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