Living Social Let Down

Not so social.

Call Kurtis: I Can’t Get the Daily Deal Service I Bought - (Roseville) – Needing her windows cleaned before a party she was throwing in three weeks, Bruna DeLacy of Roseville bought a window cleaning deal she saw through Living Social. For $89, Top Quality Window Cleaning would clean her windows inside and out of her two-story home. “I’m thinking, wow that’s less than half I normally pay,” she recalls thinking.

Bruna says she’s called six times since early July to schedule an appointment, but they’ve never called back. The company hasn’t responded to our calls either, and it appears their website is down. She wasn’t able to use the deal before she threw her party. The Better Business Bureau’s Gary Almond says more Groupon and Living Social customers are complaining the companies offering these deals are not getting back to them fast enough. He says smaller businesses may not be prepared for the response they’ll get. “The companies themselves should be putting limits on how many they’re going to actually sell,” Almond said.

Living Social says it sold 521 vouchers for this window cleaning deal. They admit it’s possible for a business owner to be a bit overwhelmed at the start of a deal if it is really popular. Groupon tells us, “We’ll work with the merchant to cap the number of offers sold in order to prevent them from getting overwhelmed.” Living Social initially denied Bruna a refund because they said the window cleaners were still in business. After we got involved, Living Social agreed to refund Bruna and anyone else struggling to schedule an appointment with Top Quality Window Cleaning. Living Social has a seven day money back guarantee. After that, they tell us they’ll handle refunds on a case by case basis. Groupon’s policy allows for a refund at any time.

Window Cleaning News Revisited

John Lockwood knows who’s who and what’s what in the hood.

Keeping it real with some old friends: John Lockwood is a neighborhood character who I have known and photographed many times over the years. Anyone who has spent any time on Avenue A is familiar with John. He makes his living washing windows. He owns and runs his own company, Rose Window & Awning Cleaning. John is getting to be one of the last of the old school, independent, go-to street guys who knows who is who, and what is what, as far as the goings-on in the hood. That said, he is not a gossip, but if there is a need to know, good chance John can give an insider’s tip. John earns his money, is hard-working, honest and a stand-up guy. Remember this Harlem Window Cleaner who turned his life around?

Groupon under fire in Germany over bad deals: Groupon recently launched in Austria from America but in Germany the company has been panned. A German man and his family made the first complaint when he bought a Groupon voucher online for the "Great China" restaurant in Hamburg. The man named as Marc W., 21, paid 147.60 Euro instead of 200 for the voucher but as it turned out the restaurant does not except any vouchers. Since then Marc is trying to contact Groupon to get his money back but said he had had no reaction since then.

Another woman Katrin Wege (44), the owner of the "Blaue Blume", lost about 10,000 due a Groupon deal. The offer for her restaurant in Hamburg was supposed to be online for 24 hours but actually was available for 48 hours, she said. Some 700 vouchers were sold for 14,50 each with an original value of 30 Euro. Groupon keeps about half of the price for themselves with the rest going to the firm. Martin Harneit, pictured (33) who owns a window-cleaning service and was hoping for some advertising through Groupon also suffered, with a similar story to Katrin Wege. Groupon also sold more vouchers than he agreed on, and still owes him 800 Euro. Now, the small business of his is under threat of being bankrupt if they do not get the money back. Similar blogs here & here.

The Salary poll:  The results of the Sunday Province's poll on managerial and executive wages are in. More than 1,000 of you voted on whether 20 different Lower Mainland salaries were too high or too low. Unsurprisingly, the overwhelming response for nearly every job was "too high." Only highrise window washers, teachers and the manager of Stanley Park were seen as underpaid by the public, according to the online survey. One surprise was the mayor of Vancouver - the voting was split 50/50. $31,200 Highrise window washer -

 96% said UNDERPAID & said 4% OVERPAID 

"Are you kidding me? I make decent money but you couldn't pay me enough to do that job. Maybe not skilled labour, but how dangerous is that? Without these guys, the CEOs would not have a beautiful corner office view." - Brian Z., Agassi. Another blog on window cleaners salary here & here.

Don't moralise on tax, Gauke: Oh dear! David Gauke has made himself look a right wally by telling the British public that paying people cash-in-hand is 'morally wrong'. Last week exchequer secretary to the Treasury Gauke lambasted members of the British public who pay cash to tradesmen, cleaners, window cleaners and anyone else who may ask for cash payment. He trilled that cash-in-hand payments have left a £2 billion black hole in the economy and proceeded to judge the moral standing of those that pay cash – but what he failed to add is that paying someone cash is perfectly legal.

You can pay everyone in cash if you wish, it's up to the person you pay cash to, to declare their income, including the cash payments. It's not up to any customer to ensure the person or company they purchase an item or service from is paying the correct amount of tax.

What Gauke seemed to want to say, but couldn't, is that he thinks tradesmen and others who rely on cash are dodging tax and he doesn't like it. This is all a bit rich from the man who used to make a living out of helping the wealthy avoid tax. Gauke was a solicitor at Macfarlanes, a company which specialises in tax structuring – which translates as helping rich people pay less tax. Research last year showed tax avoidance costs the UK economy £69.9 billion a year, putting the £2 billion lost to cash-in-hand operations into perspective. Gauke looks like a fool. While he judges those who pay labourers and cleaners, people who are typically on low wages and may be struggling hard to pay bills and find enough work, his own governmental department, the Treasury, strikes deals to allow companies to escape millions of pounds of tax. Original blog here.

Bungling burglar jailed after being recognised by unique tattoo: A man’s distinctive neck tattoo helped police identify him as a bungling burglar who pretended to be a window cleaner and hooked a handbag inside a house with his broom. Neil Simpson (24), of Francis Gardens, Peterborough, had asked a woman if she wanted to have her windows cleaned on June 15. Later that day, the woman saw him feed a broom through her window and try to steal her handbag by hooking it with the stick. The would-be-burglar was caught in the act by the homeowner, and fled the property empty-handed. She called the police and told them of the distinctive tattoo on his neck, which was a large black symbol.

Simpson was then arrested for another matter the following day, and was immediately linked to the burglary when officers saw a large black tattoo on his neck. He pleaded guilty to burglary and six other break-ins across New England and Dogsthorpe at Peterborough Crown Court on Monday, July 23. Simpson has been sentenced to two years in prison. Detective Constable Tom Rowe said: “Simpson was a serial burglar and we are committed to ensure we catch those responsible for such offences. “I hope this sends out a strong message to others that we will bring offenders to justice.” Also see here: UK Window Cleaner Filmed Stealing Credit Card.

Window Cleaning News

A window washer works on the logo for Daiwa Securities Co. outside the company's branch in Tokyo. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. topped Mizuho Financial Group Inc. as the biggest manager of Samurai bond sales as the cheapest yen funding costs relative to dollars in almost two years prompted record sales by Korean companies.

A team of window washers work their way down the National Bank Towers on Queen St in Auckland. The building has twin towers of 17 and 22 levels with a refurbished podium lobby.

Amputee wins £160k compensation from Richmond Council: A grandfather who needed to have his fractured leg amputated after he fell into a hole in a park has won £160,000 in compensation. Edward Tuffrey, 67, was walking his dog in Suffolk Road Recreation Ground, Barnes, when he suffered the life-changing accident. The former window cleaner went through years of agony when medics discovered a metal plate in his leg had snapped and caused an infection. Mr Tuffrey, who lived in Barnes Avenue, Barnes, said he cried when doctors broke the news they needed to amputate. He said he was pleased with the financial settlement from Richmond Council, but added: “I would rather have my leg back. “It has been traumatic. What price do you put on a body part?” He fell in the 10in hole and fractured his leg in three places as his dog played in the park on May 21, 2006.

Doctors inserted a metal plate but it later broke, causing huge complications. Mr Tuffrey said he had nine pins in his leg for nine months and then had it in plaster for a year, but it did not heal and the hospital decided three years ago to amputate. The father-of-two, who now has an artificial limb, said: “It was terrible for my wife as she had to put up with it as well. “I’ve always been an active sort of bloke. I worked for myself as a window cleaner for 25 years. “It’s been going on for five-and-a-half years and we’d just had enough. As you get older there’s only so much you can stand with the stress. “Money doesn’t compensate for the trauma we’ve been through but we want it to finish so we can get on with our lives.” Mr Tuffrey, who has now moved to West Sussex, said he and his neighbours had repeatedly complained to Richmond Council about holes in the park. He was shocked to find them still there when he visited this week.

Brisbane businesses warn against group buying: It's the latest and greatest craze in online shopping but Brisbane businesses are warning that group buying deals and online coupon sites are sending businesses broke, and driving customers away. Group Buying: it's one of Australia's fastest growing industries estimated to be worth $400 million by the year's end, but the unregulated industry has both consumers and businesses off side. The sales pitch to businesses is that their business is guaranteed exposure and new customers through the door, and consumers get discounted goods and services. Win, win right? Wrong. With the endless supply of discounted services available on group buying coupon websites, it might seem like the consumer can't lose but burnt Brisbane businesses say the fast growing group buying industry is sending local businesses broke with dodgy marketing strategies and high pressure selling techniques.

A local window cleaning business owner, who wished to remain anonymous because he's still honouring customers for a deal that may send him out of business, says he's increasingly concerned for his livelihood after signing up to one of the smaller deals sites earlier this year. "My business is only 3 years old and we have never run an overdraft or borrowed money from the bank except for the loan on our work vehicle and were very proud of the fact that we started with nothing to create a small business that was steadily growing, but over the last few months I have watched our bank account empty as we service these deals over full paying customers. "We participated in a deal with a company in May this year and under their guidance, foolishly sold 300 deals for a two hour window cleaning service at $49 each. Of that, we received I think $35.63.

He says the deal company used high pressure sales techniques, pushing him to agree to sell as many as possible. "From start to finish the process was wrapped up in a couple of days by their team with the emphasis being on the urgency of this deal needing to go live by a set date or missing out for months. He says the most frustrating part as a business owner in the transaction was having no clear communication with the company throughout the process. Although his deal expires this week, the business owner is continuing to honour the voucher sold to customers into the New Year, hoping that he will retain some ongoing customers from the experience, but he remains on edge about the state of his business. "With a wife on maternity leave, a 3 month old, looming mortgage and all the business expenses, closing and going down to the Centrelink office is a very real possibility for me. His warning to new businesses considering coupon and discount deals through the various sites is "if something sounds too good to be true, it usually is."

According to another local business, the experience is fast becoming more common than not. She says knows of several Brisbane businesses that have closed down after offering the services. "What a lot of people don't know that these voucher companies are owned by multi-corporations and in my opinion it's the big businesses way of making small businesses slash their prices to a stage where it hurts them so much that it's driving them out of business. "I've heard of at least four or five other businesses that have closed down after offering these services. Ms Stephenson says the sales pitch to small businesses is pushy, and small business can often fall into the trap of not knowing what they're signing up for. "I get phone calls from these places (online group buying sites) and they tell you the deal you're offering isn't good enough, and you've got until the end of the day to make a decision. "I know at the end of the day it will return about $4 an hour to my company and you can' even pay staff with that, let alone the cost of the service. "A lot of the companies being approached don't know that.

Tributes have poured in for a ‘fun loving family man’ who lost his fight against cancer at the age of 41. Craig Hudson, known to his many friends as Ken, died in Kirkwood Hospice after a long fight against liver and pancreatic cancer. His family and friends have spoken fondly of a man who would always put others before himself, and loved nothing more than a Saturday night spent with his wife Erica, stepson Sam, 14, son Annan, six, and three-year-old Jess. “He was a real hands-on dad and a family man,” Erica said. “He loved being at home with me and the kids, chopping wood for the fire.”

Oliver Shaw, friend of more than 15 years, met Craig in his younger days when he enjoyed travelling up and down the country to attend ‘raves’. “He lived life to the full. He was a different person when I met him but he met Erica at the right time when he was ready to settle down,” he said. “I will remember the way he would stop whatever he was doing to help anyone and he would never ask for anything back.” Craig was diagnosed with liver and pancreatic cancer in July this year. The pain forced him to leave the construction trade, so he started his own window cleaning business covering Upper Batley and Tingley. After his diagnosis, Craig’s friends and family rallied around and raised an astonishing £16,000 to pay for alternative therapy at a clinic in Southampton. He was also involved in fundraising efforts for fellow cancer sufferer Bev Dransfield. Craig died at the hospice on October 21 and his funeral was attended by 400 people.

Canned goods for clean windows: A Marquette business is trying to make the sunshine a little brighter while helping to feed a hungry neighbor. The Window Store on Washington Street is giving away their own brand of window cleaner.  Simply bring in 10 non-perishable items for the TV6 Canathon and you can get a can for yourself. The cleaner works for glass of all varieties, including for your home, car and even camera lenses. Employees say they're just doing their part to get people into the store and donate some food. "I think it's important that we get people out to help people in times of need. The holiday season is a great time, and food pantries do great things for the local community," said Window Store president, David Martin. You can drop off your cans and get your free window cleaner through the end of the month.

Sonya Thomas, a 5-foot-5 Korean woman who recently ate 183 chicken wings in 12 minutes, proudly hoisted her trophy after consuming 5.25 pounds of turkey. A 10-pound roasted turkey sat in front of each eater. Ten minutes to binge. At the end, the turkey would be weighed. The winner would take home $1,581, a belt and a bronze turkey trophy with a removable cleaver. No formal blessing was said prior to the dinner bell. But "Crazy Legs Conti," (pictured center) a window washer, nude model and sperm donor from the East Village, said he felt blessed to be a competitive eater. He's ranked 20th in the major league eating circuit and is currently the reigning sweet corn champion. At a recent contest in Singapore, he ate 115 wontons in eight minutes, falling short to the Black Widow's winning number of 130. "This is a communal meal," Conti said as he practiced yoga on the sidewalk in front of The TimesCenter on West 41st Street, minutes before the competition. "Thanksgiving, it's one of the few times you sit down for the express purpose of eating and the company. These are my favorite people in the world. I am fortunate." Conti and Booker delivered 81 turkeys to the City Harvest charity on behalf of sponsor Wild Turkey. Conti grew up in Boston, and he said he admired Jim Rice and Carl Yastrzemski for their charitable efforts. "The fact that Major League Eating has hit the point where Badlands and I were on a truck, driving around to donate 81 turkeys to families that needed them, it was awesome," Conti said.

HOUSTON: This is the 54th night Houston occupiers have stood their ground. They claim there are between 50 and 100 of them every night. A day after a shooting there, two days before Thanksgiving and weeks before it likely gets really uncomfortable outside, we wanted to know just who they are. By his account, JJ Freeman was the only thing on Monday afternoon between the gunman and the Occupy Houston camp he calls home. "I keep everything I own in this crate. This is my daughter Padme," Freeman said, showing us photos. "She turned 14 months old today. And last night, what happened -- I honestly thought I was never going to see her again." Freeman is an unemployed cook and security guard protesting out of frustration that he hasn't been able to find work for more than a year.  "I was doing professional window cleaning," protester Jamin Stocker (pictured) said. A month ago, Stocker had two jobs. "The work dried up," he said. Since then, he's been here. He's content to occupy a park, even though he has family in Houston he could stay with and jobs he could get.

Winds fling window 100m: Strong winds blew a large window 100 metres out of an office building into a nearby carpark this afternoon. The MetService today issued a severe weather warning for the Wellington region with gales expected to continue until nightfall. The window, which was approximately 1m squared, came from the 10th floor of Education House on Willis St. It flew out in a southerly direction and landed about 100 metres away in a carpark behind 190 Willis St. The fire service attended and cleaned up the glass. Natalie Ferguson, who works on the fifth floor of 190 Willis St, saw the window flying and said she was very relieved that no-one was injured in the carpark where it landed. Darrell Ward, assistant secretary for the New Zealand Educational Institute, which owns the building, said: "We're very concerned by this incident and looking into it with a view to making sure this sort of thing never happens again."

British Columbia has introduced a bill to expand mental stress coverage under the Workers Compensation Act. Bill 14 would amend the act to expand compensation for mental stress arising from the course of the worker’s employment to go beyond the current requirement of “an acute reaction to a sudden and traumatic event” and include: the reaction to one or more traumatic events, the reaction to a significant work-related stressor & the reaction to a cumulative series of significant work-related stressors. Stress resulting from employment decisions like discipline, termination or a change in working conditions will continue to be excluded from coverage. To be eligible for mental stress compensation in B.C., a recognized diagnosis will be required, according to the government. “Just as we wouldn’t expect a window washer who sustains physical injuries to go it alone, we shouldn’t expect workers who experience mental health problems as a result of their job to fend for themselves,” said Bev Gutray, CEO of the Canadian Mental Health Association’s B.C. division.

Up on the rooftop . . . pros will install your holiday decorations: Decorating for the holidays is such a fun activity that some people plan parties and family traditions around it, with crowds of people helping to trim the tree amid a house full of music and laughter. Taking down the decorations, however, is a lonely, unheralded and even dreaded chore. "Who wants to go out in January when it's 20 degrees out and remove lights?" asked George Wimmer, owner of My Personal Gardener Inc., a landscaping company that offers holiday decorating services in the Indianapolis and Carmel areas.

Many local landscapers, roofers and window washers pull double duty during the holiday season and offer decorating help for homeowners who want to avoid the hassle -- and the dangers -- associated with hanging lights. About 12,000 homeowners nationwide make a trip to a hospital emergency room each year because of holiday-related decorating accidents, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Not all of those accidents are related to falls. Electrical- and fire-related injuries are also to blame. "There's not only the height factor, but the factor of dealing with electricity and knowing how much lighting you can put on one outlet," said Mike van de Bossche, owner of Earth-Wood Arts in Indianapolis.

Most professional decorator services include providing the decorations, putting them up, taking them down and storing them for the homeowner to use again the next year. The cost can vary, but most experts say to expect to pay from $800 to $1,500 the first year for a professional decorating job. The upfront costs are more because you have to invest in the materials. The average job for holiday decorating last year cost about $1,400 according to Angie's List reports. "We can get higher on rooflines and peaks that they can't reach," Wimmer said. "And we can usually make it look a little better and be a little safer. It's more of a luxury of time. They can enjoy the holidays instead of dealing with the lights. And they don't have to worry about cluttering their garage with boxes and Christmas lights all year."

Most decorators offer a choice between incandescent and LED lights. "It's more expensive to buy LED, but down the road, you don't have issues with the lights going out, and it does use less energy," van de Bossche said. "The coloration of LED lights has also improved. They used to have a bluish glow on them, but that's been improved upon and is no longer the case. LEDs look good, too." Before you hire a professional holiday decorator, meet in person to share ideas and ask to see photos of past work. Ask how the company charges, if they determine price by the square foot or by the hour. Never let just anyone up on your roof to hang holiday lights. Check that the company has liability insurance and worker's compensation.

An attention getting tree: If you are heading west on the Spokane Street Viaduct and look south in the evening you are likely to see a very large lit Christmas tree. Standing approximately 80 feet tall this glowing holiday symbol near West Marginal Way is accomplishing what it was meant to: get some attention for the business that did it, Fleming's Holiday and Event Lighting(FHL). The West Seattle based business employs 30 people who are all about Christmas lighting but there's more to what they do than climb trees.

The owner, Ryan Fleming is a serial entrepreneur. At the age of 12 he got his first business idea when he saw his dad attempt to put up Christmas lights and fall off the ladder. He reasoned, "People should be able to hire someone to do that," and while it would take him a few years, he made it a reality. Before that business was formed however, after graduation from college he formed a car detailing business and shortly there after a couple of other businesses.

When he started seriously doing the lighting it was all residential but people noticed. The business grew rapidly and as it did he began to take on some commercial clients. Then that business grew to the point that Fleming and his crew found themselves doing the inside and outside lighting for Bellevue Square, Tacoma Mall and Alderwood Mall. "I'm a small businessman and I understand where I fit in society but I have big ambitions in life," Fleming said. The tree in West Seattle was decorated by one guy, Phillip who works for FHL and it required 40 hours. That tree is lit with 192 sets of LED mini lights each 25 feet long with 50 bulbs in each string. "It's not enough," said Fleming who cautions however that you can overdo holiday lighting. "There's a fine line," he said. "I've always wanted to decorate that tree," Fleming said and promised more lights for it are likely.

Fleming is out to decorate a lot more large trees. Not for money or really for marketing, but rather to add some holiday beauty during the longest nights of the year. I'm interested in talking to people about lighting trees of that size in some key locations around the area. One he has in mind is a large Blue Spruce tree near the top of the hill as you enter West Seattle. "My goal is to try and get the person that lives right next to that, to allow me to tap into their power so that my company can decorate it. It would be really cool." He has his eyes on trees just off Hwy 520 on either side just off the bridge and any just off I-90 as well. "I want to find trees that are in cool locations that will impact hundreds of thousands of people on a daily basis during the holiday season so that it spreads a little more holiday cheer to everyone. If we can see these monstrous trees decorated it would be really cool."

FHL does far more than just light up the night. They work year round offering business consulting, event, wedding, and landscape lighting, window washing/gutter cleaning/pressure washing. It's how he keeps his staff busy and keeps money coming in. If it seems like he is a busy man that would be accurate. But when inspiration strikes he goes for it. When he gets an idea and thinks it has merit he says, "I'll make it happen. that's my mentality. That's what I want to do. That's what I want to have in my life. I want to make things happen."

Myths were busted when dozens of Portlanders filled a community centre to find out about local preparations for the 2012 Games. The first of three public drop-in sessions taking place across the borough and Dorchester amazed organisers with its popularity, when people queued up to get in the Community 2000 centre in Easton – 40 people turned up in the first half hour alone. It followed revelations in the Echo, that proposals for Weymouth during Games-time include closing seafront roads to cars from 10am until 10pm, introducing special ‘gold paper’ parking permits for residents and businesses and ‘hard checkpoints.’Window cleaner Michael Hartley, of Southwell, said: “There’re a lot of rumours including residents needing a pass to get back on to Portland. “Also I work in Weymouth town centre, will I need a gold ticket to get parked on the seafront?” Mr Fooks dismissed the first rumour as false and said local businesses requiring access to the seafront would be accommodated. County council director for environment Miles Butler added: “We’ve just got to make sure the people who have necessary journeys can do them but the people who don’t can use the park and ride, public transport, cycle or walk.”

The Tailless Timing Belt Climbing Platform robot is nowhere near as strong in terms of grip, and doesn’t display the same agility as a gecko.

If you’ve ever encountered a gecko you may have noticed it climbing just about any surface effortlessly. It doesn’t matter how smooth a surface is, a gecko can climb it, even a vertical sheet of glass. The key to this climbing skill is the toe pads on their feet. They are covered in little hairy growths called setae, each of which has thousands of micron-thin structures covering them called spatulae. While other animals use suction, natural glue, or claws to climb, the gecko uses the spatulae to cling to a surface using molecular attraction (known as Van der Waals forces). Each spatulae has a weak attraction to the molecules of a surface. Put many thousands of them close together on a surface, as each gecko foot does, and you have a very strong attraction. For some gecko, that attraction is so strong it is thought they could carry the weight of a human without losing their grip.
Obviously scientists want to take advantage of such an ability. Being able to grip any vertical surface and move along it without leaving a residue or requiring any power has many potential uses, e.g. window cleaning skyscrapers using a robot that can climb glass. Mimicking the gecko feet in man-made form has proved tough, but a research team at Simon Fraser University have recently made a significant breakthrough. They’ve managed to create a robot tank that scales vertical surfaces in the same way a gecko does using molecular attraction. Video here.

The Future of Solar Power: Up until now solar panels have fallen a little flat, literally. Whether they're on a house or an industrial solar field in the desert, solar panels have always been one shape: flat. But the world's not and there's no reason why our solar panels should be either. Inspired by the way trees spread their leaves to capture sunlight, MIT Engineering Professor Jeffery Grossman wondered how efficient a three-dimensional shape covered in solar cells could be. It turns out that it has the potential to be quite efficient, even on an overcast, rainy day in Boston. That's where we found Professor Grossman and his team, on the roof of their research lab at MIT with a desk covered in miniature 3D solar panels.

You might think doing a solar panel demonstration on an overcast day is pointless, but not so with 3D solar panels. Typically, grey skies are like kryptonite for solar power, but Professor Grossman found that 3D panels can actually pick up almost as much electricity on a cloudy day as it can when it's sunny out. That efficiency, created by the dynamic shapes inspired by tree leaves, is what's really impressive about Professor Grossman's design. Not only are they less impacted by bad weather, their vertical shape allows them to pick up more direct sunlight and generate more electricity than flat panels using the same amount of ground space. The team doesn't want their designs hidden away on rooftops either. Rachelle Villalon, the teams architect envisions a day when you'll find 3D solar panels placed around cities like statues, becoming urban icons, instead of simple flat panels hidden on a roof.

Steve Jobs & Window Cleaning Innovation

Click the picture.

Curt here, from 5 Star Window Care, in Phoenix, AZ.  I've been cleaning windows here for about 6 years and I thought I'd drop you a line...

Have you ever been to a party when someone comes over and asks you what you do for a living?  I always introduce myself as a "window cleaner" and back in the early days I used to wonder if it embarrassed my wife.  I was comfortable with the fact that I was an entrepreneur - who just happened to clean windows, but still... I worried about how my wife would feel... and if secretly she resented it. 

Now I know that she wears "5 Star Window Care" as a badge of honor, but at the time I wondered.

Anyway, I really believe that we, as window cleaners, are in one of the most amazing professions.  It's just that because our industry isn't as flashy as others it's easy to get the thought stuck in our head that "innovation just doesn't apply to me".

But it does.

And with the passing of the visionary (like Apple or not), Steve Jobs - I did a half hour video today reflecting on some of the most innovative and profitable things I've done at 5 Star Window Care, and even put together some stuff I know will help you a ton in your business.  I hope you love it.

Early this year I released a window cleaning technology tool built for websites to help with the bidding process and for the next day or so I am going to offer an absurdly special deal that should help you to see if you'd love it as much as we do. All the best, Curt.

Jason Evers of Coastline Window Cleaning in Florida shares his awesome experience with Groupon, combined with ResponsiBid's superpowers. Imagine what you could do with Groupon!

Window Washer Swamped By "Living Social"

Woman Buys Offer On Living Social, Gets No Response - Tarentum Window-Washer Says He's Overwhelmed By Online Business. TARENTUM, Pa. -- Connie Prady found a deal on the Living Social website that was almost too good to be true. Like its competitor Groupon, Living Social offers consumer bargains on behalf of local businesses. The deals require a certain number of consumers to sign up in a specified period of time.

Prady told Team 4 investigator Jim Parsons that she purchased two auto details from Wojcik Window Washing of Tarentum, Pa, for $59 each in April. Since then, she said Wojcik has not returned her calls to take advantage of the service. "I love my car," Prady said. "Even though it's a Neon, I love the interior of it and I want to keep it neat and clean." The company lists no business address on its website, and Prady's vouchers are set to expire next month.

Robert and Amber Wojcik being interviewed.

Robert and Amber Wojcik told Parsons that their business has been overwhelmed with more than 1,300 customers through Living Social, and they've had a difficult time completing the work before the vouchers expire. "We can only target one area every day," Robert Wojcik said. "Today, we're actually off because of the rain." "That's another thing that's hard, too -- the rain," Amber Wojcik said.

 

The Ad' that appeared.

Robert Wojcik said Living Social provided no contact information for Prady, but he couldn't explain why her calls to his business went unanswered. Following his interview with Parsons, Robert Wojcik called Prady and vowed to complete her auto details by the end of next week. Becky Maier, a spokeswoman for the Better Business Bureau, said technology may have changed but the rules for consumers have not. "It's just as important that consumers understand that they are responsible to do the research on the company that they are dealing with," Maier said.

Also see Groupon Woes here.

Groupon Type Deal Loses Window Cleaner Credibility

Customers, merchants frustrated over CityDeals.com shutdown: SALT LAKE CITY — Frustration continued to mount Friday over the recent shutdown of the coupon website CityDeals.com. Vendors were hearing it from customers, and the businesses said they’ve seen their own share of difficulties in the past months. Meanwhile, a competitor is trying to alleviate some of the pain felt by all.

KSL Deals said Friday it will give partial credit toward a KSL Deal in exchange for vouchers that have no longer been honored or are no longer valid. It also plans to offer arrangements with CityDeal vendors who have lost money and business during the ordeal. “A lot of these vendors have been hurt pretty badly when they don’t get paid and they really put themselves out to structure a deal, so we would like to be able to offer them some pretty aggressive terms if they want to do a deal with us,” said Mike Petroff, chief operating officer of Deseret Digital Media.

Sharper View Professional Window Cleaning Services owner Todd Elkins said he is out tens of thousands of dollars, after CityDeals.com stopped sending him checks in July. Elkins said this is normally the busiest time of year for him, but his business has been cut this year by about 80 percent due to the issues with the online coupon company. “We’re sad to see so many customers who have purchased certificates and we’re in a position of having to try to service those as best we can to get to their homes at a significant cost,” Elkins said. “We’ve lost a lot of customers because of it. We’ve lost credibility and it’s really hard.”

Healing Arts Massage owner Leta Saul has been more insulated because of her connection with Groupon, but said she is still down thousands of dollars from CityDeals.com troubles. “We’re struggling. We’re still fighting to keep people coming in, and doing the best we can,” Saul said. Saul said she still has not cut off the CityDeals.com customers, but they are worried about being able to get their money’s worth out of their certificates. “It’s been a constant headache,” Saul said.

It was unclear Friday whether CityDeals.com would open its doors and website again, though a statement from founder Jeff Stucki suggested it would at some point. “CityDeals is committed to rebuilding the website, repairing and repaying merchants, and gaining back the trust of our customers and employees,” Stucki said. “(We) are working harder than ever to make this happen!” Stucki in the statement said Deals That Matter had an agreement to acquire the site in place, but ultimately shuttered the operation earlier this week and fired the remaining CityDeals.com workers. “We have now terminated the agreement with Deals That Matter after suffering irreparable damage,” Stucki said. “They will be held responsible for their actions.”

James Saccomano, executive vice president of Deals That Matter, said he was surprised by the statement. He acknowledged there was an agreement, but said Deals That Matter rescinded it. He said discussions had resumed the past three days with Stucki and the CEO of CityDeals.com. Late Friday, however, he said the companies agreed to go their separate ways.

KSL Deals offered details on ksl.com’s “deals page” of a limited time offer to customers and merchants. For a limited time, KSL Deals will offer customers a 20 percent discount on top of the already discounted KSL Deals. Merchants, for a limited time, will be offered a preferred split of 80 percent revenue on a new deal run with KSL Deals. And the KSL site will pay merchants 80 percent in 10 days, 20 percent in 60 days for any charge-backs or refund requests.

FaceBook Window Cleaning Deals - Will You Use It?

Facebook Deals: Create window cleaning offers with friends, family & clients. Help your business stand out from the crowd with deals that people can enjoy with their friends. Deals encourages people to share their excitement about your business. This creates incredible word-of-mouth for your business and can help you build long-lasting relationships with your customers. Read on to learn more about how you can create memorable experiences on Facebook. Why use Deals?  Create experiences that make people remember your business, not just a discount. Thumbnail images show people which of their friends have liked or bought your deal. See a window cleaning company using deals here. Those that got burnt by Groupon may want to check Facebook Deals out. Read what Facebook have to say...

• Buy Now – This takes people through a simple purchase flow where they can buy your deal using their credit card or existing Facebook Credits. Deals can also be purchased as gifts.  
• Share – This lets people send a message about your deal to their friends, or post your deal to their Wall.
• Like – This enables someone to express interest in your deal. Liking a deal generates News Feed stories and notifications, which helps spread the word about your deal.

 

Facebook distribute your deal in 8 ways:

1. The Facebook Home Page. The Home Page is the first thing that people see when they log on to Facebook. There is a Deals link in the left-hand navigation column, so that people can find and buy your deal easily.

2. The Deals Page. This page shows your deal, along with others that are available for purchase in a given city.

3. Sponsored units. Your deal will be eligible to appear in a Sponsored Deals unit on the right-hand side of the Home Page. This unit shows people friends that have liked or bought your deal and lets them buy your deal directly.

4. Personal messages and Wall posts. People can send messages about your deal to their friends or share your deal on their Wall. This makes it easy for people to make plans together.

5. News Feed stories. News Feed stories appear on the Home Page and give people information about their friends. When people interact with your deal, News Feed stories will help spread the word about what you’re offering in a natural and relevant way.

6. Onsite Notifications. We’ll notify people when friends like or buy a deal that they have also liked. We’ll also tell people when their friend buys a deal for them.

7. Deals tab. Your deal is eligible to appear on the right-hand side of any deal that is currently running on a Facebook Page.

8. Emails. We’ll email people when friends like or buy a deal that they have liked as well. We’ll also send daily emails to people who have subscribed to our Deals updates.