Good Samaritans Help Save Window Cleaners Life

Good Samaritans help save Austin man's life: Get well cards line the dining room table of Bob and Donna Herrick's home in Northwest Austin. “It warms your heart to realize that people care that much,” said Donna Herrick. Calls of concern keep pouring in for Bob. “I'm doing a lot better,” he said. “ I appreciate your call.” On Thursday, April 28, Bob just finished washing windows at the Starbucks located at Anderson Lane and Rockwood in North Austin. He was walking to his van when he collapsed in the parking lot.



Lauren Jones, a former cardiac nurse, was inside. Jones and two other people, a Starbucks manager and another customer, rushed to help. “Bob was not breathing,” explained Jones. “He was blue. He had no pulse. Carrie continued to give CPR and I relieved her.” The women continued CPR until paramedics arrived. “I continued to tell him, 'Donna [his wife] is coming, and she needs to see you,'” said Jones. “You need to stay with us.”

Jarrod Frame is one of the medics who responded to the call. He says every minute that passes without CPR reduces the victim's chances of survival. “It's critical when we have bystander CPR,” said Frame. “It gives us a head start and gives the patient a much better outcome.” Doctors say Herrick suffered from cardiac arrest -- the sudden or abrupt loss of heart function. It is not the same as a heart attack.

Herrick is 69 years old. His doctors have since installed a pace maker. “With the implant I'll never have to worry of that ever happening again,” said Herrick. For Donna Herrick the scare of losing her husband, her life partner, is beyond words. “There are no words that I can say that convey how much we appreciate what they did for myself and my family,” she said. “It makes me feel really good and especially during a time when people would just walk away or not get involved,” said Bob Herrick.

People -- total strangers -- did get involved. It was their quick thinking and kindness that helped save Bob's life. He is being put on a strict exercise regimen. He will also help his wife run their window washing business from home.

"Our Reputation Is Spotless"!! Clear Reflections Window Cleaning began cleaning windows in 1977 in Detroit, Michigan. We did both commercial and residential. Then, as the bumper sticker says, " I wasn't born in Texas but I got here as fast as I could !" We arrived in Austin in 1987. Our business took off here. We are a family owned and operated business, by Robert & Donna Herrick. We take our occupation very seriously and strive to give the very best in customer service. We employ our son Charlie, and our other workers are long time friends of our family. These fine men are expertly trained and keep in step with the latest techniques and information the window cleaning industry has to offer. They all have been cleaning windows for many years. They are personable and very honest, as many of our loyal customers can attest to.

Starbucks To Finally Get Window Cleaners - Maybe..

So, on a vacation in Miami last year, the wife & I decided to pursue a little shopping in the Dolphin Mall, Lincoln Road - the usual places + a few other spots. We are both caffeine addicted, so although the coffee isn't exactly what we are used to - we still needed our injections. The wife takes her coffee - "cafe solo," which is like a thick oil, but full strength coffee, a little like 10 coffee beans liquefied but hot. I like "cafe con leche," but strong, full flavoured with a good foam. The wife gave up on getting anywhere near what a "cafe solo" was meant to be like, I on the other hand had to swap to "cafe mocha," for the sole reason of them forgetting to put coffee in the cup - every single time!

Forgetting the coffee for a moment, it was slightly disconcerting that I couldn't see through the windows. They were smudged up with fingerprints, handprints, thrown coffee + all manner of marks that you usually see (I refer to each store we visited). The top part of the windows which were out of reach for most, looked like they had been cleaned with a mop. As a seasoned window cleaner, I could tell they hadn't invested in a professional cleaner, probably the cheapest guy in town or maybe even get their own staff to 'have a go.' My point is either get a regular window cleaning program or maybe people will start thinking what else in the cleaning regime they decided to skip. With this in mind, I penned an email to them with the response below a month later - (click to enlarge). When I replied to this email - I never got a reply. You can also add to the Shitbucks environmental cleaning program here. Just taking a look at their "My Starbucks Idea" webpage - it seems that clean windows would be a good idea!

Our windows are covered in shit. A couple of free beverage coupons - no thanks.

Canadian Starbucks gets interactive storefront display: Our friends living in the Great White North catch up with us, as their Starbucks stores in Toronto and Vancouver now offer more than just great coffee (something tells me there will be others who dispute this) and free Wi-Fi connectivity – we’re talking about interactive window displays that is guaranteed to grab the attention of any passers-by. This interactive display comes in the form of a vinyl screen, aided by a projector and gesture controls. This is definitely a whole lot cooler than having your regular poster or flat panel TV advertising the latest promotions – will we soon see augmented reality advertising at stores as well? One thing’s for sure – you can bet that Starbucks inventories in those stores will definitely see an increase in a window cleaner considering the future fingers that will dance all over the window.

New Unger Brush, Conferences, Starbucks & More

Abrasive and lightweight - the Unger HiFlo CarbonTec brush with boar bristles: The new Unger HiFlo CarbonTec brush head made from 100% boar bristles is the right choice for professional cleaners who want their tools to be durable and efficient. The brush head is made of pure mahogany wood, a lightweight but strong wood which retains its shape even under great stress and so is guaranteed to be easy and reliable to use. Brooms and brushes made of animal hair have been popular in cleaning throughout the ages. Experts like to use tools made of natural materials, particularly because of the build-up of electrostatic charge in synthetic bristles. The manually bonded boar bristles are more durable and better at retaining their shape: this latest brush from Unger has been proven to remove surface dirt more effectively than comparable nylon brushes. It is available in sizes 27cm and 40cm.

UK Contract Cleaning Market Research Report - Companies and Markets adds new report. This report on the UK contract cleaning market includes all aspects of the commercial and industrial cleaning market that is contracted out. This includes the interior cleaning of offices, factories, retail outlets etc; window cleaning; industrial equipment cleaning and disinfecting and extermination services. An overview of a number of industry players is also provided, including a five year financial analysis as well as a set of key financial ratios. The report does not attempt to provide a comprehensive list of the leading companies, but reviews a representative sample of the different types of companies operating in the sector in order to provide benchmarking opportunities of relevance to a variety of readers. The UK contract cleaning market research report is updated quarterly and is clearly illustrated with tables and diagrams analysing five year historical data together with five year forecasts. The report analyses the development of the market together with the market size, regional analysis, government employment issues and trends within the UK market. Yours for 600 quid ($1200).

.

The firing of a Taser stun gun that led an emotionally disturbed man to fall from a Brooklyn building ledge to his death on Wednesday appeared to have violated departmental guidelines, the police said on Thursday. The guidelines tell officers that when possible, the Taser, which fires barbs that deliver thousands of volts of electrical current, should not be used in situations when a person could fall from an elevated surface. A law enforcement official identified the lieutenant who gave the order to use the Taser as Michael Pigott, a 21-year veteran of the force. He was placed on modified assignment without his gun and badge, and the officer who fired the weapon was put on administrative duty amid an investigation by the Police Department and the Brooklyn district attorney. The police declined to identify the officer. Officers at the scene of the confrontation had called by radio for an inflatable bag as the events unfolded, but it had not yet arrived when the man, Iman Morales, 35, was struck with the device and fell, according to a statement by the department’s chief spokesman, Paul J. Browne.

GREAT NECK, N.Y., Hyman Golden - co-founder of Snapple Beverage has died at age 85 in Great Neck, N.Y., from complications of a stroke, his family says. In 1972, Golden and two partners took a small investment and turned it into a beverage business that eventually competed with industry giants such as Coca-Cola and PepsiCo., The New York Times reported Sunday. In 1994, Quaker Oats bought Snapple for about $1.7 billion when it had annual sales of $700 million and could be found in delis, stores, machines and homes throughout the country, the Times reported. Golden, who died Sept. 14, was born in Passaic, N.J., working first as a window-washer for his father, a Romanian immigrant, said his daughter, Sharon Golden Brenner.

NEW YORK - Starbucks has ended its four-year relationship US ad agency Wieden + Kennedy, putting its $55m advertising and media combined account up for grabs. The split has been attributed to creative differences less than a year after the coffee chain's first TV campaign. The campaign, which broke late last year in the US, introduced the line 'Pass the cheer'. One of the animated spots in the campaign showed penguins handing a cup of coffee to a window washer.

Finally "picture of the day" A church steeple was reflected on the side of a London building that window washers were cleaning Tuesday. (Adrian Dennis/Agence France-Press — Getty Images.) Click to enlarge.