As I sat in the pizza place, watching my daughter eat her lunch I was looking past her, thinking about doing the same thing with MY dad. This is Christmas Eve and I needed to get a few things completed at work. She asked if she could come with me and I was glad for the company - as a dad of 4, I don't get as much one on one time with them as I would like. It cost me lunch and she insisted on listening to the Disney channel on Satellite radio all morning.
Its funny what brings back memories, isn't it? As her toes thawed out, I was smiling because I remember having the same complaints almost 40 years ago.
Anyway, that's all. No big announcement from the company. No boasting about an acheivement. Just sharing a little Christmas present I got today from my daughter Hannah.
Merry Christmas to all.
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Friday, December 11, 2009
Reaching new heights
I had some fun this week. I was asked to help a friend in the industry solve a problem. You see, he works for a large, predominantly high rise company and was on a fairly big project that came up late in the season. His high rise guys were doing this seven storey condominium complex but, due to poor installation of the roof anchors, they couldn't access some areas of the building.
I went in, planning to clean what I could for him, but not knowing what we could get at. I called my supplier (Waterfed Canada) and they dropped off a couple of extra sections for my Gardiner Super Lite water fed pole. I set it up, and kept adding sections. Eventually, we made it all the way up to the full 7 storeys!
As well as reaching the height we did, we used our back pack delivery system, essentially a mini resevoir and pump, to gain access about 500' from the accessible hose bib.
Here's where I hope you'll allow me to gloat. There was NO other way to get these windows cleaned. Lifts couldn't get to the back of the building and the roof anchors were unsafe. It felt pretty good getting this done for my friend. It also felt really good pushing the limits of my equipment.
I went in, planning to clean what I could for him, but not knowing what we could get at. I called my supplier (Waterfed Canada) and they dropped off a couple of extra sections for my Gardiner Super Lite water fed pole. I set it up, and kept adding sections. Eventually, we made it all the way up to the full 7 storeys!
As well as reaching the height we did, we used our back pack delivery system, essentially a mini resevoir and pump, to gain access about 500' from the accessible hose bib.
Here's where I hope you'll allow me to gloat. There was NO other way to get these windows cleaned. Lifts couldn't get to the back of the building and the roof anchors were unsafe. It felt pretty good getting this done for my friend. It also felt really good pushing the limits of my equipment.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
New Service Offering
Well, I am excited.
I have wanted to expand on what we offer our clients but have never found anything that I can wrap my mind around. You see, I am a career window cleaner and business owner. It took me a while to think of something that would suit me. I have heard clients ask me for the name of someone to help with some small repair or oddball cleaning project many times over the years. As I am also an avid do-it-yourself'er I thought of offering our services as handymen. I am not looking to renovate a basement - let someone else do that. I want to paint a room, replace a faucet, hang a door, etc., etc., etc. Do you have a project or two that just isn't getting done that you'd like us to do?
Don't get me wrong. We are not master painters, master electricians, or master carpenters. We ARE, however, capable, careful, service oriented guys that want to help you with some of life's little annoyances.
We are offering these services from December to March while the demand for our window cleaning services is low and expect our schedule to fill up quickly. Give us a call to talk about your needs.
I have wanted to expand on what we offer our clients but have never found anything that I can wrap my mind around. You see, I am a career window cleaner and business owner. It took me a while to think of something that would suit me. I have heard clients ask me for the name of someone to help with some small repair or oddball cleaning project many times over the years. As I am also an avid do-it-yourself'er I thought of offering our services as handymen. I am not looking to renovate a basement - let someone else do that. I want to paint a room, replace a faucet, hang a door, etc., etc., etc. Do you have a project or two that just isn't getting done that you'd like us to do?
Don't get me wrong. We are not master painters, master electricians, or master carpenters. We ARE, however, capable, careful, service oriented guys that want to help you with some of life's little annoyances.
We are offering these services from December to March while the demand for our window cleaning services is low and expect our schedule to fill up quickly. Give us a call to talk about your needs.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Cleaning with Pure Water
By far the most exciting new tool in our industry is Pure Water. Ok, it isn't a technology but a product. If it is coupled with a Water Fed Pole, it IS the most exciting thing to happen in our industry in a very long time.
If you think about the final rinse that a GOOD car wash gives you and couple that with a quality brush and pole, you've got the makings of Pure Water Window cleaning.
I am typically asked a couple of standard questions when I introduce the concept to clients.
1. How can you lift a pole that long and how do you control it? The older poles were pretty challenging to say the least. I still have a couple of friends that are dedicated users of them, although I am not, I suppose, man enough for that. My new poles are both made from Carbon Fibre, giving a surprising combination of strength and ease of use.
2. Do you use a squeegee? No. After the window is scrubbed and rinsed correctly, the water is left to dry on the glass. No squeegee or towels are needed. This is just as revolutionary as when the squeegee was introduced decades ago when clients were accustomed to seeing their window cleaner using a chamois (cowhide) and cloth (or 'scrim', irish linen).
3. Why use this instead of the squeegee? The finish is remarkable. We can clean the entire frame as well as the glass- removing cobwebs, etc. There is never an issue of dirty water being used too long as fresh water is constantly being sent through the system and onto the glass. The glass stays clean longer. The glass is cleaned without the use of chemicals or detergents. This means that there won't be anything left behind on the glass that will grab airborne dust and dirt. If you're interested in hearing about glass being made of sand, making it a rough surface at a microscopic level, blah blah blah, just ask me and I will regale you with all of it.
The other part of this new tool that excites me is the opportunity to take on taller work. I think nothing now of saying 'yes' to commercial or residential clients that have 4th or even 5th storey windows. In fact, we did some the other day that were a low 6th storey! In the past, we were hemmed in by the length of our ladders and strength of our character. In all the years we have been in business, it was very rare to reach the 4th floor to clean windows, let alone the heights we get to now!
Thanks for reading this. I hope it helped explain what we do a little bit. Visit our Pure Water page on our website for more information.
BTW don't get the impression that this is all we use. We have been cleaning windows for quite some time and have picked up a few things along the way. We can hand polish when necessary, squeegee others, but try to use our new toys / tools whenever feasible.
If you think about the final rinse that a GOOD car wash gives you and couple that with a quality brush and pole, you've got the makings of Pure Water Window cleaning.
I am typically asked a couple of standard questions when I introduce the concept to clients.
1. How can you lift a pole that long and how do you control it? The older poles were pretty challenging to say the least. I still have a couple of friends that are dedicated users of them, although I am not, I suppose, man enough for that. My new poles are both made from Carbon Fibre, giving a surprising combination of strength and ease of use.
2. Do you use a squeegee? No. After the window is scrubbed and rinsed correctly, the water is left to dry on the glass. No squeegee or towels are needed. This is just as revolutionary as when the squeegee was introduced decades ago when clients were accustomed to seeing their window cleaner using a chamois (cowhide) and cloth (or 'scrim', irish linen).
3. Why use this instead of the squeegee? The finish is remarkable. We can clean the entire frame as well as the glass- removing cobwebs, etc. There is never an issue of dirty water being used too long as fresh water is constantly being sent through the system and onto the glass. The glass stays clean longer. The glass is cleaned without the use of chemicals or detergents. This means that there won't be anything left behind on the glass that will grab airborne dust and dirt. If you're interested in hearing about glass being made of sand, making it a rough surface at a microscopic level, blah blah blah, just ask me and I will regale you with all of it.
The other part of this new tool that excites me is the opportunity to take on taller work. I think nothing now of saying 'yes' to commercial or residential clients that have 4th or even 5th storey windows. In fact, we did some the other day that were a low 6th storey! In the past, we were hemmed in by the length of our ladders and strength of our character. In all the years we have been in business, it was very rare to reach the 4th floor to clean windows, let alone the heights we get to now!
Thanks for reading this. I hope it helped explain what we do a little bit. Visit our Pure Water page on our website for more information.
BTW don't get the impression that this is all we use. We have been cleaning windows for quite some time and have picked up a few things along the way. We can hand polish when necessary, squeegee others, but try to use our new toys / tools whenever feasible.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Good Day
Today was a good day. It made me happy to be a window cleaner, or rather, a window cleaning company owner operator.
I was spurred to reliving some memories that made me momentarily forget all the annoyances of business ownership these days - too many bills/ too few receipts - mind numbingly, bone jarringly stupid decisions made by management (ok, me).
I went to a home today and was having a really pleasant conversation with the home owner, a gentleman that I had never met before. We shared a hobby interest and our conversation sprang from there. I asked him what he did before he retired. Well, he played pro football for at least 2 teams, administered a well known boxer's career and then had a successful career himself at HBO. This wasn't someone that was living in a posh part of town, just a normal place where anyone would have lived happily.
I have been in the home of the Captain of the local hockey team. I have been in our Premier's home. I have been in the studio of a well known children's book illustrator. I have ridden on top of an elevator to clean the interior of a glass elevator shaft. I have leaned over the side of a building, using a tucker pole upside down to reach what was unreachable from the ground (Hmm have I ever told my wife about that one? It was never repeated).
The thing that topped them all was entering a home to find that this was the home of the man that created, wrote, directed and voiced my all time favourite tv show from when I was a kid. Hammy Hamster.
I love talking to my clients. They are captains of industry and soccer moms. Teachers and car mechanics. Brand new parents and experienced grand parents. Every one of them has a story. most are pretty cool to hear.
Tomorrow, I will make more of those ridiculously foolish decisions that have become my hallmark. Today they didn't matter in the least.
I was spurred to reliving some memories that made me momentarily forget all the annoyances of business ownership these days - too many bills/ too few receipts - mind numbingly, bone jarringly stupid decisions made by management (ok, me).
I went to a home today and was having a really pleasant conversation with the home owner, a gentleman that I had never met before. We shared a hobby interest and our conversation sprang from there. I asked him what he did before he retired. Well, he played pro football for at least 2 teams, administered a well known boxer's career and then had a successful career himself at HBO. This wasn't someone that was living in a posh part of town, just a normal place where anyone would have lived happily.
I have been in the home of the Captain of the local hockey team. I have been in our Premier's home. I have been in the studio of a well known children's book illustrator. I have ridden on top of an elevator to clean the interior of a glass elevator shaft. I have leaned over the side of a building, using a tucker pole upside down to reach what was unreachable from the ground (Hmm have I ever told my wife about that one? It was never repeated).
The thing that topped them all was entering a home to find that this was the home of the man that created, wrote, directed and voiced my all time favourite tv show from when I was a kid. Hammy Hamster.
I love talking to my clients. They are captains of industry and soccer moms. Teachers and car mechanics. Brand new parents and experienced grand parents. Every one of them has a story. most are pretty cool to hear.
Tomorrow, I will make more of those ridiculously foolish decisions that have become my hallmark. Today they didn't matter in the least.
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Introductions
Welcome to my brand new blog. I am going to try to write about window cleaning related topics over the coming months and maybe throw in some personal observations along the way.
I am the president of Rileys' Cleaning Services, Inc., a primarily window cleaning business with an openness to other cleaning endeavours... our website tells about some of our history and current activities.
My father, Thomas Riley, owned and operated Rileys window cleaning since he bought Ed's window cleaning from a gentleman named Ed Thompson in 1956. When I took over, I registered the name "Rileys' Window Cleaning" to denote my feeling that I wasn't in this alone - there was more than one Riley in the company, not just me.
We work throughout the GTA - Leaside, Forest Hill, Rosedale, Downtown, The Beach, East York, Riverdale, North York, Scarborough, Thornhill, Markham, Stouffville - Just hopefully not everywhere in one day :-).
We use what you might think of as traditional window cleaning equipment as well as the newest technology in the industry to take on many varied types of projects in the safest way possible.
That's it for now in this inaugural post. I hope I didn't bore you overly much.
I hope that if you are in need (or want) of window cleaning for either your home or business in the Greater Toronto Area, you will give us the opportunity to supply you with a quote.
John Riley,
Rileys' Window Cleaning
http://www.rileyswindowcleaning.com/
416 421 5758
I am the president of Rileys' Cleaning Services, Inc., a primarily window cleaning business with an openness to other cleaning endeavours... our website tells about some of our history and current activities.
My father, Thomas Riley, owned and operated Rileys window cleaning since he bought Ed's window cleaning from a gentleman named Ed Thompson in 1956. When I took over, I registered the name "Rileys' Window Cleaning" to denote my feeling that I wasn't in this alone - there was more than one Riley in the company, not just me.
We work throughout the GTA - Leaside, Forest Hill, Rosedale, Downtown, The Beach, East York, Riverdale, North York, Scarborough, Thornhill, Markham, Stouffville - Just hopefully not everywhere in one day :-).
We use what you might think of as traditional window cleaning equipment as well as the newest technology in the industry to take on many varied types of projects in the safest way possible.
That's it for now in this inaugural post. I hope I didn't bore you overly much.
I hope that if you are in need (or want) of window cleaning for either your home or business in the Greater Toronto Area, you will give us the opportunity to supply you with a quote.
John Riley,
Rileys' Window Cleaning
http://www.rileyswindowcleaning.com/
416 421 5758
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