| Date | Wed, 21 Sep 2005 23:38:34 +0000 |
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>>>I can't remember specifically 4 years later what was where on each piece of glass but it was a pretty typical thing we all see on commercial buildings except that it was exposed when the dirt and drywall dust was cleaned off - leaving us looking like the culprits. Bruce Ferguson <<<This is a 4 year old deal? I kinda got the impression it happened this year.At that time the building itself was about a year old.Anyway, the 4 and 5 year old scratches are still there.Yes, they are. Bozo construciton guys who don't tape off the glass correctly are irritating.Even if you can't tell new scratches from old ones, you probably can still determine whether or not they were fabricating debris scratches.Like i said before ther were some, just not from us.>>>It was after the figure 8's that their minds opened up a little and they were more conversational and receptive to what i had to say after that, which was the whole point. -- <<<At which point you chose not to trouble them with an explanation about fabricating debris issues on some tempered glass.More receptive, not completely trusting. They listened and understood about the construction stuff and i went on to explain how i have seen some construction folk in the past using 6" putty knives and gasoline to remove debris from windows.I took care of step one. They'll listen to someone else about a detailed explanation of fab debris. Remember it was our squeegees or "something" in their mind that was scratching the glass. I get into fab debris and i'm just a liar in their mind. It is a judgement call, perhaps they would have listened but i doubt it since they were cutting me off when i was trying to just explain that a squeegee doesn't scratch glass. AFter the demo i just stuck with what the construction guys did.I think window cleaners should be giving their customers an education on this issue instead of working their way around the problem.This is just one situation. I did choose to confine and close it out in the most expedient way. Had they not been so intent that we scratched their glass and instead just pointed it out and asked questions, i would have gone into all the detail they could handle. I will gladly explain about fab debris to the customers that don't fall asleep on me or will listen if they have something that i can't blade - paint etc.Some customers i have pointed out preexisting scratches to and they shrug and say oh i never noticed.>>>Had we scratched it i would have bucked up and took care of it as i have in other situations.<<<Really? How did you scratch the glass in these other situations?That should read: ...took care of it as i have with other things that truly were our responsibility - like replacing bladed tint or broken glassware that fell off a shelf or screens that our guys have torqued apart somehow.
That doesn't mean I'm saying i've never scratched glass. Sometimes doing a test area will leave your mark, or you have an impossible sticker on a commercial door (one time we told the property manager about the dilema and they said go ahead, it looked like crap afterward but you could tell 5 or 6 tenants signage had been bladed off before we even got there over time).
But it also doesn't mean i go around grabbing the customers hand and say look what i did! This 1 inch hairline scratch is mine! I don't know if you would have ever even noticed it but can i buy you a new 64 square foot piece of glass over your tub? Please?! :-)
You know what i mean?As a matter of fact, looking back, i pretty much only remember being accused of scratching glass when i know for a fact i didn't do it. Kind of ironic.--
Bruce Ferguson
Ferguson Window Cleaning
Murrieta, Ca