What a Scot wears under his kilt may be a mystery for the ages, but surely a man wearing a skirt while up a ladder cleaning your windows would aim for discretion. And warmth.
Vancouver company Men In Kilts Window Cleaning knows all about that. They are men who clean your windows. In kilts. They may have been around for 11 years with nine outposts across North America, but we couldn't resist phoning them up to get the background on this hilarious—and rather genius—business venture.
Launched in 2002, Men In Kilts sprang from a punchline. After founder Nicholas Brand and his wife decided they wanted to start a window cleaning company, they began brainstorming ways to stand out. It was a friend who jokingly suggested Brand should wear a kilt because he's Scottish.
"We all had a laugh and thought, 'You know what, that's not a bad idea. Nobody will forget us,'" Brand told The Huffington Post B.C. "And we ran with it from there."
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Men In Kilts Window Cleaning
One might think that company specializing in men who wear kilts has a predominantly female clientele, but Brand says this actually isn't the case.
"The reality is, we really pride ourselves on delivering a service experience that is unheard of in the window cleaning industry," he said. "People are just looking for a reputable, professional company they can trust. Two of our biggest clients are male. I think it's the service we provide that keeps them coming back."
Brand cites the fact that all calls across North America are connected to a central call centre with an average wait time of less than 30 seconds, and the fact that the company is open for business six days a week, as reasons people keep choosing them. Beyond that, he says, it's about his company's genuine care for its customers—and, of course, a charismatic staff.
"I think we naturally attract a certain outgoing, extroverted personality," said Brand. "One of our franchisees hired a guy, and on his first day he came back to the office and said, 'I'm finally getting the attention I've deserved!'"
And the underwear question? A very tasteful option of shorts or leggings, and on colder days, probably both.
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