How do you guys feel about poaching?

[Mr. Bish]

Customer poaching that is :-0.

 

Round my way there is a company that writes to every customer that I do conservation forms or TPO forms for stating that if they want the job doing properly without risking giving the job to people who are not enviromentally and practically sound tree companies then give them a call.

 

I feel that it is beyond the bounds of normal business practice and that the company involved should perhaps advertise a bit more rather than trying to steal work after I have done all the paperwork.

 

Not exactly sure where this info comes from and if anyone does know the legitimate way of getting the information then please keep it to yourselves. It is getting to the point now where I feel the need to warn my clients that live in conservation areas that they will get approached after I have submitted the forms.

Just throwing this out there to canvass some opinion.

Not nameing names because the company involved is a user of this site.

Edited February 20, 2011 by Mr. Bish

[tommer9]

I would have thought that it is verging on a legal matter- certainly VERY unprofessional!!

This sort of thing generally backfires though, so unless it is really affecting your business I would let them play their games.....

[Mr. Bish]

It's more of an annoyance as they havn't actually managed to get any of my clients that I know of. I have copies of the letters sent to several loyal customers and other tree workers in my local town are haveing the same problem with this one particular company. :-(

[geoff]

I would confront the main man fairly but firmly,sounds like his letters could amount to libel.

He is after winning the contracts by frightening the client that you are not viable,thats treading on thin ice in my books,very low.

Hope you come out on top!

[Robert_S]

Phone the company up tell them who you are and ask them why they are doing it, they may not stop but they may stop doing it to you.

[WeeDee]

I would have thought that it is verging on a legal matter- certainly VERY unprofessional!!

This sort of thing generally backfires though, so unless it is really affecting your business I would let them play their games.....

 

I don't know the details, Mr. Bish, but - you at least have control over how YOU conduct yourself. You choose how you deal with your clients, you choose how you do your treework and you choose how you're going to react to this situation.

Remember, all of this colours your professional image - not just the monkey stuff.

I would guess that most of your customers will judge you on your work and not what they hear.

As Tommer says, take the moral high-ground and let your competitors work in a way they deem fit.

 

Dee

[Mr. Bish]

seems like general concensus is that they are not really playing fair and I should talk to the main man. I did meet his team in a snack van lay by but main man wasn't there and the workers just shrugged it off like they had no idea what I was on about.

 

If I do give them a call tomorrow I'll post the responce. My guess is I will get nowhere. they are big users of this site so I need to be a bit careful. My guess is by tomorrow they will be expecting a call :-)

 

At least it seems that it's a local problem to me here, not nationwide.

Edited February 20, 2011 by Mr. Bish

[Frank]

Rise above it. Stay one step ahead. Make sure you do everything you can to make sure that these letters Can NOT affect your business.

[MattyF]

Have had this my self never lost any work over it though,low thing to do IMO as already said it generally back fires on them.

[tommer9]

Good advice Frank.

If youconduct yourself in a professional and business like manner, and your standard of work and cutomer care is as good as it can be, than you ought to have nothing to worry about anyway.