Being spyed on by competition (crazy story!)

[Kevin. McCreary]

I'm sure everyone here has had a phone call from the competition price shopping you.

This story is crazy. I had a local business call me for an estimate. I gave them the estimate.

They call the same day and booked the job. The office and store we cleaned where beautiful. Top of the line

carpet, granite floors, top of the line everything. I meet the owner for the first time, he says "we called you

because you had the best looking truck". Ok ,whatever thanks. So they like our work and continue to use me for

4 years in their homes and 6 retail locations around town. Some of the top employees also had their carpet cleaned.

The owner guy is RICH! 3 million dollar home with his own lake and a security camera in every room. One day I'm giving

an estimate to one of the "rich guys" competitors and see one of his employees acting as a customer. I said hi and almost

blew his cover. Later in the parking lot I saw him again and he told me he was spying. One day I was cleaning

a staircase at the "rich guys" house and he looked down the stairs at me and said "you make six figures doing this right?"

I just nodded my head and said "yup" under my breath. That was the last time I ever talked to him. Yesterday I was going

through my local Chamber of Commerce directory and saw him listed in the carpet cleaning business that he started around the last

time I talked to him. I put one and two together and figured out he is marketing my same subdivisions, copied my price structure,

and copied my whole way of doing business. The guy probably even has security videos of me cleaning his house and offices.

I don't know if I should be pissed or I should use this opportunity to brush up the image and stay on top of my game. I guess both.

By the way the guy stiffed me for $637 on the last bill I ever sent him I guess thats enough to be pissed!

Why on earth would some mega rich dude be interested in a silly carpet cleaning business?

 

[Rex Tyus]

Why on earth would some mega rich dude be interested in a silly carpet cleaning business?

He is a business man. We as carpet cleaners have a habit of talking too much about how "well" we are doing. Did you think he was asking about how much you made so he could invite you to join his country club?

That guy was obvious of his intentions by his comments. Some are more subtle, like...."SO, how many houses do you do a day?" Translation: if a scrub like you can make a $100 bucks an hour I can too.

The next shoe to drop will be General Contractors agressively entering the restoration market.

 

[Bruce Humphrey]

I'm sure the guy thinks he can do in a few years what it has taken you a lot of year to accomplish.

 

[The Great Oz]

Contractors entered the restoration market years ago. Today they're killing restoration specialists because they're looking for anything they can do to earn a buck.

The cool thing about the "mega rich dude" is that he probably believes that it really is easy money and he can train techs in two days. Many, many companies have entered this biz and gone home with healthy losses, so use this to sharpen up and be prepared to compete with him for a year or so until he realizes the profit margin isn't what he was led to believe.

You can buy the equipment from him when he gives up.

 

[hogjowl]

Amen

 

[CleanEvo]

You can always tell when someone's fishing a little too much about your business, how it's doing, do you make decent money, how much does the equipment cost (always a lot).

I always make sure I leave the impression that it's grueling work and the pay's not that great after expenses... kind of like February all year long.

 

[-JB-]

... kind of like February all year long.

classic.

 

[Guest]

I might think he doesn't have near the money you think anymore.

 

[Curtis Pennington]

2 guys I know here, who sheeet money started CC here...go figure...like they fookin need it , they got a rude wake up vcall coming.

 

[Guest]

You never bill residential jobs!, you will never get paid!!!

We have a thing here in America its call "The Free Enterprise System"

 

[Kevin. McCreary]

You never bill residential jobs!, you will never get paid!!!

We have a thing here in America its call "The Free Enterprise System"

I agree, I only billed him because he was really "commercial".

I, agree with everything you guys have said, it makes me feel a lot better about it.

 

[TimP]

[quote="Kevin McCreary":34a8e2un]
Why on earth would some mega rich dude be interested in a silly carpet cleaning business?

He is a business man. We as carpet cleaners have a habit of talking too much about how "well" we are doing. Did you think he was asking about how much you made so he could invite you to join his country club?

That guy was obvious of his intentions by his comments. Some are more subtle, like...."SO, how many houses do you do a day?" Translation: if a scrub like you can make a $100 bucks an hour I can too.

The next shoe to drop will be General Contractors agressively entering the restoration market.[/quote:34a8e2un]

I have a bad habit of saying how bad things are going.....right now.

 

[Jimbo]

"By the way the guy stiffed me for $637 on the last bill I ever sent him I guess thats enough to be pissed!"





He would qualify for my "Double your dirt back guarantee!"

 

[Ernie G]

About 15 or 20 years ago, I had a client that bought a serv-pro franchise because he thought we were making so much money cleaning his house. His wife was not happy(in her words) because she loved our service and did not want to switch. Five years went by, i get a call from her, and she wants us to clean her carpet. She tells me she's so happy that her husband finally sold his cc busn., she hated the service and cleaning she was getting the last five years. I have to admit, that felt pretty good.

 

[Guest]

I say you send Rocko and Vinnie to call him on his debt; it works really well!!!

Oh yeah; Never bill residential!!

 

[tman7]

By the way the guy stiffed me for $637 on the last bill I ever sent him I guess thats enough to be pissed!

You know what a property lien is right? Worked for me when I had a deadbeat stiff me. Kinda funny story - This guy was putting his house up for sale wanted to get it ready for market so he had me come out and clean the carpets. While I was cleaning he was working in the back- after finishing I came around to look for him and found him unconcious. Called 911; paramedics came and were able to revive him (found out later he gone into shock from too much insulin - so his brother told me) anways, didnt feel right trying to collect for the job since he was being attended to by the medics, so I just left intending to contact him later. When I talked to him a few days later he seemed appreciateive to me for helping him and told me he would mail me the check. Long story short: he never sent it and never returned any of my calls again. So eventually sent him a certified letter stating my intent to file a lien on his home. (refused to sign for it). But when time came for him to sell the house guess who got paid + interest? I cant help but wonder if it was all just an act to try to get a free cleaning.

 

[Kevin. McCreary]

Man I don't think I would go through all the trouble for $637.

However now that he is in the cc business it would be more fun!

I don't think the Rocco and Vinnie thing would work. I think they are already on his payroll.

Maybe just one of those hockey puck sized pool bleach tabs in the fresh water tank or something!