Employee quits and starts calling on your customers

Jeremy

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Indiana
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Jeremy
An employee of yours quit & started calling on all your commercial customers. This individual is armed with all the information about the client including: Point of Contact, Price, Frequency, Method Requirements and has in the past preformed sub-standard work (possibly on purpose in order to smudge your reputation so as to snatch all your commercial work now that he has left your company). How do you handle a situation like this?

What kind of person that would do this sort of thing?
 

J Scott W

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Shelbyville TN
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Jeffrey Scott Warrington
The best way to handle the situation is BEFORE it happens. Written agreements between employer and employee should include an enforceable non-compete agreement. (One that is restricted as to length of time and area).

Have it in writing - even if you consider the person a friend. That is the best way to do business. Prevents disagreements later. If you don't have it in writing, then he has a right to go into business for himself using whatever means he fells are ethical and legal.

As for the sub-standard work, inspect regularly.

I once had an employee who unknown to me sent a relative who was a competitor to do his commercial jobs while he took a months vacation. Did poor work under our name, then came in pointed out the "problems" with our companies work and took the account.

Think through all the possibilities when preparing the written agreement.

By the way, there is a company that produces some fine management manuals that include these forms.

Scott Warrington
 

Greenie

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How long can he cont. to steal accounts when his unit burnt to the ground last night?
 

Steve Smith

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Nov 15, 2006
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Caution:

Non-Compete contracts are illegal in some states.

Do not have employee's sign a non-compete if it is illegal in your state.
 
G

Guest

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These are my thoughts..

I had another great conversation with Mike Vernon yesterday.. Talk about motivating a guy.
One of the topics was growth.. how big? how small?

We both agreed it was nothing more than a personal relationship (the owner).. with his customers.

I dont think this would happen.. from my interviewing skills with an employee.
I'd cover this.

"you in any way shape or form.. sabbotage my company ( which is my birth name after all).. my reputation, my customer base.. and I'll f....ng ruin you. (and one family member to boot)

I dont know of anyone better to work for than my dad or myself. We'll go overboard.
But I do tell my buds from time to time.. You can have anything I have.. just name it. I dont care what it is. But don't cheat me or screw me over. If you ever screw me " my dick is bigger than yours''..

sorry to post it that way.. but thats how i say it. Straight up.

You should have a relationship with the customer. And in the conversation that you should have with each and every one.. both pre and post job.. .. tell them for any reason.. if quality isn't up to par.. to call you personally right then and there..... 24/7/365.. i dont give a damn if I"m sitting down at the T'giving dinner table or opening up Xmas presents. CALL ME!..
Let me know... and i'll personally address the issue right then with the tech.. and that will be the end of it. He wont get a second chance to do it. He'll know.. or be gone.

And in your example.. if that tech sabotaged your reputation.. they would have called under my theory. This couped with a little intimidation in hiring (in a good way.. LOL) .. written systems and procedures. non compete clauses.. a good interviewing skill, great work environments.. good pay, benefits.. and being a great friend and boss.. .. you'll be covered.

Its on you.. the owner.. to prevent this.

I personally put my name on my jobs.. literally,, and lord help the SOB that puts the nails to me. Ever seen a guy try to walk with an RX20 stuck up his ass? lol

Now the thought of that is funny.
 

The Great Oz

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bryan
Call your larger accounts and let them know a former employee left your firm and took customer contact information with him when he left. Apologize in advance for them potentially being troubled by a sales call from him, and that you appreciate their business. Send a form letter to all of your smaller or infrequent accounts with the same message.

Every ethical owner/manager would side with you against the unethical employee that thought he could steal your customer base.
 

MicahR

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Billings, MT
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Micah Richardson
Wyoming (Where I used to live) and Montana are both "Right to Work" states and a non compete isn't worth the paper it's written on.

When my Dad had his company in the Black Hills, SD he had a former employee not only try and steal accounts, he was signing up new ones acting as a representative of our company. It wasn't until we started getting complaints about his shoddy work that Dad found out what was going on. That's why he was let go in the first place...bad work and refusing to try and do anything about it. Even after repeated attempts to make sure he was properly trained.

Sometimes it doesn't matter how well you treat your employees and try to work with the ones that aren't up to par. They'll go behind your back and pull all sorts of crappy things.

I wouldn't worry about it too much. If your current customers are happy they'll be loyal. A courtesy call to see how things are going may be just what they need. I wouldn't even mention your former employee unless it warrants it.
 

Al

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Oct 9, 2006
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That's a tough issue, some good advise above though. My first instinct would be to pummel the dude, or sabotage his equipment. lol but I'm learning to control those instincts.

Like this guy that hurt my daughters eye's, I want to pay him a visit but I'm relying on the on the justice system to do it's part

I guess, Id do what OZ said and maybe confront the guy and give him a little scare like Dob's says.

If that don't work do what Greenie says.

AL
 

Jimmy L

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Oct 7, 2006
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Ne
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Jimmy L
I guess when you hire a CHIMP you don't expose him to the where with alls about your accounts.
He shows ,up pushes that OP machine and he goes home.

The local grocery store hires retards to take out groceries to the car maybe that would be an option next time.
Could advertise that you hire the handicap.


There are ways to deal with those who steal.
A baseball bat comes to mind.
 

Jeremy

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Indiana
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Jeremy
So.... All that being said- What is your opinion of this guy?
A)Young Professional you'd want to associate with
OR
B) Complete Low Life Cheat Scumbag Huckster?
 

GRHeacock

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Nov 23, 2006
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Ummm.... I think a cheat will always be a cheat, and ultimately will cut his own throat, so to speak.

My suggestion is not to worry about anything he does, and if he actually steals your customers, you will most likely get them back when he cheats them too.

Keep in touch with the customers, some will go with him some will not.

A further thought- nobody OWNS the customer. They are free to go with whoever they want. You do hope they will stay with you, or come back to you, but what is the possibility you took them from someone else when you got them?


I would not worry about it at all.

Gary
 
C

C. Copplepot

Guest
Maybe you should call him up and talk to him about what he is doing and ask him to stop. He probably doesn't even know , that you know what he's doing. Inform him stealing customers is not a right way to starting a business, that actions like that will be the reason he will not succeed at owning a business.
 

steve frasier

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steve frasier
tell Dobson to stay in his own neighbor hood
















Just kidding



I personally would go to all my accounts and tell them he is stealing from you, if you have loyal customers then they will take your side if not then I wouldn't want them as my customer anymore


I would have a brief conversation with the guy, other then that there ain't much you can do with out getting yourself in trouble
 

Tony Neville

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Tony Neville
I don't know who said it but, "there are very few personal or business problems that cannot be solved with a suitable amount of high explosives"

Tony
 

rhyde

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rhyde
Non competes are only enforceable if you have proprietary technology or systems most cleaners don’t
 

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