U & Them

[Ed Valentine]

Is it possible to run your business and be competitive and be friends with your "local" (key element here) competition?

After all, you are constantly quoting and confronting other companies trying desperately to grab the business from you and acquire more customers. It would appear to be a real conflict of interest would it not? Would it be true, locally, that you can't trust anyone in business (competition?)

What are your thoughts?

 

[Shane Deubell]

I am friends with a couple and we usually just keep marketing topics vague, talk about employee issues or general business topics every business encounters.

 

[Ken Snow]

I count quite a few of our local cleaners as friendly competitors and business acquaintances. I don't socialize with any of them, but we are on very good terms and many of them plus dozens of others use us for rug cleaning or rug repair. Back in the local chapter days of our trade association I use to go to monthly chapter meetings and enjoyed the interaction at them.

 

[Torrey Express]

Me and Ross are best of friends and share a shop while direct competitors in every sense of the word. However Id hate to not have this relationship, as we have helped each other out so many times.

I'm crazy lucky to be in a city with many amazing cleaners. And bill Yeadon to put the cherry on top!

We have had lunches with a few guys like Tom King and "Green Joe" along with bill. We just talk in lines as Shane had mentioned.

Truth is most of us are/were just o/o were as Tom never set out from day one to be a o/o. So our mindsets were a bit different for better or for worse, but sharing with each other and feeding of the friendly spirit can be very productive!

If someone had a chip on their shoulder and doesn't want to talk or even give a friendly wave to a Fellow cc, they are just childish and small.

Cc owners of all sizes should band together and raise the bar on all aspects of service. It can only help.

 

[Desk Jockey]

Friends with many, go to lunch with a few, others just stop by if they have a question or want to talk business. We even give out their names and numbers when it's work that we are not going able to be competitive on. If we can help them out we will, we've sold them used equipment, rented them equipment, loaned them chem's until their orders came in, we've even done sub work for several.

In most markets there is just so much work out there, there is no reason to get childish on immature about it. Our marketing is not negative towards our competition, but focuses on the benefits the client receives by choosing us, instead of talking down our competitors.

There are a few "that don't play well with others" in our market but for the most part everyone pretty is civil.

 

[truckmount girl]

Marty version: YES!

Take care,
Lisa

 

[Mikey P]

I let two locals on here..

How much more generous could I possibly be?

We all send work the others way in the summer


What about you Ed?

Are you friends with other portable manufacturers?

 

[Ed Valentine]

What about you Ed?

Are you friends with other portable manufacturers?

YES, all.............................................................but maybe ONE. There is always ONE bad apple that spoils the barrel, and no, I forgot who that might be! (nor do I care really)
(hummm)

Funny you ask because a few of us were reminiscing about this very subject a couple weeks ago. I remember years ago meeting the competition at the trade shows (back then of course, this was the way it was done). Conversing, telling funny stories, hitting the Pubs in the evening. They were all nice people with different personalities. Hard working families, everyone of them, as well as their Reps & Distributors. Oh, sure, at the show, "their machines were better than the guys next to them, and so on..........but in the end, they were just terrific and just trying their best to make a living.

Fast forward to this day and age:

Maybe its the "Computer World; maybe its the loss of Honor, respect, integrity in our World, or, maybe its the focus on being the Biggest; who knows.

Hope this answers your question without being more specific than that.

 

[Desk Jockey]

There is always ONE bad apple that spoils the barrel, and no, I forgot who that might be!

We have one competitor that has radio ad's that say "We are not high priced like those Fire & Water Damage guys". LOL
It's directed at us, the other restoration guys clean very little carpet, some clean non at all.

We even give there name out when someone is look for a cheap cleaner. Whacha gonna do?

 

[Shane Deubell]

We have one competitor that has radio ad's that say "We are not high priced like those Fire & Water Damage guys". LOL
It's directed at us, the other restoration guys clean very little carpet, some clean non at all.

We even give there name out when someone is look for a cheap cleaner. Whacha gonna do?

Most of that stuff backfires anyway...

Hell i wouldn't even know who ed was or what product he made if not for people talking bad about him.

 

[Desk Jockey]

Not saying it hasn't happened but could you be mixing up products with the man? I just don't recall people talking bad about himself personally. ???

 

[Ken Snow]

Ditto Richard - I've never heard a bad word about Ed, he's a first class gentleman.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

 

[Shane Deubell]

Never have read a bad word on him in this forum either.

 

[Desk Jockey]

Although I'm not opposed to start talking bad about him.

 

[Mikey P]

Ed is looking to be a good fit here on this fine board of gentlemen.

 

[Mark Saiger]

Referred about 4 Water losses the past couple of weeks to others and on Saturday, invited the newer carpet cleaning to a Blues festival we helped sponsor. They appreciated the gesture but were unable to attend due to another family commitment. They have a son with special needs that takes more of their time. They are good people.

First time I met them they told me how much they appreciated my friendly waving to them all the time. The first time I met them was at a gas station and while shaking their hands, I introduced them to some other friends that stopped to say hi. While introducing them they told me how much they appreciated my waving and I joked that I also "use all 5 fingers to wave at them rather than just one". That broke the ice and it is nice to be able to at least talk and be cordial to One another (and joke around). A couple of my other competitors have some issues and I just tend to still be nice, but steer away from them.

 

[floorguy]

Some of them....cant get to cozy with all of them, then it just becomes weird...

But the last month is a perfect example...

Tim M machine was down for a whole month.....he threw the "have to be dones" my way, mostly PM types...

and he knows i am not going to try to swoop in and take them....thats the important part....

and so far we have never had to bid against each other....

Like Richard said....there is enough work out there...on the flip side...I am a pig about it and take everything i can

which being diversified helps.....in fact got a bid in with another carpet cleaner....14k of strip and wax... and 24k of carpet....i have no problem doing the floors, and let him do the carpets....

after all he invited me in....that would be bush league to try and steal it

 

[Jack May]

Doug, you raised an important point about respecting the others clients.

I have always networked with my competition, naturally not all, but those that closest match my values, work ethics, type and price of work. But if I send one of my own clients there, I want to see them coming back to me next time round.

I do the same for them, I rarely leave any of my promotional material and they never get any ongoing marketing from me.

So if its one of my previous clients, I make sure the other guy knows. If its a general call, I give then the other guys numbers and let them have it, they may or may not not I referred them.

I have had a couple of incidents in the past, one guy I taught some stuff to, gave him a hand and a few months later is undercutting my clients.... I took a fairly dim view of that.

I don't socialise with them, but happy to chat, wave etc when we meet. Expect my dad of course!

John

 

[Lee Stockwell]

Good to see you back John!

 

[TimM]

Like what Doug said. We help each other out and have an understanding that our regulars are off limits. I send jobs to Doug and I will tell them if they are not one of my regulars and if it leads into something good for him, its all his.

 

[Barry-QDCC]

While I really don't know personally any of my completion, and I generally don't even bother to wonder or worry about what they are doing or charging, nor I am unfriendly towards anyone - my overall motto is that it's "me AGAINST them".

 

[juniorc82]

While I really don't know personally any of my completion, and I generally don't even bother to wonder or worry about what they are doing or charging, nor I am unfriendly towards anyone - my overall motto is that it's "me AGAINST them".

I think it may be worth your while and be a little more open minded. As a cleaner only I have an awesome relationship with a local service master and shared several jobs with them. I will also be working in chavez's neck of the woods this week helping mike hughes (another small company owner I actualy met on this board) work some massive student housing turnover on Tuesday and wed. I have usualy found that being cool with people has opened way more doors for me. Actualy I would say 10% of our gross comes from either referals or collaborations with other firms. With that said there are a couple situations I have learned from. I have an ongoing beef with a knuckle head hack about 30 miles up the road from me who has a very similar name to us and even walked into a building while one of my subs was in there working and gave him a hard time. I have also had to sever ties with a housekeeping and maid service because the owner was a drama queen and I felt like being associated with her was bringing a bad energy to my business. Other than a couple of cleaners who only hit me up when they are between a rock and a hard place I get along with most great and enjoy learning and hanging out with them. I never realized how much work was out there and there is way more than enough to go around so Im happy to be cool with everyone

 

[Barry-QDCC]

I think it may be worth your while and be a little more open minded. As a cleaner only I have an awesome relationship with a local service master and shared several jobs with them. I will also be working in chavez's neck of the woods this week helping mike hughes (another small company owner I actualy met on this board) work some massive student housing turnover on Tuesday and wed. I have usualy found that being cool with people has opened way more doors for me. Actualy I would say 10% of our gross comes from either referals or collaborations with other firms. With that said there are a couple situations I have learned from. I have an ongoing beef with a knuckle head hack about 30 miles up the road from me who has a very similar name to us and even walked into a building while one of my subs was in there working and gave him a hard time. I have also had to sever ties with a housekeeping and maid service because the owner was a drama queen and I felt like being associated with her was bringing a bad energy to my business. Other than a couple of cleaners who only hit me up when they are between a rock and a hard place I get along with most great and enjoy learning and hanging out with them. I never realized how much work was out there and there is way more than enough to go around so Im happy to be cool with everyone

Oh I'm cool with everyone....but my statement still stands. I've been in the business since 1994 so it's worked for me so far. But to each his own, right?

 

[juniorc82]

Ya for sure. Im just speaking from my own experience in my service area.

 

[Ron K]

Besides the Five Finger Wave do any of you guys do anything more to say thanks????? Dead Presidents ???? Christmas we send our Calendar but anything else?

 

[amygeorge]

I don’t have competition like you guys have, but I do have a local guy that has a portable, but doesn’t clean for a living any longer, and another O\O with a portable 30 miles away. I send business their way on a regular basis. If the customer is shopping price, I tell them to call those folks. If we can’t get to a customer right away, please call this fella… I have gotten a few referrals from the local guy, but the other guy, whom I regularly send business to - doesn’t ever do me the same courtesy. I saw him in town one day, pulled over, introduced myself, paid for his lunch and visited for a few minutes. I think it shocked him and he didn’t know how to act. But, he still doesn’t want to be my friend. FYI, he ain’t from around these parts - retired here.

 

[amygeorge]

I don’t have competition like you guys have, but I do have a local guy that has a portable, but doesn’t clean for a living any longer, and another O\O with a portable 30 miles away. I send business their way on a regular basis. If the customer is shopping price, I tell them to call those folks. If we can’t get to a customer right away, please call this fella… I have gotten a few referrals from the local guy, but the other guy, whom I regularly send business to - doesn’t ever do me the same courtesy. I saw him in town one day, pulled over, introduced myself, paid for his lunch and visited for a few minutes. I think it shocked him and he didn’t know how to act. But, he still doesn’t want to be my friend. FYI, he ain’t from around these parts - retired here.

 

[Lee Stockwell]

Native Texans are a very polite bunch. Driving thru the Hill country north from San Antonio to WF they all pull over to the right shoulder to let faster cars pass.

Wouldn't happen in Michigan.

 

[The Great Oz]

Is it possible to run your business and be competitive and be friends with your "local" (key element here) competition?

After all, you are constantly quoting and confronting other companies trying desperately to grab the business from you and acquire more customers. It would appear to be a real conflict of interest would it not? Would it be true, locally, that you can't trust anyone in business (competition?)

Friends with lots of locals through the trade association, since those are guys willing to share. They know the only secrets are the ones you think no one else knows. Refer jobs, get referrals, get back-up opinions on problems... There's stuff to learn from everyone, but those that only want a free education aren't worth the bother.

The bad guys turn over too fast and reach a market segment we don't worry about.

 

[amygeorge]

Lee, you’re right about moving over on the shoulder for folks to pass. But, it's not as common as it used to be. When I lived in Missouri in the early 90’s, I would get so frustrated when driving. I once brought a bunch of friends home and we drove from Dallas to Padre Island, they couldn’t believe people would actually do that. Then again, our roads have better shoulders. I was in South Carolina a few months ago and I pulled over for someone to pass and the folks in my car freaked out.