Stealing Clients From Other Companies

[JimLewis]

Hey, what's the slickest way you've taken a client from another company?

I've taken many a client away from other companies but I was always contacted by the client first. I've never overtly approached them. But I often have the urge to go try to steal a client from another lawn care company. Particularly when I can see they are doing crappy work.

Anyone have any good stories where they stole someone else's client?

[HOMER]

I try not to engage in blatant theft. If I see a guy doing poor quality work and I know there may be a change coming soon I will send them a letter letting the potential "new" customer I am rarin' to go!

What I have picked up so far was from leg work, foot work, letters, phone calls, word of mouth, and advertising. In small town America where everybody knows everybody----or knows of them, it puts a strain on relationships. I don't have that killer instinct, thank God, but I try not to miss an opportunity either.

I guess the worst thing I have done was when I was making the transition to full time, I got a call that one of the largest companys in town was going out of business. I got on the phone and picked up 3 of his accounts right off the bat---------I didn't know the business was for sale at the time, it was only out of operation for 1 week! Oh well, I pounced and still have them today, that was 3 years ago.

[lawman]

I would not go out look to steal some ones business. Now if the other guys client was not happy with their work and came over tome or called my for a price I am not going to turn it down. I feel that what goes around come around. I you go out a steal you may do well for a short time, but in the long run this practice will hurt your business.

[MJ]

I wouldn't see anything at all wrong with what Homer described. Just business. Anyone see it otherwise?

Mick

[capital]

I don't think you can steal accounts per say. IE clients are for the most part very loyal. The ones you can steal are usually looking for low ball bids or rebid their property every year. "Not the type of accounts we usually persue." But like Homer said if a property calls you because they are not happy with their current service why not persue it. We do target neighbors of exsiting accounts but no hard ball approach, just a letter or a friendly hello when mowing. Find its easier that way and word of mouth from the exsiting clients is the best referal there is.

[SLC1]

There is no such thing as stealing someones customer, if there customer is willing to look at another contractors estimate then that customer is fair game, we take customers from other companies and we also have them taken from us so we dont take it to heart when we lose a customer and when we take one from one of the other customers, the only time I would consider it underhanded is if you knowingly low ball the price but even then, thats your problem not the other contractors, Just My two cents

[HOMER]

I disagree,


I think you summed it up by saying you take and they take. I would take it to heart if someoneI knew went to my accounts and took them by whatever means. I would find out from the customer if they had a problem with what I was doing and if so why did they not give me a chance to correct it. If it was just a plain old sales job or the other company offered more services and they wanted to roll everything into one then I wouldn't have an argument, it would be my fault for not competing on their level. Apples to apples I don't think I'm any less than the others and probably better than most.

Your losing accounts and then re-taking others, that just sounds cut-throat to me and so far I have been fortunate to pick up from the dissatisfied and maintain satisfaction with my existing customers. A letter from time to time is a suttle aproach and leaves the ball in the customers court, if they aren't happy maybe they'll call me if they are then they won't, either way that's fine with me.

[Twotoros]

If you are out offering prices that are a loss to you then in my opinion you are a thief . Nine were stole from me last year. If they offered more or better service for the same price I would not consider that stealing. Usually it is the customers that are cheapskates looking for a deal.
What scares me is that in my redneck of the woods these lowballers are doing damn good work. I know they will drive themseles out of biz but there is akways another 1 or 2 stepping into their shoes.

[tpirobert]

I don't "go after' or try to "steal" anyones accounts. I do advertise and flyer to homes and businesses that are in areas we work in. I assume someone is taking care of XXX factory, but I see no reason not to make them aware of my services. I recently got a call from a homeowner looking for fert/weed apps for lawn. I go out and look at lawn and it is perfect. His current service he feels is ignoring him and gotten too big, too fast. I know the owner of that service and we have referred work to each other. I'll give Mr. homeowner a bid AND call my buddy to give him a "heads up" about this customer. I know I can make the lawn look no better, but a call back on phone is just as important to this homeowner. Now, if I get this account I'm going to feel like the customer made the choice. Hopefull my buddy won't think I stole it.

[awm]

I dont go after anyones accts as that is wrong
I think.On the other hand any lawn out there
is a potential customer.Thats not going after
anyones buisiness.Thats going after buisiness
period,which is what free enterprize is all
about.

[Evan528]

I do not go after other landscapers accounts. If i am confronted by a homeowner who is unhappy with there current landscaper I will give them a estimate. Landscapers around here do not take it lightly when you "take" there accounts. Ive had my share of threats from landscapers who arent happy that i now do there old account! I do not low ball... in most cases I am more expensive then they were. Its a funny thing... some people actually care more about quality then price ;)!

[kermit]

Customers don't "belong" to you. If I can take them away from you then they weren't very happy with your service. All companies try to lure the competition's clientelle. If you can't stand the heat stay out of the kitchen.

[VLM]

I simply keep an eye on the competition. If they have an account I would like to have and they are doing inferior work I will drop off a flier or even speak with the homeowner if the chance avails itself. Sometimes they are so dissatisfied with the current service that I get the account and my competition has no idea what happened. I don't do this regularly as a means of getting new bus. but if someone is getting screwed I won't hesitate to go for it. By the way, I don't think you CAN steal an account because they don't rightly BELONG to anyone, they are free to choose their lawn service provider.

[HOMER]

Opinions are like.............well you get the picture.

I try to run an ethical business and treat others with respect. Call it stealing or free enterprise or whatever you want but I have bills to pay and I won't participate in unethical business practices. I haven't done it so it hasn't been done to me. As soon as I start I'm sure there will be someone doing it to me in return...........I don't wish to live that way, I like the security of knowing I'll have the same customers next month as I do now and probably some more to boot.

The Golden rule applies in my house, run yours however you want.

[Michael Fronczak]

I have a couple of friends in this business, other than that all properties are fair game. In this area all commercial work is done by cold calling. If a property is in an area we service and I think the property will fit in. I call them and request the specs. or ask if bids are being accepted. I know that the properties I do work on recieve bids, thats why I sell them multi-year contracts. Thats just business. I don't bid on my friends properties though. Where I live the yellow pages have around 6 pages of adds of lawn cos. If you aren't out activly selling,(just waiting for calls, your not going to make any growth), I do consider putting out flyers activly selling. I prefer, and have had better results with cold calls to commercial customers.
The preception that you are stealing somones client is absurd. Clients have a mind of their own, free to make their own choices. If they choose to go with a new contractor for whatever reason(prices, quality of work, ect.) that's their choice. All you are there to do is let them know your out there, and this is how much I will charge you for it. If you have the mindset that, a client is owned by a contractor, you're very wrong, and the contractor that thinks, I own this client or this is my property, is walking a fine line.
You need to look out for your business, if you think another contractor or a low-baller won't come in and bid on one of "your"properies, your crazy, they will. I have bid on residental work, entire package deals(apps included) knowing that contractor I was bidding against was not licesnced, told client, "I don't think he's licesened, please check", I called them a week later to check on there decision, they went with him. Clients make their own decisions period.

[Rodney Johns]

I think the most positive way to approach this is to earn a customers business. For the most part bad mouthing the competition is the worst thing to do which thank god some of my competitors don't know the first thing about business. Everytime they trash me or low ball me it only tends to play into my advantage. Guys who are working for free are short lived and really should not be considered a threat to business.
On the other hand it nevers hurts to let other potential clients know that you are available if needed. Often a customer is looking but does not no who to call. This can be from unsatisfied customers or people looking for a service for the first time.

[geogunn]

Originally posted by jimlewis
Hey, what's the slickest way you've taken a client from another company?

the slickest way that I have ever taken someone elses account is by:

(1) returning phone calls,

(2) showing up on time for an estimate appointment,

(3) and doing what I said I would do for the agreed price.

of course, this really isn't theft of a client. it's just doing what you are supposed to do.

GEO

[joshua]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by jimlewis
[B]Hey, what's the slickest way you've taken a client from another company?


i don't ever try and steal another companies clients, most of the other companies in my area all worried about money so they do poor jobs and have little quality, so its easy to get someone to call me. and most of the time all i have to do it match the bid and the job is mine. but sometimes if i know the owner of the company that is about to lose the job, i don't bid or i call the owner up and tell him what house is unhappy out of respect. but if another company tries and gets one of my jobs they end up paying because of the trust of my customers and my quality they wouldn't want to switch and they end up losing customers to me.

[AB Lawn Care]

This can be a very touchy subject that has come up in the past.Everyone has made some very good points too!

Here are my thoughts on the subject.

1.If the job is residential I will drop a flyer in their mail box but that is as far as it goes.If they contact me and say that they are unhappy with the company providing the service I will then go after the job.

2.If the job is commercial I have NO problems with leaving a bid.That is how commercial jobs work.

3.I allways keep in mind that many people that already have a company and are talking to you are "price shoppers".Therefore I price it above average.Also many of these people are what we call "losers".They did not get along with the last company what are the chances that they will get along with you???

4.Don't get me wrong,20-30% of my clients used to be my competitions clients.But I did not go after them.They came to me becouse they were getting shabby treatment from the last company.

The best way to get jobs for your competitors's is to do a better job.I have used this to claw my way up the ladder.It is faster to climb the ladder with low prices and shabby work,but you will never have enough grip to hold on.In the last 3 years,4-5 of the top companys in my city have gone belly up.All becouse of 3 things.

1.Crappy work

2.Over spending

3.Bidding Wars

When bidding wars start in my city I don't feel the pinch becouse I am not out to get my competitors's jobs and they know that.

Sorry for all of that,but I thought I would add what my experince is in going after others jobs!

Hope this helps!