[JandS]

Had an verbal agreement with a trad guy who does bits of work in an area round where I live where I do around  80% of the houses...I won't canvas his and vice versa.....just been shown his flyer by customer and he has canvassed all my work....wondered why he suddenly started ignoring me......advertising £5 for average semi of which he has stolen one off me...his leaflets are little scraps of  home printed paper with poor ad on it....thinking of blitzing his rounds that I know of  now with my postcard type leaflets just for the hell  of it.....he packed in 2 years ago for 6 months when his wife died and I refused to do any of his work when they approached me in case he came back which he did...just feel like teaching him a lesson.

[Splash & dash]

Had an verbal agreement with a trad guy who does bits of work in an area round where I live where I do around  80% of the houses...I won't canvas his and vice versa.....just been shown his flyer by customer and he has canvassed all my work....wondered why he suddenly started ignoring me......advertising £5 for average semi of which he has stolen one off me...his leaflets are little scraps of  home printed paper with poor ad on it....thinking of blitzing his rounds that I know of  now with my postcard type leaflets just for the hell  of it.....he packed in 2 years ago for 6 months when his wife died and I refused to do any of his work when they approached me in case he came back which he did...just feel like teaching him a lesson.

Just ignore it if you offer a better service  Ime sure it won’t affect you I get this all the time very rarely loose any customers and if you do get under cut and they leave shows the type of customer they are not worth having , if this happend to me I wouldn’t take them on again they are normally problematic people after a cheaper price

[JandS]

Just ped off with him after I left his work alone...I could have taken around £200 of his work...I was going to do some of it after another couple of weeks then he came back.

[nathankaye]

Sometimes it's not worth the worry.  Some time back I was concerned with the company which offers the first clean free to win them over.  I only ended up loosing one customer and in reality was pleased to see the back of them.   As it happens they haven't been happy and have approached me to clean them again and I take delight in saying that I replaced their custom and with being busy I can't take any more on.

You may find this to be the case, so don't worry.
But yes, it's flipping annoying and ild be fuming myself.    Reminds me when a group of trad lads moved into my area many yrs ago, we always spoke and got along.  However at the time I lost some commercial work and so put some flyers out in the streets where I had been working about 6 yrs ( said its going back a bit).  The boss came and had words with me, threatening he had five lads and there's only one of me and not to start a patch war. I explained my situation and also I had been there 6yrs against there one. But the bit he didn't like was when I told them that if he lost any custom to me, he wants to speak to his lads as I was double his prices. So if there prepared to pay more and come to me his crew must be doing something wrong.
So perhaps I may be tempted to post some professional flyers in a handful of his streets and if you get some and they are obviously paying more for you. It will teach him a profound lesson I'm sure

[KS Cleaning]

Had an verbal agreement with a trad guy who does bits of work in an area round where I live where I do around  80% of the houses...I won't canvas his and vice versa.....just been shown his flyer by customer and he has canvassed all my work....wondered why he suddenly started ignoring me......advertising £5 for average semi of which he has stolen one off me...his leaflets are little scraps of  home printed paper with poor ad on it....thinking of blitzing his rounds that I know of  now with my postcard type leaflets just for the hell  of it.....he packed in 2 years ago for 6 months when his wife died and I refused to do any of his work when they approached me in case he came back which he did...just feel like teaching him a lesson.

Just ignore it if you offer a better service  Ime sure it won’t affect you I get this all the time very rarely loose any customers and if you do get under cut and they leave shows the type of customer they are not worth having , if this happend to me I wouldn’t take them on again they are normally problematic people after a cheaper price

Exactly my thoughts as well.

[Shrek]

You don’t own the customer, they can go with whoever they like . You need to get over ‘this is my road’ attitude too , it’s a free world and you can’t stop someone from posting leaflets wherever they want- that’s life . all of my customers received a UK window cleaning leaflet with a free clean offer and none of them sacked me off. If they do sack you off , they probably weren’t happy with you in the first place

[Arnold Palmer]

I've had half a dozen of these over the years. It used to get my blood boiling and heart racing. Thinking there's going to be some kind of showdown at high noon or summat. Pathetic.

Now, I don't even entertain them. Hang up the phone and ignore them. It's an act of desperation, he'll be gone this time next year.

[Walter Mitty]

Had an verbal agreement with a trad guy who does bits of work in an area round where I live where I do around  80% of the houses...I won't canvas his and vice versa.....just been shown his flyer by customer and he has canvassed all my work....wondered why he suddenly started ignoring me......advertising £5 for average semi of which he has stolen one off me...his leaflets are little scraps of  home printed paper with poor ad on it....thinking of blitzing his rounds that I know of  now with my postcard type leaflets just for the hell  of it.....he packed in 2 years ago for 6 months when his wife died and I refused to do any of his work when they approached me in case he came back which he did...just feel like teaching him a lesson.

Be the better person.

[G Griffin]

Had an verbal agreement with a trad guy who does bits of work in an area round where I live where I do around  80% of the houses...I won't canvas his and vice versa.....just been shown his flyer by customer and he has canvassed all my work....wondered why he suddenly started ignoring me......advertising £5 for average semi of which he has stolen one off me...his leaflets are little scraps of  home printed paper with poor ad on it....thinking of blitzing his rounds that I know of  now with my postcard type leaflets just for the hell  of it.....he packed in 2 years ago for 6 months when his wife died and I refused to do any of his work when they approached me in case he came back which he did...just feel like teaching him a lesson.

But you only lost one customer to him. Is that worth retribution?
He might be struggling or there might be reasons for what he did but I'd ignore it.
Maintain the moral high ground and carry on as you are. 

[Susan Dean (1stclean)]

 if you have the room and you want more work then knock yourself out

why care what he or anybody else thinks

[andyM]

But you only lost one customer to him. Is that worth retribution?
He might be struggling or there might be reasons for what he did but I'd ignore it.
Maintain the moral high ground and carry on as you are.

Exactly.
The fella might be struggling financially so might need to find more work to pay his bills.
Ultimately it's down to the customer to decide if they want to jump ship.
The vast majority of customers are very loyal in my experience.
 

[jk999]

Years ago I used to be this is my patch but now if a customer wants to jump ship in my oppinion what you doing wrong .if you make the customers happy with the quality of work then it's only the penny pinchers that will jump ship

[Dane]

It’s annoying and I feel for you mate, i’d Be pretty pee’d too but the sad thing is it’s the way of the world nowadays- loyalty is hard to find.. I’d take the approach of if you know your service is up to scratch, you run a proper business then if the custy’s who go for a cheaper (no doubt more unreliable option) then they’re not worth having on your round anyway... whether it was now or in 5 years times they would probably jump ship to save pennies without any real thought so don’t take it personally and let it ruin your day.... fingers crossed it doesn’ t harm your business anymore then the odd bad customer 👍🏿

[nathankaye]

I don't think  JandS is fussed about loosing the odd customer. It's more about how the chap has gone about it which he and others shiners  would feel peeved at.  If it was anybody coming  into his area and posting flyers it's not an issue, but this isn't what happened is it.
This is business people who have spent perhaps years honouring each others working  areas and now slyly  undermined that.    Yes perhaps not to take action but I think perhaps JandS  is looking for acknowledgement that this sucks and yes it does.

I'm sure he knows that it won't have any real impact on his established round. But at least he does know that any honouring verbal arrangements are now void and if required to take more work on, his targeted area has now expanded, so a win win really

[Dane]

Totally agree - as I said i’d Be p*ssed too, a mans word should stand for something..

I think the fact he honoured to stay off this other mans work while he was going through hardship shows how things should be - respectful and fair play to him, shame if couldn’t work both ways when it came to putting leaflets in eachothers customers houses

[Stoots]

I don't think you should have had an agreement in the first place.

I advertise wherever I like and take on any work I Iike, I don't care if they have a cleaner, don't have a cleaner or whatever else. It's a customers choice.

I know it sounds harsh but this is business, I'm in it for myself.

I understand you being ped that he has gone against his word but what can you do.
Don't make that mistake again.

[dazmond]

I don't think you should have had an agreement in the first place.

I advertise wherever I like and take on any work I Iike, I don't care if they have a cleaner, don't have a cleaner or whatever else. It's a customers choice.

I know it sounds harsh but this is business, I'm in it for myself.

I understand you being ped that he has gone against his word but what can you do.
Don't make that mistake again.

yep i agree too adam...i wouldnt of made any agreement with this other window cleaner either...

every year i must get around 6 or 7  leaflets from different window cleaning companies/individuals pushed through my customers doors.i lose the odd one or two occasionally but nothing to worry me.its usually because they offer a cheaper price which is fair enough...let them run around for peanuts.... ...most dont last long IME.....

[richard groves]

Teaching him a lesson just for the hell of it seems a bit harsh and bitter of you. Sounds like you had a gentlemens agreement which is fair enough whilst adhered to but is a bit old school these days. I can understand you being a bit peed off due to you honouring it but by the sounds of things he's desperate for more work given his bereavement  and time off and being a trad cleaner.  Don't judge another until you've walked in their boots he's obviously struggling. dont let it worry you and learn from it.

[Dry Clean]

A  few years back I was approached by a new start wfp'er looking for some advice, he hadnt a clue so I spent a few hours showing him the ropes, as we parted ways he said I hope you wont be offended if I canvass your customers, I just laughed and told him to canvass who he wants, he wasnt the first to canvass my customers and he wont be the last so not worth giving the little git a second thought,

[robbo333]

Could be, he has started drinking since his missus died, or he is so depressed, he just doesn’t care any more.