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UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: LOVEme on July 28, 2007, 06:08:22 pm

Title: Stealing my work
Post by: LOVEme on July 28, 2007, 06:08:22 pm
Hi All

Some weeks back I had a chap working for me for about a year, which I had to let go because he was letting me down ( late for work or not turning up) anyway last week I had a phone call from one of my customers saying sorry to hear you are not cleaning windows anymore! I then found out it was my ex employee who is going around saying I have handed over the work! ( which I haven't ) I am total gutted  :( just don't know what to do  :( I phoned him up and said what are you playing at, to which he said I am going to take all your houses and you cant do anything about it. I have spoken to family and friends about this but really would like the view point from fellow window cleaners!!

TOM 
Title: Re: Stealing my work
Post by: matt on July 28, 2007, 06:18:29 pm
get your backside around all your customers in the evening time and explain before he does take all your work
Title: Re: Stealing my work
Post by: Alex Wingrove on July 28, 2007, 06:20:01 pm
Hello

i would go and talk to your customers, and show them that you are still doing windows, and then tell them that you be round on such a date, and that you wont be handing over any work to anyone unless they are first contacted by you

i think its best you talk to them face to face, but if they are not in put a slip through their door saying that if anyone but you puts a slip through, not to pay

Title: Re: Stealing my work
Post by: Lizzy on July 28, 2007, 06:23:06 pm
I think you need to do a leaflet that you should hand deliver & knock each door, explaining that

..........."contrary to what you have been told, I are still cleaning windows and will continue to do so.   There is someone going around my customer list telling you that I am no longer in business.  Their sole reason for this is to steal my customers and work.  As you know, I have worked hard, been reliable and trustworthy and would appreciate your help in stopping this man from ruining my business.    should you be approached and told these lies, please do not believe them.    Any information would also be gratefully recieved."

I look forward to a continued business relationship with you.




etc etc


*Quickly drafted....so not perfect obviously.


GOOD LUCK!   This "gentleman" obviously has no morals.
Title: Re: Stealing my work
Post by: pylofm on July 28, 2007, 06:29:52 pm
Tom. so sorry to hear this...Print out what Lizzy has written and get out now to every customer, those you have numbers for ring them....but whatever actions you take....do not wait.

Good luck

Dave.
Title: Re: Stealing my work
Post by: d s windowcleaning on July 28, 2007, 06:36:36 pm
sounds like a lad who worked 4 me allways letting me down then going behind my back i just went and explained to custom what he was doin then gave him a bit of boot after all its your custom hes trying to take  but if he was lettin u down by not turning up then surely your custom must no hes not a reliable person so wouldnt employe him anyway
Title: Re: Stealing my work
Post by: archercleaningserv on July 28, 2007, 06:54:32 pm
Tom,

exactly same happened to me with lad that worked for me for almost 15 years,

letting me down,telling me when he was working,first sign of rain going home , all the usual.

We started out as mates,so obviously i let alot go, and then we parted , after a few months he did to me the same as you are experiancing.

i phoned him up although i wish i hadnt,because w-----s like him cant see anything wrong , so i pulled him up the other month & to put it in simple terms, i told him that if he attempted to undercut,tell customers crap then he wouldnt be cleaning windows again.

I didnt want it to come to this as i tried asking him to stop messing with the work i bought years ago, although if my customers want to pay less to him,they werent worth keeping in the firstplace.

IT SERIOUSLY ANNOYS ME , all these muppets who do this kind of thing , THEY DESERVE EVERYTHING THEY GET INCLUDING THE LAD WHO THOUGHT HE WAS BEING CLEVER WITH ME .

Chris. ;)
Title: Re: Stealing my work
Post by: Roy Harding on July 28, 2007, 07:58:34 pm
Tom as every one has said speak to your customers straight away.

I know it’s a bit late but with employees you should have a restrictive covenant in place to stop them window cleaning for a period of 12 months. This can also mean another person employed by them to window clean or to entice a person from you to work for them. And also to restrict them from disclosing any information to a third party about your business.

If they are self-employed you can’t restrict them in the same way as it has to reasonable. You cannot stop him earning his living. But you can restrict him for 3 months from approaching your customers.

I have used restrictive covenants in the past.

Roy
Title: Re: Stealing my work
Post by: Richy L on July 28, 2007, 08:10:28 pm
i know somebody who had this happen to him!

The best way of going about it is to speak to all the customers and tell them that he is trying to take your round off you.
If you word it in the right way, without sounding like your going to do him in(which im sure you feel like), your customers will realise what a numpty this guy is and will not want this guy cleaninging their windows.

If he'll steal a round off you he might steel more off them!!
Title: Re: Stealing my work
Post by: Roy Harding on July 28, 2007, 08:18:31 pm
Here is a link for restrictive covenants

http://www.employment-solicitors.co.uk/Restrictive%20Covenants.htm

Roy
Title: Re: Stealing my work
Post by: aztec on July 28, 2007, 08:42:26 pm
go and beat ten bells out of him no question!!

p.sthis is a joke  before you all take the moral high ground!!!

but i would
Title: Re: Stealing my work
Post by: EasyClean on July 28, 2007, 10:53:52 pm
The proper thing to do would be to advise all your customers face to face or by letter if not in explaining an ex-employee is trying to damage your business by stealing your customers from under your nose out of spite because you sacked him for poor attendence, etc.
The quicker, but not adviseable method would be to wait until dark and catch him down a dark alley when no one is around and punch his lights out and tell him it's a warning because the next time you'll put him in hospital (only joking of course) ;D
Title: Re: Stealing my work
Post by: captain lard on July 28, 2007, 11:22:46 pm
It is your livelihood, bottom line is kneecap the, if you cant do it find someone who can and tell the litte whats going to happen, then let him make the choice, seriously, some people only understand one approach.
Very sorry to hear about your problem mate but take the hard line.
Title: Re: Stealing my work
Post by: Limpiador de la ventana. on July 29, 2007, 01:13:52 am
Try to emphasise highly in your communications with the client that the gentleman in question ...

is a lying scumbag! ;)
Title: Re: Stealing my work
Post by: d s windowcleaning on July 31, 2007, 07:23:57 pm
have u got it sorted out now and as your mate got a black eye lol
Title: Re: Stealing my work
Post by: Neil_A on July 31, 2007, 07:38:25 pm
I would of went to see him and smashed his head in... you cant let people step on you like that.. show him whos boss.. put your gangsta gloves on and go man handle him!!  "i went to see familey" lol jesus what is this world coming to.. :D
Title: Re: Stealing my work
Post by: simbo on July 31, 2007, 07:55:49 pm
while i do not condone violence, seven bales from me without a doubt afterall he is def trying to get one over on you.
simbo
ps when i do employ which will be soon, i am looking for someone not too bright that works like a dog. we have all met them and i will really look after them
simbo
Title: Re: Stealing my work
Post by: NWH on July 31, 2007, 07:57:10 pm
Me to :D :D :D :D :D :D
Title: Re: Stealing my work
Post by: colley614 on July 31, 2007, 08:00:17 pm
You want to tell you custy's that you ex-employee "What a nice lad he sounds!" was sacked from your company for not turning up, stealing from you and taking drugs. Make him out to be a real bad lad. I mean would you let someone who sounded like that clean your windows. Then finish what your saying with " Its a shame because he was a really nice lad before he started on the drugs" lol  :)
Title: Re: Stealing my work
Post by: simbo on July 31, 2007, 08:05:00 pm
coooo ;Dol!!!!
Title: Re: Stealing my work
Post by: mattywig on July 31, 2007, 11:57:58 pm
I agree with Captain Lard it's all very well banging on about covenants and contracts but ultimately trying to enforce them is impossible!  It's a nightmare scenario the I have always dreaded but there is only one definite answer and that is a warning of serious violence and if that is ignored then serious violence definitely not to be performed by yourself.  If he is physically unable to work then there is no longer an issue!  very sad but he shouldn't have played with feathers if he didnt want his arse tickled!!!
Title: Re: Stealing my work
Post by: poleman on August 01, 2007, 12:12:42 am
Sorry to hear this Tom, I would only use the above advice as a last resort, a window cleaning war does no one any good  :(

Andy
Title: Re: Stealing my work
Post by: Ian_Giles on August 01, 2007, 06:24:28 am
I had a similar thing happen to me many years ago, I printed out a professional looking leaflet explaining that an ex employee would be calling around to attempt to take their business from me.
I lost no more than 3 or 4 accounts to him, and these were those that loved him doing there windows when he was working for me.

Slightly different to you though, he wasn't trying to claim I had packed in window cleaning and given the work to him.

Once you put the details of what this guy is trying to do into a leaflet and either hand it to your customers or pop it in their letterbox if they are not in, I doubt you'll lose a single customer, and even those you may have lost to him already, once they hear of the utterly underhand way he is trying to obtain their business, the odds are they will drop him like a shot, and probably give him a piece of their mind to boot.

Talk of violence is ridiculous and completely counter productive and could well make this guy more determined to carry on.

Ian
Title: Re: Stealing my work
Post by: Roy Harding on August 01, 2007, 08:21:11 am
I agree with Captain Lard it's all very well banging on about covenants and contracts but ultimately trying to enforce them is impossible!  It's a nightmare scenario the I have always dreaded but there is only one definite answer and that is a warning of serious violence and if that is ignored then serious violence definitely not to be performed by yourself.  If he is physically unable to work then there is no longer an issue!  very sad but he shouldn't have played with feathers if he didnt want his arse tickled!!!


I totally disagree I had a case of an employee who started to pinch my work. But I had had the foresight to put in place a restrictive covenant. I went to the solicitor and one letter from him saying if he continued in this manner we would claim all monies and damages back through the courts. This stopped him straight away.

Call your selves professionals kicking some one and threatening violence.

You have to be ahead of the game, its no good once someone starts taking your work you need to think smart.

Roy 
Title: Re: Stealing my work
Post by: LOVEme on August 05, 2007, 09:40:44 pm
Sorry for the delay.

I am new hear but have to say the advice that you lot have given me is second to none  ;)

Well my employee indeed has been trying to get all my work and I am half way thought trying to save it, I have lost 2 so far but that's a small price to pay, I toke the advice about the leaflets and they are working, there was no way I was going to use violence one thing he is 6ft 7ins and big but I more professional and woud advice anyone in the same boat to do the same, agan big thanks to all and are keep in touch

TOM
Title: Re: Stealing my work
Post by: geefree on August 05, 2007, 10:24:51 pm
In this industry,  i feel, its really hard to employ somebody,

and expect them to be loyal,  how do you  guys do it..?

can i ask you, did you all have the same problems when you first started employing?

by the way , i think most know i work alone and relatively new to w/c.

nut it must be hard to get good , honest , reliable workers.

That said, i take my hat off to you guys who have employees..

no doubt you read these posts and look back with sympathy.
Title: Re: Stealing my work
Post by: Lizzy on August 06, 2007, 11:21:33 am
Sorry for the delay.

I am new hear but have to say the advice that you lot have given me is second to none  ;)

Well my employee indeed has been trying to get all my work and I am half way thought trying to save it, I have lost 2 so far but that's a small price to pay, I toke the advice about the leaflets and they are working, there was no way I was going to use violence one thing he is 6ft 7ins and big but I more professional and woud advice anyone in the same boat to do the same, agan big thanks to all and are keep in touch

TOM

well done.....looks like his games are not going to work now.





Always best to resolve things amicably.  Violence gets you nowhere except in prison.   
Imagine your customers discovering you beat an ex employee to a pulp.  Good for the image isnt it.

Sometimes theres too much testosterone around here!
Title: Re: Stealing my work
Post by: steve m on August 06, 2007, 01:57:16 pm
he'd find it hard to get to work with foar flat tyres, and if that didnt work how'd he get up the ladder with both legs in plaster!!!!!