Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: jr windows on June 08, 2008, 06:49:44 pm
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Hi All,
I bought a domestic window cleaning round four years ago, the bloke kept his commercial stuff but sold all the houses to me as he and his wife had bought a sandwich shop.
Cut a long story short, the shop is up for sale and he is contacting all my customers saying he is going back to window cleaning full time. He is slagging me off saying my brush (wfp) doesn't work. He has been at it for a few months and I have had four customers go back to him. I didn't sign any contract with him - he gave me a book with all customers names and address and I worked a month with him.
It's not the fact he is trying to get the customers back as there are plenty more of them! But, the fact he is slagging my name and system off really does my head in.
Any ideas?
Cheers Jason
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Im sure your customers are happy with you or they would already have left you.
Make sure you tell all your customers that you paid for his round, that will make him look a right pillock.
There is always someone ready to slag off the pole system. ::)
Bob
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the man sounds a right T**t, all you can do is plod along with your work if you are cleaning them ok and get along with the customers you should be ok,as you,ve been established with them long enough now.
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kick his butt :-X
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I wouldn't mind if he canvassed new customers, it's a free world. But 99% of the custys are retired and he is going for the sympathy vote. If I kick his butt would I be as bad as him? I'm worried that if he slings enough mud some of it might stick?
Thanks for your replies everyone.
Cheers, Jason
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im only joking when i say kick his butt, you would probably end up in prison (that wont do) just do what your doing, keep going, if your not crap your custys will see that and if he takes some houses then for every house make it your mission to pick up 2 houses.... double the price..
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Never mind that you didn't sign any contract, the fact that you paid him makes it a legal contract (same as buying something in a shop - still a legal transaction even though you just handed over money). Get a free initial consultation with a solicitor - then you could have him write a letter - it will cost, but should give the git a shock - I bet he never thought his cheating you could land him in court.
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yeah thats what i would do, it would prob never go to court but i reckon would shock him..
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The most effective way will be to tell your customers the truth. You may loose a few to him who preffered there windows done trad but work hard to replace them and don,t worry about loosing unfaithfull customers.
It might be the first thing that springs to mind but giving him a pasting at the moment will only help his plea to your customers. Wait while things settle down and then think about his punishment. And remember you don't have to be physical, pyscological torture gives a much greater satisfaction!
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i had a fellow wc who worked in the same area tell me he was going to offer my customers cheaper prices an take them all (he already had 5 timeas as many as me in this area) but him and his lads were crap, anway i have all the customers now and he dosnt even wc.. but in the process he put dog crap in my bucket (dirty sod) and threw eggs at 2 dozen of my custys windows..... so maybe you could do that to your non loyal custys ;)
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Hi Tony,
I did 2.5 years trad and 18 months wfp I have added lots of happy custys to my round I think its because I enjoy wc that its getting on my nerves.
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yeah thats what i would do, it would prob never go to court but i reckon would shock him..
You were right the first time Kris when you said kick his butt lol. ;D ;D ;D
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did you not get a reciept off him of some sorts to put against your tax, that is what as always happened with me...
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A letter will do the job,it will show him you mean business aswell.
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Hi Ideal,
Dont know if true but ive been told that if you buy good will then he doesnt have to pay TAX?
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Hi Ideal,
Dont know if true but ive been told that if you buy good will then he doesnt have to pay TAX?
dont understand ???
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I bought a book with names address and amount per property only goodwill of the householder to say every month they want the windows cleaned.
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i got reciepts to say how much it pay's per fortnightly/monthly , how much i paid for it who from who too etc etc etc signed & sealed
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kick his butt :-X
i would, if i paid someone good money for a round and then he tried to take my customers back,never mind slagging me off in the process i would put giving him a thump very high on my list of ways to stop this wa***r blackening my good name and in my eyes stealing work that i paid him for.
i know we all want to be proffesional etc etc, but their comes a point when enough is enough
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Hi Ideal,
Dont know if true but ive been told that if you buy good will then he doesnt have to pay TAX?
Sorry I don't know if this helps...
If I sell my round... lets say 3x value lets say value is £1000 for ease +£3000
I have just earned £3000
The argument I think you are putting is that the "Round" is not classed as an asset!
For instance As you put it only at the "goodwill of the householder" therefore not tangible!
This is irrelevant, He sold something for "Real" cash... He earned it!
No tax man/woman would look at it any other way!
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How did you find out he is trying to steal your customers back?
It's probably best to just be up front with the customers, ask them if they have been approached, tell them that you paid good money for the work and he's now trying to take it back.
He might be spreading lies saying that you never paid him for the work in which case the customers would probably sympathize with him.
You could even send out a news letter explaining the situation hyping some of the benefits of wfp.
What he is doing all though morally wrong is not illegal unless you made him sign a contract to say he'd stay away from the area in future. Don't lamp the guy other wise you'll end up on the wrong side of the law.
Simon.
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kick his butt .thats a under statement .im fumming ( did i spell that right )u can only push people so far . but b care full es pesc if u have a family .not worth doing time if u have family to look after . they come first
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Jason just thinking!
I had a friend called Jason (strangely enough!)
He had a knack for canvassing, he would build up a round, do it 1 to 1 1/2 years
Then sell it!
Now my point...
He always gave over the books and a letter of sale, written on the letter was a clause
(whether legal or not!)
AFTER 3 YEARS I RESERVE THE RIGHT TO RE-CANVASS THE ENTIRE ROUND
(his reasoning was simple you mat have given up!)
Why not go and see the chap and talk it over... He may have heard that you gave up!
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Grease the bottom of his ladder styles when they are on the top of his car, whoops-a-daisy he's had a fall!
Then give him a right kicking for good measure.
Thats what I would do anyway.
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You could take someone to court, win the day and still lose out.
What I wouldn't recommend is getting this bloke on his own, when it's dark with no witnesses about and using physical violence of a serious nature. You draw your own conclusions, that's all I'm saying. Word soon travels that you're not to be messed with :)
When I use to do my martial arts, everyone knew I could easily stand up for myself and no one messed with me or started a fight on my brother because they knew I would go looking for them and get even. The coppers in my local town know me because of the trouble I use to get into. :)
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Not good advice Wayne - there is always someone bigger and badder round the corner. If he does that he could end up getting knifed, or even having his family targeted. It doesn't matter how hard you think you are, numbers or weapons can make that irrelevant.
Whats the first thing you'd be inclined to do if you got a hiding? You go after the guy that did it. If he gives you a real bad beating, you probably pay someone else to do a proper job right? These things get out of hand, its not worth starting.
No point in taking a minor dispute to a higher level. Make your customers aware of the situation, and go from there.
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My father disciplined me into sticking up for myself when I was young. If I got beaten up by a bigger lad, my father would make me go back for a further beating, making sure that I got a few extra punches in the next time around, to prove I wasn't afraid of anyone. I disliked it but the lads respected me more for it, even though they thought I was mad :)
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I understand why they respected you. My Dad was a typical eastender, sounds they have similar beliefs :)
Many of the new generation seem a gutless bunch though. One on one and not kicking a man when he's down seem to be a thing of the past. Its all about gangs beating people up and knives these days. Not a lot to be respected about that, but I think you have to vary your behaviour accordingly to these new rules.