well i spoke with tim back when he made the change. back then tim had very bright thoughts about this new position that he took. i do not think that he thought that it would lead to him getting dropped. but there is one thing that i do not understand. what makes for a good length of time. now ive heard of tim and his different jobs at many different stores. and i really didnt know tim. but then i heard this same thing about dave o. i didnt know that dave o was apparently here in vancouver. so if an installer is gonna go away from one store. wouldnt it be pertinent that the relationships made from that one stores follow you to another. I have one fellow in mind right now that has moved from one company and gone to the next. but is now going to leave than one and start his own(not you tim it is another dude) this guy is going to take his customers with him. almost all of them from this curernt store. all along they were his customers and they will still keep with him. his customers folllow him where ever he goes. i know that he calls them and he maintains his relationship with them. however i do not see what is wrong with that. ok i would not grab phone numbers from my works directory and use them to gain customers. but this guy in particular has customer base that doesnt go to the shop for the shop, they go for him. and only him.
little bit confusing, but i wonder what your take is one that. does an installer that moves around have the right to contact his consumers? especially if they follow him from store to store already.

[ December 11, 2004, 09:02 AM: Message edited by: Team Shadow ]

 

What if the business the installers brought to the new store dropped off the map when the installers got fired or moved on? The business provides the space, the sales floor, the product, but in some cases, even by having this is all for naught if the installer brings the customer. I've been on both sides of the fence on this and it is not easy either way.

 

Reputation will always follow you in any industry that is like ours. In using an installer as the example, we as salesmen sell our install staff every day. Selling our shops value over the competition i.e the use of (photo albums) In alot of cases when custom work comes into play the customer chooses one shop over the other based on the installers experience and reputation. That being said I would say that the customer is smart enough and has the right to decide on weather he is to remain loyal to the shop or Installer.It is the shops job to sell the customer to keep him loyal.

I would find in unethical to "as stated" to remove contact info from a cpu before you left.

Any other way I would see it as self-promotion, which as people we do every day.

 

Interesting points being made -- for what it is worth my thoughts are:

- If they were steady clients of a shop BEFORE you were at the shop, they are NOT yours.

- If YOU dealt with them, were the 1st to assist them at the store, they MIGHT be yours.

- If they were clients/friends of yours BEFORE you were at said shop than they are definately yours.

It is a fine balance -- I have resisted the temptation to "put up the bat signal" for the very reason that unless it is a very close friend (outside of audio), people I met in the store, belong in the store.

 

Hey Mike...your signature is not self congratalatory enough.


I agree with Mike's statements. It's common sense.

My installer has a large following and if he ever left I know for a fact that many of his clients would follow him to any establishment. I have built a strong repore with many of his clients and would hope they would continue shopping with me but I would not expect it.

I find consumers buy for two main reasons.

Trust and Established Value.

 

No