Eli47

Well definetly an issue regarding conflict of ethics, there are laws about some of the issues discussed here, namely solicitation.
For an employee to mention to a client whose car he is working on, that he/she will no longer be there, is one thing, to ask the customer to come see him is something else.(Tim you did OK)
If the customer expresses intrest in following the emlpoyee(as in friends), that's ok, but you cannot solicit nor use/copy any of the store's data base.
As for pics, whoever paid for the film and processing is the owner,unless another agreement/understanding was made.
Keep in mind that an installer used company time, and materials and in some cases advice, to complete a project for the CUSTOMER who paid for it all, including the time to take the pics.
Anything made under company time, with company materials is owned by the company who ultimatly takes the responsibility of warrantying the departed employee's workmanship.

G-MONEY

A good installer can make or break any shop - I know shops that had great installers and now they dont - and they no longer get the big phatty custom jobs they used to get - part of that though, is that the salesmen are scared to give the lesser experienced installers the chance at doing a big job - in case it gets f***ed up. But I have to say I too felt that way after we lost Ryan S., but I gave one of our young guys a chance at doing some of the bigger jobs, I just booked him off more time than it would normally take. The dude is doing some great work - and the deal I made with him was this - you want to do the bigger jobs, but the customer isn't going to pay you to learn on the job - so if it takes you 120 hours to do the 80 hour job - then thats what has to happen. He agreed and went for it, since then he's pumped out six $25k plus jobs !!
Was I scared at first, **** yeah, but what you gonna do, let the business walk - no way dude, its my paycheck too.

Give the guys a chance - they may just step up and blow your mind.

As far as taking your'e customers with you goes - if they are indeed your'e customers they'll find you. Its a small business !! Your'e name will turn up sooner or later. I f you have to find them, then they probably were'nt really a customer of yours, more a customer of the stores.

I've moved around from A&B Sound, AVU, Cartunes and now I'm at Speaker City - if customers followed me - they follwed. If they didn't - they didn't !! Too bad for me. I never called people to solicit business from the old store.

If your'e good at what you do, you'll be good anywhere. The location doesn't really matter.

I agree that if your'e opening your own store, that you should be doing some sort of advertising to promote it. not using the old company to promote your business !!

But as always - there are always exceptions and three sides to every story.

Peace Out !!

[ December 28, 2004, 07:53 PM: Message edited by: G-MONEY ]

gyguy

i would agree that the installer can make the difference. we have a couple of installers here in coquitlam and the new west store that have been around for along time. they have customers coming only to them, it's nice to see these kinds of jobs at a store like best buy.

CLUBCONCEPTS

Here here Waller. I agree with both sides on this one. The shop provides the platform for the installer to perform on. But also keep in mind, jobs that are picture worthy usually take some late nights and un-paid OT that are of the installers accord. Pictures I think are for both. The installer provides the skill and concieves the idea, but the shop gives it a womb to be born from. Make copies of the pics when you split and share. Just make sure your new tech can do what is in the pics if you are going to use them to promote such said shop. If a cust follows, great. If he dosn't too bad. If your in this industry for the long haul, you'll make new contacts. [img]graemlins/thumb.gif[/img]