Woodworking Business

You are not logged in. [ Login ] Why log in
(NOTE: Login is not required to post)

Being bad mouthed by competitors

1/24/16       
Shawn Lalande Member

Website: http://synergykitchens.com

I am thinking that a few of my competitors are spreading lies to potential customers regarding my company. On several occasions when following up with a quote we have been meet with hostility and a very rude we are going with someone else. A few have elaborated that they have been told various nasty things about our company that border on the absurd. The most recent being that we have 100’s of complaints with the BBB when in reality we have an A+ rating. It always seems to be the customers that shop the job. I have searched the web for anything negative and have not been able to find anything, so the only conclusion I come up is our competition is bad mouthing us. We do about 50 to 75 kitchens and get a lot of referral business. We have had a few wingnut customers, that happen to all of us I think, but I am sure they have not been able to spread their tainted stories to the extent we are experiencing.
Does anyone have any ideas on how to combat this, I have thought about a sting but not sure I want to stoop to that level.

1/24/16       #2: Being bad mouthed by competitors ...
Sea444

So, is your competitor better than you, or are you not as good as your competitor?

That is like asking is the glass half empty or half full.

If you are doing 50-75 kitchens a year plus lots of referrals I wouldn't give it a second thought. Just move on, not a lot you can do about it even if you found out who was saying what.

1/25/16       #3: Being bad mouthed by competitors ...
Pat Gilbert

That is why negative advertising is so effective in political campaigns.

The #1 rule to fighting black pr is to fill the vacuum.

When these guys are badmouthing your company they are creating a vacuum in the customer's mind. They are making many accusations without you answering any of them. (obviously nonsensical but that is how some people make associations).

So your job is to fill the vacuum with things like what you said about your A+ rating with BBB. And anything other facts you can fill the vacuum with. BTW only use facts.

I would send out a newsletter to all of your former customers. All factual positive news.

Your instinct towards not mudslinging is correct.

One of the advantages to working with a contractor is that you have a mutual motivation to keep the customer happy and in a positive attitude. When you work directly with the customer there is often an outside party who enjoys stirring up the dust.

But that is the lay of the land in the residential market. A good way to alleviate this problem is to stay connected with your former customers. A monthly mailer and or a newsletter helps with this.

1/25/16       #4: Being bad mouthed by competitors ...
james mcgrew Member

Have you for any reason in any way done anything to be badmouthed. licenses, credentials etc. Now any one worth their salt will have business issues yes there are some who are perfect, I have rarely fell into that crowd.

I joined the AWI as a small cabinetmaker in the south where that is rare. this was to take a step up from this type of competition, when I went commercial I became QCP certified, the cost were not as bad as I thought and a serious look at the standards, testing and some procedures got us in. the real benefit was the pride my guys took in doing this, we studied all testing together.

Good smart people do due diligence, Been a long time since I was in residential but attrition always worked best. main reason We were badmouthed was jealousy and the fact that the main shop doing it was hiding a drug problem which eventually got the better of them.

When I ran into this head on, I remembered that I don't compete I build. if the communication from the client had hit a hard and unforeseeable change then it was best to say something kind and feel free to call should things chage for them. the client has become a victim of the bad mouther, do not get in that $hit hole With them.

Do the good work and the kings will find you. take a look at what you are building and access whether a step up is in order. Clean your shop make some needed changes, get the focus on you. I ultimately did not make a good Bar owner but I could get the crowd, Lines at the door. once in a while someone would ask how, simple do a good job. and when asked how I stood up to the competition (We were in A college bar district) I would simply say "Who?" never ever have I focused on what they were doing, If I do that I am defocused on my shop, my guys and ultimately Me.

some times you need to back up and let the guy who cheats trip, He will he is too focused on looking back at you to know where he is and what he is doing. Just do not do it with the clients, they ultimately are the real victim.

Good people will see it for what it is and tell others. keep your nose out of it. ask yourself this, if a client can be persuaded by an untruth to the point they take it personal, then is this a good client fit.

1/25/16       #5: Being bad mouthed by competitors ...
Wynot

Take James' advice. He is as successful as he can be.

1/25/16       #6: Being bad mouthed by competitors ...
james mcgrew Member

On thing I remembered.

sometimes in a new meeting I would tell the client that I have built a good (Hundreds) of local kitchen, and in doing so I have had (Two) really bad situations, don't be afraid to own the mistakes.

Once a guy sat across from me, Plans were done, contracts signed and his wife and the designer were off dreaming of hardware. he was thumping his pen and sliding his check book around . I left him alone for a few and when I came back he was still in this mode. I sat down looked straight at him and said Look if there is a problem do not write that check. he looked up like a ghost just slapped him.

Now I needed that job.

he asked "Why" I simply responded "look If you do not trust me do not hire me, I am about to go up into your house, your family and your life. I am going into and behind your doors, I am gonna see a lot of secrets, what pills you take, what magazines your Kid is reading and where he hides them, If you hire me and don't trust me you will only make my life miserable and I do not intend to do that to you.

He wrote the check, We built three kitchens, his, his brothers and then they gave a new one to Mom.

1/25/16       #7: Being bad mouthed by competitors ...
Pat Gilbert

The facts are that there are people who are going to cause trouble no matter what you do. It has nothing to do with the quality of your work. More often than not they are lawyers and the people who prefer to hide behind them...

1/25/16       #8: Being bad mouthed by competitors ...
D Brown

May very well be jealousy on the part of the bad mouther . Build and sell on your strengths not the competitors weakness .
It's only on the clients that are shopping so maybe when you know that's the case you could incorporate a small talk about your years and hundreds and hundreds of kitchens and as many references and to me the most important thing is to send the client to an existing already installed job to see it in a real setting and talk to satisfied clients , they will sell you and possibly the job.

1/25/16       #9: Being bad mouthed by competitors ...
RobertNH  Member

You've had some very good advise here from several folk.

The one statement that hit me was this;
"ask yourself this, if a client can be persuaded by an untruth to the point they take it personal, then is this a good client fit. "

We have also taken our 'hits' as we built.
Our mistakes, which we owned up to and fixed and the 'Word on the Street'.
Our reputation is strong and all I say when confronted is what I have shown 'you'.

Please understand we no longer sell to the 'Street'. You have to when you start, but not when you've grown,
Our Clients are folks that give us multiple projects.
Our new Clients fit into the same realm.

Once your Reputation is built, it really doesn't matter what someone else says.
All that matters is what you do.

There is a Major player in our Region that we have refused bids to for years due to a bad experience of how they do business.
We made an exception on a certain project that required Local business's to be involved.

We set our terms, the project went very well. We still refuse most of their projects.
I'm going to a meeting this Tuesday because we've been requested to due to what we did.

Our Reputation..

Your reputation is yours!
Do it right and they will come to you.
It really doesn't matter what others say or do.
It's difficult, at times, not to re-act, yet hold the course..
It does pay off!

1/27/16       #10: Being bad mouthed by competitors ...
Larry

Don't spend time on what you can't control.
Anyone that has been in business for some time has made mistakes, it's learning from them that can make you better. Luckily, we don't deal with home owners or kitchens. Yes, there are some contractors we avoid. Only use positive PR, those that respond to the negative are those you don't need.

2/1/16       #11: Being bad mouthed by competitors ...
KAP

I agree that mudslinging is not worth the effort...

That said, if someone told me I had 100's of complaints with the BBB, I'd pull out my phone and as I did, I said say something to the effect of "I am shocked to hear that as last I checked we had an A+ rating. Let's see what the BBB's ranking of my company actually says and whether or not you've been given some bad information. I buy things too, and I'd certainly be apprehensive of a company with 100's of BBB complaints so I can totally understand where you're coming from on that, but I'd be more apprehensive of someone who would say anything to unsuspecting customers by spreading false information to manipulate someone. We rely on a lot of referral business so whether or not you choose to use us I just want to be sure you are being treated right and have accurate information in making that decision."...

2/4/16       #12: Being bad mouthed by competitors ...
Derrek

First thing I take care of in my first visit. Recent printout from BBB, Angies List rating, Yelp reviews, contractors license, insurance certs. Takes 2 minute and establishes credibility up front and makes competition look bad if they try to bad mouth you as well as sets the standard of what they should be looking for 8n a contractor

2/6/16       #13: Being bad mouthed by competitors ...
Mel

Anyone here would probably bad-mouth you. You would probably bad mouth anyone here too given the chance. Blue collar land= everyone sucks except me. No one is really that fancy when it comes to cabinets and integrity.

2/6/16       #14: Being bad mouthed by competitors ...
Dropout Member

Hate to burst your bubble Mel, but at least once a month I send prospective clients to competitors who can do a better job on what they want than I can.

People who try to get ahead by bad mouthing others end up talking themselves out of an audience. Smart people know that. Those that have been in this game a long time don't behave that way.

2/6/16       #15: Being bad mouthed by competitors ...
Derrek

I don't ever bad mouth. When they mwntion my competition, if they do good work, I tell them they do nice work this is what you can expect. If they are the slimey company, i invite them to do their research 9nline and see for themselves what their customers think of them. I also tell them what they can expect price and materials and design wise becquse I know who my competition is. Cant tell you how many times I have gotten a job and they tell me "We had xyz out, and it went just like you said it would, then we checked them out online and they have a bunch of bad reviews"


Post a Response
  • Notify me of responses to this thread
  • Subscribe to email updates on this Forum
  • To receive email notification of additions to this forum thread,
    enter your name and email address, and then click the
    "Keep Me Posted" button below.

    Please Note: If you have posted a message or response,
    do not submit this request ... you are already signed up
    to receive notification!

    Your Name:
    E-Mail Address:
    Enter the correct numbers into the field below:
     

    Date of your Birth:



    Return to top of page

    Buy & Sell Exchanges | Forums | Galleries | Site Map

    FORUM GUIDELINES: Please review the guidelines below before posting at WOODWEB's Interactive Message Boards (return to top)

  • WOODWEB is a professional industrial woodworking site. Hobbyist and homeowner woodworking questions are inappropriate.
  • Messages should be kept reasonably short and on topic, relating to the focus of the forum. Responses should relate to the original question.
  • A valid email return address must be included with each message.
  • Advertising is inappropriate. The only exceptions are the Classified Ads Exchange, Machinery Exchange, Lumber Exchange, and Job Opportunities and Services Exchange. When posting listings in these areas, review the posting instructions carefully.
  • Subject lines may be edited for length and clarity.
  • "Cross posting" is not permitted. Choose the best forum for your question, and post your question at one forum only.
  • Messages requesting private responses will be removed - Forums are designed to provide information and assistance for all of our visitors. Private response requests are appropriate at WOODWEB's Exchanges and Job Opportunities and Services.
  • Messages that accuse businesses or individuals of alleged negative actions or behavior are inappropriate since WOODWEB is unable to verify or substantiate the claims.
  • Posts with the intent of soliciting answers to surveys are not appropriate. Contact WOODWEB for more information on initiating a survey.
  • Excessive forum participation by an individual upsets the balance of a healthy forum atmosphere. Individuals who excessively post responses containing marginal content will be considered repeat forum abusers.
  • Responses that initiate or support inappropriate and off-topic discussion of general politics detract from the professional woodworking focus of WOODWEB, and will be removed.
  • Participants are encouraged to use their real name when posting. Intentionally using another persons name is prohibited, and posts of this nature will be removed at WOODWEB's discretion.
  • Comments, questions, or criticisms regarding Forum policies should be directed to WOODWEB's Systems Administrator
    (return to top).

    Carefully review your message before clicking on the "Send Message" button - you will not be able to revise the message once it has been sent.

    You will be notified of responses to the message(s) you posted via email. Be sure to enter your email address correctly.

    WOODWEB's forums are a highly regarded resource for professional woodworkers. Messages and responses that are crafted in a professional and civil manner strengthen this resource. Messages that do not reflect a professional tone reduce the value of our forums.

    Messages are inappropriate when their content: is deemed libelous in nature or is based on rumor, fails to meet basic standards of decorum, contains blatant advertising or inappropriate emphasis on self promotion (return to top).

    Libel:   Posts which defame an individual or organization, or employ a tone which can be viewed as malicious in nature. Words, pictures, or cartoons which expose a person or organization to public hatred, shame, disgrace, or ridicule, or induce an ill opinion of a person or organization, are libelous.

    Improper Decorum:   Posts which are profane, inciting, disrespectful or uncivil in tone, or maliciously worded. This also includes the venting of unsubstantiated opinions. Such messages do little to illuminate a given topic, and often have the opposite effect. Constructive criticism is acceptable (return to top).

    Advertising:   The purpose of WOODWEB Forums is to provide answers, not an advertising venue. Companies participating in a Forum discussion should provide specific answers to posted questions. WOODWEB suggests that businesses include an appropriately crafted signature in order to identify their company. A well meaning post that seems to be on-topic but contains a product reference may do your business more harm than good in the Forum environment. Forum users may perceive your references to specific products as unsolicited advertising (spam) and consciously avoid your web site or services. A well-crafted signature is an appropriate way to advertise your services that will not offend potential customers. Signatures should be limited to 4-6 lines, and may contain information that identifies the type of business you're in, your URL and email address (return to top).

    Repeated Forum Abuse: Forum participants who repeatedly fail to follow WOODWEB's Forum Guidelines may encounter difficulty when attempting to post messages.

    There are often situations when the original message asks for opinions: "What is the best widget for my type of shop?". To a certain extent, the person posting the message is responsible for including specific questions within the message. An open ended question (like the one above) invites responses that may read as sales pitches. WOODWEB suggests that companies responding to such a question provide detailed and substantive replies rather than responses that read as a one-sided product promotion. It has been WOODWEB's experience that substantive responses are held in higher regard by our readers (return to top).

    The staff of WOODWEB assume no responsibility for the accuracy, content, or outcome of any posting transmitted at WOODWEB's Message Boards. Participants should undertake the use of machinery, materials and methods discussed at WOODWEB's Message Boards after considerate evaluation, and at their own risk. WOODWEB reserves the right to delete any messages it deems inappropriate. (return to top)


  • Forum Posting Help
    Your Name The name you enter in this field will be the name that appears with your post or response (return to form).
    Your Website Personal or business website links must point to the author's website. Inappropriate links will be removed without notice, and at WOODWEB's sole discretion. WOODWEB reserves the right to delete any messages with links it deems inappropriate. (return to form)
    E-Mail Address Your e-mail address will not be publicly viewable. Forum participants will be able to contact you using a contact link (included with your post) that is substituted for your actual address. You must include a valid email address in this field. (return to form)
    Subject Subject may be edited for length and clarity. Subject lines should provide an indication of the content of your post. (return to form)
    Thread Related Link and Image Guidelines Thread Related Links posted at WOODWEB's Forums and Exchanges should point to locations that provide supporting information for the topic being discussed in the current message thread. The purpose of WOODWEB Forums is to provide answers, not to serve as an advertising venue. A Thread Related Link that directs visitors to an area with inappropriate content will be removed. WOODWEB reserves the right to delete any messages with links or images it deems inappropriate. (return to form)
    Thread Related File Uploads Thread Related Files posted at WOODWEB's Forums and Exchanges should provide supporting information for the topic being discussed in the current message thread. Video Files: acceptable video formats are: .MOV .AVI .WMV .MPEG .MPG .MP4 (Image Upload Tips)   If you encounter any difficulty when uploading video files, E-mail WOODWEB for assistance. The purpose of WOODWEB Forums is to provide answers, not to serve as an advertising venue. A Thread Related File that contains inappropriate content will be removed, and uploaded files that are not directly related to the message thread will be removed. WOODWEB reserves the right to delete any messages with links, files, or images it deems inappropriate. (return to form)