My business is being stolen

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BeautifyMee

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Joined
Oct 30, 2011
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Location
Kent
Hi people, I am new to this and really disappointed that my first post is going to be such a depressing one, but hopefully with a bit of help from fellow geeks I might have a 2nd more cheerful topic to discuss!!

So basically I have been working really hard to build up a tanning client base; and the majority of my clients have been dance competitiors from the dance school I attend. Everything was going well all the clients kept coming back and saying they were happy, then my dance teacher decided to get someone else in to tan the dancers. They went to the clients house I used previously and used my whole business model but with a different therapist; i.e. same time, same day, same place, same dancers as I would usually do.

I had some of them already booked in with me and they cancelled. I texted the dance teacher who arranged it all and asked if I had done something wrong, were my tans not good enough and she said I had done nothing wrong but this lady was a friend of hers and was charging £10, whereas I charged £10 for under 12s and £15 for the 5/6 over 12s.
I let it go; but then she was at it again the next week so I rang the other therapist. I explained I already tanned the girls regularly and I didnt want her finding out later on that some of her new 'clients' had booked in with me! (Which some were doing).

Anyway she was very nice, and apparently horrified to know she had stepped on my ties and said she had no friendship with the teacher who had booked her and had not been told I had been doing it previously and said she wouldn't poach any more clients. (Also we went on to have a nice conversation about training she wanted to do and I later text her details about the course she wanted to do that I had done, she seemed happy enough with me).

THEN... she rang the teacher, moaned that I had been rude to her and that I had rudely told her off for undercutting me etcetc - I 100% know I wasn't rude; and I think that as part of the code of conduct teaches us not to poach clients, I was right in contacting her.

Do you think I was right? How else could I or should I have approached the situation?
It has caused so much grief now as since talking to the dance teacher she has decided to continue to try and poach my clients and undercut my services; and now I am being asked by the dance teacher not to contact these clients (who were originally my clients), and not to advertise to them. She is putting pressure on the girls to go to this other lady; although some want to go to me. I just don't know what to do; my whole business is being ruined and I'm worried about them both slating my reputation. I am just totally exhausted with the whole thing and need some advice on how to move forward?

Please someone help me :( sorry for the long rant just needed to get it out my system and anyone who has an opinion on the way I handled it please reply!!!!
Thankys guys xxxx
 
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Oh that's not good :( i would be so upset if this was me.
The thing with spray tans is people always come and go, when I started my salon I had people coming who say they used to go to someone else but like my tan brand better. I know a few of my clients have tried other people. Lucky have always came back.
I have all my client details, I send emails! Facebook messages to them to let them know my deals and to remind them off me. You should keep them on your client list and keep them updated with you, Im Sure they will come back. If not there will be plenty more people who will use you. I wouldn't worry, if I was you, I would just laugh about it and focus on building a fantastic new client base x
 
She can't stop you contacting your client database. And I wouldn't stop doing that even if I was asked too... But then I wouldn't have contacted the other lady either. All you've done is create an animosity where there wasn't any before.

I'd just take what you can from this experience (client wise). Move on and find clients elsewhere. Not a lot else you can do really now.
 
Firstly, I wouldn't have called the woman now doiing the tans...

Secondly the dance teacher is prob getting a free tan/cheap treatments for providing her business.

I'd be wary of contacting clients, most people get annoyed. A random email (so its not mithering them) is fine but texts when people are busy etc are annoying.

If u dance with these girls then let them come back to you if they want to, it is up to them not the teacher so in turn they should stand up to the dance teacher not you.

And I am not suprised the new lady wants all those dancers to tan all in one place (saving fuel/time etc) so I wouldn't expect her to say 'I'm sorry you have them back'

I am sorry the way it has been done to you, its not a nice thing to happen. But usually tanners go here there and everywhere for a tan...

I'd advise you to advertise n build up new clients, or maybe offer the older dancers the same deal as new tanner?
Xx
 
Sorry about what happened to you. Personally I wouldn't of called the new therapist, no matter how polite you were it will come across as you telling her to back off of your clients. You have to let the client choose who she wants to go to, there are so many competitors out there, clients will come and go you have to let them make their own choices. All you can do is provide the best possible service and they will come back to you regardless of prices. Hang in there and take it as a learning curve :hug:
 
Clients go to whoever they want to go to. You cant warn a therapist off working on people. I think you need to learn from this. You cannot bully people into not spraying people that you have done before, nor can you force people to only use you.
Accept this with good grace and move on now.
People cannot be "stolen", they use who they want to.

Totally agree. I would concentrate on developing a more varied client basis instead of putting all your eggs in one basket. Play your cards close to your chest and remember in business you do not have friends no matter how nice they are, look after number 1.
Good luck
 
Are you a professional therapist? If so the dance teacher cannot dictate to you how to run your business. If clients have come to you - then you have there details and you have every right to contact them in your own time.
Just don't do it in the dance classes.

The dance teacher is out of order and has caused ill feeling but unfortunately you contacted this other lady which does smack of warning her off.

As everyone has said learn from it. Keep tanning and if anyone asks you yes you can offer them a tan.

We all have lessons to learn in business and this has been a bit of a rude awakening for you, its not nice but learn from it.
 
You not what they say alls fair in love and war lol If I had been the new spray tanner I wouldnt have taken any notice on your claim to clients she owes you no loyality. How about starting a loyality scheme. People will go to who is the cheapest or who they like the best or most convenient. Dont take it personally. I would imagine there was something in it for dance teacher. Why not contact all the other dance schools and next time make sure there is something in it for teachers. We all live and learn lol I have made so many mistakes and now my business is taking of nicely and so wiil yours if you stick at it xxx
 
It's tough but clients are only ours when they are using us. They are free to come and go as they please.

The clients that want to stay with you will do just that and the others will swop and change like the wind.

Concentrate on doing the best job you can on each and every client and on building your business away from third parties like this dance teacher. One of the big problems of large groups like this is that they can be taken away in one go as opposed to individuals that come and go one at a time.

I wouldn't contact anyone again, probably wouldn't have contacted anyone but the ones who didn't turn up for appointments. I think this new tanner won't stay in business long as she isn't charging enough anyway. :wink2:
 
Although I think you did the wrong thing contacting the other therapist, (because you have no rights to those cilents, they havent signed a contract with you and they can go where ever they please).

I do however see it as a two way street, they were your clients and you are entitled to advertise to them and let them know of your offers etc if THEY have given you permission to do so.

dont contact the teacher person again and dont contact the therapist again. Its not ideal situation, you need to accept that they will come to you IF they want to. you cant force customers to use you and you need to get out there and find replacements.

sometimes you have to just bite the bullet!

tigi
 
Thankyou all for replying, made me feel a bit better about the situation! As most people are of the opinion not to contact the other therapist am I ok to go to a clients house even if this other therapist is going there too at other times? This is where I was confused as I didnt want to be out of order on the other therapist either lol! But I'm thinking as long as the client wants me there at some times then Im ok to carry on? xx
 
Thankyou all for replying, made me feel a bit better about the situation! As most people are of the opinion not to contact the other therapist am I ok to go to a clients house even if this other therapist is going there too at other times? This is where I was confused as I didnt want to be out of order on the other therapist either lol! But I'm thinking as long as the client wants me there at some times then Im ok to carry on? xx

You are more than entitled to go to the clients houses if they book you even if they are also seeing her.

I do feel sorry for you and it sounds like you are in a horrible situation and I would be very upset if it was me but in reality there is nothing you can do about it :sad:

With regards to the therapist she may have undercut you but not with the intention to steal your business. The dance teacher may have been told about her or saw her offers. To be fair if she is £5 cheaper over a month that is a big difference and I can see why the dance teacher has booked her but I think she has gone about it the wrong way.

As annoying as it is the other therapist could hardly turn the girls away out of respect for you. If I had a client call me and say she wanted a treatment as she didn't want to go to her previous salon I wouldn't turn her down !

Try and concentrate on obtaining new business elsewhere and perhaps introduce a loyalty card x
 
What a horrible thing to happen, unfortunately that is the nature of the business we are in sometimes.

Try to concentrate your efforts on getting new clients and dont let this incident get to you.

Tanning is a funny old game and I find that it is a very last minute treatment and people tend to book as and when and use who is available or who has a deal.

Also try not to be too friendly with clients, I don't even tan any of my friends or anyone close it causes too much hassle!
 
Your clients are not obliged to stay with you. And there's no loyalty in business.
Stay in touch with your clients and offer just that little bit more ... whatever that may be. I let my spray clients know that they get 'complimentary' sticky feet, mob caps, face masks should they choose to use them and disposable thongs. They get coffee/tea/hot choc/fruit tea/whatever and a huge consultation before they book and again on arrival. They go away feeling special and that they've had a really personal service. I've had women come in for a tan who were very nervous about getting their kit off who have told me what a lovely time they've had.
It's how you deal with your clients and what they get out of it rather than just 'doing' them ...

Hope that helps ...

Thankyou all for replying, made me feel a bit better about the situation! As most people are of the opinion not to contact the other therapist am I ok to go to a clients house even if this other therapist is going there too at other times? This is where I was confused as I didnt want to be out of order on the other therapist either lol! But I'm thinking as long as the client wants me there at some times then Im ok to carry on? xx
 
No ones business is ever stolen, work hard go the extra mile, there is a massive gap to fill between demand and supply so offer extras and do some more training perhaps in nails or additional services then more people will want to come back for convenience, offer loyalty schemes and advertise further afield perhaps set up a Facebook site or do some spray ran parties where the host is free of charge.

If that doesn't work set up a dance school that'll annoy her lol
 

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