Hobbyist stealing customers :-/

[TinTin10]

Those aren't extraordinary circumstances. Those circumstances are so ordinary and have been around for so, so long that people have even come up with a name for it. They call it competition.

Whether that competition is charging or not is irrelevant - many companies offer loss leading services or use a freeium model. Are they "stealing" business as well?

Mine was the first post in this thread to tell the OP that if their 4 person business is struggling to cope with competition from an old guy with a screwdriver they need to examine what they are doing wrong. I'll stand by that.

Asking the competition to go away, however politely, is a cop out (and likely to be ineffective). But that suggestion does pander to the feeling of entitlement displayed by the OP who seems to believe that a good-hearted bloke helping a local charity is "stealing" their business and interfering with their God-given rights. This old geyser is accused of being engaged in a criminal activity - theft / stealing.

I tried to diplomatically give the OP a kick up the backside. But they need more than that. They could also probably use a good dictionary.

These are extraordinary circumstances though. How often does a business get a competitor open up in their small area, offering to do the same job for a donation to a charity? Not ordinary circumstances are usually called 'extraordinary circumstances'.

Loss leaders/freemium models usually have another facet of their service offering which does charge a premium, this gentleman does not.

Im not really interested in getting into the moral dilemma of 'sense of entitlements', and I agree that if a one-man band is destroying their profitability, there are other issues with their business model, but they come here for advice on how to fix the issue. I offered them a viable solution.

If the man is a philanthropist, I daresay he might be prepared to make reasonable allowances if he realises he is causing significant harm to the livelihood of a family.

 

[TinTin10]

But the chances in the long run, of someone offering complete repair kits, so that people can fix their own mobile phones, is 100%.

The chances of the mobile phone still being around and so expensive that they are worth repairing in ten years time, is 0%.

No, the above was your previous message, or at least it is on my screen?

My previous message was -

Seems about the same to me!

 

[paulears]

There is one thing you can do, he cannot - payment by card. So why not push the benefits of pay with card and spread that expensive phone repair a little - as in why pay cash, spread the load, get your phone repaired NOW, and use your card.

 

[Scalloway]

As a semi retired pensioner I have taken customers of larger businesses by being a lot cheaper due to low overheads and I haven't been aware of them trying to shut me down.

 

[htb1]

Thanks everyone for the input.... some good points, some people I guess do not have a clue how a tiny rural business works!! We have taken onboard some of the points.

 

[npfmedia]

You should not be thinking about being a tiny rural business when you have a website and obviously deliver a good service and aftercare. Obviously you keep details of orders for demographic analysis? You can go as far as you want provided you put the effort in. Sounds like a bit of red mist has pee'd you off in my opinion.

Guessing this this guy only fixes locals phones? You clearly don't, going by your website. If a tourist came into the village (smashed there phone up on a walk etc) would people direct to this guy? Probably not. They'd turn to a business. That said why not leaflet or target tourist locations where people might smash there phone cases? Have you looked at other areas outside your village for business too?

I personally don't think you need to even talk to him. Just keep doing what your doing. Instead change the way you market to your area locally. You admitted you were annoyed about him offering the same service. You cannot let that come across to local customers otherwise they're sure to turn on you. Just keep your grievances to yourself or inhouse.

Hope things work out for you

 

[htb1]

thanks, we would NEVER EVER let the locals know as we know very well we would get turned upon!! I think your right though.... we really do need to start on the holiday parks etc etc as we live in a huge tourist area. Thanks again

 

[Clinton]

some people I guess do not have a clue how a tiny rural business works!!

As long as you think he's "stealing" your business I guess you have no clue how any business works (... or what constitutes theft).

 

[TinTin10]

As long as you think he's "stealing" your business I guess you have no clue how any business works (... or what constitutes theft).

Can you actually copy the post where they stated he was 'stealing' their business?

 

[htb1]

Thanks all

 

[TinTin10]

HAHAHA! @Clinton , I apologise profusely! I have failed to notice the title of the thread!

 

[BustersDogs]

He is not doing it for free, he is doing it for a donation to a charity.

If the OP can agree with him, a sum in regular donation to the charity, he will essentially be doing the same thing. He will also not be putting a family out of business due to his philanthropy.

This man is giving his time for free. That he's collecting a donation for charity at the same time is irrelevant. Your scenario had him now working for a business for free, while the business donates to charity, charging the customer more and probably donating less, while getting free labour so they can take on more work.

 

[TinTin10]

This man is giving his time for free. That he's collecting a donation for charity at the same time is irrelevant. Your scenario had him now working for a business for free, while the business donates to charity, charging the customer more and probably donating less, while getting free labour so they can take on more work.

If there is an exchange of some sort, that is not free.

The man is fixing phones in return for a donation to charity. A donation to charity will cost money, thus it cannot be free.

Youre taking too many variables for granted in order to make your opinion hold weight. Of course a suitable level of donation must be reached before both parties are satisfied, so to say 'probably donating less' is mere speculation.

 

[Gecko001]

If there is an exchange of some sort, that is not free.

The man is fixing phones in return for a donation to charity. A donation to charity will cost money, thus it cannot be free.

Youre taking too many variables for granted in order to make your opinion hold weight. Of course a suitable level of donation must be reached before both parties are satisfied, so to say 'probably donating less' is mere speculation.

With all due respect, the OP has said that the hobbyist asks for a donation. The giving of the money to charity is in, that case, voluntary. If he was doing the work for a fee which he gives in its entirety to charity, then there would be an exchange as you put it.

 

[paulears]

If they paid him and he donated it that would be and exchange, but if they make the donation direct - he's not involved at all.

In my area of work, we have a constant string of university graduates who qualify and then undercut the people like me. Luckily, they're also not that good, so it has little end impact. As they get better, their prices go up, and clients only make the mistake once - and as the number of new clients is less than the new entrants, while annoying, it's just business in the end.

 

[japancool]

I think the OP's problem is that, being a small rural business, his potential market is small, and the appearance of someone doing it for free is enough to make a significant difference. Just because he is a hobbyist, it doesn't mean he doesn't know what he's doing or does it worse.

IMO, the OP needs to be looking for customers where this guy can't or won't go.

 

[Nochexman]

Thanks everyone for the input.... some good points, some people I guess do not have a clue how a tiny rural business works!! We have taken onboard some of the points.

It would be helpful if you could explain how a tiny rural business works - perhaps by starting a new thread.

Going back to your original question; consider putting your prices up to help differentiate your business from the old duffer with a blunt screwdriver.

 

[Root 66 Woodshop]

Business is Business.

If you feel that an old fogey with a bit of common sense and the ability to do what you do is creating issues for your business... then you should really re-think the business.

A couple of people have suggested that you ask him to stop doing this... a bit wrong to be honest... but hey ho!

A couple of people have suggested that you take him on and donate to the charity on his behalf (that's basically how I read it... sorry if it wasn't correct ) - wrong again... you're a small company "struggling" to compete against an old timer...

Up your game... end of. Have you ever thought that you might actually be over charging - can you reduce your costs - therefore reduce your charges to be more pleasing to the customers eye when thinking of using your services...

can you do a 2-4-1 deal... some dodgy buggers out there may have a couple of phones that they use... perhaps some not so dodgy ones who have a personal phone and business phone?

What about offering an additional phone re-setting service... some folk may want to sell on their old phone but are worried about their old information being found on an old phone...

I dunno, I'm not that into phones

Can you get any phone working?

 

[japancool]

It would be helpful if you could explain how a tiny rural business works - perhaps by starting a new thread.

Going back to your original question; consider putting your prices up to help differentiate your business from the old duffer with a blunt screwdriver.

Why is everyone assuming that this guy does shoddier work because he's retired? He might be a retired phone engineer for all that anyone here knows.

 

[Gecko001]

It would be helpful if you could explain how a tiny rural business works - perhaps by starting a new thread.

Going back to your original question; consider putting your prices up to help differentiate your business from the old duffer with a blunt screwdriver.

May I hazard a guess as to how a small rural business works?

Word of mouth - or to put it another way, gossip.

 

[japancool]

A local shop for local people?

 

[Mr D]

A local shop for local people?

Would that not confuse people?

 

[TotalWebSolutions]

Your website certainly doesn't make you out to be a small/rural business - and that should be taken as a compliment. A quote from your website says "We offer a simple solution to getting your mobile phone repaired if you`re in Pembrokeshire or surrounding areas. We also offer a national postal repair service"

I would suggest concentrating on the 'national' repair if your local trade is suffering, that and looking at the holiday parks etc.

 

[TotalWebSolutions]

Just to follow-up, I would genuinely pay someone to fit tempered glass screen protectors for me if they could do it without getting all those bubbles behind the protective glass! I have done 3 within the past few months (my new mobile, wife's new mobile and a tablet) and it has to be one of the most frustrating tasks I have had to perform in my adult life. If I were you I would drop flyers through every door locally offering this service!

 

[Root 66 Woodshop]

A local shop for local people?

 

[Mr D]

Every shop is local for the local people.

 

[Alan]

Every shop is local for the local people.

What about tourist gift shops?

 

[Mr D]

Only people in the locality will go in them

 

[japancool]

What about online shops that only sell to overseas customers?

 

[Mr D]

The online shops are a click away. How local can you get? Don't even need to get out of your chair to buy from them....

 

[ThayJay]

To be honest, we had a similar scenario with my mates business. We asked the guys to join the team and donated to charity as form of a payment.

It's that or ask him how many cans of food he generates the charity per month, and tell him if he stops you'll pay for that for a year/6 months/1 week (for ever long he wishes to stop these repairs). Furthermore you can get a years worth of dog food for pennies (well... close to pennies in the grander scheme of things).

 

[DontAsk]

There is one thing you can do, he cannot - payment by card.

PayPal.

 

[DontAsk]

I would have said what @Clinton said (except that I would not have used expressions like 'core resilience' and 'strategic path' and to be honest, I wouldn't know a core resilience if it came up and bit me on the nose - and as for a strategic path, you could serve me one of those on a silver platter with watercress round it and I wouldn't be any the wiser - but I digress!)

You mean we aren't playing b******t bingo?