Preventing employees from stealing clients?

[Entrepadawan]

DOG WALKING AGENCY- I am setting up a dog walking business. It is an agency type organisation I would like to get off the ground by July.

I AM THE MIDDLE MAN - I will be the middle-man recruiting dog walkers and finding dog owners in the area who are interested in the services the agency is offering . As it stands, I have 7 keen walkers on my books and have spoken to 2 families who would like to pay someone else walk their beloved pooches on certain occasions .

EVERYTHING IS NEARLY DONE - My dog walking agency website is near fruition ( No login function at start. Dog owners will ring me up and book services over the phone in the early days), marketing is done and the legal stuff is also near fruition.

HOWEVER - I realised this whole business model will only work if there is a foolproof way to prevent the employees going off with the clients I found ( or 'poaching them'; as some more experienced business people have referred to it as)


If you are reading this and have some good suggestions on how to keep the walker-dog owner relationship working through the agency I would be very grateful

 

[Newchodge]

the legal stuff is also near fruition.

It obviously is not. You need contracts with your clients and your employees (they are going to be employees, aren't they, not self employed?) to prevent client poaching.

 

[Entrepadawan]

It obviously is not. You need contracts with your clients and your employees (they are going to be employees, aren't they, not self employed?) to prevent client poaching.

You're right, this is a big legal thing I need to get sorted. All the walkers I have spoken to so far have been very nice so I doubt this will even happen but anyhow...

I still don't know if they will be employed or self-employed. Either way what can a contract realistically state about keeping the walker- dog owner relationship working through my agency? I can't prevent people making a living

 

[deanpunchard]

Maybe think about the problem in a different way, are there things you can do to stop them poaching clients in the first place, or even stop clients from cutting you out, without the threat of legal action.

For example, I would make your business as professional and top quality as possible. Make the service top class. I say this, so even if an employee tries to poach a client, the client will see the added value of paying a little more, but having a brilliant experience.

The same goes for your staff. In my opinion, if you want to stop your staff poaching clients, make their work as brilliant as possible. Give them no reason to want to betray you. Offer them bonuses every time one of your / their clients leaves a good review. Or just generally treat them well!

 

[Newchodge]

That's good advice. But the client merely wants their dog walked. They see that the dog walker is doing a good professional job and they start to ask themselves what they are paying you for.

 

[deanpunchard]

What happens if your dog walker falls ill or wants a holiday? You would, I presume, send a replacement to walk the dog, thus keeping the client happy and continuing to use you.

Your service should be about what added value you're giving your clients. What USPs do you have over a lone dog walker? Are you insured, where others aren't for example?

In my opinion, people who use a service like this will want a decent, reliable service, and won't mind paying for it. If price is an issue for a client, then are they really your target market?

 

[Mr D]

If my dog needs walking then he is going to get walked. Be nice if could find someone else to do it.
If I make arrangements (as I have done on occasion) for a friend to walk the dog and they cannot for whatever reason the dog still needs walking.
To me that is the single advantage an agency has over an individual. A replacement quickly arranged rather than me having to walk my baby.

Hmmmm.... protecting against walkers taking clients. Have you looked at how employment agencies deal with clients taking staff? They allow it and get a lump sum...

 

[BustersDogs]

There is no way to stop this, if it's going to happen. You can have restrictive covenants in the contracts, but even if enforced would not bring the client back, only perhaps give you some financial compensation and is expensive to enforce.

If you take people on as staff, you have a better chance of keeping both client and dog walker working through you, because you keep the relationship with the client which is really the thing that keeps your business going. You also have to look after the dog walker really well. There are people who want to come to work, then go home leaving it all behind them, and not have to run their own business.

Clients who are home will inevitably bond to the dog walker more than to you, unless you cycle which walkers go to which clients. Some clients may not be happy with this, but others may not mind.

I am not sure this would work as an agency long term, unless you are happy to have a high turnover of walkers and clients. There are so many apps that do the same thing, and I see walkers discussing how to get the clients to book directly rather than through the app to avoid paying the fees all the time.

 

[Chris Ashdown]

Don't forget a uniform that tells the world that they are professional and who they work for. Its the cheapest way to advertise a dog walking company as others walking their dogs see how your staff behave and that your company may be what they need
Don't think about zero hours contracts even if they are just used for 2 hours a day give them a fixed contract, they then feel wanted and not being taken advantage of

 

[Mr D]

Cheapest uniform method is a hi vis vest with logo and company name on.
Just be aware while it advertises it also tells people who not to use when they see bad actions by staff.

 

[Simon Baker]

Offer some kind of insurance package? Something that your walkers can't provide by themselves. Then include crazy pet crimes advertorials on your pamphlet

 

[Root 66 Woodshop]

Pardon the pun,

It's a dog eat dog world out there...

You can't stop anyone from stealing customers the only thing you can do is provide the right service at the right price, show that you're value for money ... if a customer does go to one of your "ex-employees" they'll eventually come back...

 

[Mr D]

Offer some kind of insurance package? Something that your walkers can't provide by themselves. Then include crazy pet crimes advertorials on your pamphlet

My dog loves playing with socks. Is that a crazy pet crime? Cheaper than dog toys....

 

[Simon Baker]

I dont even know where to start with you but... LOL!!!!

My dog loves playing with socks. Is that a crazy pet crime? Cheaper than dog toys....

 

[Mr D]

I made you laugh. My work here is done.

Now to find a dog walker willing to do the 1am walk...

 

[S Bari]

Hello,

Best to focus on projecting a big brand image and getting your walkers to wear a cap or some apparel with your brand logo on and possibly set up a website and add the walkers with their pics as a employee profile. Also tighten up your paperwork/contracts etc you can download simple contracts online and brand them up with your own Logo etc.

Now what happens when this employee of yours wants to poach a client. That client will see the employee as exactly that, a small time poach and will most likely revert back to you.

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[LondonSW1]

It's very diffcult to stop it even if you have contracts. A friend of mine uses babysitters all the time and they seem to constantly break the agreements on their contract, and offer their services direct to families.
The only way you can have some level of protection is if someone else (a family member or someone you can trust better) picks up the dogs and takes them to another spot for the walkers to pick them up... but that's half of the work.