Some advice please about 'under new management'?

[saythisinstead.co.uk]

Small local dog grooming business closed and moved to working from home.

The premises was taken over by someone new, a different business name but the same style of business.

They have put up a big sign 'Under new management' and have managed to nick some clients passing themselves off as just 'new management' and not actually a new business.

Is there any legal recourse?

Write to them politely?

Any advice would be really welcome.

Thank You

 

[Mr D]

Lot of information missing.

You can of course write to them. Whether there are legal options depends on the details.

 

[obscure]

Can't see that you have any case. They are displaying a different name... so clearly not claiming to be the same business and the premises are indeed under new management.

 

[mattk]

I think changing the name AND stating it is under new management pretty much covers all the bases. This just shows how little loyalty customers show to certain businesses.

 

[Mr D]

I think changing the name AND stating it is under new management pretty much covers all the bases. This just shows how little loyalty customers show to certain businesses.

Though some businesses do not try and build customer loyalty. Just do the job, nothing special and no reason to follow the business.
Heck if my dog groomers moved to their home as a base and a new business doing the same thing took over the shop I would carry on using the shop.
Convenience versus considerable inconvenience. One mile travel versus eight.

 

[Ian J]

This just shows how little loyalty customers show to certain businesses.

Surely if they think that the previous business has ceased trading or sold out the question of loyalty doesn't come into it

Perhaps the OP should have a word with Trading Standards and see what they think

 

[John Hemming]

I cannot think that Trading standards would be worried about this. It is an issue that would be a civil claim between businesses where I don't think there is much chance of the claim succeeding.

It demonstrates the importance of location.

 

[mattk]

Surely if they think that the previous business has ceased trading or sold out the question of loyalty doesn't come into it

Perhaps the OP should have a word with Trading Standards and see what they think

You'd think the original business would have contacted all their customers to tell them they were moving premises?

 

[Mr D]

You'd think the original business would have contacted all their customers to tell them they were moving premises?

Its one way to take customers with you.

May not work out convenient for all customers though.

 

[Ian J]

You'd think the original business would have contacted all their customers to tell them they were moving premises?

How very true

 

[saythisinstead.co.uk]

You'd think the original business would have contacted all their customers to tell them they were moving premises?

They did

 

[saythisinstead.co.uk]

Thanks for all the replies.

Looks like it's not a fight worth trying.

 

[AllUpHere]

If the original business did such a piss poor job it's too late to worry about it now. The time to solidify customer retention was before they moved, not now.

 

[saythisinstead.co.uk]

If the original business did such a piss poor job it's too late to worry about it now. The time to solidify customer retention was before they moved, not now.

The original business actually did a pretty good job at retention.

Lockdown has caused a lot of problems.
Hey, but thanks for your great input.
Sleep tight. Have a nice life and all that.

 

[Mr D]

The original business actually did a pretty good job at retention.

Lockdown has caused a lot of problems.
Hey, but thanks for your great input.
Sleep tight. Have a nice life and all that.

Then the new business did a pretty good job at attracting customers.
If a business does not look after its customers a competitor is often delighted to do so.
Could be something as simple as location. Move two minutes away and can lose customers!

 

[AllUpHere]

The original business actually did a pretty good job at retention.

Lockdown has caused a lot of problems.
Hey, but thanks for your great input.
Sleep tight. Have a nice life and all that.

It's one of those businesses with which customer retention is simple. If you are good you get to a point very quickly where the clients don't want to get the dog groomed, they want to get the dog groomed by you. If they were doing it right, the problem they are experiencing wouldn't exist.

My point is that there is nothing they can do about it now. It's not the new owners fault they messed it up and searching for ways to try to get back at them for taking a few clients who didn't value the original owner is just daft.

 

[prophet01]

They have put up a big sign 'Under new management' and have managed to nick some clients...

You'd think the original business would have contacted all their customers to tell them they were moving premises?

They did

@saythisinstead.co.uk
Your logic in arriving at the conclusion that customers had been "nicked" is fundamentally flawed. Having all been informed of the change of premises any customers of the original business now using the new business would have made an informed, conscious decision to do so.

Can't see that you have any case. They are displaying a different name... so clearly not claiming to be the same business and the premises are indeed under new management.

The reality is that the premise for your complaint is wholly false.
Sounds like a case of pure envy.

 

[saythisinstead.co.uk]

Thanks for all the ahem 'Marketing' advice.

I was trying to get some 'Legal' advice for the lady in question hence posting in the 'Legal' forum.

Ah well...it was worth a try I suppose.

 

[Chris Ashdown]

My question is not the signs but the service, what are they offering that your friend did not.

She may have been the most local to her customers, which brought in the customers but then there is the inconvenience of a new location and some don't like visiting homes, the new owner may offer a better service or even just be more friendly (a smile can go a long way just like free coffee or timekeeping)

She may find the customers don't like the new service and come back to her, or maybe a time to write to them with a special offer to get them back

 

[AllUpHere]

Thanks for all the ahem 'Marketing' advice.

I was trying to get some 'Legal' advice for the lady in question hence posting in the 'Legal' forum.

Ah well...it was worth a try I suppose.

Luckily, everyone else realises that it's not legal advice you need and replied accordingly.

 

[saythisinstead.co.uk]

Luckily, everyone else realises that it's not legal advice you need and replied accordingly.

Luckily, I'm old enough to know the difference between help/suggestions.....and fragile egos...phew!

 

[Chris Ashdown]

You are looking for the reason why old customers are going to the new owners, be realistic does a sign stating "Under new management" really make them change their loyalty to the old company

And if it does, then it proves that they were looking for something different

 

[saythisinstead.co.uk]

You are looking for the reason why old customers are going to the new owners, be realistic does a sign stating "Under new management" really make them change their loyalty to the old company

And if it does, then it proves that they were looking for something different

No Chris sorry,

I wasn't looking for the reason old customers were going to the new owners.

The business owner asked me if anything could be done about the fact that the new owners had the under new management signage put up.

I told her that I doubted it but that I'd ask.

That was why I posted it in this Legal forum.

Cheers

 

[Alison Moore]

I'm not a lawyer, but have been in business for over 20 years often dealing with contractual matters and I can't see that the new owners have done anything wrong. They've changed the business name and they've stated that its under new management. Both of which are correct. They're not pretending to be the old company. Admittedly 'under new management' could imply that it's the old company with new managers, but they've changed the company name too, so I'd say there is no recourse for your friend.