# Fired Salesman



## JWH (Dec 6, 2011)

I fired a salesman a couple of weeks ago, and now he has gone to one of my customers i was working with and lied to them saying a bunch of @#$%, now the customer has backed out of the deal. the customer was a friend of mine and is a piece of @#$% too!!! the salesman did sign a no compete agreement which i know is not worth the paper it is printed on. I do know the company he is working for now and thinking about paying them a visit. and no i did not have a contract on the HO, he kept stalling on signing it. i don't care about the job i just want the salesman ass. anyone have this problem before? any suggestions????


----------



## 1985gt (Dec 21, 2010)

Tall oak tree and a rope?


----------



## jmance (Mar 27, 2012)

I know you're experiencing quite a bit of frustration, but it's probably best to simmer on this for a while. If you want to approach the homeowner, the best thing would be to wait til he seems ready to make a choice, talk to him about why you had to let the salesman go "promises your company couldn't keep"... and if you get the job in the end, it will chaff the salesman way more than showing off to his new company. Stay away from him is going to keep you out of hot water.
___________________________________________________
Texas Roofer


----------



## Grumpy (Oct 29, 2008)

Non disclosure are enforceable. Non compete are more a scary piecve of paper that you'd spend more enforcing than it's usually worth. 

If yo uhave a non disclosure it would usually say they are firbidden from contacting customers, using documentation, etc... If you don't have one of those get one. Make them sing both seperately, if one is thrown out the other may still be enforceable. 


Not much you can do but suck it up, and stop working for friends. 


If he kept stalling on signing the contract, you never had the job to begin with. Chalk it up to experience, cover your ass in the future and move on. Easier said than done, but that's about all you can do. Don't lower yourself to his level.


----------



## vtroofing (Sep 27, 2009)

Absolutely the new Boss should be aware of the past actions, and in favor in return he should buy you lunch. You are a nice guy why look like a hothead when just knowing there is a new bond between you two and then there you have it- let the Saleman guess what you two are talking about. Conspiracy theory can be played with just one. Do it, let me know how it turns out!


----------



## LCG (May 30, 2011)

All things will pass. The one thing I have learned is to "never go negative". When someone else is talking trash I double down on kindness. Kill him with kindness. When the cuustomer comes out and says " Joe, said you are a low paying company and cut corners whenevr you get the chance" Thats about as low as they can go! I always have returned with "Thats too bad. Joe and I had a good relationship for several years. I had to let him go for reasons I really can't discuss. I wish him the best." etc.

Poof, your the better person and in the long run the leash you have been holding will tighten around his neck. 

I have had a few of these. One was so bad that I was called in before a board of directors of a comapny that gave us 400,000.00 per year in residential and commercial roofing contracts. I had to prove my payroll and hours of which I had in hand when I walked through the door. I never said a bad word. Just proved my point. They gave us another 170K in contracts in the following weeks. Seriously! Someone going negative has always paid big divendeds for my company. Politics as usual.

People don't like negative people. As long as you are a reputable human being people generally see through this kind of garbage and the ones that don't you don't want to do business with.

Or you can just beat his ass. I'm a bit more civil these days. When I was 23 I would have handled the matter entirely differently.


----------



## Grumpy (Oct 29, 2008)

LCG said:


> Or you can just beat his ass. I'm a bit more civil these days. When I was 23 I would have handled the matter entirely differently.


 I couldn't have said it any better. After I got a mortgage and then a wife, and then kids... I discovered I had something to lose. 

At 23 I might have burned down his garage. Now I might just havea drink, curse under my tongue, rant on the forums, and let it pass. Amazing what age (and other factors) will do for your knee jerk reactions. 

People think I am a hot head, and I am, but holy jeez I bite my tounge ALOT! If they only knew the truth. 


BTW thanks for the tip on the kill them with kindness. Not my nature, and it hasn't happened often where I have needed to defend myself like that, but something to file in the memory bank.


----------



## jeffroofing (Feb 18, 2012)

one closed door opens another:thumbup:


----------



## AndyWRS (Sep 12, 2010)

> the customer was a friend of mine and is a piece of @#$% too!!!


If i felt that way about him i wouldnt have even bid it.


----------



## london (Apr 22, 2011)

I have been in similar situations, I get really angry but I've learned that the best policy is honesty. I told my customer what is happening. It didn't work , the customer picked the rogue roofer.

However, keep calm and carry on, don't get yourself dragged into a vendetta, you got nothing to gain even if you win , except the satisfaction. The rogue tradesmen don't last long, so concentrate on your business.


----------



## JWH (Dec 6, 2011)

Thanks for all the advice, The home owner is the uncle of my now ex girlfriend thanks to him. He called and told her numerous lies about me, that i was cheating him and lying to him. which i know the salesman i fired told him, who is now doing his roof with another comany. I feel the HO was up to no good from the begining, but being family as he allways said we were!!! I didnt think this guy would do something like this. We live and learn!!!! I run my bussinees with honesty and integrity, I never take short cuts on any of my work and know a bad name can kill you in our Bussiness.


----------



## Grumpy (Oct 29, 2008)

You learned two pieces of great information today. Avoid workign for family and friends at all costs and keep your sales reps on a short leash. 

I've lost a few friends due to them simply asking for an estimate. It seldom turns out well, and I always tell them upfront "Most of the time someone I know asks me for a estimate on their roof, they are looking for a deal. I can give you a little break maybe $100, but I'm still probably going to be the most expensive. If you want some referrals to some guys I trust I'll be happy to help you out. If you want me to help you go over the estiamtes you get and make a decision, just buy me a beer and burger and I'll be happy to help you out." 

I did my Uncles roof. I really desperately needed money at the time, he didn't know that but that's why I broke my policy of working for family. His neighbor wanted an estimate and had a very similiar house. As it turns out he hired some handy man who was $2,000 cheaper and planted the seed in my Undle's mind that I ripped my Uncle off, which was not the case. I shouldn't have even bothered with the job in retrospect. Every time I break my policy it bites me in the ass.


----------



## nmarshall603 (Mar 25, 2012)

This is an everyday occurence in this industry... nothing you can do to prevent or stop it!


----------



## Roofmeister (Dec 18, 2011)

I've had this happen. Just remove yourself from the situation totally. Move forward and forget it.

As far as working for friends and family? And them wanting a good deal? Because they love you? Is something I just don't do. I don't price friends or family any different than any other customers.

If they really did love you they would pay more for you, and be happy to be doing it.


----------



## morrissey roofing (Nov 28, 2010)

We all have to remember, we train our competition. 
and there are 2 sides to every story!


----------



## MJW (Apr 16, 2009)

So, a salesman actually lied? Tell me it isn't so......


----------



## Grumpy (Oct 29, 2008)

Similiar situation, but not quite the same. A salesman went missing in action, after a week no call no show I accepted that he quit. A few months later we changed offices. After a year or two we changed offices again. When we changed offices the 2nd time, he moved his new business into our location.

I thought it was dirty, not that I trained a competitor but that he took our old space... Purposely? I doubt it was a coincidence. Well last week I noticed he's not there anymore. I think he went out of business. He coulda moved but what ever.


----------



## topviewroofing (Jan 31, 2012)

1985gt said:


> Tall oak tree and a rope?


Perfect!


----------



## QualityAtlantaRoofing (Jun 3, 2012)

This is always tough firing a salesmen when deals are pending. I have been down this road before.


----------

