respecting territories

[Joe Diaz]

Ok, so we got a contact through our site a little while ago to do a logo. We called the person back and discussed the project. This person told us we were recommended by another client of ours, and so he went to our site, liked what he saw, and wanted to hire us. Keep in mind we didn't go after this client, they found us. Anyway, so we did the job, got paid, and then posted our work on our portfolio. So a friend of ours in the sign business saw that logo and was really upset with us. The logo was for a business in a town nearby his hometown. Not in his hometown mind you, but closer to him than to us. He had previously tried to sell that particular job, but they went with us instead.

He's upset that we didn't call him first, and claims that we would be upset if he did work in our town. which isn't true. There are all sorts of other sign shops and design firms that do work in our town all the time, without contacting us to make sure it's OK. One of them is a past employer 35 miles away that I still have a good relationship with, and the other is 45 miles away and a real good friend that we collaborate with every once-in-awhile on jobs. Not only do we not get bent out of shape if they do work here are in a nearby towns, but if they are in town we like to meetup and go grab a bite to eat for lunch.

So did I do the wrong thing? Should I have contacted this other sign maker first before taking the job? He's a good friend and a nice guy but I didn't think I did anything wrong. Am I crazy here?

 

[Design it Graphics]

Doesn't really sound all that bad to me.

 

[nikdoobs]

You didn't do anything wrong. Sounds like he's upset that he is losing business to you. But to say you should have checked with him first is crazy talk.

 

[nikdoobs]

So he expected you to tell your client, "No sorry we cant accept your business because we don't want to offend another company in your area." He's delusional.

 

[J Hill Designs]

thats plain rediculous. customer wanted you, they get you.

'hey, can you make me a sign? I saw your website and like your work'
'well, i got a friend closer to you than i am. I cant'
'um, ok i guess.'

 

[rjssigns]

It's a dog eat dog world and sometimes you're the guy wearin' the Milk Bone underwear.

 

[SignManiac]

Nobody has protected territories unless they're a franchise and even that means nothing. A customer has the absolute right to choose who he spends his money with. I remember when I first came to this town and there was a screen printer/half *** vinyl sign shop on main street. Well I sold several nice carved dimensional signs on the street they had their business on and they went off bad mouthing me, yada yada yada, how dare I do signs on their street...

I laughed pretty good over that. Well I'm still doing signs on that street and they're long gone. You need not worry about who your customers should be. Sounds like your associate had better up his A game if he wants to compete with you Joe.

He's completely out of line. May the best man win!

 

[Gino]

First of all..... sure, I know you're crazy, so that was the wrong way to end your OP......but ethically or business-wise, you did nothing wrong.

Sounds more like someone has sour grapes. Perhaps the other guy isn't as much a friend as you think he is.

Today, like yesteryear, there are no boundaries. That's why you have companies which reach more than their 25 mile radius safety zone. I wouldn't want to travel 150 miles to put up a 4' x 8' sign, but I'll make one and have them pick it up and if I step on some competitor's toes, too bad..... even if I know the guy. Business is business.

If you're good, they will come from all over seeking your talents. And you are good.... very good !!
​

 

[WildWestDesigns]

To me you didn't do anything wrong. To think that there should be some type of checking in to make sure you are good to go with a job when the customer sought you out seems to be a little bit out there to me.

 

[jfiscus]

We do work for customers in other areas all of the time. If the customer calls YOU because they received a good reference, found a search result on an internet search, or because they saw your portfolio and that you do good work - even IF they are a customer of another company. If they choose to do new work with you; then that is not your problem. This is when you can tell that all of those hours and dollars you are putting into your marketing plan (word of mouth, website, SEO, portfolio, photography, etc) really ARE paying off.

It sounds like the other company is hurting for work.

 

[Pat Whatley]

Man, I wish we could declare territories, that would be awesome. I can imagine yearly meetings with all the shops in town to argue about moving boundaries as city demographics shifted.

 

[Billct2]

The only time I would call another is 1. If they are a friend and 2. If I know that they had some previous relationship with this particular client.

 

[HDvinyl]

This sounds gang related, I would call the .

 

[Locals Find!]

Just ask him if he is going to call you for every single client of his own to make sure he isn't stepping on your toes. Should put things into prospective for him.

Sounds like he was having a bad day and needs a stiff drink. Send him over to Gino's I hear he has a great watering hole across from him.

 

[Joe Diaz]

The only time I would call another is 1. If they are a friend and 2. If I know that they had some previous relationship with this particular client.

I guess that is the problem, he is a friend, any other sign maker/designer that got upset because I did a job in their area, I would not care enough to even post this, or second guess myself on this. I honestly didn't know of any previous relationship he had with this client. The client didn't bring him up, and since it wasn't his town, but a nearby town, I didn't for one second consider whether or not he tried to get this job at one point. And it's a logo not a sign or a mural. Signs or murals, I might have sought out friendly sign makers in that area to either collaborate or pass the job off to them, if the travel costs didn't make sense. Or to grab a bite to eat while in town. Since it's a logo I can do that the same way I would if a local company hired us. I guess that was my thinking. Anyway, he's really upset. I apologized, but I kind of hope he happens across this post someday to see that I'm not alone in thinking that I shouldn't have to call sign makers to get permission to do work that came to us.

 

[ddarlak]

He's a good friend and a nice guy but I didn't think I did anything wrong. Am I crazy here?

I think you need to re-evaluate his friendship status, he sounds like a douche

 

[John Butto]

The two most important things in life are sex and money.
He got f***ed and you made some money.

 

[Joe Diaz]

I think you need to re-evaluate his friendship status, he sounds like a douche

He's not, I just think A, he hasn't been at it long enough to know that sometimes these things happen and it's not really that big of a deal, or B, he really really wanted this job and is upset he didn't get it, and is wrongfully taking it out on me. But even good people let their emotions get to them from time to time. Whether you agree with him or not, I would appreciate it if you didn't call him names, he is a friend, and all YOU know about him is this one thing, so I don't think you're qualified to make that judgment.

 

[SignManiac]

I have a few times in the past called another shop. Because I had a customer come to me with the other shops design and were shopping it around. Professional courtesy call is what I call that.

 

[ddubia]

If you went into his town soliciting work I could understand if he gots upset with you, being friends and all.

"He had previously tried to sell that particular job, but they went with us instead." How then could he get upset with you for that? Upset yes. With you? No.

The customer came to you recommended by one of your clients. He visited your site. He called you. Your friend already had a shot at this job but the client made a decision to spend his money as he desires.

Hopefully, being a friend, he'll come to his senses in a short time and this will all be forgotten.

 

[Pat Whatley]

I have a few times in the past called another shop. Because I had a customer come to me with the other shops design and were shopping it around. Professional courtesy call is what I call that.

Now that I think about it I'm pretty sure every time I've done that the other shop pretty much said "Screw that guy, you can have him, he's a pain in the ***."