It seems WCR is now used as a way to get non paying customers’ attention. It should have it’s own section, I think this trend will increase. Hope I don’t have to post anything like that, but you never know who you’re next customer is.
Im thinking we just may make this a section… I just want to do it in a way that we can make sure it doesnt get abused.
as much as i like it, it would probably be a good idea to talk to a lawyer first to make sure no one takes legal action against the forum
I’m personally uncomfortable with the one-sided nature of these public grievances. I think it could very easily get carried away. The whole thing seems a little weird to me.
This is a definite double-edged sword, but what isn’t in life? As a small business owner who runs an honest company, where do we as individuals have rights to fight such a thing? With “smaller” jobs it lands in a spot where you don’t have many options. Small claims is $500 or more, and good luck with a mechanic’s lien as from I read, at least in California, does not entail cleaning services as eligible. So we just have to bite the bullet?
I agree the internet has changed everything as we know it, in a good and a bad way, but I believe it has given the consumer and us ‘smaller’ guys a chance to do something. Anything and everything can be abused, but stereotyping and cutting off practical resources because of some bad apples is far from the right approach.
I have mixed feelings about the whole thing myself. Part of me feels it is a very unprofessional way of dealing with things. I’ve never heard of another business or industry settling unpaid disputes in this manner and doesn’t seem like good business to drag a clients name through the mud to prove your point. The other part of me feels that it is justifiable and everyone deserves to be paid for services rendered. Lately though the forum has been overrun w/ these types of posts which is a little annoying. I would definitely get some legal advice on this as well just b/c you never know how this could turn around and actually be a lot worse than not getting paid a couple hundred bucks from some lowlife customer.
Try looking at it this way… it’s like a yelp, google, yahoo, or any other kind of review. Customers can leave a review but a business can’t leave a review about a shady customer who didn’t pay for services?
Such recent threads remind me of when the villagers are knocking at the mad Dr.'s door with torches in their hands lookin for Frankenstein.
Personaly I feel these post should be banned. It does not give the forum a good image. Many of us use the forum to increase links to our site. I do not want my customers or potential customers coming here and finding negativity. If you put up a negative post about a customer this post is also linking back to you because of your signature. If I was looking for a contractor and found that they post negative things about their customers I would not do business with them. This is not how legitimate professional business people do business.
Chris if you are going to continue to allow these posts, please only allow them in the WCRA section so the general public can not see them. That way it would be a warning to the other members not to do business with these people.
Remember everything we post on the Internet about our business does show up in the search engines.
I agree, it isn’t considered a review, call it what it is…trying to get paid. How many times do u Google a potential customers name before doing business w/ them? You don’t because that isn’t what a professional business does, that is part of the risk of being in business, u might get ripped off sometimes and there are more appropriate channels to resolve an issue. This could start to reflect very badly on professionals in our industry, especially when other people who don’t know anything about the client start calling them out and leveling them sociopaths. How is it a fair “review” when others, who do not know the situation, chime in. What if you had one negative review from a customer and then they told all their friends to go leave a bad review as well even though they’ve never done business w/ you? Again, it’s not a review. Don’t sugarcoat it.
So your concern is that someone using WCR’s seo juice to get paid may cast a bad light on you using WCR’S seo juice to increase your ranking?
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I think it casts all of us in a bad light
It’s one thing to build your up your own business w/ positive information found on this site. It’s completely different to degrade everyone elses business by slandering a customer. Who wants to do business w/ a company like that?
Who has slandered anyone? How does what another company does here degrade your business? Who wants to do business with a customer that rips you off.
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Here’s a few quotes from another thread, I guess you’re right, not so much slander as it might be considered libel or defamation(Why do you think Chris is looking into the legality of these types of threads?)
“We really need to have a special section just for people like Lori who’s word is absolute doo doo.” (I do have to admit this one is funny though)
“These kind of people are unfortunately scum”
“may just be a sociopath”
“does not care about being honest, or doing the right thing”
As for how what another business does degrading your business kinda goes in line with why there are associations for respectable businesses to associate. i.e. BBB, Chamber of Commerce, thought WCR was another example of this too, am I wrong or does that only apply to WCRA?
Who wants to do business with a customer that rips you off. - Are you really that naive to think this is about warning other businesses, wow!
I haven’t seen any posted invoices with dates, deposits, balance due! Not saying these claims aren’t true but where’s the proof, it’s a one sided story. There should be a special section or set up another website and have at it, I think the whole thing is just kinda funny.
This isn’t an association its a forum, where any person can register and post, including the parties named in these threads.
I’m not naive and there are lots of areas that have multiple wcr users, the thread Tory made involves San Diego and I bet there’s two dozen companies that now know to make sure you get $ up front if you deal with the guy who slow payed him.
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