As an accountant in practice I'm keenly aware I'm in competition with other accountants for our work. We do our best to compete across the mix of price, quality of service, specialisms and experience. And we'll do what we can to put ourselves in the best possible light.
What we don't do is spend time and effort in actively putting our competitors down. Maybe it's some 'old school' professionalism on my part. Maybe it's naivety. One aspect that's thrown this into light recently is on our firm's Facebook page where you can rate the page (and by inference the practice) between 1 and 5 stars. One of our local competitors (who I won't name as I'm true to my word) has taken the trouble to rate us as 1 star. What do others think of this approach? Is it a fair, commercial way of trying to get 'one up' on the competition? I'd be really interested in your thoughts?
Replies (24)
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Bit pathetic quite frankly.
Send them time wasters and your sacked clients!
I try and maintain good relations with my local firms and with a couple we cross refer our specialisms even through techncially we are in competition it never feels like that.
How pathetic!
We share the building with another accountants, used to be 2 other firms.
We share information and expertise with both the current and former 'sharers', it's always been that way. We would never steal their clients and / or put them down publically. Maybe we work to a moral code as well as a professional one?
In theory, all of us on here are in competition too. By this firms reckoning we should be giving out incorrect information to make each other look bad!
send them a letter before action
threatening to sue them for Libel because that is what it is , should put the wind up them at least
Sounds like they've sunk to a level which would be deemed unacceptable my any decent, upstanding firm. They obviously see you as a threat / better than them.
Does Facebook tell you who actually gave the rating, or can the 'rater' put any name down? If the latter, it may be a different competitor putting the name of another competitor to cause trouble?
I'm not familiar with Facebook so just a thought.
Otherwise, how stupid of them to effectively 'slag you off' when you know exactly who it was who did it !
I'm with the OP ...
... don't slag off competitors, or predecessor accountants.
On firm near me is I think very unprofessional, they take any chance to put competitors down, undermine them, pick holes in their work etc. etc. They are a large firm too with a high profile partner, but they do use value pricing so that most likely explains it.
My view is there is enough work to go round and if we stopped under-cutting each other we could get a fair price for the work too!
ouch
but they do use value pricing so that most likely explains it.
First smile of the morning.
Agreed - they have behaved badly
If you feel able I think you should have a word with their boss - it may be that a junior / immature member of staff has posted and s/he is unaware.
Not acceptable but adverts that will be coming soon!!
Paying too much tax
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What???
We are not solicitors you know!!
The will have us chasing ambulances next.
"Been in an accident, not your fault?
Your award may be taxable, we can help"
In the trough?
We are not solicitors you know!!
The will have us chasing ambulances next.
"Been in an accident, not your fault?
Your award may be taxable, we can help"
Multi-disciplinary practice anyone? Contingent fees all round! Hurray!
@DJKL
Have you just peaked at my latest marketing literature. LOL
That is a but Micky Mouse if your rival to do such a thing, but if he will stoop that low it makes you wonder what standard there accounts work is.
I was aware rival restaurants did this type of thing in the early days of Trip Advisor but I think they have changed how it runs to make it difficult to do that. On Facebook can you not just delete bad comments?
On Facebook can you not just delete bad comments?
If you use a FB page, you cannot delete reviews. However, you can hide them completely.
A way around this would be to use a profile rather than a page. You can then ask clients to leave reviews on your 'wall' - you have complete control over your wall and can delete unwanted comments. The drawback of using a profile is that it doesn't look as tidy as a page and there is a friend limit of 5000 friends. This sounds like a high limit, but in social media terms, it is very small.
Apologies for going off on a slight tangent ....
On Facebook can you not just delete bad comments?
If you use a FB page, you cannot delete reviews. However, you can hide them completely.
A way around this would be to use a profile rather than a page. You can then ask clients to leave reviews on your 'wall' - you have complete control over your wall and can delete unwanted comments. The drawback of using a profile is that it doesn't look as tidy as a page and there is a friend limit of 5000 friends. This sounds like a high limit, but in social media terms, it is very small.
.... but if anybody knows a way to delete these comments and ratings I would be glad to understand how this is done.
My wife has a similar issue in that her business page has a rating of 4.5 stars as there are about a dozen ratings (amongst the hundreds) that have given a 1 star rating - even though they are from people she has never heard of who are based at the other end of the country !
This must be a common problem and I am surprised that Facebook do not appear to have a simple solution.
Not possible
On Facebook can you not just delete bad comments?
If you use a FB page, you cannot delete reviews. However, you can hide them completely.
A way around this would be to use a profile rather than a page. You can then ask clients to leave reviews on your 'wall' - you have complete control over your wall and can delete unwanted comments. The drawback of using a profile is that it doesn't look as tidy as a page and there is a friend limit of 5000 friends. This sounds like a high limit, but in social media terms, it is very small.
.... but if anybody knows a way to delete these comments and ratings I would be glad to understand how this is done. My wife has a similar issue in that her business page has a rating of 4.5 stars as there are about a dozen ratings (amongst the hundreds) that have given a 1 star rating - even though they are from people she has never heard of who are based at the other end of the country ! This must be a common problem and I am surprised that Facebook do not appear to have a simple solution.
It's not possible to remove comments in isolation. You can only leave them be or hide the reviews completely.
It's not ideal, but anybody wit half a brain would ignore the negative reviews in between 100's of good reviews.
I do agree ....
On Facebook can you not just delete bad comments?
If you use a FB page, you cannot delete reviews. However, you can hide them completely.
A way around this would be to use a profile rather than a page. You can then ask clients to leave reviews on your 'wall' - you have complete control over your wall and can delete unwanted comments. The drawback of using a profile is that it doesn't look as tidy as a page and there is a friend limit of 5000 friends. This sounds like a high limit, but in social media terms, it is very small.
.... but if anybody knows a way to delete these comments and ratings I would be glad to understand how this is done. My wife has a similar issue in that her business page has a rating of 4.5 stars as there are about a dozen ratings (amongst the hundreds) that have given a 1 star rating - even though they are from people she has never heard of who are based at the other end of the country ! This must be a common problem and I am surprised that Facebook do not appear to have a simple solution.
It's not possible to remove comments in isolation. You can only leave them be or hide the reviews completely.
It's not ideal, but anybody wit half a brain would ignore the negative reviews in between 100's of good reviews.
..... however I find it annoying that it could be 5 stars if not for the few people who post ratings for "a laugh" for some reason (although it does seem to bother me more than it bothers my wife !).
Not possible
On Facebook can you not just delete bad comments?
If you use a FB page, you cannot delete reviews. However, you can hide them completely.
A way around this would be to use a profile rather than a page. You can then ask clients to leave reviews on your 'wall' - you have complete control over your wall and can delete unwanted comments. The drawback of using a profile is that it doesn't look as tidy as a page and there is a friend limit of 5000 friends. This sounds like a high limit, but in social media terms, it is very small.
.... but if anybody knows a way to delete these comments and ratings I would be glad to understand how this is done. My wife has a similar issue in that her business page has a rating of 4.5 stars as there are about a dozen ratings (amongst the hundreds) that have given a 1 star rating - even though they are from people she has never heard of who are based at the other end of the country ! This must be a common problem and I am surprised that Facebook do not appear to have a simple solution.
It's not possible to remove comments in isolation. You can only leave them be or hide the reviews completely.
It's not ideal, but anybody wit half a brain would ignore the negative reviews in between 100's of good reviews.
Eh?
Why, @OGA and @Ireallyshouldkn..., might there be any suggestion of a causal link between the laudable use of Value-Based Pricing and the pointless practice of rubbishing your competitors?
Generally ...
... that would follow the inevitable question of why are you 10x times the price Joe Bloggs and Co quoted for the same work!
Ah!
But if the Value-Based Pricing Sales Conversation had been conducted well, the prospect would see why your price was a reasonable investment in order to achieve their return.
If Bloggs and Co had come up in conversation, it would be reasonable to have asked what the prospect had been promised for the lower price, and what Bloggs's 'package' would be worth to them. No aspersions will have been cast on Bloggs by doing this.
In order to compete with the Bloggs offer, you would have to uncover more than Bloggs managed to uncover concerning additional, related issues that the prospect would find valuable to have resolved, and include resolving these in your proposal. Presuming Bloggs are not as skilled as you at uncovering hidden value, this should not be a problem.
The mantra of "a different price demands a different package" cuts both ways. If, on detailed scrutiny, you were offering exactly "the same work", then there's no reason for a price that isn't exactly "the same". But it would be quite difficult to deliver precisely "the same work" as Bloggs!
If you are ACCA ...
SECTION 150
Professional behavior
150.1 The principle of professional behavior imposes an obligation on all professional accountants to comply with relevant laws and regulations and avoid any action that the professional accountant knows or should know may discredit the profession. This includes actions that a reasonable and informed third party, weighing all the specific facts and circumstances available to the professional accountant at that time, would be likely to conclude adversely affects the good reputation of the profession.
150.2 In marketing and promoting themselves and their work, professional accountants shall not bring the profession into disrepute. Professional accountants shall be honest and truthful and not:
(a) Make exaggerated claims for the services they are able to offer, the qualifications they possess, or experience they have gained; or
(b) Make disparaging references or unsubstantiated comparisons to the work of others.
150.3 A professional accountant shall behave with courtesy and consideration towards all with whom the professional accountant comes into contact in a professional capacity.
Ah but ...
all VBP is equal, but some more equal than others. As in any walk of life, it is not always the pure form that is used. But , by definition, if you say what you will do is more than Bloggs and Co, you are by definition dissing them, after all, in theory, if both firms are say ICAEW, then there should be no difference in their skill sets, at least to the ubiquitous man on the Clapham Omnibus.
Also, see 150.2 (a) above (as an aside, I wonder how that interacts with aggressive tax avoidance schemes as I am sure ICAEW rules are identical!).
Just To Be Clear
For @OGA and any others who are interested:
Offering to do more than Bloggs & Co is NOT disrespectful of their qualifications, skills, experience, standards, quality, ethics or whatever.
It is a statement of fact, well at least of intent. If Bloggs offered to mow your lawn and I offered to mow your lawn, weed your flower beds and prune your shrubs, I would be offering to do more work than Bloggs is offering to do. Their standard of workmanship doesn't come into it.
Of course, if the prospective client on the omnibus wanted nothing more than to have their grass cut, I would have been foolish to offer additional services of no value to the prospect because I should have discovered this during the Sales Conversation.
Rather than compete with Bloggs on price, I could offer to come a time of the prospect's choosing and pay them for the grass clippings I would take away (and turn into a potting compost I could then sell!) - presuming that the prospect had told me they were perturbed that Bloggs could only come at 9:00am on a Tuesday and that they would make an extra charge for taking away the clippings which they - the prospect - have no means of either composting or disposing of.
In short, I would have uncovered more hidden value than Bloggs was able to uncover, enabling me to charge more for more value, without ever resorting to saying unkind things about Bloggs.
How much more I might charge would be based on asking the prospect what it was worth to them to have me do the work rather than Bloggs.