Got canned by a long-time client ...How to tell he'll be back

[thecomputerguy]

So I get an email from a client to discontinue his Managed Services through me which are billed annually. He said he got a new computer guy from BNI who is handling this now.

Ok no problem, no feelings hurt, he's been a client for 7 years (that I actually got through BNI) and referred me to a client next door to him that I do work for all the time but whatever it is what it is. We've never had an issue before but people try out other services all the time.

So I discontinue his managed services which leaves his computers unprotected with no Anti-virus, and then I look at my Teamviewer and see that I still have access to all of his computers and his server remotely.

Now I'm not the mischievous kinda person that would do anything with that but you would think that being a tech replacing a tech (which I've done many times before) the first you would think you would do is to make sure to the network and computers are secure and the old tech doesn't have access to your information?



Can't wait to welcome this client back with open arms when he comes crawling.

I do wish I knew why he decided to transition after being a client for 7 years though ... seems strange to me.

 

[Mick]

Well, maybe the new fellow hasn't started yet. What's 'BNI'?

 

[thecomputerguy]

Well, maybe the new fellow hasn't started yet. What's 'BNI'?

It's a marketing group where 20 or so people have lunch once a week and try to tap into other members clients for work. I was in it for 2 years, it turned into a buyers club where the only work I was getting was from the other members and it was either free work or a virus removal every few months. It was either a huge waste of time, or I had a bad group, or I suck. My former group however has barely been able to keep afloat and the past few years, a minimum member count is required.

Yearly dues are about $400 now I think + Whatever lunch costs for the group which is usually about $10-$15

I almost chalk it up to a multi-level marketing scheme disguised as a business relationship starter.

When I was in it I was looking at about $1100 a year in dues and lunch plus about 3 hours a week to handle BNI related stuff like going to the meeting, chatting before, chatting after, and setting up one-to-ones with other members during the week which are a person to person meeting to get a more in depth look into another members business.

What I found is it's hard for me to refer one of my clients to someone who sells make-up or jewelry or arbonne, just as it hard for them to do the same.

 

[Mick]

Oh right - thanks. Yes, we have similar types of thing over here. I've never been involved but the feedback I've heard from others is that they're not much use.

 

[TAPtech]

I remove the tools if the outgoing provider doesn't do so themselves. Which, they absolutely should be doing. So while we check all of the machines for services and applications using our RMM, it's mainly the ones that were offline or if the outgoing provider screwed up. Often they'll remove their agent before removing the AV. Then they don't have access to remove the AV. Derp.

Anyhow... can't you push an uninstall from your Teamviewer portal? Take your remote access off his systems, man.

 

[HCHTech]

Now I'm not the mischievous kinda person that would do anything with that but you would think that being a tech replacing a tech (which I've done many times before) the first you would think you would do is to make sure to the network and computers are secure and the old tech doesn't have access to your information?

1. Even if I'm the one being fired, I give always ask the client to have the new tech call us so we can arrange an orderly handoff of all of the various passwords & setups & such, plus careful timing of the removal of our services with the installation of theirs. Most of the time, this is the way it works. Once in a while, though, I never hear from the other tech, so I send one final reminder to the client that the services are being removed on X date (normally when the period they have already paid for runs out), and their computers will be unprotected after that. Then, that's when I queue the uninstalls & such - c'est la vie.

2. BNI pushes for referrals - hard. It could be that after listening to the new tech's commercials every week for a year, and lacking any other referrals, your client moved primarily to make BNI happy (and hope that the new tech might then refer HIM some business). Thus is BNI. If you are lucky, your group has another member that is a natural referral partner (for techs, it might be a web site developer, a phone or security system installer, etc.). If that's so, and that other person is someone you actually want to do business with, then it's pretty easy to work together, and have lots of referrals back and forth to keep BNI happy, and, obviously, help each other's business. If you AREN'T lucky and there isn't a natural referral partner in your group, then you're going to have a bad experience in BNI. BNI's solution, if you ask them, is for YOU to go and seek out a natural referral partner and get them to join the group. Sometimes that's practical, sometimes not.

When I was in BNI, we had a security system installer that should have been great. Trouble is, he was a jerk, and I just couldn't work with him. There was no way I was going to risk my relationship with one of my clients by referring them to this idiot. Plus, he was always calling at 10pm from a job site and seeing if I could just drop everything and run out there (usually 30-40 miles away, his business wasn't very close to mine). I did this ONCE, but the job was to fix something he screwed up himself, so he couldn't bill the client, and it took me 6 months to get paid. After that, I refused the next few late night calls for help, and then he stopped calling. And...because BNI is category exclusive, I couldn't go after someone good to replace him because he didn't break the rules and came to every meeting.

 

[Porthos]

So I get an email from a client to discontinue his Managed Services through me which are billed annually. He said he got a new computer guy from BNI who is handling this now.

Either is about price or perceived value of the subscription. Might be looking to go only break/fix as needed to save money.

 

[HCHTech]

Often they'll remove their agent before removing the AV. Then they don't have access to remove the AV. Derp.

I had this happen once with a tech that had used Connectwise, I think. I had one hell of a time getting that AV off the computers. I finally called Connectwise and begged - I think they gave me a demo license so I could reinstall the agent, deactivate the AV and then uninstall the thing again. It was a mess. All that was billable time, though - and I made sure I let the client know why it took extra time. I think they were going to try and subtract it from the final invoice from the previous tech....don't know how that turned out.

 

[thecomputerguy]

I just emailed him about making sure he knew I didn't have access anymore etc like @TAPtech reccomended.

He replied and said, thank you for all your work in the past you were great I just wanted to try and give some business to the IT in our group.

So I got my justification.

 

[Sky-Knight]

It's your problem to remove your tools... yeah the next guy should be doing it too, but you shouldn't be leaving that stuff behind.

Have you considered because your remote tools are still there, that you're on the liability hook if something goes wrong? All the new IT guy has to do is say, WTF is this doing here? He didn't remove his old crap? A quick claim of innocence later after a massive issue and you're drug through the mud.

 

[Porthos]

he's been a client for 7 years (that I actually got through BNI)

He replied and said, thank you for all your work in the past you were great I just wanted to try and give some business to the IT in our group.

I thought you said he got you through BNI in the first place?

 

[Sky-Knight]

Probably a different group?

 

[timeshifter]

BNI groups felt like a festival of whores when I had to attend a few while working a different job in the past.

 

[thecomputerguy]

It's your problem to remove your tools... yeah the next guy should be doing it too, but you shouldn't be leaving that stuff behind.

Have you considered because your remote tools are still there, that you're on the liability hook if something goes wrong? All the new IT guy has to do is say, WTF is this doing here? He didn't remove his old crap? A quick claim of innocence later after a massive issue and you're drug through the mud.

Yeah I agree, I did remove my tools.

 

[thecomputerguy]

I thought you said he got you through BNI in the first place?

He was referred to me through a contact in my BNI, he has since joined his own BNI for his business in a different chapter.

 

[thecomputerguy]

BNI groups felt like a festival of whores when I had to attend a few while working a different job in the past.

No kidding, my BNI chapter turned into mostly people trying to sling Jewelry, Clothing, Diet plans, Vitamins etc. Most of those types of businesses are typically run by women. Towards the end when I quit, my chapter was nearly dead at 15 members and 13 of them were Women selling MLM crap. I have no issue whatsoever with Women being business owners at all, but all of our Male visitors were immediately turned off when they saw that our chapter was comprised of MLM crap.

We actually had our BNI franchise owner meet with the membership team and president of our chapter and specifically said, you need more men in this group, and she herself is a Woman.

My chapter has since dissolved.

 

[timeshifter]

Even with BNI members who have "legitimate" businesses like insurance or real estate agents... why should I refer these guys? I don't know that they're good. Just because they're the one real estate agent I know in the group? Do I really want my clients being pressured by some life insurance salesman?

 

[thecomputerguy]

Even with BNI members who have "legitimate" businesses like insurance or real estate agents... why should I refer these guys? I don't know that they're good. Just because they're the one real estate agent I know in the group? Do I really want my clients being pressured by some life insurance salesman?

I agree which is why they push one-to-ones so much so that you become familiar and comfortable with the person. Thing is though, even if you do have a one-to-one you still simply may not like the person, or you may have a better contact of your own.

I found it impossible to visit a client and out of the blue recommend a referral to the Mary Kay lady in my group, or even the real estate person in my group. I have no doubt that it is possible to be successful in BNI but I'm certain that BNI is more concerned with you bringing guests and those guests becoming members themselves so the franchise gets more $$$, your success doesn't necessarily directly affect the success of the chapter.

 

[Porthos]

BNI is more concerned with you bringing guests and those guests becoming members themselves so the franchise gets more $$$

Sounds like Amway. Or other similar businesses.

 

[thecomputerguy]

Sounds like Amway. Or other similar businesses.

Yeah it's basically an MLM disguised as a marketing opportunity for your business. Part of being in BNI is the constant training of how to bring guests in, who eventually become members themselves and BNI will do absolutely everything they can to train you into believing it is not an MLM all the way up to straight up denying it is a MLM to guests/potential members.

In the 3 years I was in BNI I think I brought 2 guests, neither of which made it past the first meeting. My sponsor who brought me in quit shortly after I joined.