Why I will never use Gorilla Accounting.

[Fred Bloggs]

That's fine, though as we all know the outcome of surveys is strongly influenced by the way the question is framed.

As it happens, I'm not happy with my accountant and I am changing just as soon as I can land a new contract. But it won't be our friends at Gorilla.

[northernladuk]

"We are a pretty new contractor accounting firm

Not an uncommon opening line

and we are trawling companies house data in order to identify our competitors customers in order to steal them.

Not an uncommon approach. You seen the post you get from other estate agents as soon as a for sale sign pops up outside your house?

We can't offer anything in the way of innovation or enhanced customer service

They offer Freeagent which is pretty new and appears to be the way to go

but we undercut quite a few firms by £10 a month.

Not an uncommon situation

The reason we're contacting you is because we don't seem to be able to attract you any other way and we aren't meeting our projected growth rate from our business plan so we decided to target our competitors customers to try to steal them and see if that works.".

I thought you just summed a standard marketing strategy nicely there. I haven't seen the mail but from what TF said in his original mail about this they mention going to CUK to read the review, which would kind of be another way they are reaching out

You seem to be making a very big issue over this and not maybe thinking straight if you don't mind me saying?

[pr1]

Can't wait to hear your opinions of sky, virgin, talktalk, BT, dominoes and pizza hut

[Fred Bloggs]

Can't wait to hear your opinions of sky, virgin, talktalk, BT, dominoes and pizza hut

They're open and honest, I can see who they're from so they just go in the bin unopened. The one I'm posting about was anonymous till opened and could have been important.

[northernladuk]

I'll send you a big hug in a plain envelope if that will help.

[Alan @ BroomeAffinity]

I don't see a problem with it tbh. Gorilla are making a pretty good name for themselves but they have made a few missteps with their marketing. I think it was maybe ill-advised to target the SJD clients in the other thread but direct mail isn't really a problem is it? We've had a go at it in the past and haven't really had a lot of success so we don't do it. I try to stick to referral marketing now. It's not complicated: do a good job for clients, ask them for referrals, and on, and on. Seems to work for us. Gives us manageable growth. I guess if I wanted to explode the growth I'd need to be a bit more aggressive, but for now, referral marketing works just fine.

Interesting that OP (and, I'm sure, others) find it really irritating to the point that it is a negative.

[Fred Bloggs]

Thanks for those thoughts, my guess was that it simply doesn't work. I suspect a lot has to do with scale, if send a million mail shots you'll be guaranteed some positive responses. Send a few hundred and I expect it doesn't even cover its costs. I simply don't tolerate things being pushed at me. In a shop, an assistant can politely ask if I need assistance, that's fine. If they ask me twice, I leave the shop. Coincidentally, I do need a new accountant, I'll decide who to use just fine on my own.

I think professional accountants who freely offer free advice here and expect nothing in return other than a good reputation is really brilliant.

[northernladuk]

I think professional accountants who freely offer free advice here and expect nothing in return other than a good reputation is really brilliant.

Now you are being borderline ridiculous. It is brilliant and we do need them but honestly... they expect nothing in return? Really? Maybe they've become part and parcel and as addicted as the rest of us but they were all here with one idea in mind. Look how many we've had pop up and can't be arsed. It's passive marketing/reputation building (which leads to sales)/customer relations. Whatever you want to call it.

[Alan @ BroomeAffinity]

think professional accountants who freely offer free advice here and expect nothing in return other than a good reputation is really brilliant.

I'm not sure it's quite so altruistic as that. [emoji1]

[Fred Bloggs]

I'm not sure it's quite so altruistic as that. [emoji1]

Perhaps, but I would bet the number of new accounts you generate solely by being here would easily fit in a telephone box. I don't see you gaining anything from here other than a good reputation. If that helps in other directions, everyone wins.