Many experienced business owners have swallowed the bitter pill of their clients being poached by ex staff members who have moved on to work for competitor companies. After all, people are said to buy people, not businesses. Therefore, sales people and other team members who were responsible for initially securing the patronage of a client, serviced the client well, and went the extra mile to nurture a strong relationship, can sometimes pick an easy fight after taking up employment elsewhere. Indeed, the dangling of such a carrot can be the very reason that a rival company offers a key employee of a competitor business a very attractive package to jump ship, based on the possibility of their rich pickings.
The case of curlers at dawn between the Richard Ward Salon and ex stylist, James Pryce, continues to secure its fair share of press coverage. It is no secret that the salon has longed been favoured by the Duchess of Cambridge. Yet her tresses were tended by James Pryce rather than the salon owner himself. Indeed, Mr Pryce was responsible for the now world famous demi-chignon that caused a sensation when sported by the Duchess when she became Mrs William Wales at Westminster Abbey in April 2011. It was also James Pryce who accompanied her on the royal couple’s first official overseas tour as man and wife to Canada.
Since James Pryce left the Richard Ward salon in November 2011, the business owner has faced a similar human resources dilemma as numerous other business owners who have lost key team members. Will he also lose his most prized client?
At NorthgateArinso, our outsourced employment law and human resources services incorporate the compilation of contracts for key personnel, including non-competition clauses that prevent them from approaching clients for a specified period after moving on elsewhere.
