Is it a backhander ???

[tuckjointer]

I'm currently searching for home extension leads and am considering writting to architects and offering them a financial insentive for any leads they send my way.
If the architect sends a customers to me and I price the job, and get the job, I would pay them either a set fee or a small % of the total jobs price.
Is this considered a backhander and should I be putting this sort of proposal on paper ?

 

[JohnD]

if I was a client, and I found that my architect had taken a bribe to recommend something to me, I would be bound to wonder if he might have recommended something better, if he hadn't been bribed.

I would ask myself "Am I not paying him to look after my best interests?"

If anything went wrong, I would have no hesitation in complaining to his professional body, and trying to sue him.

 

[dextrous]

Bribery is bribery.

 

[ajstoneservices]

Many years ago I gave a brown envelope to an architect when his first child was born. I never had any further work from that practise.

 

[JohnD]

I gave a brown envelope to an architect

perhaps he was offended at the suggestion that he couldn't buy his own stationery.

 

[Mw Roofline]

You don't want to put anything like that in writing mate, and besides, someone will have already got in there before you.

The best thing to do is wait till a customer had had the work done and then go and see the architect afterwards just to introduce yourself and say the customer was chuffed to bits with your work and any future work would be most grateful. Even then its best not to mention a bung, maybe get him some wines or something which would be nice.

 

[D_Hailsham]

Bribery Act 2010.

 

[Paul Barker]

Hailsham that is such a worthless post because it is comp0letely impossible to have any idea what bribery is after reading it.

Reading that load of claptrap one might actually consider a finders fee (commission) acceptable.

Lets talk English shall we? We aren't lawyers, we are real people who speak a living language not some archaic claptrap.

 

[ajstoneservices]

I gave a brown envelope to an architect

perhaps he was offended at the suggestion that he couldn't buy his own stationery.

It's so obvious now you mention it.

 

[tuckjointer]

I think I need a lesson in straight and narrow.

Thanks for all the input

The best thing to do is wait till a customer has had the work done and then go and see the architect afterwards just to introduce yourself and say the customer was chuffed to bits with your work and any future work would be most grateful. Even then its best not to mention a bung, maybe get him some wines or something which would be nice.

and thanks Mw Roofline. I'm obviously a little niave to the working relationships in this area. I will take your advice and politley make freinds, not try to buy them

 

[Thermo]

good quality work and a decent portfolio willl do more for you than trying to buy work. Even if the architect goes for it, most customers dont like having someone foisted on them

 

[scotty333]

I'm currently searching for home extension leads and am considering writting to architects and offering them a financial insentive for any leads they send my way.
If the architect sends a customers to me and I price the job, and get the job, I would pay them either a set fee or a small % of the total jobs price.
Is this considered a backhander and should I be putting this sort of proposal on paper ?

Hi,

I am a garden designer, Web address removed by moderator and really like your proactive thinking here but in my experience never look for kick backs here. For at least 2 reasons 1.) You will not look favorably in an architects eyes, you will come across cheap and to be frank I think insulting them slightly also an architects practise will have steps in place to prevent any employee from taking any sort of payment in favour. 2.) If something goes wrong on the job it would be a merry go round of who is to be blame then no doubt the dirty washing would come out.

In my opinion the direct professional approach would get you work and cost you no money. Put together your portfolio and go knocking doors, call them, email, explain your services and be direct, ask exactly how to get on their books as a preferred supplier of services.

In my garden design business I am constantly asked by garden landscapers " what would you like out of it" I simply tell them to get me design work, no brown envelopes, that way I can sleep peacefully that if there are any hiccups on the job I have no recompense.

Good luck I hope whatever you do works.

Scott [/url]

 

[chippy5]

most architects have a numbers of builders they use regularly just ask some if you can tender some of there upcomming work if u do a good job its likley you'll get asked to price some more, and architect talk so if they like your work they will pass your name around

 

[Perry1]

Someone i know runs an incentive for his customers, if a customer recommends him to a potential customer and he gains a job from it he will pay the 1st customer for getting him that job. Depends on the value of it but if its an extension it could be £1000+.

Not bad me thinks, as they are recommending someone that they know there work is good.