Dan Maes has told the Colorado Independent that he called on his former employer’s customers but didn’t take his customer list. He apparently had his own list of contacts. 

“I did call on their customers, though. They were my customers as well,” he told the Independent. 

Owners and managers of small and large businesses would beg to differ. Businesses spend a huge percentage of their budgets on marketing and new business development, and they consider their customer lists proprietary information. Ethical sales people don’t take customer lists with them, but a lot of unethical ones do, especially when they go to work for competitors.

The other way to look at the question is to note that there is a small number of prospects for most businesses like the ones Maes worked for and started. Therefore, it’s not hard who to figure out who to call, and if a sales person has a relationship with a customer, that customer may follow the sales person instead of staying with the previous employer.

In an interview with the Independent, a previous employer of Maes, Don Unger of Advantage Credit, Evergreeen, accused him of taking a customer list and trying to take customers for his new firm, Amaesing Credit Solutions, which now is defunct. 

The Independent said it attempted to follow up with a company, Advantage Credit Bureau of Fargo. Although Maes said he was a vice president at the company, people contacted by the Independent continued to insist that they’ve never heard of him. But the owner of the firm hasn’t returned phone calls or emails, the Independent said. Perhaps the firm has a policy of not commenting on former employes or even confirming  that they are former employes.

So far, Maes hasn’t responded to questions that I submitted to him in a private message via FaceBook.

Whatever the truth is, this story will be used against Maes as long as he’s in the governor’s race and in Colorado politics.

LINKs:

Maes’ responses only sort of clear up questions on career history, resume. By Scot Kersgaard.

Dan Maes’ former boss accuses him of taking customer list, trying to poach clients. The Business Word, 7.21.2010.

Non-politician Maes has worked mostly as salesman and mid-level manager; “I wouldn’t hire him back. That’s for sure.” By Scot Kersgaard.

Dan Maes for Colorado.