Can Host Delays Impact Show Closures and Guest Satisfaction?

[ChefNic]

I have a show still open after two weeks. It is a host and co-host show, and one of the host is ready and already gave me what she wants, we are just waiting on the other host! I email her...she doesn't respond. I call her ... and always get an answering machine... I am just getting frustrated, as is the other host... And what really bothers me is at the show, the guests ask when the products will be in, and these hosts made it sound like they would close just a few days after the show, not even keep it open a full week! The show was on a Thursday, I said we would close it by Monday...and they would probably have their stuff by Friday...Now I look bad, &/or PC looks bad... and the other host looks bad. I don't want to be rude to the host, but at the same time, I want her to realize she is holding other peoples orders up... and they have already paid for their stuff! I can't even get a hold of her to say something, and I don't want to be rude if I do ever get in touch with her... any suggestions

 

[pamperedbecky]

I've read on here in the past that when a consultant has had a host who just won't close or return calls that they leave a "final" message saying if you don't hear from her by a certain date, you have no choice but to choose her benefits for her and close the show. I don't know if anyone has ever had to follow through and do this, but I would THINK this would get her butt moving. Is the other host good friends with her? Hopefully she would know whether or not some strange crisis happened in her family or something. That's the only thing I'd be concerned about. I hope you get some response from her!!!

 

[janel kelly]

You might want to call the guests also and let them know they won't get their products til maybe next week because you haven't been able to get ahold of the host. That way you or the other host won't look bad.

 

[kcjodih]

I have! Called and left the message that if I didn't hear back by XXX time tonight (called in the morning) that I would be choosing her free products for her and she could exchange them later and that that would also mean she wouldn't be getting any half price or discounted items OR the host special of the month. BINGO!!! She called a few hours later as if nothing was wrong and gave me her list and cc number. I thought what the ____ but just took the info, entered it, and GOT RID OF HER!!

In this case though I would also call the guests because now it IS a reflection on you and the other host. I would try to handle it as diplomatically as possible though so as not to look too nasty, KWIM?

Keep us posted how it turns out! Good luck!!!!

 

[rwesterpchef]

I have a show still open after two weeks. It is a host and co-host show, and one of the host is ready and already gave me what she wants, we are just waiting on the other host! I email her...she doesn't respond. I call her ... and always get an answering machine... I am just getting frustrated, as is the other host... And what really bothers me is at the show, the guests ask when the products will be in, and these hosts made it sound like they would close just a few days after the show, not even keep it open a full week! The show was on a Thursday, I said we would close it by Monday...and they would probably have their stuff by Friday...Now I look bad, &/or PC looks bad... and the other host looks bad. I don't want to be rude to the host, but at the same time, I want her to realize she is holding other peoples orders up... and they have already paid for their stuff! I can't even get a hold of her to say something, and I don't want to be rude if I do ever get in touch with her... any suggestions

Leave a voice mail and an email stating what everyone else has already mentioned. Basically say something like, Dear Slowpoke, you're making me look bad because you don't have your act together.
Oops, wrong letter. Okay, let's try again :
Jane, I have tried to contact you by phone and email, and am not having any luck. We were scheduled to close your show on Monday, August 15th. We're now running two weeks behind. I know it is a very tough decision to decide what products you want for free and half price (insert smiley on email, or say jokingly over the phone). However, your guests have paid for their merchandise and were expecting it by August 22. I must close this show so that your guests can receive the products they have paid for. Please contact me by (give her a day or so, in case she's out of town, etc). If I have not heard from you by TIME & DATE, I will have to close your show without your order, and you will unfortunately forfeit your half-price items. Thank you for your consideration.
Respectfully,

 

[chefloriray]

Very nicely put Rita! I was in this situation one time and it was awful! I did all the above things. My last call I told her if I didnt hear from her by such and such a time I would pick her products for her. We went for about 2 months doing this cause she lived an hour away. So I didnt know her or the people who ordered from her. She ended up leaving me a message telling me I was a bitch and that her grandma had died and to go ahead a pick her the items! Now mind you, her grandma died and I felt bad but she didnt die 2 months ago and 1 month ago and 2 weeks before that, etc! I feel she was using that as an excuse so she wasnt the bad person.

 

[kitchenqueen]

Procrastinaters....don't you love them!!

I think calling and/or emailing those hosts and telling them that they will be forfeiting their benefits is fair. I also think calling the guests is a good idea so it doesn't make you look bad. And I LOVE IT when guests have called me asking were there order is (due to a procrastinating host) and after telling them the situtation and I have to remind them that this is the reason I ask for their phone number in the first place!!! They can make our job alot tougher than it has to be that's for sure! But it does happen to all of us ChefNic so don't get discouraged or upset. Good Luck and let us know when you close! lol

 

[WendyAebi]

You know, if it were me, I wouldn't worry with picking the items for her. I would call her machine and say, "Hi Sally, this is Wendy. We need to get your show closed immediately because at this point we're already a week past when we told your guests to expect their new products. I am going to be submitting the order tonight. Please call me by 8:00 with the items you want because once the show is submitted, I won't be able to give you the $x in free product or the x% off. My number is ____. Thanks a lot, I'll talk to you tonight." Keep your voice neutral. You're not threatening her and you're NOT (sorry, I had to edit this when I saw I forgot that very important NOT) closing it without her order to punish her. It's time to close the show and you're closing it, know what I mean?

I'm assuming that she would have to call the home office to exchange products if you picked them out, and I would not want her to have the opportunity to vent to them about you closing the show without her order.

Is the host you're waiting on the main host or the co-host? I think I would be concerned if the products were going to ship to the flaky one. Again, you don't want to give her a chance to badmouth you as she's distributing the orders. And that's assuming she would get around to distributing the orders!

Wendy
Independent Kitchen Consultant
Loving my life in direct sales!

 

[pamperedbecky]

That's a good point....who will the show be delivered to? If it's her, I would seriously consider shipping it to yourself if that's at all possible. And even though it would be a pain to distribute orders yourself, at least you know it would get done! I can only imagine the delay she'll have in getting the orders to the guests!

I've gotten a good laugh out of some of these posts and what we WISH we could say in a situation like this. It's hard not to be saracastic towards people like this.....that's what our food chopper (or meat tenderizer) can be for - stress management!!! I always mention that at my shows.

I hope this all gets resolved soon for you soon, ChefNic!!

 

[pampered1224]

I had one of those. And I did it twice!I had one of my very first hosts, show #4, do that to me to the point of it being a month later that we closed. I had gotten several bookings from her show, all of which cancelled of course, then to make matters worse, she blamed the situation on someone else because we had a problem with a credit card.
I did it again with her a year and a half later. This time it took her three weeks and the "no freebies, no half pricers" threat to get her off her rear end. She would have lost quite a bit too as it was a $1000 plus show.
I still don't know what the heck she was waiting for. And the two bookings, down the tubes. And this time the b.... had the gull to blame me for the delays. You have to realize, some people just don't give a rats arse about anyone but themselves and it makes it hard for us then to smooth things over. I took her off my e-mail list, blocked her e-mail from coming to me and have not heard from her since. I refuse to deal with it. Before I did all that she actually asked me to do another show for her. Fat chance in h...!
I do two things now when I host coach. I simply tell them that "When I tell your guests that they will have their products in two weeks, I mean it.
Please put together your wish list now so that if there is a problem that arises and I can not get a hold of you to close, I have the wish list to work from. Your show WILL close within 7 days". I do odviously make exceptions if more orders are coming in but I rarely go over the 9 day mark. I can still be comfortable with that because the home office ships so quickly now.
One other thing, if a host is messing around with closing, it is not unthinkable for the guests to call the home office to see where their order is. Especially if they can not reach the host either. This puts up a major red flag at the home office for several reasons. 1) They want to know if YOU may have stolen money from the order or 2) If you just skipped out.
Not fun folks because they will assume that to the point of calling your diector and everything else. This does happen and I know from experience. I had a bad month at my regular job, closed a show, did the paperwork, had the money order to send in, set it on my desk at home and completley forgot it. I got a call from the home office saying they were getting calls from the guests of such and such a show. And my director called as well as they called her. Try that one for size. The same will happen with a bad host. So, the point is that our hosts can be a joy but one bad one can really make you sick and can cause major headaches. If you tell them something you will do, make sure you follow through as well. Idle threats won't get the job done.

 

[Sallie_M]

Where were you all a month ago?Thanks for all the good advice in these posts! My "no close" host first changed her date from the end of June to middle July, then to a catalog show instead of a kitchen show. THEN, when she called 3 days later to close and only had $89 in orders, was really miffed that she needed $150 in orders. It was mentioned in host coaching a couple times. She would ignore phone calls and e-mail until she would e-mail me an order. After almost a month, my last e-mail said, if she would contact me, we could resolve this. She could either have 10% off her order, or $10 off. As I had c/c # and orders from web orders for her party, it would be in her best interest to send this in asap. She had given me a $55 order for herself. I made her host, and added an individual ship order from a friend. This may have not been the best resolution, but she closed over the phone with a c/c that same day, so obviously it worked.

 

[Deborah Czarnecki]

Baffling!I have to say, I'm baffled at the idea of a host being unwilling to close a THOUSAND DOLLAR SHOW?? Or any show that they are recieving benefits from! I could understand trying to hold out for more outside orders, but to just not be bothered to choose your stuff...insane!
Personally, I wouldn't hesitate to call the guests and explain EXACTLY what the delay is--that their host won't close the show (choose her items, return your calls, etc.) This might not win me points with the host, but it's better than having ME look bad to a lot of potential future customers and hosts!
D.C.

 

[dianevill]

Any Reply Yet?ChefNic,

It's been a couple of days since your post. Any reply yet from this lady? We're all curious

Diane

 

[ChefNic]

You guys are so great!! and for you to wonder how things went...really means a lot!
I emailed her with the Subject: "Show must close", she emailed back that she would stop by that night or the next day - Saturday...
I didn't want to threaten to pick her products for her, since I didn't think I could bring myself to do that. If she held it open for a month... maybe I would have. Her boss booked a show, and I don't want to burn any bridges.

I closed the show Saturday night. The co-host called while I was out, I called her back and she came over to my house - She lives in my neighborhood. I think she was just having a hard time deciding what she wanted. When she came over, I took stuff out of my cabinets, and showed her things. I told her honestly what I thought she would get the most use out of. She was trying to decide between the Ent.Set, St.St Mix Bowls, and the Rect. Baker/WS combo. I helped her realize that although the Ent. Set is beautiful, she would probably use the Rect Baker and St St Mix Bowls more. But it was up to her.

Since I sent it in Saturday night, HO was processing it today(Monday) and they called because a CC was declined! Fortunately, I knew the lady whose card was declined... her wallet was stolen (between the show date and closing date) and she had her cc cancelled... so I went ahead and paid it for her, she is a friend and past host. She stopping by tonight with the check. Whew... I just wanted the show sent ASAP...HO also said since it is at the end of the month it could take 3 days to be sent out! I was really hoping it would arrive by Friday!
Oh...and I was having it sent to my house... I offer that to hosts so they don't have a hissy when they see how much stuff they have to separate. It is easy for me since I'm familiar with the products. I had a host (about 4 years ago) complain: " If I had known I would have to separate all that, I never would have had a show!"...Since then I offer to have it shipped to me or to the host. Then if I want to put something on the hosts order I can!

Thanks guys for all your help and encouragements, both with this concern and others! This is like a constant cluster meeting, at my finger tips when ever I need it!
Nicole Aslaner
#224021
Lexington, SC