Dealing with Unreasonable Hostess Reimbursement Requests

[mypamperedmoocow]

Okay, here's my "problem"--apparently my hostess thinks she should get reimbursed for the ingredients she had to buy for the show I did for her on Saturday evening--her purchases came to just over $24 and she thinks she should be reimbursed the $9 difference. Now granted I told her that she only needed one med carrot--not the BAG of baby carrots she bought. 1 ounce block of parm. cheese--not the bag of pre-shredded that she bought. 1--8oz block of mozzerella--not the 16 oz block she bought. Some brown sugar--she bought the big 2 lb. bag of it. I'm a little peeved at her because she totally expects me to hand her a check! I don't think I would mind so much if I came home with the ingredients she bought--she sent me home with some, but not all--so I thought about just handing her a check for the things she kept. I asked her for the receipt for her purchases so that I would have something to show HO in case they asked--she gave it to me, but I'm wondering if she'll flip out on me if I only refund her the things that she kept. If I do that, then the check only totals less than $2. Initially she tried to tell me that the purchases came to over $50!! But that was before I asked for the receipt and saw that she had paper cups, plates, other things on it that had nothing to do with the show!! Can we say I was kind of mad?

Her party is doing well with over $300 in guest sales--I was surprised it even went that high with only 7 orders so far--I host coached and host coached and she never sent me the addresses of the people she wanted me to invited--she ended up calling everyone herself. And then at the party, I felt like I was just a caterer because I never really talked about anything because "everyone is already familiar with PC products, so you don't really have to do anything." When I did try to talk about things, I was pretty much ignored, and then people were trying to tell me that if PC lowered their prices on things like the Simple Addi+ions pieces, then more people would be inclined to buy them. In fact, one lady said, if they can give the hostess 60% off on things, then why can't PC offer something like 30% to the guests for the same thing??? I didn't even know how to respond to that other than, "That is why you host your own show, so that you can get the 60% off and buy the things you want."

Sorry if I sound so snippy, but it really did get me all ruffled up this Saturday. I'm still trying to figure out what to do with the ingredients....

 

[DZmom]

Awful shows!! I HATE THEM!My host on Sunday didn't ask for any money back for ingredients, BUT they made me feel like the caterer! I didn't even get to introduce myself properly! I was told that there were going to be 30 people there, so of course I only expected around 15. There were only 6 and only 3 people ordered!!! I did get one booking, but it's not until April! The orders at the show only totaled $134 and there were NO outside orders and the host had told me that she had 5!! URRG! Now don't take this wrong, but these people all have money and know everyone in the community and they couldn't get more than 6 people to their house or more than $134 in orders. I really want the last piece of show to go, and now I don't think I'm going to get it!

 

[tpchefrebecca]

It's in the host flyerIn the purple host planner it tells the host that they get $15 more for hosting the show in there home and BUYING THE INGREDIENTS FOR THE SHOW!!! Unless you offered to buy the ingredients, you have no obligation to give her a check.

You have every right to be upset. she tried to take you for granted.

 

[mypamperedmoocow]

I hope you get it!

My host on Sunday didn't ask for any money back for ingredients, BUT they made me feel like the caterer! I didn't even get to introduce myself properly! I was told that there were going to be 30 people there, so of course I only expected around 15. There were only 6 and only 3 people ordered!!! I did get one booking, but it's not until April! The orders at the show only totaled $134 and there were NO outside orders and the host had told me that she had 5!! URRG! Now don't take this wrong, but these people all have money and know everyone in the community and they couldn't get more than 6 people to their house or more than $134 in orders. I really want the last piece of show to go, and now I don't think I'm going to get it!

Donna,

I sure hope you get the last piece of the Show to Go. I definitely know what it feels like to be treated as the caterer--my show was kind of "funky" feeling from the get-go. Even on the night of, I just didn't feel like going for whatever reason. Guess I know now--must have been a premonition or something--LOL! I was completely surprised that I even got the orders that I did, because we had 12 people there and only 7 ordered. No definite bookings, but 2 possible ones and one possible fundraiser for a Deaf Foundation. I'm really keeping my fingers crossed on the bookings as this show was my last "for sure" show for my SSmonths. I have nothing for November and with the holidays coming up, I know it's going to be tough to get bookings. In a way, I feel like I really have to "butter up" this hostess, because my business kind of depends on keeping her happy--you know? I hate when I feel like I owe it to a person to make or break things for me.

 

[ltkacz]

I wouldn't refund the moneyBeing a new consultant, I don't have the money to refund. Second, she didn't follow the directions on what to buy and what not to buy. Third, look at how much she will be getting in FREE products. I am sure she'll be receiving more than $9 in free products for hosting a show!

 

[mypamperedmoocow]

Host Planner

In the purple host planner it tells the host that they get $15 more for hosting the show in there home and BUYING THE INGREDIENTS FOR THE SHOW!!! Unless you offered to buy the ingredients, you have no obligation to give her a check.

You have every right to be upset. she tried to take you for granted.

Rebecca,

I'm not even sure my hostess opened the packet I gave her! You would think that she would have known all of this, especially since she told me she used to sell Home Interiors, but wasn't sure if she wanted to try and start up with it again. I even tried to use that as a way to maybe entice her to starting up her own PC business. Oh well! Maybe I'll be able to talk to her about again on Friday since that is when we are closing her show. I'm just not sure what to do about the whole ingredient thing, though....

 

[mypamperedmoocow]

Free products

Being a new consultant, I don't have the money to refund. Second, she didn't follow the directions on what to buy and what not to buy. Third, look at how much she will be getting in FREE products. I am sure she'll be receiving more than $9 in free products for hosting a show!

Liz,

I agree, too, that I shouldn't feel like I should refund her money, but at the same time, I'm a little torn between making sure she feels good about her show, so that anyone who books off of her won't be told that I was a bad consultant because of this, that, or the other, you know?

As far as the free products are concerned, I don't think she quite understood the whole free product value and how it works. She only wants the food chopper and the large stoneware bar pan. That doesn't even use up all of her free product value, even though I keep telling her that it hers to use. She just says that she doesn't need anything else right now because she has a lot of PC things already. HUH???? I'm the type of person that if it's FREE, GIVE IT TO ME!!!! I'll take anything for FREE--even if I don't need it personally, I can always give it to someone else as a gift. Not sure anything I've said is getting through to her.

 

[fruit76loop]

The nerve of some peopleI would not refund her money! She did not read the hostess planner. Did you tell her that the PC gives her $15 in free product as a thank you for hosting a kitchen show and to reimburse her for the ingredients? Has she hosted a show for you before? Is she someone that you want to host a show again? Sometimes we need to keep our hosts happy because we know that bad publicity travels much faster that good publicity!

I just did a show and my host gave me all of the ingredients because she said she would not use them again. It was the Sizzling shrimp cakes and she said her family wouldn't eat them. Now, did my host ask me to pay for the ingredients? Of course not!! Did I offer to pay for the ingredients I took? Of course not. I did not ask for them so why pay for them?

The only time I pay for the ingredients is when I do an Express show. When I need to fill a date within a week or two, I offer an express show where I buy the ingredients. But this is a rare occasion! I have done over 200 kitchen shows and never gave into pressure to buy my hosts ingredients. If I had a situation like yours, I would tell her exactly what the company policy is. Pampered Chef gives you $15 worth of free products to reimburse your cost of your food; however, some recipes might cost more than $15!

As far as feeling like a caterer , I think we all have! It happens in our line of work. What you need to do is act like a professional and hopefully you will be treated like a professional.

Smiles,

 

[mypamperedmoocow]

I would not refund her money! She did not read the hostess planner. Did you tell her that the PC gives her $15 in free product as a thank you for hosting a kitchen show and to reimburse her for the ingredients? Has she hosted a show for you before? Is she someone that you want to host a show again? Sometimes we need to keep our hosts happy because we know that bad publicity travels much faster that good publicity!

Smiles,

Marlene,

Yes, when I wrote out the ingredient list for her, I specifically wrote, "And as a thank to you for providing the ingredients for your show on Saturday, Pampered Chef is giving you an additional $15 in free product value to use." I don't know how much clearer I could have been to her other than to tell her that sometimes it comes out to being a little more. My biggest gripe with her is that she bought WAAAY more than she should have to begin with--esp. since I gave her specific amounts. Since I have the receipt she used to buy the ingredients (she bought them with cash), I think I'll just go ahead and give her a check and call it good, and then keep the receipt as part of my write off at the end of the year as a business expense. With her show being my last one scheduled, I really need to make sure that anyone else who books off of her only hears good things about me until they can form their own opinions about me at their own shows. Kind of stinks, but I can't find any other way around it....

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU for the great advice though everyone!!! I really love this forum--great advice, tips, and morale boosters!! KEEP IT UP LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!!!

 

[Mom4kanda]

It was in the air SatMy sat night show was also - a bust. No bookings - no outside orders and only $151 in total orders. The guest started talking about how high the prices were and get this one guest EVEN MADE A "WISH LIST" =- i THOUGHT??? AND SAID SHE WAS GOING TO TARGET TO GET THE STUFF THAT I DEMOED - can you believe that. I told here that sure you can go to Target but your won't get the quality or workmanship and you DEFINIATELY will not get a guarantee. Was I mad or what - then after the food was ready they wanted to watch a ball game!!!!!!!!!!

The rest of the presentation was horriable and when I demo the US&G the potato went across the room.

I felt so upset. So that's my first and hopefully last horrible show. I knew I would have flops - but for crying out loud not like that.

Not to mention my next show needs to reschedule -

 

[Shawnna]

I sometimes buy the ingredients for my hosts. But, I have never had one complain about buying the ingredients...except for my mother. So, I bought the ingredients for her show. But I did tell her this. "If you were having a Home Interior, Tupperware, Mary Kay, etc party, you would go out and buy snacks, and drinks, and you would cook and prepare the food. You would spend more money doing this than you will spend buying the ingredients for these 2 recipes." I try to always choose recipes that won't cost a lot. I always tell my customers what it takes to host a show...invite people, pick a date, purchase ingredients, etc. But, I have also told my customers this month that all shows help between now and Dec. 10th I will purchase the ingredients and they will only be responsible for paper goods and drinks. Then, I will choose what I want to prepare and buy the ingredients.

As far as not wanting any more products, did you ask her if she had anyone on her Christmas gift list. Our products make great gifts. This would be a good way to get them.

Shawnna

 

[Sooner PC]

I hosted PC shows before becoming a consultant. I ALWAYS spent more than $15 on the ingredients, drinks, plates, cups, ect. I would have NEVER thought of asking the consultant for the difference. I felt that the overall presentation was more beneficial than a few extra dollars. I ALWAYS had shows of $400-$600 and the little extras made it worth it. The last show I had before signing up to be a consultant was a recipe that I would never make, but I wanted something different. I spent $30 on ingredients for just the basics. I just new I wanted to have a successful show and it was at $650.

My first show I was definately a caterer. There were about 20 people there with 15 kids. It was a combo kitchen show/surprise baby shower. I learned alot from that show - like I won't do a combo show again. I was asked to prepare 3 dishes and the kids wanted to help out. I finally just finished without a drawing or anything. It closed @ $350 and 4 bookings, but a definate stressful first show. I am now on show 7 and I have 8 in November. Hang in there - I think everyone has had a show or a hostess that you can't wait to close and get away from.

Boomer Sooner

Shannon

 

[mypamperedmoocow]

Ok, so I talked to my host today to close the show--well, it's not happening until tomorrow morning (so she says) and she still wants her money for the ingredients. I told her that the extra $15 in free product value that PC gives her is to help defray the costs of the ingredients, but she was not going to hear that. In fact, she told me, "I'll call you tomorrow morning with the rest of the orders and we'll talk about the money issue then." UGH! I hate hosts like that!!! I really have to wonder how she did business with other consultants and how those other consultants did their shows with her. I'm just ready to tear my hair out with this lady! Then she had the nerve to tell me that she really should get reimbursed for everything because I took all the ingredients home. Hello??? Didn't she wrap everything up and give them to me saying that she didn't need any of it? So now I'm really mad...

I'm just so ready to close out this show--I have a couple of orders that I was going to add to this show because it wasn't enough to make a show out of it and then give her the extra credit from it, but now I'm thinking I'm not going to do anything extra for her whatsoever!!! Do you think I should just add the extra orders onto her show and then not tell her about and keep the extra freebies for myself? Both orders have to be shipped directly to the guests anyway, so it's not like it will make any difference to her. Not to mention, with all the issues I've had with her, I think I should just get the extra discounts to cover what I have to give her for the dumb ingredients. I definitely don't want to do another show for her again, that's for sure!!

 

[PCCHEFANDREA]

Emily, First of all the show planner states what the $15.00 is for. second It also states how much she needs for a qualifying show. But... this is the hard part, If you told her you would give her $15.00 personally then you should give it to her if she does not have a qualiying show she does not even recieve the $15.00 If SHE!!! gets enough for a qualifying show then go ahead and give her $15.00 in products on her host order (not the host special) you will get $30 in commission plus $3.00 in commision on her order so you would be out $12.00. If shgets a bad taste in her mouth she can give you a bad reputation and just remember 1 upset host is equal to 100 potential customers that you may lose. just stay weary of her in the future. good luck I feel totally for you. Andrea

 

[rayday]

Maybe you could offer adding the couple extra shows to her order instead of giving her the cash for the ingredients. Let her know you can help her earn some more free products! Hopefully she will be happy with that and see that you are trying to make her happy. By doing this you wont get the extra products but you also wont have to pay anything out of pocket!

 

[powelljj]

Good luck with this hostess, some people just don't get it. Another thing I would be careful about is any other shows booked from hers. She might tell the next person that you reimbursed her for the ingredients, and that person will expect the same thing. I, personally, have not encountered this problem in the 2 years I have been doing PC, and I can't even fathom the nerve of a host demanding you repay them. Like I said, some people just don't get it.

 

[mypamperedmoocow]

finally closed the showI finally got this show closed out (endeup with $369 in guest sales)--talk about stress! I ended up knocking $7 off of her order which didn't even seem to phase her. Then she was completely confused as to how the hostess benefits worked--she seemed to think that any remaining free product value would get taken off of the half price item, so when I explained that it did not work that way, she wasn't too happy about that. All in all, it was pretty stressful, but at least it's done and over with and I don't have to do a show for her anymore. Thanks for all the advice everyone! I really appreciate it!

 

[fruit76loop]

FinallyThank goodness it's over!! YIPPEEE! I wouldn't call her again to do another show, unless your desperate!