Learn from My Mistake: Shipping Mishap at First Show | OCONUS Direct Sales

[redd3708]

Alright, I just had my first show. I live OCONUS and my guests wanted their orders shipped to the host. That is 15% of the product total from what I understand. Well, the itemized order form completely messed me up.

One guest ordered pantry items..well, as y'all know, the pantry total is after the s&h on the order form so I didn't account for the pantry items on the 15% s&h. I didn't realize it 'til I was inputting informaton on PP. So now I am a few bucks short. I guess I will just have to use my own money to pay the rest....I don't want to tell the guest that I miscalculated and she owes me a couple dollars...I'd just rather pay it for her than look like an idiot going through all that trouble for 2 bucks.

Has this happened to any of you? What would y'all do?

Btw, I AM supposed to combine the product total and pantry total to calculate the 15% shipping and direct shipping right? This is all too confusing. Please help!

 

[Christa]

Just 2 minutes ago that happened to me. I didn't catch it and its a diff of $3 on a $100 order so I am paying it. Rather do that than lose future purchases from a customer who spends $100 at a show.

 

[chefjeanine]

Pay for it yourself, it's a business expense. I think we've all goofed over these type of situations. If the customer paid with a credit card, you can contact them and explain the situation and give them the new amount. If they paid by cash or check, pay it yourself.

Make sure you show it as a "consultant gift" in Pampered Partner. Then you can write it off next year.

 

[jessica_momof6]

Alright, I just had my first show. I live OCONUS and my guests wanted their orders shipped to the host. That is 15% of the product total from what I understand. Well, the itemized order form completely messed me up.

I don't understand? what is OCONUS?? and why is shipping to the host 15% instead of the $4?

 

[redd3708]

OCONUS means "Outside the Continental US". Like Hawaii, Alaska, and any US Territory (APO/FPO) are OCONUS.

Make sure you show it as a "consultant gift" in Pampered Partner. Then you can write it off next year.

How do I do that?

 

[jessica_momof6]

I think you would just go into pampered partner, go to income/expenses, and enter the amount and choose consultant gift

 

[redd3708]

Oh nevermind, I just figured it out.

Thanks!

 

[janel kelly]

Thats one reason I started bringing a labtop to my shows. I kept messing up the totals and it was driving me crazy. Now my labtop does it all for me.

 

[cmdtrgd]

Thats one reason I started bringing a labtop to my shows. I kept messing up the totals and it was driving me crazy. Now my labtop does it all for me.

The one time I didn't take my laptop was when we had just changed over this past season. I "sold" two butternut bar board and knife sets, old Quick Stir Pitchers, Batter Bowls (higher price), and a silicone basting brush. I didn't catch those because I was just a human calculator. Boy, am I glad I had a few of the bar board sets on hand. I did lose a sale on the batter bowls, though. She had aparently spent more than she should have, and decided that she didn't need it when I called to fix it.

 

[Chef Kearns]

I was constantly messing up the calculations...forgetting to add tax, not taking the past host discount, over and undercharging. I am sooo glad I have a laptop now. People do not question the total. They just look at the screen and roll with it. And when someone has tried to figure it out before they come to me and have a different amount I can show them how it was figured out and I don't look like a money grubbing bad guy.

 

[redd3708]

Okay, so how does my Host get their Past Host Discount? Do I give it to them or does it come in their package?

 

[janel kelly]

It will come in one of the boxes with her products shipped to her. It will be on one of the shipment papers in the bottom right hand corner. Only one of the papers will have her discount # though. All of the other papers will have a box in the corner but it will say "void".

 

[redd3708]

Okie dokie, thanks Janel.