Managing Orders After a Successful Show: Tips and Advice

[cooklove]

Agg! I need some advice. I have had two very successful shows and am very greatful to my friends, however, one of them is taking forever to close. We are going on a week and a half and I am so afraid that people are going to call her and just cancel their order since it is going to take a while for them to recieve their products. I don't want to be mean and call every day, while at the same time, I want to be courteous for those people who were present at her show. The positive thing is that she is bringing in quite a few of outside orders. I called her one week after the show and have left one e-mail. She said she would call today with her orders, but, you guessed it, no calls...Aagg!

What do I do now? Should I call her again, wait for her to call....I need your advice. Please help.

Thanks!

 

[Gina M]

I would call her again and if you have to leave a message - tell her to call today because the home office expects orders in by so many days after the shows (heck - she won't know!) and you don't want her friends to think you're a liar for telling them they would have their items by a certain day. You can just tell her to rebook herself for another show (a catalog show if she continues to get orders in the immediate future). If you have to call her several times in a day - I'm sure she realizes she's already late with wrapping it up. And if she's a true friend, she won't hold it against you - it is a job for you!!

Good luck to you!

Gina Miller
Pampered Chef Consultant
[email protected]

 

[Stephanie S]

I agreethat you should call her again. You need to take control of the situation and do what needs to be done to achieve your desired results - a closed show, and good customer relations

 

[scottcooks]

you are the consultantWhen the show closes is up to you, not the host. Let her know you will be closing the show on Thursday at 10am. Whatever is not complete by then is her loss.

You can choose to enter other orders as individual sales - and if you want to be ultra-nice, pay the difference between direct shipping and show shipping for those guests. Those orders don't help your host, but they do help you - by building your total for the month.

You set what you want, don't let your customer's laxadasical attitude affect your business.

I think Mark Twain said, "People will take about as much rope as you give them..."

Good luck!

 

[PamperedPrincess74]

Scott is right. I tell my hosts right right from the start that shows can't stay open for more than one week. You aren't lying when you say this as long as you make it one of YOUR policies (One of the great things about P.Chef is that it's YOUR business and YOU can make the rules as they pertain to your shows). She's being inconsiderate to you by holding it open but more importantly she's being inconsiderate to her GUESTS.

 

[Happy Mom]

Do you suspect that the host does not have many orders and has not collected the payment? This happened to me despite the fact that I gave a definite closing date and lots of CC calls.

Finally, I called the host, who did not respond to any of my calls or emails, to cancel her catalog show. I explained that this was not the way that I do business, and her disregard for deadlines was a reflection on me. I instructed the host to notify her guests and return my catalogs. I took 2 months to get the catalogs. I did not receive any complaints so I suspect she did not have any orders.

Sometimes, it is better to move on to greener pastures.

 

[cooklove]

Thank youThanks to all who have replied. Your advice has really helped me. I will call her today and post the results.

 

[cooklove]

We're finally closing!!!Thanks again to you guys who posted...it gave me courage. Good news! I am going over to her house tomorrow to pick up the orders. Yea!!!