New Consultant--Unethical and Competitve!!

[AmyDare]

I have a frequent catalog party host--a Vietnamese manicurist whose customer is one of my friends. She calls me every month or every other month with orders. It's pretty cool!
Today, I went to her shop to collect the most recent "party" orders (ended up being a $300 show!) and she asked me if I'd give it to her as a cooking show.
Turns out one of her other customers' daughter just became a consultant and told her she'd "give" her a cooking show if she'd turn in the orders with her.
Now, her first party, I brought in treats and called it a cooking show because food was available, but I don't feel right calling it a cooking show when it's not...and I can't believe the nerve of this new consultant who is trying to bribe my host into becoming her host.
I know I don't "own" this gal and she's free to submit her orders to whoever she wants...but I'm the one who prints flyers and outside order forms and takes her catalogs, totals orders and even adds to her parties when I can.
It's frustrating.

 

[chefheidi2003]

I just want to say this..no..you are correct..you do no "own" this gal..HOWEVER..it is not like you were a deadbeat consultant and just gave her the stuff and didn't come around when you said that you were going to and such. (at least I don't think you were..lol)..She is not just trying to take a customer/host..she is trying to take YOUR show. The show that you did stuff for. You didn't do it so that she could get the money. NO..we do more for our shows because we know in the end we will make that money back. Not so that someone else can make that money. You have every right to be upset..and yes..you were correct with the comment that she is trying to "bribe your host"..that is very unethical. Do you know who it is?

 

[Sheila]

Try to find a polite way to explain to the host that Pampered Chef allows the extra $15 in Free Product Value to Cooking Show Hosts as a "thank you" for purchasing the ingredients ... and that when no ingredients are purchased, it doesn't qualify as a Cooking Show. To submit it as a Cooking Show would be unethical and basically stealing from Pampered Chef ... and that you don't make a practice out of being deceptive with your business.Odds are, the new consultant won't stay in business for long if she's using tactics like that. If this hosts chooses to go with the other consultant, bless & release. But keep in touch! When the other consultant makes her mad or quits the business, she'll probably be ready to do business with you again. AND (more than likely) will be loyal after a negative experience with someone else.

 

[Intrepid_Chef]

Perhaps she's offering the bonus out of her own pocket to get shows but seriously, I am more concerned that the other customer's daughter stole this customer from you.I agree, it is frustrating. You were the one who invested time and money into this contact, only to have her defect.

 

[pclinskie]

Amy I am so sad another consultant would do that!!
I just gave up a HO recruit. I told her I would LOVE to have her on my team but she had to talk to her friend who keeps her informed with Pc.

 

[chefa]

I'd find out who the newbie is and turn her in to HO.

 

[jwpamp]

Just give her the $15 in product out of your pocket....with the host's discount and your commission (even at the 20% level) it is less than $10. I would think that it's worth it to keep a good catalog host -- I love the hosts who do all the work for me!!You can tell her that you will give her an extra $15 out of your own pocket since you appreciate her and that it's not right to put it in as a cooking show -- let her know you want to make sure she is happy. I bet it will make her appreciate you more.

 

[pampered1224]

I am with Janice and Sheila and Heidi. They are all correct. The new consultant is a creep. She has no right to your show. I do not care who the host can go to. Ethically she has no right to those orders. Ethically the host has no right either to go to someone else. I can not believe the consultant would even stoop so low and consider taking the orders at all! I would do this. Go to the host. Explain that we, as consultants, can not turn a catalog show into a cooking show. It is not ethical and you do not wish to run your business that way. You will however, give her a $15 bonus, out of your own pocket as a thank you for doing business with her. This one time.
Then the rest is up to you. If you provide her current host and guest info, make sure she knows that you expect any orders she gets. This is a crap shoot. If you do not get them, that is when you simply stop beating yourself silly to keep her. I hate to say this, but you already know the host too is unethical as well as she is even considering it. She would simply toss you under a bus for a mere $15. Says a lot about her too don't it! Makes you wonder how she runs her business?

 

[Becca_in_MD]

Careful of the slippery slope. Instead of the $15 in free product, how about offering one of the items on her list as a gift? That way you're not set on an amount and you can hopefully choose something more in the $8-10 range as the gift. Let her know you will give her a "thank-you" gift after you explain about not making it a cooking show. The slippery slope is that she will then expect a gift with every show, which may not be too costly for you. I know someone who did it for the 3rd or 4th time someone did a catalog show with her. Then the host started expecting it and made it a more expensive product each time.

The other consultant way out of line. How can she expect to get the show if the catalogs have your name on them and payment was made to you?

 

[Sheila]

I wouldn't even pay the $15 out of pocket. If she's still interested in going with the other consultant (which more than likely means stealing from PC), karma will bite her in the butt later. LOL

 

[Sheila]

Sorry, had to come back to say ... if you REWARD her for trying to bribe you into doing what the unethical consultant is offering you WILL NOT WIN! That's why I'm recommending that you explain the rules & stick to the rules. If she were a host that you just wanted to reward for working hard, that's one thing. But that's not the case her. She IS trying to bribe you into getting her orders. DO NOT REWARD THAT BEHAVIOR!!!

 

[AmyDare]

The host did submit the show with me...I'm hoping she continues to host for me, but I don't know. There's a bit of a communication problem sometimes--I'm not sure she fully understands how Pampered Chef works, since English is definitely a second language for her. She used to want to combine everyone's orders, so I had to explain how it impacts the product guarantees when people don't have the orders in their own name.
My friend who is her client will probably go to bat for me.
Economy as it is, sad to say, I'm not in a position to offer hosts too much out of my own pocket...so I'm prepared to bless and release.
I don't know who the new consultant is...but my friend will probably find out . There's a good chance she's in the downline of the gal who provides hospitality to me, and I know she'll get good training and realize it's not cool to try to take someone else's business. We're told over and over there's plenty of business for everyone, and the first thing you ask a prospective customer/host is, "Do you have someone you already work with?".

 

[pcsharon1]

Sadly, I am running into this more and more and it has really made me reconsider staying with my business. And, more often than not, it isn't a customer that is trying to get extra products, it's another consultant who is offering extra incentive for them to have their (already planned) show with them instead or getting the customer to give them their order instead of to me or one of my team. I've heard it more and more in the past year. I am very careful to not step on any other consultants business. If someone is talking to me and they even mention that they have someone they are getting newsletters from or hearing from on a regular basis, I ask further questions to find out if they consider this person their personal consultant before I talk to them about the opportunity or even have a show if that is something they've been talking to someone else about. Sadly, not all other consultants do this and some go out of their way to take business they know shouldn't be theirs.

I wouldn't offer her anything extra unless you want to set the precident of paying customers to do shows for you - because that's how she's going to look at it and she may even take the offer back to the other consultant to see who she can get to give her more. I wouldn't want you to get stuck in a "bidding war" for a show.

 

[Intrepid_Chef]

Are you aware that offering her $15 in free products means it costs you less? If it's a $300 show her discount is 20 percent. so that means it only costs you $12. And you make commission on that and will get it back in the end.Now, we have no way of knowing if the other consultant is "stealing from Pampered Chef" and doing the same. But either way, she has no right to steal from YOU. I'm glad your host went ahead and honored her commitment.

 

[pampered1224]

After reading the past posts, I find I too must re-think the offer of free products at $15. It will set a precedent you do not want to keep up with. It may be advisable to talk to your up-line Hospitality. Ask if a little talk about ethics could be introduced at a meeting. This way no fingers are pointed at anyone, just a message sent. It would need to be said that if a host has orders, that have been taken via catalogs sent out by one consultant should be turned down by another consultant. This could also remind people that changing shows into cooking shows when it is clearly not one is also a no no. Then too Bribes could be discussed. I used to do that and well, it cost a lot to keep up with that. So stick to your guns, run the business in a way that you can feel good about and if it turns out that your host goes to someone else, remember, there is enough business out there for everyone, and bless and release. You have enough of regular life to worry about to worry about one host and consultant. It simply is not worth the headache.

 

[esavvymom]

That does stink, and unfortunately, it will happen. Instead of offering the free product (which obviously isn't what you did, or what too many recommend because it sets a bad precedent for future shows), I'd either bring in a plate of "goodies" (ie- Pamper her Business) when she does a show as your "Thank you". You can make a plate of a dessert or snack for little money. Use it as a practice, and take in some or all of it (depending on what it is). OR if you did want to reward regular hosts...create a "Frequent Host" program of your own (stressing to the host that it is YOUR program only, not PC). For ever 5 shows (cooking or catalog), then on her 6th show, you'll give her an extra $xx in product!" I'd probably do it for $15 or maybe $20 depending on my financial situation.
If that host has done 5 minimum shows - that's $150 in commission you've earned. A $15-20 gift isn't that bad...and as I.C. pointed out- it doesn't cost you that much, since you would add it to her host order and get the host discount anyway.Just thinking "out loud". I'd probably also mention it somehow privately to your Hospitality Director, especially if you think she may be connected. NOT to call that consultant out...but to say maybe "One of my regular catalog hosts was approached by consultant directly or indirectly through her mother to try to convince my cat-host to submit her show orders with her instead of me by telling her she'd make it a 'cooking' show so she got more benefits. How should I handle that? Do new consultants realize this is frowned upon by PC?" Or something like. I'm thinking off the cuff here, but somehow letting her know, so maybe in future training, they point it out. It could be the lady didn't realize - although, not likely. It either IS or it ISN'T a cooking show. I've done that for my SIL in another state, but ONLY because she made and took in to work 2-3 different recipes from her PC Season's Best for everyone to sample. I don't do it just for passing around a catalog though.Just continue to give your host great customer service, and "what will be, will be."Good luck!

 

[[email protected]]

I have to say that this probably happens more than we know. I definately know it has happened to me. I actually thought about stopping my business because of it.

 

[scottcooks]

In the words of Donald Trump, "Never ever quit". Letting others' dishonesty affect your business is not OK. Keep the high road - there is plenty of business out there. I haven't had shows steer toward other consultants ever; come on, really? That's just NOT O.K. I'd make it clear that if your host chooses to go with another consultant, you just want to provide her with the best possible service. It kind of seems like a no win, so Bless & Release!

 

[raebates]

I've run into similar things, Here's my general response:I am going to put this as carefully as I can, because I never want to speak badly of a fellow consultant. The difference in free product between a cooking show and a catalog show is to repay the host for the work she had to do, like cleaning and providing ingredients, plates, and drinks. If I were to submit your catalog show as a cooking show I would be telling the company something that wasn't true. It's just not something I'm comfortable with. I don't want to lose you as a host. But, if, because of this, you choose to go with another consultant, I will completely understand. If you ever need me, you know where to find me.

 

[chefa]

Rae that's a very tactfully put response.

 

[raebates]

Thanks. It comes from years of having to eat my words.