Two in a Row: Drunken Friday Night Parties

[RachelNguyen]

Yeesh,

I just did my second Friday night party in a row with a bunch of drunk guests. And like last week, no one was listening to a thing I was saying. In fact, they just ignored me through the whole demo. Finally, about half way through I just gave up. I said that I didn't want to keep people from chatting, so I was going to just finish up the recipe and if anyone had any questions they could ask.

It was a BIG crowd, but sales were just over $500 for the night and I am convinced that alcohol and Pampered Chef are a terrible combination.

I find that booking shows are tough with tipsy guests too. Both this week and last week I only got one booking.

My husband thinks I should stop doing Friday nights. I am beginning to wonder! LOL.

The unfortunate thing is that the host was a former PC consultant and was disappointed with her sales. I didn't know what to say except that folks weren't really able to hear what was going on, so sales were spotty.

Does this happen to you?

 

[Pampered Laura]

Yep. But I kinda just go with the flow and tell them that "if they're too tipsy I'll order for 'em and they won't remember in the a.m.". That usually sobers 'em up enough to listen to me for a few mins. LOL

 

[kcjodih]

hmmm....

I find my shows with alcohol are usually higher! They're happy and carefree and that makes for more sales for me!

 

[mminikus]

My shows on Friday night with Alcohol are usually some of my better shows too! Sometimes it gets a little crazy during the demo, but I just go with the flow! By the time they order, I can talk them into buying more, plus they are more willing to book a show too! I wonder what they are thinking the next morning after they remember it. Ha, Ha!

 

[AlowayFamily]

When they book shows when they are a bit, uhm, tipsy, do they keep the show date or do they cancel?

 

[mminikus]

Nobody has canceled on me yet! I get them to set a date, and then I give them the host packet right there on the spot. Maybe they feel to foolish to cancel after all that.

 

[PampMomof3]

Out of ALL the drunken parties that i've had, I have only had one woman cancel on me and it was okay because I had a woman who wanted to book a friday night so I was able to fill it in 5 minutes~! I was so stoked! And, I'll be able to re-schedule her later!

 

[cmdtrgd]

I actually had a host who called the show a "Happy Hour". She put on the invitations that there would be a $10 cover charge if they didn't RSVP. She had so many people RSVP!

 

[RachelNguyen]

That is so funny, you guys!

When you say you go with the flow, can you be more specific? I am really trying to figure out how to manage this better. Last night I kind of threw in the towel half way through the demo. Last week I kept trying to actually talk through the demo and it was just not working. If people are having side conversations, what do you do?

 

[AJPratt]

Its so tough with these kinds of shows because I have NO patience with people who have been drinking. It was like that for me at a March show and I was so mad. The show had about 15 people and had about $350 in orders. The host got a ton of outside orders after the show, and it closed around $800, so it was good but it was frustrating.

Two suggestions for crowd control:

1) I try to come out from behind the table and either stand next to the talking person or put my hand on their shoulder. Its a trick I learned from a teacher.

2) I don't raise my voice. I actually talk LOWER and the people who can't hear will usually say something to the talkers.

 

[Pampered Laura]

Yes. Lower your voice, don't try to out-talk them. That'll just come across as you being controlling and one of "those" types.
Just grin, lower your voice, make eye contact with those who ARE listening to you, and do your thing.
Or... get them involved. Call them up or walk over to them and hand them a product and say "I need your assistance for a minute!" and then have them do something.
"Go with the flow" means just realize it's a party and they're there to have a good time. People are sometimes clueless and don't realize they're being totally rude. Do your thing, HAVE FUN, collect your orders, and get outta dodge.

 

[RachelNguyen]

Great advice!

Thanks! I especially like the idea of lowering my voice. I did try just not talking, but that didn't really work either because the chatters just kept going. But by lowering my voice the folks trying to hear would do my 'shooshing' for me! LOL.

The latest show did close at over $500, so it isn't so bad! And I might have a recruit!

Best,
Rachel

 

[AJPratt]

People are sometimes clueless and don't realize they're being totally rude. Do your thing, HAVE FUN, collect your orders, and get outta dodge.

As long as people have fun, that's what I go by. Even though I get upset at he show, I TRY to put it into perspective later.

 

[The_Kitchen_Guy]

hmmm....

I find my shows with alcohol are usually higher! They're happy and carefree and that makes for more sales for me!

I often cook with wine, and sometimes, I even put it in the food!

It's been my experinece that a little tipsy means bigger orders, that said, too much of a good thing is always bad. Tipsy is good, drunk is awful.

 

[soonerchef]

It's been my experinece that a little tipsy means bigger orders, that said, too much of a good thing is always bad. Tipsy is good, drunk is awful.

That is sooooo true, tipsy is great...I had a show with a rather rowdy and drunk crowd a while back and at the end when I was taking orders I just asked if they had remembered to get the stoneware piece that they wanted. Almost everyone ordered a stone (this was also before I was really pushing my cookware sales...) and the show ended up at $1200. Maybe next time just ask if they got their stone and their piece of cookware and if they are tipsy enough they will buy one or both and not remember in the morning!

 

[AJPratt]

...when I was taking orders I just asked if they had remembered to get the stoneware piece that they wanted. Almost everyone ordered a stone

I LOVE that! I'm going to do it at my next show. Conference is getting close!!!!! I hope to get to meet up with you, oh yeah, and Kitchen Guy.

 

[jwpamp]

It's all better with a little alcohol....try the "Slap your mama margaritas" posted under recipes!

 

[mrssyvo]

Where is kitchen guy? I have not seen him on here for awhile !

 

[AlowayFamily]

He was posting on some other threads yesterday.

 

[soonerchef]

I LOVE that! I'm going to do it at my next show. Conference is getting close!!!!! I hope to get to meet up with you, oh yeah, and Kitchen Guy.

Anne, I hope I get to meet up with you as well...maybe we can work something out!

Love your "bad spellers" quote, I had to look up rotisserie today cause I can't spell!

 

[Grandmarita]

Interesting that you mention the Friday night rowdiness. One of my parties was like that and I felt totally out of control. However, everyone had a great
time, including myself and their teenagers who helped pass around the samples
and carry my tools to the car. Another party was a weeknight, and the hostess had a fancy wine dispenser in her kitchen. She was into it when I arrived, and still going strong when I left. Her tipsy, former consultant friend,
booked a party which which she later cancelled due to "illness" and refused to consider rescheduling. She had even implied that she wanted to go active again, and would have been my second recruit. I went through the returned
calls with her before she cancelled the night before her Dec. party. Live and learn. With six months between us, I've even considered checking back with her to see if the timing is better now. I'm kind of short on bookings right now.

 

[PaulaReb]

These are some great ideas. When I hosted my party before being a consultant, one of my friends was a little tipsy, I just kept telling her she needed a few extra things to add to her order....I ended up having an $1100 party for my consultant and my friend booked a party.

Have you ever had anyone call you the next day and tell you they changed their minds and didn't want to purchase what they did? Don't they have three days to change their minds? Just curious since I'm new at all this. My first party is tomorrow.

 

[soonerchef]

Hi Paula, welcome to chefsuccess, you will love it here!

I have never had anyone call and change their mind. I would imagine that they would be to embarrassed to call up and say..."I was really drunk at the show last night and I don't want that stone that I ordered"...

 

[PaulaReb]

Hi Andrea, thanks for the welcome. I LOVE it here. I'm getting so many great ideas and learning so much from all of you.

When I became a consultant my friend who booked the party from me tried to reschedule hers but I wouldn't let her....LOL I told her I really needed her to keep her date in June because it was my SS1 and I needed six parties. Needless to say, she kept it....hehe

 

[dannyzmom]

In my neck of the woods...or I guess that would be Neck of the Palm Trees...people DRINK...man, do they drink!! So here is what I now do (after about 12 too many drunk-disruptive-guests shows)...I ask Sally Hostess to not bring out the booze until I give her the nod. I usually give her the nod about 10 minutes before I am going to start taking orders...this way they can chat and relax and enjoy themselves but not be sloshed and disruptive during my demo. So far - so good. My last lotsa-liquor-Friday-Night show was over $1500 in commissionable sales AND she had a Flip Flop lady there -- so she got some sales as well!

 

[nikked]

Have you ever had anyone call you the next day and tell you they changed their minds and didn't want to purchase what they did?

I have a story that I think takes the cake...it's actually from my AD, and just happened this past weekend.

She showed up at the host's [supposed] home, and unloaded everything on the front porch (which I guess she always does). Knocks on the door, and it's the wrong house!

She calls the host, and apparently, the host had been quite drunk at a show when it was booked, and put the wrong house number...not transposed, just wrong! The host's house number was like 632, and she had written down 118 (or something like that).

The host didn't even notice that the labels on her invitations were wrong...she sent them all out as is!

The show turned out alright, but ended up being quite the crazy night as well...

Moral of the story? Double check with a tipsy booking!

 

[soonerchef]

OMG, so I hope that the guests knew where her real house was? Or was this poor woman bombarded with people knocking on her door all night?

 

[cmdtrgd]

Did you ask her if she wanted to host a quick show?

 

[nikked]

OMG, so I hope that the guests knew where her real house was? Or was this poor woman bombarded with people knocking on her door all night?

As far as I know, any stragglers who did go to the other house were directed to the correct one...I didn't hear that the wrong house had knockers all night long...I think everyone knew where the host lived already!

 

[AJPratt]

Could you just imagine, sitting down to dinner with your family and people are coming over for a show?

 

[Kodi5]

Hello from RI!Hey Paula! Welcome, this is a great website that I simply couldn't live without right now. I have had a few 'drunken' guests at parties but they were mostly my neighbors so I didn't really care. Besides they bought lots of stuff and told me I did a great job! Plus I got two bookings and possible fundraiser from one party!

Where in RI are you? I'm down in Hope Valley.