Ever Had the Host Leave in the Middle of a Show?

Sigh... I guess I'll chalk this week up to the weird PC Shows Listings! Tuesday was the Bunco weird feeling show, Thursday was the MIL hijacking me and yesterday... the host's cat, whom she had for 13 years, was staggering across the floor and falling down... she was dying right in front of us... it was SO SAD. The first 2 guests arrived 30 minutes late. I had started my demo with only the host at 1:10. She wasn't paying attention and neither did the two who arrived. Then, at almost 2pm two more show up, when I'm all finished with everything and BEG me to do something again... so I did the rice cripsy in the Exec. Pan again for them... except none of them watched because one of those two was a pet rescuer and she was telling the host that she HAD to go and buy Pedialyte to give the cat to save it. SO THE HOST LEFT and went to the store. I got them to fill out their door prize slips, chose a winner and then had to listen to one of the 30 minute late women complain that she should begiving a prize because they arrived first... I guess she FORGOT she was 30 minutes late herself!!!!!!!!!!!! It's going to end up okay... a bit over 300 with the previous host special being purchased but I'm feeling so odd about it all. The guest present purchased $76 worth.. the rest is outside orders... sigh. I have no more shows scheduled for Dec adn a couple catalog shows yet this month... I feel so bad for this lady and her cat (it didn't make it through the afternoon yesterday, I spoke with her today). As bad as I feel, I still can't believe she left the show... it was IMPOSSIBLE to get the other guests to focus much since they missed most of the demo anyway. I asked them questions... their favorite pieces etc. but ... I'm going to make some calls and try to drum up something for early Dec. I had high hopes to reach level 2 for Nov's incentive. I'm now thrilled that I've made it to level 1!

Wow, what a show. It sounds like you made the best of a bad situation. I also only have one show so far the beginning of December. Looking to at least get one more and focus on getting my Jan/Feb booked solid. But with moving in the next three weeks and starting out in a new area where a consultant from another town is having shows with the people in the church we became members of it may be hard. But I'll do my best. The phone will be busy tomorrow!!! Today we are butchering venison.

I had a show like this where the host had chickens in her backyard, and in the middle of her show her dogs attacked the chickens and killed them. We saw the whole thing through the giant dining room window. Nothing gets the guests appetite going like watching a chicken die!! Guess what I made... the chicken enchilada ring!! Yuck!

That must have been awful. I really don't know what I would have done about the cat or the chickens. If the cat was that bad off, and it were me, I may have postponed the show. Its not fair to the cat, the guests, or the consultant.

That is so sad..with the cat and the chickens. It sounds like you did the best that you could.

gilliandanielle said:

I had a show like this where the host had chickens in her backyard, and in the middle of her show her dogs attacked the chickens and killed them. We saw the whole thing through the giant dining room window. Nothing gets the guests appetite going like watching a chicken die!! Guess what I made... the chicken enchilada ring!! Yuck!

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Gillian, that's so funny, but YUCK!!!

Oh my! The best I can think is that you will encounter all sorts of situations and just think of these as a training ground for other things.
Sounds like the show is going to end up incredibly good even though the host had an emergency. I don't begrudge the host at all for leaving, our pets are under our care and if mine would become deathly ill in the middle of something like this you can bet that I'll be out the door doing what needs to be done for it. Then apologize to the consultant for the ordeal, but she couldn't control it. I think as her consultant, I'd definitly be putthing a card in the mail on the loss of her kitty.
It will show that you care about more than just the show or the sale.

Kris

You can always abandon the show midway through. Remember- it's your business, your choice. I might have said to the guests, oh--I really am uncomfortable about all of this and quietly finished the recipe in the kitchen, left them some catalogs and order forms, and gotten the heck out of Dodge! Pedialyte for a cat??!! Too bad the host didn't have the foresight to cancel the party. I guess she had some friends around in her time of need, though. What drama! You'll have one to tell your cluster.

In June we lost our precious cat the day before our anniversary, it was a shock she had pnuemonia. We had spent days at the vet for treatment, hundreds of $$ and 45 minutes from arriving home died while we were holding her.
I wonder how you would have felt about her if she would have canceled would you have been irked?
I'm sure she was in shock & probably felt bad for leaving....
How was the Bunco show??
Teresa

I would not have been irked at all... we are pet owners too ... and having her leave was actually comical ... it was everything all together, with everyone coming late etc that made the whole thing nuts! I already have a card addressed to her to send out tomorrow. I most certainly didn't intend to offend anyone or seem insensitive at all.. it was just an end to a very weird week.

You were hijacked? How did THAT happen?

Sorry to hear that your week was so strange and about the host's kitty passing.

What a week you have had. May this be the end of such crazy shows. Being a cat owner I can only imagine how difficult this must have been for both of you. May the coming weeks be full of great shows, good guests/hosts, and everyone healthy.

I don't think I would have started a demo with just the host there----I guess that is why I am glad I don't do a demo---I can wait as long as I need to for someone to show up---I'm surprised too that the host didn't cancel because the poor cat had to have been showing signs of not feeling well before that---oh well---I'm sure we all have crazy stories--but .....maybe u got bookings..

No bookings... but with a couple outside orders that I got... she ended up with a $406. show for which I was thankful... for me but especially for her... she needed a boost! I've talked with her since and she is relieved now that her cat is not suffering. I probably would have waited to begin the demo until someone came if she hadn't been such a great prior host and also just seemed like she needed me to be there for her... whether or not anyone else showed... so cooking for her at that point was what seemed right ya know? I guess you just go with what feels right at the time... with each time and show requiring that separate decision.