New Policy for going inactive as of April?

[carissaz]

I was wondering if anyone would be able to shed some light for me. I watched the new career plan video, but it did not answer my question. I also e-mailed HO, but that was a week ago now, and have yet to get a response.

My current situation is this - I'm 7 months pregnant with twins, and I'm on bed rest. I'm due in April. The other scary thing is that one twin may need to have heart surgery. I'm not really sure how much I will realistically be able to do for a while, even after they are born.

I have managed to get enough strategic catalog shows to keep me active to this point. I have a show in the works for Feb so should be okay through March.

Now, as of April, what is the policy? This new system is gumming up my well laid plans. I know they are expecting us to submit $150 every month, rather than $200 every other. But what happens if we don't submit in a given month? Do we get a "grace period" of 3 months like the directors? Do we automatically lose our career sales if we don't submit for a month? Is the policy on leave still the same (2 months in a 12 month period)?

If anyone can answer any of these questions, it would put my mind at ease. I talked to my director, and our Senior Director, and they don't seem to have good anwers for me yet either. If I do hear from HO I'll post the answer, because I'm sure I'm not the only one who will have these questions.

[coriatc]

It's still the 2 months ... so now you have to submit AT LEAST $150 every 2 months. If you don't submit $150 for the two months you lose your career sales ... and if you don't submit anything for 6 months you are no longer a consultant and would have to re-sign.

[janetupnorth]

You need to apply for a waiver or leave for that!

[wadesgirl]

I look at it this way: If you don't submit in one month, you are just not active. If you don't submit for two months then you are inactive. Make more sense?

And I agree with Janet, apply for a waiver or leave!

[janetupnorth]

Request for Personal Sales
Requirement Waiver
A request for waiver of the personal sales requirement
($200 in any consecutive two-month period) may be granted
for up to three months for the following reasons:
• Medical
• Relocation to a new permanent residence more
than 100 miles away
• Family/personal crisis
• Disaster (tornado, flood, fire, etc.)
Only Consultants who have already submitted commissionable
sales or recruited a new Consultant are eligible. Consultants
must submit their own waiver requests.
Submit a written request or e-mail to the Home Office by
midnight CT on the last business day of the second month
(the last calendar day if submitted electronically) totaling
less than $200 in commissionable sales.
The last business day of the month excludes weekends,
published holidays and published Pampered Chef® holidays
listed in the Consultant News.
Generally, the personal sales requirement will be waived for
up to three months within any 12-month period.
Consultants must submit $200 in commissionable sales in
the month following a waiver.
If you sell $200 in any month during the waiver period
and wish to discontinue the waiver status, you must notify
the Solution Center department in writing prior to the last
business day of the month (the last calendar day if submitted
electronically) in which the sales are submitted.
All requests will be reviewed and approved at the sole
discretion of the Home Office.
A waiver of personal sales requirement waives the $200
minimum sales requirement to maintain active status. It
also waives a Director’s requirement of $750 in personal
sales to receive monthly overrides or to avoid a
relinquishment month. It does not waive a Future Director’s
requirement of $1,250 to receive a bonus on personal sales
and personal recruits’ sales.

[janetupnorth]

I would apply for a medical waiver, then if something goes wrong, contact HO and see if you can extend it for a Family emergency.

Generally it is 3 months, but they use the word generally so there can be issues in special circumstances.

[jcsmilez]

Can you still submit sales if you have a waiver? If so, the SE Spring Consultant News (just posted on CC today) has the specials through April. I'd sign up for the waiver to be safe and then contact past hosts and customers and line them up with Catalog shows. If you have someone close to you that has an interest in Pampered Chef show them how to enter the shows so they can help you out. Hopefully they'll see how easy it is and decide to give the business a try for themselves. :D

All in all, though, it's actually a bit easier than before - at a minimum now you only have to submit $150 every other month to keep from losing your career sales. HTH

[prepchef]

Do we have to make up the $150 missed so submit $300 the next month?

[chefann]

You can still submit sales if you have a waiver, but if you have a month in which you're going to hit $200 ($150 after April 1), then it's a good idea to call HO and take yourself OFF waiver for that month. Because there's a limited number of months you can be on waiver in a rolling 12-month period. If you've submitted enough sales to be active, why "waste" that month of waiver?

[erinb]

Do we have to make up the $150 missed so submit $300 the next month?

No, it is just $150. $0 in May means you have to have $150 in June.

[chefann]

Do we have to make up the $150 missed so submit $300 the next month?

No. Any month in which you submit $150, you're active. You need to go 2 months of inactivity (less than $150 in each month) to lose career sales.

There will be a handy booklet in changeover boxes that will explain a lot more than the presentations on CC do.

[chefann]

No, it is just $150. $0 in May means you have to have $150 in June.
Actually, any amount under $150 in May means that you have to have $150 in June.

[chefann]

I just saw that the booklet to which I referred in the above post is now on CC. It's at the bottom of the page with the career plan presentations. I highly recommend downloading it and taking a look. It answers many questions that the presentation doesn't. There's also a handy reference guide with the benefits and breakdowns by level.

[kam]

Actually, any amount under $150 in May means that you have to have $150 in June.


Ahhh...so with the CURRENT requirements, I could have had $200 in a 2 month span to stay active...$120 month one and $120 month two and I would have been fine???

[pcsharon1]

Yes, as long as two months add up to $200 you are good. Jan and Feb have to add up to $200 but then Feb and March have to add up to $200 and March and April and so on.

I also think that if you are on a waiver and you submit the needed $200 it reinstates you and takes you off the waiver but I'm not sure about that.

[wadesgirl]

Please also note that they are doing away with the personal waiver (I think that's what it's called). It was abused too much by consultants who just wouldn't do anything and then get the waiver so they wouldn't loose their career sales (I know of some people in my cluster who do this).

[raebates]

And, if I'm not mistaken, it won't be possible to get a waiver retroactively.

[BethCooks4U]

Yes, as long as two months add up to $200 you are good. Jan and Feb have to add up to $200 but then Feb and March have to add up to $200 and March and April and so on.

I also think that if you are on a waiver and you submit the needed $200 it reinstates you and takes you off the waiver but I'm not sure about that.

Not quite. Jan + Feb must equal $200; Feb + Mar must equal $200. If you don't have $200 in Mar you must have $150 in April. DO NOT DO THE MINIMUM so you have no worries - if your situation makes this an issue CALL HOME OFFICE and get the facts.

After April 1 it will be:

Every month you submit $150 you are active. If you submit less than $150 in a month you are not active. If you submit less than $150 for 2 months in a row (doesn't matter what your sales add up to any more - it's per calendar month) you lose lifetime sales. If you submit less than $150 in a calendar month for 6 months straight you are not a consultant and must re-sign.

[Jules711]

To add though, you can request a one-month personal waiver or something to that affect. It's in the pdf on CC.

[chefann]

If you have questions about the new plan, you can send them to careerplan@<hidden email>

[carissaz]

If you have questions about the new plan, you can send them to careerplan@<hidden email>

I tried that, I still have yet to get a response, and it's been over a week. I also tried calling home office, but the rep I talked to knew little more than I did. She made it sound like the waiver did not exist at all, though the pamplet indicates a possible 1 month extension.

I think I'm just going to keep up my plan of having at least one catalog show every other month for now. If I can get one a month great. My main goal is to keep my career sales. When people ask me if there's anything we need, or how they can help, my stock answer is "Have a catalog show for me."

[chefann]

HO is still hashing out some details, so the reps may not have all of the info. In fact, they may not have had any briefing at all on the new plan. I got the impression at Leadership that they'd far rather we email questions. And since there's still 2 1/2 months before they go into effect, they're probably making sure they have the answers correct before they hit "send" on any of the responses.

[BethCooks4U]

HO is still hashing out some details, so the reps may not have all of the info. In fact, they may not have had any briefing at all on the new plan. I got the impression at Leadership that they'd far rather we email questions. And since there's still 2 1/2 months before they go into effect, they're probably making sure they have the answers correct before they hit "send" on any of the responses.

IMHO they should have EVERYTHING hashed out before making such a sweeping change.

I really don't think that's it. I think they just want us to get the information slowly so that we can digest it before we get more to think about.

[jbdowd0798]

So if I read this right, we can't submit waivers after April 1st?? Those of us in the military lots of times need time to move....I move this summer across the country and will have to do it without my husband and will have 2 kids, 2 cats, and a dog to worry about! lol Thats just A LOT plus a new home to set up! So I'd love to get a personal waiver since I'll be moving 3000 miles.

Thanks Ann- I'll go look at that booklet too.

[chefann]

IMHO they should have EVERYTHING hashed out before making such a sweeping change.

I really don't think that's it. I think they just want us to get the information slowly so that we can digest it before we get more to think about.

Cora Fisher was at an evening training with my NED on Friday night at Leadership. Someone asked about fair reimbursement and professional development allowance. Cora very specifically stated that those details, with some others, were still being hashed out, but will be communicated as soon as a policy is determined.

[tara0925]

I agree with the person who said they are military and moving. We are PCSing in 3 weeks from England to NC, I was hoping to stay active, but I don't think that will happen, as my main concern is finding a house and getting everyone settled. And I was so close to $50,000 in career sales too.

[BethCooks4U]

Cora Fisher was at an evening training with my NED on Friday night at Leadership. Someone asked about fair reimbursement and professional development allowance. Cora very specifically stated that those details, with some others, were still being hashed out, but will be communicated as soon as a policy is determined.

Well, I still think that they should have all the hashing done before they start such major changes. It's crazy (and not very professional) to not have all the ducks in a row first. PC is not a company that in the past has decided things on the fly.

[KimoMakano]

Boy, this really doesn't seem like The Pampered Chef I have loved for so long.
It seems like a lot of changes and a lot of problems with some of the products (ie: round stones with handles).
Not sure if there is any correlation with this and the purchase of TPC by Berkshire/Hathaway (sp?).
I would hope not but again, not sure.

[lauradahl]

I agree with the person who said they are military and moving. We are PCSing in 3 weeks from England to NC, I was hoping to stay active, but I don't think that will happen, as my main concern is finding a house and getting everyone settled. And I was so close to $50,000 in career sales too.

I would suggest contacting HO. Don't throw in the towel now...the new stuff doesn't take place until April....you move in 3 weeks...call now! Ask about the waiver....you've come too far to just "accept" the "I think" comments here. Get it straight from HO and keep those career sales....I too am soooo close to 50k...I would so hate to see you loose it just to find out that there was a way you could have kept it!