Combining Orders for Savings: Tips for Handling Hosts and Guests in Mary Kay

[MamaChef]

OK....here's a fun one! I feel like I've been taken advantage of because I've become good friends and a Mary Kay customer with a host of mine. She's done a couple of shows with me now, and did another one just last week. She only had a handful guest come last week, but her shows going OK as far as sales. Anyway...along with the guests, there were about 9 kids under the age of 8(seems like everyone brought their kids that night...GA!!!!), so it was chaotic to boot!!!! So, I'm kind of in the kitchen, dodging kids and pulling things out of the oven, setting things out for the snacking, and talking to one of the other customers. Meanwhile the host is in the dining room with the other customers totalling up some orders...what I didn't realize was that she was combing all the orders that she had into one to save everyone on shipping! It turned out that, once all was combined, it was like $127 in products! This included 1 or 2 stones...I'm thinking there's not a shipping business that would ship all that for under $4!!! What I've ended up doing (because by the time I realized what she had done, she had collected money from the guests, etc) was breaking the order down into about 3 orders and I'll eat the shipping costs. I was just afraid that I'd ended up getting called out by the Home Office and end up having to pay it anyway. So, for in the future, how do I handle her on this kind of situation...or any host, guest or whatever? Have you all ever had that happen before? I just don't want this to become a habit!

Anyway....this was more of a vent then anything, but knowing a tactful way to confront this issue would be great too!

Hope you all have a great Monday!

 

[amya]

I have had customers combine their orders to save on shipping. Especially if someone says she has an outside order, then has a sister, friend, etc. want something too and add that to her outside order. What I usually do is figure the price of the product only for each person, then divide tax and shipping by 3 or 4 or however many people are ordering. I do ask for individual names (and phone numbers if possible) so that I can still do some follow-up.

As for the order being $127, I have had that much ordered by one customer and there was no problem.

 

[MamaChef]

At the time the $127 order was the only one with the show....it's now up to $200.75. The problem is, that with any other orders that she's collected, she wants to add it to that order so that they are breaking up the shipping even more, OR that the other orders end up with FREE shipping! That's why I've ended up breaking things up some....she just wanted to turn in the one big order!

 

[batroark]

I would not worry about itI would let it go under one order for this time only. Because as the one before said...I have had individual orders more than $127 before. Maybe next time you could say something to the effect of the host could place two on one order but no more, or joking say "Girls, you don't want me to pay your shipping do you? That us what will happen when I put your orders into my computer." Just don't be hateful about it thought, because having guest to combine orders to save on shipping happends ALL the time. Maybe that is why (or one reason) they raised the shipping to $4 as of March 1st. And....it is possible too that they ordered more in product value if they was able to combine shipping with someone else.????? You never know what their thinking is.

 

[chefloriray]

You also might let them know that since they are combining their orders that only one of them will have a receipt. So if something were to break, they wouldnt have a receipt to back it up?

 

[batroark]

Or........You may want to call and tell her too that your business is not ran like her business and that she will have to come up with some of the shipping cost or something, because you can't rightly do that to YOUR customers since your products that you sell comes with a one year up to a lifetime warranty and you want your customers satisfied with a receipt of their own when it comes to the warranty part of it. However, if she don't want to hear you out you may call the customers and explain the warranty situation to them to make sure they know what is going on and why you feel they should pay that extra few dollars to get that receipt. Do this make sense? It also is not fair to the couple or one person that did pay the shiping on this order for the others to get their shipping free.

 

[janel kelly]

I was thinking too that with only one order there can only be one guest special. So everyone that ordered over $50 in products cannot get the guest special because you can only have one per order. Just something else to think about...

 

[luvs2sellit]

This customer is basically taking YOUR business into her own hands! She made a decision to do something that is costing you money. She is also costing her friends a free gift if they spent over $50.00. I would definetely call her and tell her this can't be done. A couple combined orders is usually ok, but not all of them. I would just call her and explain the problems with what she has done.

 

[gojuliego]

Combining ordersIt is Pampered Chef policy that if a customer adds an order to the host it is fine. Otherwise, we must charge them individually.

I would have talked to the host aside. Once it is done at one show, the guests are going to expect it from others.

Don't know what I would do from there.

 

[batroark]

??????????That wouldn't be right either....would it? Why you a host want to share their host benefits and not get to count the guests' order toward the shows total? And you are right, also, if they get to do it at one then they will expect to do it at all the others they go to.

 

[Happy Mom]

If this host is combining orders onto hers, wouldn't that affect your commission?

 

[ShanaSmith]

If it were added to the host order it would not count towards her free product. You would still get commision on it, just after her discount.

 

[cat]

If this order is just one big order under the host's name, wouldn't it just be counted as an individual order and she has to pay direct shipping charges of $13.70? How can this be submitted as a show with no guests? Since the host's order does not count towards show sales for host rewards. Maybe I'm just confused...

I've had people combine orders to save on shipping, but I always tell them the disadvantages as others have mentioned (not getting the guest special, only having one receipt - so if something goes wrong, they have to hunt down the person with the receipt). Usually people end up separating their orders, although sometimes, they do keep it combined. Oh well.

 

[afshea]

ONly two per order...I have had people at shows ask about combining orders, I tell them that they can put their order with a friend, but they really need to limit it to two per order. It's not an order...just a suggestion. Good lord...$2 in shipping and handling...if they want to break it down more than that, how the heck CHEAP are they! I'm sure that we will have people complain about S&H, but point out to them that we charge a flat rate, not a percentage. I once ordered a Longaberger basket and paid over $10 in shipping...for an OVERPRICED TO BEGIN WITH basket! Also, when the host starts telling me "This order is Mary and Jane and Lois and Becky...etc etc..." I tell her that SHE will need to keep track of that! So there! Yes, we want to accomodate our customers, but that doesn't mean that we have to bend over backwards for EVERY little thing they ask. Some of them KNOW that they are taking advantage of the situation...and it irks me. I keep that smile on my face and gently tell them that that is against the rules. So there!

 

[Chef Kearns]

I've had guests combine before and like Shea says you have to make sure that the host knows you cannot track who got what on a combined order and that they will only get 1 receipt and 1 guest special. I usually don't get involved in who is going to pay the shipping. I put each order in separately then tell them the total after each addition.

Kristie total 20
after adding Joan's order 43
after adding Susie total 69.

Then I let them deal with it.

 

[DebbieSAChef]

Combining orders!!It is sad to have guests complain about shpping and even worse to have your host listen to their whining and start combining orders. I mean it's ok to combine two people to one order cause I have had to do that a few times for people who complained but I was sure to let them know this:
1. Max is two to an order
2. Only one FREE guest special product for that order
Remember if you let her do this once she will do it again. Let her know that you didn't realize what was done until you tried entering in your stuff on Pampered PArtner. Tell her that her guests who ordered $50 or more will not recieve the FREE guest special each but only one for the whole group. Also let her know that shipping is only $3.50 which is very reasonable for UPS services. Also let her know that only the host gets FREE shipping. Tell her this is your business and paying for everyone's shipping is not fair to you. Just so you know it doesn't matter how many guests are at a show as long as the show is $150 or more. HAve a great day!!
Debbie

 

[PC1]

Combining orders!!In the past, I have had one or two customers combine their orders, which is fine ( usually the elderly, which I have no problem with.) However, if all the guests combine the order ( which I have never had happen in my 5 1/2 years of being a consultant), I would nicely say to the host, that for appearance sakes, I can't process this as a kitchen show, and would have to be treated as a catalog show-which in effect would mean less benefits for the host, so maybe she would think the whole concept over as far as combining all orders. I would also stress that if it's treated as one order, they would have to decide whose name to put the order as, and that person would be held responsible for holding the receipt. . . and if any returns are needed down the road, they would have to get a hold of that person for the receipt. Just a few things to maybe suggest, not to scare them, but kindly think about.