Customer Payments and Closing Your Shows

[Bren706]

How does everyone handle submitting your shows and getting the last of the outside orders/payments?

I have been submitting my shows the night that I close out with the host, trusting that they are going to get the checks in the mail the next day . But now I am really thinking about making sure I have all payments in hand and ready to deposit before I close. I am curious to see what the "standard" is.

 

[ljeffries]

Have the payments before you submit!!

IMHO - it ain't an order till I have the $$$!

 

[cathyskitchen]

I agree with Lamar. I would never want to be burned by submitting an order, letting the host get the products and hand them out, then never getting payment. Once they have the items, it's almost impossible to get payment!I explain to the host at the end of her party that any orders she gets from now until the day we close should give payment to her (cash or make out checks to host, or CC to me), and she'll give me a credit/debit card at closing for the amounts. That way she's not surprised when I ask for her CC to cover the balance.

 

[DebbieJ]

I have the host collect the payment for any additional outside orders and have checks made to HER for those. Then she pays by debt/credit for her order and any other orders over the phone.

 

[finley1991]

I have the host collect the payment for any additional outside orders and have checks made to HER for those. Then she pays by debt/credit for her order and any other orders over the phone.

Same here.

 

[wadesgirl]

I do the same as Debbie too. I close all my shows over the phone while I'm in front of the computer and get one payment from the host for all outstanding orders. I tell my hosts this the night of the show. I also suggest trying to get CC's from guests if she doesn't want to do this. I had one host who was excited about putting all the "points" on his CC that he had all outside orders pay checks to him.

 

[CookingwithMary]

Same here.

Works that way for me, as well.

I don't order until all checks are cleared--another reason I prefer Credit Cards.

 

[legacypc46]

I always get payment before submitting (either credit card from the customer or the host).

I learned the hard way. I covered an order ($170) for someone I knew and who had placed multiple orders with me before. When I got her check, it bounced (several times), and the second one she wrote bounced too. I ended up getting my money but it was painful. (She was subsequently arrested for check fraud to the tune of almost $10K.) My point is, you never know.....

 

[ameliasurf]

yeah .. if i don't have all the money for the show in my hand, i don't submit it.
i just think i will cause alot of problems if you submit it before having payment for the sake of customers saying " i didn't order that!"

 

[jrstephens]

I will tell my host to either bring or meet me with the checks ot have them made out to them and they can put it on their credit/debit card. Normall, my host bring them to me if they are close by and if they are a little away they will have the checks made out to them and use their card. I never submit a show until I have all the payments!

 

[PamperedChefBB]

Question? My Director told me that I should take payment for the whole show by a hosts credit. She said that if someone returns something, then the host has to refund the money... Does anyone know anything about this? Sounds like there are lots that take final payment with hosts credit card. Would be much easier.....

 

[hperschnick]

I had been submitting the shows before I have all of the last payments but I'm changing that now. I don't like having to get back in touch with the host after to get the checks. I haven't decided exactly how I'm going to do this yet but I like the idea of having the payments made out to the host and she pays the balance with a cc. I think I'll try that on my shows going forward.

 

[chef_goods]

Even if I have all checks in hand, I "offer an extra service to my hosts. I will have the show shipped to my house and organize the orders for the host and deliver them to the host." The hosts think I am providing a great service and are very appreciative, when in fact I am just buying cheap insurance in case a check bounces! It's not much work for me since I am more familiar with the products.

 

[pamperedlinda]

It depends on who it is, how well I know them, and how much the order is.

 

[floccies]

The majority of the time, I must have the payments in hand prior to submitting.

I will make exceptions for my best friend (says she has the checks, I submitted to make the two show consultant incentive). I would also make an exception for my mother or sister.

But for everyone else I need the $, so I would wait for the check or take CC info over the phone -- the decision would be up to them.

 

[PamperedDor]

Yup, all payments are in hand before I submit - unless its a really good friend that I am confident will drop off payment -

 

[Chef Endora]

I spend 30-60 min. on my day off on Main St. cashing checks at the bank they are drawn on. If there are out of town banks involved, I may have the order shipped to my house as insurance. I like the idea of having the host put the stragglers on her cc & think I will use that.

 

[friday]

The only person I accept checks for PC products for is my mom. Other than that- CC or cash, and I must have all of these prior to submitting a show. Been burned a time or ten on this. I had to get a little hard about it. No one complains.

 

[cewcooks]

What do you do if someone comes to a show places an order and then leaves w/o paying and when you call to collect she does not answer any calls, I think I might just cancel her order??? any suggestions??

 

[heat123]

Wait for the checks to clear before I transmit a show!

 

[pamperedposey]

Question? My Director told me that I should take payment for the whole show by a hosts credit. She said that if someone returns something, then the host has to refund the money... Does anyone know anything about this? Sounds like there are lots that take final payment with hosts credit card. Would be much easier.....

No way! I really don't think PC would encourage this at all. Why should the host have to deal with every return on their show? I think this method would discourage many hosts.

 

[JAE]

Why don't you ask the host about payment? If the host wants the order, the host can pay you and collect the payment from the guest.

 

[Christ Follower]

YA see I am a push over. I submit the show even if there are a couple of checks from outside orders not yet collected. In almost 2 years, it has only been a problem one time and it was the host that owed me $22! Never did get that money from her....

I know, I know....I need to stop doing that. MOST of the time the outside orders that come after the show are put on their CC's.

 

[catrin]

Question about having the order shipped to your own home, and then delivered to the hostess. I like this idea for all shows in my area. For the order on P3, do you just put in your address under her name? or do you put
host name
c/o your name
your address

Thanks for your time...I really love reading all these posts for the ideas and observations... So much of it helps and gives great ideas, I just do not post that often but really love spending time here!!!

cat

 

[raebates]

I've had more than one host tell me that they appreciate that any checks are made out to me instead of them. It cuts down on the questions from husbands as to why they've written a large check (or charged a large amount) when they said they only spent X amount of dollars.

 

[merego]

Same as Debbie

 

[fruit76loop]

Question about having the order shipped to your own home, and then delivered to the hostess. I like this idea for all shows in my area. For the order on P3, do you just put in your address under her name? or do you put
host name
c/o your name
your address

Thanks for your time...I really love reading all these posts for the ideas and observations... So much of it helps and gives great ideas, I just do not post that often but really love spending time here!!!

cat

In P3 you just put it in the shipping address. Leave your host address in the contact address and put c/o info in the shipping address. Then make sure you click ship to shipping address!!