Dealing with Frustrating Hosts: My Experience and How to Handle Them

[shano]

I am so frustrated and tired of host who think they can just rescheduled or just be flat out rude about parties!! I saw a host yesterday to talk sbout her party for tomorrow and we did have to cut the talk short because her son did get hurt. He needed stitches and she had to go home. I was told by her to meet her at her work. An accident is completely understandable.

BUt what has me so steamed is that I called her about 2 hours ago now to finish our conversation. After all I need to know how many catalogs/clip boards to put togethor. Not to mention to get all the items togethor and confirm w/ MY babysitter. SO I call and she hangs up on me. I think maybe she hit the buttton that hangs up by accident so I call back. Yes, she hangs up on me again.

I dont mean to yell/scream but why even say yes to a party if you dont WANT to have one? She has rescheduled before because her daughter got hurt and "disappeared". I am really frustrated about this because I have done nothing to deserve this treatment. I shop at her store in our village. I see her at least once a week.

what do y'all think?

 

[Chef susan]

I'd say don't bother and move on---let her ASK YOU sometime about a show

Go in her store and see if she treats u badly--act like nothing is wrong --

 

[stacieka]

I have a host I can never get ahold of. She has reshceduled 3 times. I leave message after message after message. The only way I get ahold of her is if her kid answers and hands her the phone. My dh is away right now and I had to get a sitter for her show tonight...well after calling and leaving messages for 2 weeks I called last night and told her that I was canceling her show because I hadnt heard from her and that 1 day was not enough time to give a babysitter notice. I told her I would be hapy to host a catty show if that would be more convienent and left it at that. I am so sick of her I am losing her #!

 

[kcjodih]

For both those hosts I say 'Bless and Release'

Or..Some will, some won't, so what? Who's next?

 

[shano]

I spoke w/ a friend last night after being hung up on by the host and my friend sais that was really strange. That it could have been someone else but when I asked for the host they siad it was her. I dont know what to think. But I did tell my freind as far as I am concerned I now had to cancel my babysitter and I will not be able to get her back to watch my daughter, the show is cancelled.

Thanks alot for your "release" plan. It does help knowing that I am not the only comsultant who gets burned.

 

[mrssyvo]

The exact thing happened to me last month, 2 days before end of sell-a-thon. After 3 weeks of host coaching calls, she hung up on me, when I called to confirm directions and total number. I called back the rest of the day, and she would not answer, so my last message was that I would not be there as planned, if it was a misunderstanding, please call me. She never did. Luckily, I was able to throw together a phone sale to replace the show.

 

[lacychef]

Yes, some people are just flaky aren't they? I just wonder what's going through people's minds sometimes!
But, I must say, some have the best intentions & have bad luck. I've had a host reschedule 3 times on me this summer, & kept having trouble getting ahold of her. Well, her phone is messed up....it only rings once at her house, & they run & try to answer it but usually it disconnects, & doesn't let the answering maching come on. (so I hope I get this show over with! I'm crossing my fingers-it's in 2 weeks!)

 

[rennea]

OhgI just can't believe that people just hang up. It seems like there little kids or something. Why can't people just say "sorrry but I have decided to cancel"!!

 

[DebbieJ]

I've had two hosts like that this month. The courtesy of a call to cancel would be lovely.

I had an August host call to reschedule and I thanked her profusely for giving me the chance to fill the date with someone else. I had a show on Friday and filled that August date.

I will NOT be chasing down my two loser July hosts. They can come to me and if they want to reschedule, they can have a Wednesday night and that's it. I'm not holding another weekend night for them again.

 

[jwpamp]

I too keep getting these...."Oh, I was meaning to call you...." AAARRRRGGGHHH!

Anyway, the last one came at a most inoppotune time for me (is there ever a good time?). And I suppose was a little short when I left her a voice mail, told her that I would love to re-schedule, since I was already out over $8 with shipping and supplies that I sent her!

I can't keep losing that amount of money 5 or 6 times a month!

Oh, of course, I never heard from her. I thought about calling and appologizing if I sounded short, but then, no....bless and release.

 

[PampMomof3]

Janice, what are you sending her to have your shipping be that high? Do you send her more than 6 catalogs? What I do (and I know everyone is different) is put together a host packet filled with order forms, specials and 4 catalogs and invitiations. I put it in the priority envelope for $4.05. I mean, $4 can still be a lot but you seem to be doubling that price. I'm not knocking what you do for your business, I'm just throwing some suggestions your way.

 

[Chef susan]

She probably is out $4 for S and H and then the catalogs and order forms and invitations and recruiting flyer etc--it all adds up on top of postage---

 

[jrstephens]

I have had two cooking turn into catalogs this month but thankfully had not had the no call that you all have had. i cannot believe someone just hangs up!!! i did get a little frustrated last month trying to get some host to close their show. I am just not the type to put things off and get frusutrated with others that do. Then when you have to keep calling, you srat feeling like you are being pushy when you just need to know. People need to realize that this is our job and livelihood just like any other paycheck!

 

[pckimboyers]

Well, I've only had that happen to me once, they finally told me at 3:30p the day before the show that it wasn't going to happen. Well really I had to drag it out of her....she never answered her phone and would only communicate with me through e-mails-- never replied to suggestions I gave her when difficulties came up on her end and finally I just said(after waiting hours for a reply) Just give me your order and I'll put it on my next show. She answered that one right away! Why can't they just say no! Don't give me every excuse in the world--just say no thanks, or I changed my mind! I totally feel for you......mine happens mainly before the booking--They say yes to book and then never, after time,phone calls and all that--either ignore me altogether or drag on the excuses!

 

[shano]

Well. One of my cousins happens to be friends w/ this host that hung up on me,. and supposedly her 2 cordless phones were not charged and I called at a bad time. This is what was told to my cousin! I still say knowing I had called twice and been hung up on, you would think she would have jad the deceny to call back when her phone charged. I know she has a cell phone also. Just comes down to manners I guess

 

[heat123]

It must be the time of year or something! I just had my 2 bookings for July reschedule within a day of eacother! Now I have nothing for July, my only Non show month so far in 9 months! Yikes! That totally bumms me out!

 

[jmedeiros]

People can be flaky. Real LONG story....

Had a catalog show host contact me... totally excited about the catalog show... Sent her the packets. She gave me the closing date. I called her the friday before the show was closing (since it was closing the following Monday) she said that she was just getting some last minute orders and she would call me on Monday... NO CALL! So i called her.. And she had the nerve to hang up on me! So i thought that it was her cell phone since she has Cricket (which doesnt really have good service where we are) so i tried again.. HANG UP AGAIN! So i decided to try later that night. Same thing. I called the next day, same thing. So i just emailed her and told her that she could have just told me that she didnt want to do it and asked that she send me back the catalogs and the packets that i sent her. Those things cost money to send and i know its only $4 to mail BUT it was MY time that i took to make the packets and mail it to her. I never heard from her again!

THEN another catalog show: She emailed me and wanted 7-10 catalogs since she works in a HUGE office complex and she totally wanted tons of free stuff. So i sent it to her... It came back! I called to verify the address, sent it AGAIN (more money out of my pocket), came back AGAIN! I called her AGAIN to verify, THEN she says... oh, thats not my address, its blah blah blah. SO I sent it out AGAIN! i know she got it this time since i sent it with Del Confirmation (its free with click to ship). She emailed me with some questions and thats all i heard from her! NOTHING ZILCH ZERO. I called her and left messages.... nothing.. So i emailed her. She "pretended" to be her kid and send me an email... even tried to mis spell words so i would "believe" her. She (the kid) said that his mother was sick and that she told him to look for an email from me and to tell me that! She would continue the show once she felt better. So this was all in April and May..... NOTHING! No word! I emailed her too and told her to mail me back my stuff. That normally gets them to at least make contact.... but NOPE!

ANOTHER one!! yes ladies! This all happened within the last couple months! She said that she wanted to host a catalog show... then said her kid had a cold... then never heard from her again! I emailed her to send me back the packets, and her " husband" replied and said that she was out of town and didnt know when she would be back! And that as soon as he talked to her, he would find out where she put the package and send it back to me... yeah... still waiting!

So, i sort of learned my lesson on these catalog show ONLY people. Now i just set up an show on my website for them and tell them to give out my website. If i know that they are not going to flake out, i send the host packets. Otherwise, if i get a little hesitant on someone, website it is!

Sorry this was so long, but i wanted the others to know that it happens to a lot of us and its a huge issue with me since i just want them to send an email or call me and say that they are not interested. WHY play a highschool game? WHY?

But when those people do that, it just makes me work even more at my next show. Thank goodness not all host are like that.

 

[pckimboyers]

I'm trying to get some catalogs going as well and after reading this---the website sounds like a good idea! I can't believe people act like that. It's so childish. What's the big deal with just calling or even e-mailing and saying hey, I know I told you I would do this, but I just don't want to. If someone just tells me no I will accept it and move on, but with these kind of responses--because you can't read someone's mind--your only choice is to get in touch with them (or try) I guess we've all been down this road before at least once!

 

[shano]

I have an update from 3 weeks ago when I started this thread. The host actually told a cousin of mine that she was having a PC party w/ me on the 30th and to e sure to be there. Well this host never called me to ASK if the 30th was ok or even to call me to reschedule. I have heard nothing from her. So the 30th comesand 3 people total show up for this show. I am not there;My cousin is floored! My cousin ask this host if she even calledme to ask about the date because I do book shows months in advance when I am able to. The host confessed no she hadnt even spoken to me and just thought since we were cousins I would find out and be there.
What do you think of is?!?
My cousin reamed her out. Thank God I wasnt there for that. But she told the other 2 people to go to my website and order since the host cant have a PC show w/out asking a consultant to be there.
Oh know, some people have nerve.

 

[mommyhugz1978]

AGGGG........ I had the same problem in JUNE EVERYONE of my HOST Canceled on me two of them changed their shows for this month......... I had one tonight!!! WHOO..... but it is so frustrating when it does happen!!!!!!