Disastrous Demo: My Train Wreck of a Show Experience

[melissakc]

Hi. I just came from a show and boy did it go bad!! The hostess made the brownie for the Choc Macaroon Pizza before I got there and she put it on the med stone soooo.....it overflowed into her oven. Ok..I can work that...next I am dropping products,adj spoons and such all through the demo and the burnt brownie is everytime I have to cook something....still ok....I can handle it.....right?? I go the melt some chocolate chips in the microwave and sparks fly and smoke fills the microwave as if I had something metal in it....I didn't....and the microwave wasn't even on full power!!! I felt horrible The hostess was sweet and said it gave her an excuse to get a new one anyway and that obviously it wasn't my fault because you could see the burnt marks around the turntable piece under the glass.....I still felt bad....but dismissed it for the rest of the show......show total...167 with 6 guests...ugghhhh! She(host) is hopeful about outside orders. I know it could end up being a decent show for her but.....???????? I am still in shock I think.
Thanks for letting me get this out.

 

[letscook04]

Oh Melissa, I am so sorry to hear about your show!! I always have the host have the batter ready for me when I get there. If you ever drop anything at your show just say " This is why I don't sell china" gets a chuckle. Always make a joke out of it. Hang in there!!

 

[Grandmarita]

Let's pray that she gets up to $200 in guest sales so that she is happy, and you have your required minimum for the month. What did you have to serve,
after the brownie disaster? Good thing you had a small number of guests rather than a large group to feed with the brownies not working.

Better luck next time.

I had a hostess remove our 12" Family Skillet from her oven, because she wanted to help me. She neglected to use the trivet hotpads I had placed on the stove, for protection when taking the pan out.

She was a nurse, and had a special burn ointment handy to apply but she was a hurting person with the nasty burn she got from the metal end on our new Executive Cookware handle. I felt terrible but it was not my fault, and I had taken the precaution to have the trivet potholders handy to use. If I had not done that, I would have really felt responsible for allowing her to assist me.

 

[trps]

You have insurance that will cover her microwave. You need to send it through pc I had a host tht said another consultant scrated her table with the apcs and they bought her a new table since it could not be repaired. I have heard about burnt countertops and a melted micro cooker in the oven that destroyed the heating element. PC;s insurance replaced. Accidents happen and you should use theinsurance if you were using the microwave when it did that.

I have spent alot on the insurance I would use it if I was the one using it

 

[Jilleysue]

Oh My God....i Am Shaking Now. Earmuffs For My Ears!!!

 

[Paige Dixon]

How many bookings did you get? lol

 

[Cookingfool]

ohhh hunny! thats horrible!!!!



(but good to know about the microwave being covered)

 

[rennea]

Oh noCould be an interest intro for your coming shows..."hopefully the micowave doesn't explode" or "I had this show once and..." Just kidding!!

Well I think that if you handled this show you will be able to handle anything. As for the microwave sounds like it was dodgy to begin with. Keep your head up and hopefully those outside orders come in.

 

[RachelNguyen]

Don't give up hopeI had a $149 show once and the host ended up collecting another $700 in sales. At which point, I signed her up!

Hang in there!

 

[melissakc]

Only 1 booking.....but hey I consider myself lucky to have that with such a show!!! I have 6 other shows scheduled this month and I have to say I will probably avoid anything that involves microwaves for now!!!

 

[PampMomof3]

Only 1 booking.....but hey I consider myself lucky to have that with such a show!!! I have 6 other shows scheduled this month and I have to say I will probably avoid anything that involves microwaves for now!!!

That really stinks Melissa! I'm sorry! Accidents do happen though!! I know we ALL have horror stories!

 

[dannyzmom]

I am sorry you had such an awful experience!! But hey - it can only get better right???

 

[Jilleysue]

um Unless I burn down my house...UG..EAR MUFFS EAR MUFFS

 

[dannyzmom]

Ok - that's IT ladies...no more show horror stories til Jilleysue gets done with her show tomorrow...we're freaking her out!! LOL

 

[BethCooks4U]

Back to the brownie on the medium round stone...

No matter which of the flat stones she would have used, the brownie would have oozed off the edge. When using a flat stone you MUST use PARCHMENT PAPER under the brownie and leave about an inch of parchment sticking out around the batter so it has room to spread some. The parchment paper is what keeps it from oozing off the stone.

 

[raebates]

Oh, Melissa, how awful! I hope all the rest of your shows go wonderfully.Colleen, great line about not selling china. I haven't had too much trouble with dropping things yet, but you never know what tomorrow will bring. Now I have a snappy line if it happens.

 

[yummybytes]

I am so sorry to hear about your show!!

Anytime I fumble something I say "And that is why the apron says Pampered Chef, not PERFECT Chef!!" People like someone that's REAL anyway -- it's less intimidating to them.

Good luck and stay away from the microwave!! Thank goodness the spring/summer season is coming -- do Salads!!!

 

[pamperedharriet]

Did she use the round stone or medium bar pan?

 

[SillyChef]

I am really sorry that you had a terrible experience. I hope they only get better!

 

[melissakc]

She used a medium round stone with the parchment paper....I think it would have been worse without the parchment paper!!!!! I love the china comment.....I am by nature very clumsy! I'll have to use the one about not being perfect too!

Jilleysue....you'll be fine!! You guys inspire me!

 

[baychef]

I am so sorry to hear about your show...but you are not alone!! I once used the large stone without the parchment paper and the brownie dripped and burned all over the stove. The lady just cleaned the oven (it was spotless). She wasn't the friendliest of people and she never booked again (I wasn't disappointed, however!)
Another show, I was showing the knives (not the forged) and one lady was nervous about them. I boasted how a sharp knife is a safe knive..blah, blah, blah...nothing to fear little lady type talk. Not 5 minutes later, I took a small hunk off the end of my finger!! It wasn't quite like Dan Akroyd imitating Julia Child on SNL...but you can bet she reacted first!! I was trying to make light of it...but had to have someone finish putting the recipe together because every time I tried...the cut started bleeding badly!!
I am sure there are more stories I can come up with...but the point is, mistakes happen and the one booking is a good thing! It shows that someone doesn't expect you to be perfect!
And Jilleysue...don't read this loop!!! We want you strong for that show coming up!!!!
Ann

 

[dollfangs]

There must have been something in the water yesterday. I had two shows booked one at 11 and one at 4:30. The one at 11 went well 500 in sales and a booking. I did forget to talk about some of the things since I haven't done a live show since Dec. Well, my second show is in the next state over and is about an hour from here. I start out and everything is ok until I zigged when I should have zagged. I wound up so lost that I was almost an hour late and then her microwave wasn't big enough for the baker so the 30 minute chicken turned into a 3 hour chicken. The cake wouldn't get done in the microwave even with me turning it manually. Oh well, she is hopeful for outside orders. Has someone interested in the whole knife collection. We shall see. Oh yea, she only had 3 people there.

 

[pamperedharriet]

Maybe you need to use the large round stone for coverage? Only guessing.

 

[Rebeccascabinet]

Melissa,
I am so sorry you had such a lousy show!

 

[baychef]

Melissa, I am so sorry about your show. Isn't it strange how sometimes nothing can go right? It sounds like you handled it very well, however.
I did the 30 minute chicken show Firday night and did the Panini's with another chicken. The show was in what I learned was a camp (until they built their house). So things were tiny and tight but the biggest shocker was...the kitchen sink was in the garage!!! Yes...you read it right!! Luckily she had a bathroom right off the kitchen and she let me use that! It's the first time I was glad the guests were in a different room. It is just that with that recipe I had to constantly wash my hands. The show went well other than that and she was able to cram about 13 people in this tiny room with my table and me! The show so far is about $550 and many more orders expected. I also booked 3 shows! I earned every penny that night!!
Ann

 

[Shonda1107]

Melissa, I often wonder what I would do if I drop my stone of prepared food or a guest destroys something essential to my show's agenda. Besides the insurance coverage (great to know), I do believe it makes for an excellent story at future shows - and a recruiting tool! This saturday, we had a spring kick-off at the Hartford Marriott. Jillian, a consultant on the cover of Empowering Woman, was our guest speaker. She's started off very young (20) and didn't know how to cook at all. She made LOTS of mistakes (once forgot to add the flour to a recipe and realized AFTER it came out the oven) and her response was "Isn't it great that I can flop this bad and still not get FIRED"! Tell the story and emphasize how you still made money and have your job. Who else can boast that?

 

[melissakc]

Ann.......No way!!! That would have been too weird!!!! Sink in the garage??? Where was the stove??LOL!!!Sounds like you handled it great! I did find out my director had a similar experience with a microwave so I don't feel so bad.

Shonda....you are so right! that would be a great recruiting line! I think I'll use that when I get past my next couple of shows. I just need to get through those without any major foul-ups.

 

[baychef]

Luckily the host had a functional stove and a microwave with a turntable that was large enough so the Covered Baker fit in it! Because of the recipe I did, it was very difficult because the paninis can get a little messy!
Ann

 

[chefann]

Sink in the Garage is another reason to take anti-bac baby wipes to a show.

 

[jwpamp]

There must have been something in the water yesterday. I had two shows booked one at 11 and one at 4:30. The one at 11 went well 500 in sales and a booking. I did forget to talk about some of the things since I haven't done a live show since Dec. Well, my second show is in the next state over and is about an hour from here. I start out and everything is ok until I zigged when I should have zagged. I wound up so lost that I was almost an hour late and then her microwave wasn't big enough for the baker so the 30 minute chicken turned into a 3 hour chicken. The cake wouldn't get done in the microwave even with me turning it manually. Oh well, she is hopeful for outside orders. Has someone interested in the whole knife collection. We shall see. Oh yea, she only had 3 people there.

Sometimes it's just a better idea to order pizza and visit!