Disastrous Show in Coventry: How I Handled a No-Show Host

[amybee]

Okay I need to vent here. Last night I had a show in Coventry. She booked off a show I had in April. She is also a Home Interior rep. So I didn't think she needed much coaching. Well I get to her house last night and she told me nobody was calling her back about the show. I said how many do you expect? She said 4. Well 1 showed up and it was her mother! I was so upset! She even made me make the recipe! Her mom only ordered the chef knive. So now we are turning it into a book party. Here is the kicker! While I was there making the pizza, she had the balls to call a vendor to setup a table for herself. Now granted there were no guests there, but I found that to be very rude! She could have atleast waited until I left. I was home by 8:30pm. Now I know people back out at the last minute, but I have never had noone show up. What do you do in a case like this? I am seriously thinking of having her give me all the orders over the phone and her credit card number to pay for all of it. I really don't want to drive 30 miles round trip to close out her show. Looking for advise.

Thanks,
Amy

 

[Grandmarita]

Was this a deal where she had a party for you, if you had a party for her? Hope you did not get stuck that way too. Just chalk it up to experience,
and don't give her any of the benefits unless she comes up with $150 in orders. How about having her meet you half way, so you don't have to
drive a full round trip? Sorry to hear about this total let down. Hope there
is something to redeem it for you.

 

[Ann F]

I NEVER drive to close my shows. I have the host read the outside orders to me over the phone while I plug them into PP. Then, after I receive the checks, I transmit the show. I've been doing this since I started, 2 yrs ago this July 1.

 

[Chef Michelle D]

That's too bad no one showed up, I would be upset. How would she have felt if she was the consultant and you the host to have no one show up. As for closing out the show, I do it over the phone too. You can't have her use her credit card number for the whole order, HO does not like that. Just have her get credit card numbers or debit card numbers for the orders.

 

[heat123]

I've had a show of 2 people! IT was ok though since I got 2 bookings from it but only 1 actually followed through. Her sales were barely qualifying but she did try I think, so I couldn't really fault her~ except she insisted on having it on the day after Thanksgiving so perhaps that was why the low turn out. She was a consultant for party planning company so you would think she would understand the concept of the more people the better the show outcome!?? I guess we should never assume though.

I hardly ever close in person. I give them a self addressed stamped envelope and have them mail the rest of the outside orders and her wishlist as well. There have only been 3 hosts who wanted to close in person and 2 came to my house to drop off the rest of the orders.

 

[lacychef]

I've learned the hard way too, just because a person is a rep for another company doesn't mean they know how to have a good party! I have also learned this with past hosts. I've learned to not take anything for granted. Just say, 'I know you know all about the host plan, but let me go over it with you again just to remind you of some things.' Host coaching is the key to a successful show! As for this one, just hope for the best. Maybe she'll end up with lots of outside orders; they can make all the difference. We all have a bad show now & then, don't let it get to ya too much

 

[amybee]

I usually drive to closeout the shows if they are close to me, which most are. But she did want me to have a show since she was having a show. I think I may pass on it though. I will close this one for sure over the phone!!
On the plus side, I spoke to a local realtor, letting her know that I do PC and if she would like to see good gift ideas. She said she is definetly interested in that and having a show of her own. So something good came out of this....

 

[PampMomof3]

I completely understand! I just had a show today for a consultant who does the Body Shop. Well, she told me that she wasn't sure how many people were coming but the show would still go on. I asked her if she made her reminder calls last night and she said no she didn't get around to it. Well, guess what? She had her neighbor and her neighbors mom there so my sales are at $74. What really sucks about it is that I haven't seen my hubby in 3 weeks and of course he is off today and of coure i go and do a show that I shouldn't have even left the house for. Oh well, I will learn but I do have $4200 in sales this month! Of course her $74 is in there! Hopefully she will get to the $200 level! Oh, you want to hear the kicker! She says "So, what do I get Free?" I was fuming inside but handled myself very well.

 

[Christa]

I close all my shows over the phone. Sorry that happened though!

 

[cmdtrgd]

You can't have her use her credit card number for the whole order, HO does not like that. Just have her get credit card numbers or debit card numbers for the orders.

I almost always have the host use his/her credit card to pay for most or all of the show. Since most of my guests have been people I didn't know, I didn't feel like I would have any recourse if a check bounced (they don't know me, probably won't see me again...unless they had a show). Anyway, I have never had a problem with the host using a credit card for a huge chunk of the show.

 

[DebbieJ]

Okay I need to vent here. Last night I had a show in Coventry. She booked off a show I had in April. She is also a Home Interior rep. So I didn't think she needed much coaching.

That's where you went wrong. Even other direct sales consultants need to be coached. Pampered Chef is different than all the others and all your hosts need to know what to do!

I also close my shows over the phone. I have ~75 shows and have only closed three of them in person.

 

[loreedfk]

Pampered Chef is the 4th direct sales company I've been with and I honestly believe that other direct sales consultants are the worst to deal with - they think they know what to do, are difficult to coach and are the first to blow you off!!!

Just try to stay posititve and encourage those outside sales and close it out via the phone and mail - do not waste any more outrageously priced gas on this person!

 

[ange13]

I had a bad show three weeks ago. One person showed up 45 min late and she walks in and the first thing she says is she just got a phone call that her sister had just passed away!!! What a way to do a show. Needless to say I only had one order, had driven an hour and half to get there. I would've been really upset had the host not been my best friend and the guest didn't have something horrible happen, but you can't control life. At least my friend and I got to spend some good time together and our daughters did a lot of catching up with each other. So it ended up ok, plus she got enough outside orders to make $150. What a night!!

 

[amybee]

Thanks for listening to me vent. I guess other direct sales rep do need coaching as well. From now on, coaching for everyone....

 

[ldanti]

Been there done that got the tee shirt and the hat!Hi Amy
I can feel your pain! My first show was like that. forty five minutes into it only one guest showed. However, it did get better...by the time the pizza was out of the oven three more had shown up. I agree that the host was very rude for making calls during the show. Close over the phone.

 

[amybee]

Thanks, I will close this one over the phone.

 

[Paige Dixon]

I've had several shows with few or nobody showing up. The host should be very embarrassed, I sure would be if I were her, so I try to be cheery and make the best of it. Even if it's just me and the host, I'll have her help me make the recipe, she can always share it with her family. Or, she could dish it on paper plates with saran wrap and take samples to the people she needs to collect outside orders from. You'd be working anyway, be glad to be able to go home early (I'm always on the clock paying for babysitting!), and if you really care about the hosts feelings, you never know what will happen! Very few shows end up going nowhere if you look back on your business 6 months later. She may lead you to who knows where, or even sign up and be your next Executive Director!
I've had some really crappy shows that lead to one fantastic show that lead to three more fantastic shows, etc...

 

[jessica_momof6]

I've learned the hard way too, just because a person is a rep for another company doesn't mean they know how to have a good party! I have also learned this with past hosts. I've learned to not take anything for granted. Just say, 'I know you know all about the host plan, but let me go over it with you again just to remind you of some things.' Host coaching is the key to a successful show! As for this one, just hope for the best. Maybe she'll end up with lots of outside orders; they can make all the difference. We all have a bad show now & then, don't let it get to ya too much

I agree!!

sorry you had such a sucky show!