Do You Say 'Stupid' Things? Examining a Common Occurrence

[ChefJessica]

How often do you say stupid things?

My really good friend's husband came by yesterday to pick up a baker he had gotten her and started telling me how he really liked the new executive cookware. I know my friend very well and I know that she is highly opposed to Teflon, so naturally, I told him oh no, he shouldn't get the cookware, it has Teflon. Of course, I felt like an idiot 5 minutes later when he left and my husband was laughing at me for discouraging customers! But, SHE HATES TEFLON! Wasn't I just being thoughtful to let him know that he might be buying things that she would never use? He is going to be buying more stoneware for her, she loves cooking with the stones.

Has anyone else ever discouraged people from buying things? Maybe this is why I am not doing so well!

 

[KennethandTiffany]

I don't see anything wrong with thatI do tell people the good and bad about everything. I think that is very important. Maybe it hurts my sales, I don't know, but I want people to know the truth. I have always been this way with every job and my customers have told me on numerous occasions that they really appreciate my honesty. Part of our job is good customer service, don't forget! Especially if this is a friend, imagine how mad she would be if you hadn't told her and she had spent all of that money! The only way around that is to find out WHY she hates Teflon (flaking, scratching, etc) and hopefully our cookware would be a solution for her! I don't think that you did anything wrong. People appreciate honesty and straight-forwardness!

 

[barbchan]

I have no trouble telling people I don't like the delux cheese grater. I let them know it's great if they are grating parmasean, nuts, chocolate, but for regular cheeses I find it to be a pain. Literally. It hurts my hand to try to press the cheese into the hopper while turning the handle. I do make a point though of offering the delux slice and grate instead as it grates like nobodies business and then it also slices and juliennes too! I think it's good to be honest with our customers because people have had enough of sales people who rave on and on about the miraculous wonders of a product, only to buy it and see that it's not all that it was said it would be. I don't believe you would ever decrease your sales by offering a better, more appropriate, product to a customer in place of what you know they won't like. Stoneware is a wonderful high priced item that you know will be better suited to the family.

 

[ChefJessica]

She hates Teflon because of all the reports of the toxicity in the material. She KNOWS that the Pampered Chef cookware has Teflon, I just felt so stupid because her husband gave me this crazy look as I was telling him how he didn't want that! They both love the stoneware, so thats what I will reccomend for them, I just think maybe I should have let her tell him that they didn't need the cookware!

 

[monica_sweetconsultant]

I do the same thing with the cheese grater. I justs tell them this isnt my favorite product and this is why. why would you want to sale something to somebody when first you know they wouldnt love it and second it may cause them to not buy from you again? I want to make sure my buyers are 100% happy with there purchase....not just my happiness with the sale. I totally think you did the right thing

 

[soonerchef]

Sorry about the cookware thing, look at it this way...if her hubby would have bought it for her she would have returned it anyway since she doesn't like it.

I too am not a fan of the Cheese Grater, it's too hard to use. I promote the US&G instead.

 

[beepampered]

TeflonOkay, so what is Augraph II? How/why is that different than Teflon?

(And I think you did exactly the right thing!)

 

[RachelNguyen]

Teflon is a proprietary name for Dupont's non-stick coating... but most people use it as a generic term. (Like Kleenex or Xerox...)

Autograph II is a new non-stick coating from DuPont. The worry is that some of the chemicals used in the manufacture of non-stick coatings were connected to cancer. However, the chemicals did NOT end up in the final product and DuPont has stopped using them.

So, educate your friend and sell her some cookware! LOL.

And yes, I think you did the right thing!

Love+
Rachel

 

[ChefJessica]

Actually, in the letter I have recieved from Pampered Chef, DuPont won't stop using the chemicals until 2015.

"Recently, Dupont pledged its commitment to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to eliminate the emissions of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) from its Teflon® manufacturing facilities by 2015."

And I definetly don't need to "educate" my friend. I don't feel that I need to change anyones opinions on chemicals, escpecially when they feel so strongly against something that may harm their families.

 

[ChefNic]

Sent from my upline,This is a copy/paste from my upline... I think Chris Manion asked Home Office if our cookware has teflon... and this is the answer that HO gave:

This is sometimes a difficult question to answer since consumers use the word "Teflon®" fairly loosely. There is not a yes or no answer since Teflon® is not an ingredient. Many consumers improperly use the Teflon® brand as a synonym for PFOA.

Most nonstick cookware will use the same basic materials, known as fluoropolymers (this is the ingredient that has been in question). PFOA is a processing aid, used in the manufacturing process for Teflon®. This is also most likely used in the manufacturing process to create the Autograph and Autograph 2 nonstick surfaces.

The best response to this general question is to state that different brands of nonstick vary slightly, but most nonstick coatings (not just The Pampered Chef cookware lines, but many nonstick coatings available in the market) are manufactured using PFOA. Studies by DuPont and others, using FDA standard testing methods, found no detectable levels of PFOA in non-stick coatings used for cookware under typical consumer use– including those sold under the Teflon® brand.

In addition, your statement below is correct regarding that the PFOA concern is about factory emissions, not something that is occurring during the actual cooking process.

And something Chris Manion said at one of our meetings... if a fork or knife hits the pan, and makes a mark... it won't be the start of a peel! That made a huge impression on me... I think she was talking about the Executive Cookware when she said this, I don't know if it applies to the Professional or not...

And she adds that the media has sensationalized the info, and therefore we have created fear that isn't neccessary... the harm is for the factory workers producing teflon, not for the users of the finished product...
HTH

 

[Chef Kearns]

Chef Nic--It does apply to the Professional because I heard that before the Executive even came out. From everything I've heard about this issue when a consumer uses the cookware under normal cooking situations no harmful emissions are released. Some people who are used to cooking with Stainless Steel get the pan screechingly hot before cooking. That is not how to cook with our non-stick cookware.

It is okay to tell your experience with our products. There are a few I am not a fan of. I don't like the Cut 'N Seal, but when people ask me about it I usually tell them what I think then say, but if you want to try it you can always send it back if it didn't work out.

 

[RachelNguyen]

Actually, in the letter I have recieved from Pampered Chef, DuPont won't stop using the chemicals until 2015.

"Recently, Dupont pledged its commitment to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to eliminate the emissions of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) from its Teflon® manufacturing facilities by 2015."

And I definetly don't need to "educate" my friend. I don't feel that I need to change anyones opinions on chemicals, escpecially when they feel so strongly against something that may harm their families.

Sorry. I was trying to be helpful.

 

[agw]

I do warn show guests that the our cookware isn't suitable if they use an induction stove or if they have birds. An induction stove sets up a magnetic field, and to the best of my knowledge, aluminun just won't work. As for the birds, there really isn't much of a problem with routine use. The trouble comes if the pan is over heated - above 500F. The coating starts to break down and the fumes are deadly to birds.

 

[hookcs]

Have you ever tried putting the other cheese into the microwave for 10 seconds before you grate it? I use to tell everyone to put the cheese brick in the freezer when you start your recipe so that it can "harden up" but what you really should do is put it in the microwave for 10 seconds. Cheese is full of fats and the microwave loosens those fats up. When you grate the slightly heated cheese, it just flows right out as smooth as anything. Try it sometime!

 

[Chef Kearns]

For the cheese grater remember this...'the softer the cheese the softer you squeeze". For a cheddar or mozzarella just barely squeeze the handle. You shouldn't be hurting your hand. I've grated carrots with it and didn't hurt my hand. When you squeeze really hard to get the cheese through you are forcing it through the grater which will make it clump up and stick inside.

 

[lacychef]

soften cheese

I have no trouble telling people I don't like the delux cheese grater. I let them know it's great if they are grating parmasean, nuts, chocolate, but for regular cheeses I find it to be a pain. Literally. It hurts my hand to try to press the cheese into the hopper while turning the handle. I do make a point though of offering the delux slice and grate instead as it grates like nobodies business and then it also slices and juliennes too! I think it's good to be honest with our customers because people have had enough of sales people who rave on and on about the miraculous wonders of a product, only to buy it and see that it's not all that it was said it would be. I don't believe you would ever decrease your sales by offering a better, more appropriate, product to a customer in place of what you know they won't like. Stoneware is a wonderful high priced item that you know will be better suited to the family.

Just wanted to give a tip with the cheese grater....I love it, and used to have the problem of squeezing too hard too. But then I learned that you should cut your chunk of cheese, then microwave it for about 9 seconds. It softens the cheese, then shreds with ease! Didn't plan on making a rhyme, but it works much easier

 

[soonerchef]

Those are some great ideas and I will have to try them to see if I like the cheese grater any better. My problem with it is that in high school I tore all of the ligaments in my left thumb (cheerleading accident...go figure) and I am right handed, so squeezing with my left hand is almost impossible and when I try squeezing with the right hand and turning with the left, well lets just say it isn't pretty!