Frustrating Cycle of Helping Same Pampered Chef Consultant Every Month

[BethCooks4U]

I have a consultant who joined in April 2005 and submits 1-2 shows every month. She rarely misses a month.

EVERY month she has to call me with a problem submitting a show. This time it was the tax was missing. When I tried to get her to tell me what the screen said it was like it was the first time she ever saw P3. :bugeye: Once I got her to look in the right place (right there in front of her eyes) she saw the problem.

It gets so frustrating some times when it's the same person needing help every single month! ...and then there's the new consultants who never need a bit of help with any of it - I love those people! :love0010: .

I'm not really asking for help here - just needed to say something to someone who would understand. I will continue to help her because every consultant contributes to the team and I know that Pampered Chef is something she needs in her life so I'd never want to discourage anyone. ...and I can still hope that some day she'll get it.

Okay, vent over.

 

[Chef Kearns]

Well, I'm glad you had a safe place to share. It can be frustrating at times, but at least she's doing something. {{{HUGS}}}

 

[PampMomof3]

I completely understand Beth!! I can also get so frustrated but bite my tongue!! :blushing::blushing:

 

[cincychef]

I understand!!! I had a girl this month who didn't figure out for a week that she never submitted her show. She told me she was going to turn it in and I never saw it, but alot of my consultants say they are turning something in and it doesn't go in. Then a week later she had no idea it hadn't gone thru and couldn't tell me if there was a date time stamp or anything. I ended up calling home office because it was easier to check that way.

Anyway I do understand.

 

[baychef]

Well, you will hear some teeth knashing in NY too. This consultant what I would call my great-grand daughter...not sure of the PC lineage!!! She signed up 3/25 and the last of her 90 days was July 1st.

She asked her recruiter and me, her director when her kit enhancement month was. Independently, the recruiter and myself thought that it was August...only because of the July 1 date. If it was June 30th, I would have said July. Or if there was no "90 date" I would have said July.

Well, many e-mails, phone calls to HO, etc....HO will not change it. I understand but this girl is one who will get mad, trash talk and probably will not sell anymore.

So...I feel rotten. She does have $550 PC dollars, but still. Now her recruiter tells me that there is always an "issue"...so Beth, I wonder if your person is my person too!!!

 

[kcjodih]

I have a Sr Consultant on my team that is kinda of like that, and she has been with me for 5 years!

 

[BethCooks4U]

Well, you will hear some teeth knashing in NY too. This consultant what I would call my great-grand daughter...not sure of the PC lineage!!! She signed up 3/25 and the last of her 90 days was July 1st.

She asked her recruiter and me, her director when her kit enhancement month was. Independently, the recruiter and myself thought that it was August...only because of the July 1 date. If it was June 30th, I would have said July. Or if there was no "90 date" I would have said July.

Well, many e-mails, phone calls to HO, etc....HO will not change it. I understand but this girl is one who will get mad, trash talk and probably will not sell anymore.

So...I feel rotten. She does have $550 PC dollars, but still. Now her recruiter tells me that there is always an "issue"...so Beth, I wonder if your person is my person too!!!

I have a consultant who missed out on her kit enhancement because she had no sales in the 2nd month. She did submit in months 1,3, and 4 but you must submit in 1,2 and 3 or 2,3 and 4. Personally I think that stinks - 3 out of 4 should be good enough not 3 consecutive. I felt REALLY bad for her because she had the mini-kit because of finances and really wanted to get the chopper with her PC$$ at 40% off. I did not realize that new rule was for new consultant KE too - I did know it was how the April KE worked now but not new consultant 4th month.

 

[baychef]

I did talk to the supervisor who reviewed it and I asked her if they could specify the language in the Business Guide. She did say that she would suggest it and though she sort of understood, she wasn't going to budge.

I too think that it stinks for your consultant who did not sell in one of the 4th months.

Also, the question was asked if they tell the consultant when their KE month is and the answer was no. They used to but they decided to not do it anymore.

Seems as if there are more things cropping up that disappoint me. Not enough to get me that discouraged, but I can see where others that are just starting out might. There is SO much information which is a good thing, but sometimes not a good thing! Guess the "people please" in me is surfacing!!!

 

[BethCooks4U]

I did talk to the supervisor who reviewed it and I asked her if they could specify the language in the Business Guide. She did say that she would suggest it and though she sort of understood, she wasn't going to budge.

I too think that it stinks for your consultant who did not sell in one of the 4th months.

Also, the question was asked if they tell the consultant when their KE month is and the answer was no. They used to but they decided to not do it anymore.

Seems as if there are more things cropping up that disappoint me. Not enough to get me that discouraged, but I can see where others that are just starting out might. There is SO much information which is a good thing, but sometimes not a good thing! Guess the "people please" in me is surfacing!!!

It's like they don't want us to have that (and other) benefit anymore. Personally, I never use it but I know many new consultants need it (or at least it helps them).

 

[Mel5497]

I completely agree Beth. It's a very 'unhelpful' approach...unlike PC.

As for your high maintenance gal, emphasize about calling HO (to incl tech spt) if she runs into a problem and you are unavailable to help her.....then be 'unavailable'

I don't intend that to be mean, but some consultants will never get off the crutch unless it is taken away from them.

 

[BethCooks4U]

I completely agree Beth. It's a very 'unhelpful' approach...unlike PC.

As for your high maintenance gal, emphasize about calling HO (to incl tech spt) if she runs into a problem and you are unavailable to help her.....then be 'unavailable'

I don't intend that to be mean, but some consultants will never get off the crutch unless it is taken away from them.

Oh, believe me I have tried that with her. I have been known to tell DH "don't answer that" but she just keeps calling. Yes, I have told her to call tech support and she has but she still calls me. ...and it's not like we don't also talk between such calls.

 

[Nanisu]

OK OK OK I HAVE AN IDEA!!!
Create a tutorial for her that you can print. Call Tech support and ask them how to do screen shots in PP+. Then do a Step by Step guide and about 1/2 way through do a screen shot ("this is what your screen should look like), and then at the end--screen shots of what ever she usually gets stuck on. I was thinking of doing this anyway for my newer consultants so that they are not overwhelmed with P3. Maybe I'll play with it next week and let you know if it's hard. Most of it could be written instructions with a couple of screen shots thrown in. My DH could help me too--he's the screen shot king.

I also think it would be cool for there to be an online training course for P3. I might suggest this.

 

[chefkathy]

there is a tutorial for P3 when you first install it. there is no reason to create one.

 

[Nanisu]

there is a tutorial for P3 when you first install it. there is no reason to create one.

Yes but if this person is as technology challenged as Beth says my guess is that the tutorial doesn't help....while a cheat sheet would.

 

[BethCooks4U]

Yes but if this person is as technology challenged as Beth says my guess is that the tutorial doesn't help....while a cheat sheet would.

You are so right. I'm sure she has no clue about the tutorial and getting her there would be such a nightmare plus she'd have to directed there every month anyway. She got her computer after she started her PC business and she only uses it for that. Even has trouble with email. She is in her late 60's. I really should give her a break ...but then I feel like I HAVE - for over 4 YEARS! lol

For some reason I am unable to do any screen shots with this computer so any help would be appreciated.

 

[cmdtrgd]

Have you thought of sicking her on Tech Support? That is what they are there for and they know the programs soooooooooooooooo much better than we do! What I have done is try what I know and then say "I don't know how else to help you other than having you call tech support. Here is the number..." and leaving it at that.

 

[finley1991]

I agree with what Kate is saying. I had one who always called me like that with PP questions... I finally said to her, "I think I've been able to help you as much as I can... I'm not tech support! We have the people who wrote the program available to help us and they would be the ones to start with. Why don't you call them about {insert problem here} and call me back and tell me what they said."

Each time after that she would call with a question, I would say, "Hmmmm... I'm not sure... what did tech support say when you called them?" I said that part EVERY SINGLE TIME SHE CALLED... "What did tech support say when you called them?" She finally got the message and would called them first. And ironically, she started figuring things out on her own. She was older too. Maybe that would help...

 

[baychef]

Great idea, Colleen! This could apply for MANY areas other than just P3!

 

[chefkathy]

Have you thought of sicking her on Tech Support? That is what they are there for and they know the programs soooooooooooooooo much better than we do! What I have done is try what I know and then say "I don't know how else to help you other than having you call tech support. Here is the number..." and leaving it at that.

Yes, I have been directing even my newest consultants to call Tech Support b/c they can walk them right through everything.

I had an on again/off again consultant email me about submitting an August show--she couldn't get it to go through. Now, I have already directed my team to my director since I am taking maternity leave this month, but I am still willing to help them out while I'm still sitting here pregnant. But my patience is worn pretty thin lately so I told her to call Tech Support. Of course they walked her through an update and she was able to submit no problem.

They know the questions to ask to get the problems solved faster AND they can give more specific instructions to fix what might be wrong.

 

[BethCooks4U]

Oh, I totally agree about tech support and have often referred consultants right to them - her too. She has called them in the past when I have said that I couldn't help her with a problem. The thing is she will STILL call me every time she has an order like she never did it before. The questions are often not technical "I can't get the booking to show up" (she's entered bookings a lot of times), "How do I get the past host # to show up for the host"...

This last time I told her twice that she should call tech support and she asked one more question (she couldn't get the tax to show up), it seemed like she finally got it, then she called back with another (actually both questions above). She can't find things that are on the screen in front of her - even when I say "do you see this" "yes" "right below that is..." Uggg.

I guess I just need to "not know" more often/sooner and maybe then she'll call them - but they're busy too and I want them fixing problems that affect us all not hold the hand of a few consultants that just can't get it.

 

[finley1991]

If you keep answering her questions, she'll keep calling you with them. And all of the questions above could have been answered by tech support. If it's in P3, they should and can handle it. They can help her get that booking to show up (why wasn't that a technical question?)Maybe stop taking her calls? Tell her that if she can't reach you to call tech support as her next option, not to wait for you... just a thought...

 

[BethCooks4U]

If you keep answering her questions, she'll keep calling you with them.

And all of the questions above could have been answered by tech support. If it's in P3, they should and can handle it. They can help her get that booking to show up (why wasn't that a technical question?)

Maybe stop taking her calls? Tell her that if she can't reach you to call tech support as her next option, not to wait for you... just a thought...

I know. I have ignored her calls and then called back when I knew she wasn't in and said "Sorry I'm not available right now. Call tech support at PC. They'll help you faster than I could anyway." ...and then she keeps trying me anyway.

I guess I just need to screen her calls for a couple months and let her figure it out without me but it's hard since it's our job to support our team and it's my nature to help. I do get it though and need to get this behind me - it's just gotten too much obviously.

Thanks everyone for your suggestions. I'll try to be stronger.


And the booking question, you're right it was technical.

 

[Nanisu]

"For some reason I am unable to do any screen shots with this computer so any help would be appreciated."
__________________
I'll ask the local computer geeks in my family and get back to you.

 

[BethCooks4U]

Update:

So it's the end of another month and she called last night (after 9) and had a problem. You will be so proud of me! I told her that I couldn't help her with that problem (I really don't know what it even was) and she really needed to call Tech Support. I didn't give her time to go on and on - I "was on another call". Well, I checked this morning and her show is in - without me!

 

[finley1991]

Good job Beth!!!

 

[dannyzmom]

Way to go Beth!!

 

[DebPC]

Awesome Beth! And you're doing her a favor. She'll learn she can solve her own problems afterr awhile.

 

[jwpamp]

WOO-HOO for YOU!!