Has Anyone Ever Had to Cancel a Show?

[jmabner]

I feel horrible, I was sick on Saturday and had a host who was planning on 20 guests for a show. I packed up everything and was ready to go but about 2 hours before the show I had a fever of 102 and was nauseated really bad so I called and cancelled. I felt so bad at the time I didn't even thing about rebooking. Has anyone ever done this, or does anyone have any hints before I call her back? I just feel like a putz!

 

[amya]

The only time I have had to cancel was when my brother-in-law went into the hospital and we were told he only had about a week left. I called the host and told her that I would probably be a funeral on the day her show was scheduled and she understood, but that is a different circumstance than you had.

Did the host seem upset to you? Maybe call her back to reschedule and offer her an extra free item. These things happen and I would hope most people would be understanding.

Hope you're feeling better!

 

[pampered1224]

Well, hind sight is wonderful but...That happened to me. Last year in August I had a host about an hours drive away. That morning when I got up I felt horrible and it just kept getting worse. It was Thursday night party. I had even called everyone the night before to see if they were coming and to tell them how I was anxious to meet them all. I ended up calling the host at 10:15 a.m. to cancel. I asked her if she wanted to reschedule. She said she would call me back shortly.
Well, she decided to head out to the grocery store and bakery and still have the show! She had about 25 order forms and 5 catalogs so she simply had people share. She did a $500 plus show! I did ask her if she would be interested in doing what I normally do and that she did so exceptionally well.
She said no.
What I would do is just call. People understand when people are ill. There is no getting around it. As for rebooking, think back on how difficult or easy it was for her to set a date in the first place. Then decide if you want to ask her to do a cooking show or just have a catalog show. Put the ball in her court and let it roll!
Be very appologetic, but not sappy and go from there. Hope you are doing better!

 

[jentapp]

Just did that...I went to fill out my pocket planner with my show schedule (hadn't looked at the planner since May) and found out that my first "real" show (not located at my house) conflicts with a date that I had promised to work back in May. The woman I'm covering at work (which is EXTREMELY part time, I'm the temp who covers when one of the regulars can't work) will be out of state all that week. I felt like a total loser when I told my friend that the date I had OFFERED to her for her party wouldn't work because I had already promised it to someone else for an entirely different reason. I begged her forgiveness and she's working on finding a new date (or at least a new time) where I can get out to her place (almost 2 hours away) to do her show.

It's been about a week since I told her, so I'm following up with her today to see if she has found a better day.

I'm sure your host would much rather reschedule her show than to have you show up and infect all of her guests.

 

[heat123]

I have twice.

One for a death in the family (and I took the month off). but the host still had her friends over for her "show" and served them snacks.
two for a really sick day! I had a fever of 103 and was in bed with a horrible flu or cold. I sounded like crap and called my cousin (who was host) and she said it would not be a good idea to come all nasty sounding and coughing~contaminating the food and spreading germs. So I rescheduled. I'm sure people would totally understand if you are really sick!

 

[dannyzmom]

I have had to almost-cancel once...I had a hostess expecting 10 people and at 5pm (for a 7pm show) I was feeling REALLY lousy. I called around to my downline consultants and gave the show to one of them. My hostess was happy to still have her show...and I still made a little bit of $$.

 

[PampMomof3]

I had to cancel because my daughter fell @ 3pm (show at 7pm) and she ended up getting 4 stitches under her lip. I felt terrible but she used to sell PC and now she's doing Taste of Home. We are swapping shows and she did the show without me there and she turned in $704! I'm doing her show on Friday night, SO, if anyone needs anything, let me know!!!

 

[pampered1224]

I forgot about this but...I actually called one host about two years ago to cancel a Monday night party. I called her at about 9 a.m. I know I had the flu or a cold or something but I could hardly breath, I could hardly see straight and she insisted that we have it anyway. Well, long story short, I did it. I was drugged up big time. Three days later 4 of the 8 people there were sicker than dogs and the rest followed suite shortly after.
The really nasty part about it was that she turned around and told people I was the one who insisted we have the party so she wouldn't get blamed for getting everybody sick. The 3 bookings that I got that night all decided not to do shows with me.
I still feel like I should have just not gone. I tried to find someone else but no one was available. So...

 

[Muppetgal]

I have too..because I was sick. I actually did call another consultant in our area who was ready to take the show for me, but as it turned out the hosts son was really ill and she decided it would be best if we just rescheduled.

Worse yet, I've just had to cancel a recruiting interview this morning as I have a chill and am throwing up. She said just to call her at the end of the week and see how I was because she usually is free most days, so we'll reschedule.

 

[Muppetgal]

I actually called one host about two years ago to cancel a Monday night party. I called her at about 9 a.m. I know I had the flu or a cold or something but I could hardly breath, I could hardly see straight and she insisted that we have it anyway. Well, long story short, I did it. I was drugged up big time. Three days later 4 of the 8 people there were sicker than dogs and the rest followed suite shortly after.
The really nasty part about it was that she turned around and told people I was the one who insisted we have the party so she wouldn't get blamed for getting everybody sick. The 3 bookings that I got that night all decided not to do shows with me.
I still feel like I should have just not gone. I tried to find someone else but no one was available. So...

ooh, that's horrible, what a nasty host!!!

 

[chef131doreen]

having to cancelI had to cancel a show last year too. Now you need to keep her as a Host , call her and explain what happend, tell her you really need to make this up to her and her guests. thell her you will do a few good raffles. and also give her a pc of Stoneware at the new show . this may cost you a little bit ,But if she was going to have 20 people at her house than you need to go all out . You can have the Raffle items on a large poster and when the guests wins the they will get it in there order ( so you can buy it on the host % ) but I would hand the Pc of Stoneware to the host and tell everyone why she is getting it . This will make a good impressionn on you and help save you.
It Will Work Doreen Zaino
252326 Future Director

 

[pampered1224]

The worst of it was...that she never told her guests at all that I was sick. After I called, she called back three hours later and said that her guests said they would not be able to make it at another time so...
I work with one of the ladies and asked her yesterday. I mean two years later, if Nicole had ever asked her about that night. She told me no, Nicole never said anything to her that I was sick. Otherwise she would have said no, she would not be there. She hates getting sick. So she, just for the heck of it, called one of the other ladies who came to the show, and found out she was never called and she had been home all day. Not to mention, she was the hosts sister!
How's that for a kick in the butt!
She didn't care about me or her guests!

 

[chefmelody]

I had to cancel when I found out that a show I'd scheduled was at the same time as a wedding shower I was supposed to run. Ooops! It was my own scheduling conflict, but I told the host that I just found out about the shower. Ah well, a little white lie. It was several weeks in advance, though, and we rescheduled the show for the next day.

 

[jmabner]

Thanks for all the input and the well wishes... I was feeling better yesterday and now again tonight I am running a fever. I guess I need to go see a Dr. , but as an ER nurse, I'm kind of hard headed that way. I haven't gotten a call back from my host, but a friend of mine that was invited to her show said that she told them I was sick and hoped that they could do it again next month. It just bites that that was the only one of five shows I had booked for this month that had held. Oh well I do have two catalog shows out....and I know that one of them is 700.

 

[Pamprd_Heather]

here's a kinda funny thing I did...

I was feeling kinda yuck 2 days before my show. I hoped it would just go away but it only got worse so on the day of my show, I went to the Dr and I had a Sinus Infection and Strep throat. I started the antibiotics that day and called my host to let her know it was her call...I was feeling better but I certainly didn't want to make everyone sick. So I came up with an option for her: we could reschedule, or SHE could do the show! She agreed to do it and I sat back, away from the food and instructed her and the guests what to do next with our recipe. It was really kinda fun...I had hoped to recruit the host but she just wasn't interested.

 

[PamG]

I had to cancel a show because we had to leave town for my Father-In-Laws funeral. I offered the host an option of getting someone else from my directors cluster to do the show or to reschedule. She chose to reschedule.

 

[chefjeanine]

I know a Consultant who was sick the night of a show. She told the Host what was going on and asked the Host if she would be willing to do the show. Host said okay and the Host and a friend (former PC Consultant) presented the show while the Consultant slept in her car. Worked out to be a fine show.

I've filled in for others a few times when a Consultant has had to cancel a show.

 

[AJPratt]

I filled in for someone who's daughter having seizures. It was VERY last minute, like a half hour! I went a did the show and did two recipes I had never done before. I just kept saying, I'm the "Pinch Consultant".

I had a couple of shows were I had high fevers and did them anyway. Actually, I think it was my first two were I was pretty sick, but didn't want to cancel.

 

[ChefNic]

I was at a host's house last June, setting up, my cell phone rang...it was my mother-in-law from overseas... so of course I answered it... my father-in-law passed away. He had been in the hospital with melanoma... but nevertheless, I was shocked, and started crying and shaking... the host (a co-worker of my husband) knew right away the problem. She and her daughters got on the phone and started calling guests to cancel.
I felt HORRIBLE in many ways... crying to my MIL-like she needed that!... having to call my husband to tell him that his father was gone, and backing out on my host!
I calmed down and tried convincing her that I could do it... But she insisted that we cancel the show. She had over $300 in sales already so I did those sales receipts, and we were going to reschedule...
She ended up closing the show with no more orders, but did reschedule and did a catalog show, and has ordered from me since...

 

[AJPratt]

Nic: That is just awful! I'm so sorry to hear that!

 

[jmabner]

Well, I guess I should have gone to the ER the day I got sick.. I was feeling better on Monday, but got worse yesterday and came to the ER again. So long story short, I am using my laptop on the wireless internet in the hospital. I got admitted with Diverticulitis, and I may have a perforated bowel. Yukkk..... now I;ve had to cancel everything else I had for the month. I'm now a little nervous, this is my third month as a director, and my cluster hasn't reached 4k yet. We would have easily this month with my shows, but now I don't know. I sure don't want to lose my directorship because of this Thanks again for all your well wishes.

 

[cmdtrgd]

John, you can't lose your directorship yet! You still have until next month before you can even go on the "list"...I can't remember what the "list" is called. Anyhoo, you have another three months of being on the "list" before you lose directorship. Don't sweat it!

 

[AJPratt]

John, you might be able to get some sort of sales waiver.