Director Have You Noticed This Trend at Your Shows?

[Nanisu]

Almost every show I have had since the beginning of the year has at least 1 or 2 guests who "take the catalog home to show _______" and then don't order! I used to get one or two of these a month (out of maybe 10 shows), but i am getting a RASH of them now! So frustrating! I have done NOTHING else that is different! I try to close the show out that night at the show and then someone pulls this..and the host is stuck, tells me, "well, we will keep it open I guess...."--of course that person doesn't order and the host gets irritated...but I can't MAKE the host close the show out that day...even if I say it's my policy to do so before the show....what gives do you think?

 

[cenouctosturo]

I usually give them a goal and a deadline to do it in. Like to reach 1000 if they are at 750. But I stick to my deadline

 

[cincychef]

I have always had the "I'll take the catalog home" people at shows, not every show but several a month. And they NEVER order. Maybe it is the area I am in?What happened to me at 2 shows last month at checkout 2 different orders at separate shows I had ladies that were LESS than $1.00 short for the $60 guest special. I think great let's add a SB or citrus peeler right? They both said can't you just cover it and didn't add anything!!! Then got mad at me when I couldn't. I was a little dumbfounded to have it happen twice. It made me feel really bad which I know it shouldn't, I know I can't do that for everyone and who goes to the store and asks the cashier to cover something? Still it left a bad taste in my mouth, and I don't get the reasoning that you need to spend .40 to get something worth $11 for FREE and there is NOTHING in the catalog that you want/need?!?!

 

[cincychef]

....what gives do you think?

I was thinking about this some more and maybe the big hike in gas? I know that has hit my family kind of hard because we both drive for our jobs. Just a thought.

 

[Sheila]

I haven't every had anyone ask me to pay the difference.

My guess is that it's more the American "gimme" mentality. "If I get this close & ask ... maybe she'll pay the rest ..."

 

[flemings99]

I always have people who take home catalogs. Some of them will tell me they are taking them for x to look at. I always tell the host who took them & why if I know and make sure the host follows up with them or offer to do it myself. I then ask the host at closing if she heard back from the guest. Lots of times they'll say she never called so I guess she doesn't want anything. At that point I offer to call them myself or her to call them real quick and call me back. 99% of the time they do want to place an order and have just gotten busy and forgot to call. It's all in the follow up.

That said, I do have some that say hubby is going to look at it and then they'll order and they never do. You never know how long they will hold onto the catalog and when they'll contact you. I've heard from people I met 2 yrs.. prior who randomly call for things.

It is frustrating however to be going through LOTS of catalogs. Many take them home just for the recipes. I've gone through over 125 already since March 1! (which includes hostess pkts and a fundraiser)

 

[Sheila]

Wow! That's a LOT of catalogs for just a couple of weeks. I just got the changeover kit about 10 days ago & am still working off those 25 while I'm waiting for a supply order.

 

[PCJenni]

I never had this until this month. 3 shows last week it happened at. All 3 were less than 150 when I left and none of the "taker homers" placed an order. I feel bad for the hostess and I feel bad for me. I hate working for free!

 

[finley1991]

I've had that more recently as well but it is what it is... I figure my name is out there on something so that's good and then I don't have to carry the cattys home with me....Maybe it's the gas... I just got gas this morning and the pump read $114 for the person who used the pump before me. OUCH!!!!

 

[Sheila]

OUCH is right! WOW!

 

[PCJenni]

gas is 3.99 a gallon here in So Cal. Up $1 from a year ago. But, my recruiting should be up because of that and it's not!

 

[cincychef]

I made a point to get gas at the bargain price of $3.39 Monday because it is $4.53 everywhere else in Cincinnati, OH. That is way up from last year for us, almost up a $1 from last month!

 

[PCJenni]

uggghhhh so that tells me there are people out there that NEED our business!!! I want to recruit them all!!!

 

[chefkathy]

Yes, I had several people take catalogs at my last show AND I left 5 more catalogs with the hostess and she didn't get ONE SINGLE OUTSIDE ORDER after the show. We finally closed it yesterday--the show was March 4th. UGH!!!!

 

[Nanisu]

I don't want to be cheap about the catalogs, I just want them to order! I thought about offering an incentive to get their order back to me, but then that's a dangerous precedent because the word would get out and EVERYONE would want to take the catalog home.

I don't want to be disrespectful to their family situation, and some of them really DO have husband's that cook, but I think 9 times out of 10 they get them home and their husband talks them out of it ("What the __ do you need that for? We don't need that!"). I feel like asking them how often their husband brings the tool catalogs home for their garage to look at, or hauls them to Home Depot to look at tools--my hubsand just buys what he needs and never asks me about it ("honey do you mind if I get a left handed dohickey for this obscure job I might get around to doing one of these days?")--he just buys it. But then that would be tacky to ask them that, LOL.

 

[Sheila]

... my hubsand just buys what he needs and never asks me about it ("honey do you mind if I get a left handed dohickey for this obscure job I might get around to doing one of these days?")--he just buys it. But then that would be tacky to ask them that, LOL.

Bwahaha! Oh my gosh! Thanks for the laugh girl. I needed it.

 

[flemings99]

I don't want to be cheap about the catalogs, I just want them to order! I thought about offering an incentive to get their order back to me, but then that's a dangerous precedent because the word would get out and EVERYONE would want to take the catalog home.

I don't want to be disrespectful to their family situation, and some of them really DO have husband's that cook, but I think 9 times out of 10 they get them home and their husband talks them out of it ("What the __ do you need that for? We don't need that!"). I feel like asking them how often their husband brings the tool catalogs home for their garage to look at, or hauls them to Home Depot to look at tools--my husband just buys what he needs and never asks me about it ("honey do you mind if I get a left handed dohickey for this obscure job I might get around to doing one of these days?")--he just buys it. But then that would be tacky to ask them that, LOL.

One of the guys with PC uses a scenario like this at his shows to sell cookware and sells tons of it. Guys don't think about what they buy to fix 1 project and a tool they will prob. never use again, yet as women we think about the cost of things we use 2-3 xs every day.

 

[flemings99]

Wow! That's a LOT of catalogs for just a couple of weeks. I just got the changeover kit about 10 days ago & am still working off those 25 while I'm waiting for a supply order.

I know. Hostess pkts. take lost of them and I have a big fundraiser catalog show going on that took 22 of them. I also have a hair salon that keeps them on display and have re-stocked her a couple of times. My host seem to be asking for 4-5 extras after their 2 in the hostess pkt. Those I never recover. You hate to tell them no. I try to encourage them to have outside orders look on-line when possible. How do you get out of giving a host so many extras when they ask?

 

[Sheila]

Pretty much all of my hosts & guests have been overseas long enough that they are used to shopping online and don't give it a second thought. I give the hosts 4 catalogs in their host packet: one for them and 3 to show to show to guests. It seems to be enough. It's super rare for them to ask for more. If I'm low I'm honest & tell them that I'm still waiting on a supply shipment & have another show ... so I can't afford to give them more right now. They say okay & make what they have work.