Having Mixed Feelings About Website Orders

[noradawn]

It seems like everyone else is very excited about people being able to place orders on our websites this fall (without connecting it to a party), but I'm a little worried that it might make party averages go down? Until now, people usually had to attend a party, or know someone who was having one, to buy our products. Now, I'm wondering if they might think "oh, I won't need that until my holiday baking, so I'll just get online and buy it then" and then never do it? Like, if people had amazon.com parties, I probably wouldn't go, because I could just save myself time and order when I had a minute at home. I know that people who come to the parties because they're fun will still want to come, but what about people who are just really into the products?

What does everyone else think?

 

[chefbilyeu]

The great thing about ordering online is that the sale isn't final until you put it on Pampered Partner and submit it. I love that, because I will always call the orderer and let them know about any cross-sell products or specials available that compliment her order.

I look at it as a plus...a sales a sale, a customer is a future host, and a host is a future consultnat in my eyes!

 

[dianevill]

September on-line ordering is not the same as it is now!

Just to clarify, starting in September, customers can place an order from your website and you do NOT enter it into Pampered Partner. It goes right to Pampered Chef. They did this last Christmas as a trial. The good thing for the customer is that they can order without a show; HOWEVER, shipping is much higher! I always recommend at shows that if people are interested in ordering at a time other than at that show, to give me a call and I'll add their order to an open show. Of course, if someone does want to place on-line by and doesn't care that shipping will be closer to $10, I'm not going to stop them; but I like to try to save my customers a little money on shipping and boost a host's sales at the same time.

HTH,
Diane

 

[dianevill]

Forgot to Add...

I forgot to add, however, that a person can still place an order from a show on your website, and that will go to you to enter into Pampered Partner. The above post is only if they want to place an individual order, no show, starting in September.

Sorry for any confusion,
Diane

 

[pamperedbecky]

My plan when this becomes available is to have a heading on my home page to alert customers to read that first. I'll suggest to them to contact me if they want to place an order and I can work with them on trying to save on shipping and that kind of thing. That way if they're local, I could arrange to drop it off to them and it'll hopefully help me because I can compile any orders I get as a show OR add them to a different show. Obviously not everyone will see that, but I'll also mention it in my email newsletters when I announce this option. In the end, if it makes the customers happy, then it's worth it! Otherwise it may have been an order we wouldn't have otherwise received.

 

[chefbilyeu]

Thank you so much for catching me on my error...I forgot it was different!

 

[BethCooks4U]

My plan when this becomes available is to have a heading on my home page to alert customers to read that first. I'll suggest to them to contact me if they want to place an order and I can work with them on trying to save on shipping and that kind of thing. That way if they're local, I could arrange to drop it off to them and it'll hopefully help me because I can compile any orders I get as a show OR add them to a different show. Obviously not everyone will see that, but I'll also mention it in my email newsletters when I announce this option. In the end, if it makes the customers happy, then it's worth it! Otherwise it may have been an order we wouldn't have otherwise received.

I agree Becky! I had a very similar note on my website the last two Decembers when they had this option on the sites. I was so afraid that someone would want to order on a show and do the "instant order" by mistake. No one did.