Help! Dealing with a Difficult Host for a Fundraiser in Alaska

[Kathytnt]

O.K. I have this host for a fundraiser in Alaska. She is a mentor for her org so she is a fundraising coach not as much a participant raising money so the sense of urgency is not there. She initially told me that the last PC person she worked with never her gave her the money promised. Well when I look under host discounts she has a PHD so the show was submitted as a cooking show or catalog show not as a fundraiser.

Well I send her my traditional packet and the later she asks me for catalogs to promote my fundraiser program to her whole group. So far I am out over $12 in postage alone. She has online orders of about $130 One of these orders is from March and one in April. She tells me she is going to send her orders in. I wait. I e-mail her to let her know that they have not arrive yet. This is mid April I keep trying to e-mail. Oops - Is the response. I found them in my car trunk, I will mail them today. I wait again. Email her two more time. No response. Call her at home keeping in mind there is a 3 hour time difference. I reach her and she seems a little uncomfortable. Tells me she thinks they may still be in her car trunk WTH???
She rode her bike to work so she will have to look later. I express concern because I am sure her friends are wondering where the products are. I don't like hosts giving me a bad rep. The customer doesn't realize that the host is the problem. She thinks the orders may still be in the trunk
She email me last Friday that she would call me on Saturday. Well as you can probably guess I still have received no phone call or the orders.

What should I do??

I think one of the orders has a credit card that has expired in the time I have been waiting. That was part of the info that was supposed to be in the packet.

I give myself a hard time for being scatterbrained or disorganized. This is ridiculous.

 

[chefkristin]

Wow. I don't think I have anything for advice. That is such a pain. I hope you get it all worked out. How did you find someone in AK?

 

[Kathytnt]

Fundraising connection through an organization I have been working with for over 2 years Usually they are not flakes like this I started with PC to help other participants raise money because I knew how hard it was and wanted to help.

 

[Nanisu]

Did you keep copies of the receipts? I would tell her that you will be contacting the customers to advise them of the delay and offering them the option of putting their orders in as individual orders. I would give her a deadline--say the 25 of this month or something. If you don't have the receipts and phone numbers I would just write it off as a learning experience and let it go.

 

[Kathytnt]

The orders that I have were placed online and have not been submitted. I am waiting on the ones she said she was going to mail to me almost 2 months ago

 

[ChefBeckyD]

The hard thing is that you can't just add the orders to another show - because they are orders for a specific fundraiser! That sorta stinks!

 

[gilliandanielle]

I am sorry you have a host like this Kathy! I would give her a final call and tell her that you need to submit what she has by tomorrow or call the whole thing off. Do you have any contact info for the online orders so you can call and see if they still want the products?

Also- another thing that jumped out at me- This is Alaska! No one rides their bike to work unless they live REALLY close. There is no real traffic, and lots of space so everything is kinda spread out. If you have a car, you would use it... just makes me wonder if these orders "in her trunk" really even exist.

 

[Kathytnt]

Well she is an athlete - I don't recall her training for a triathlon I thought she was training for a marathon. Most of my fundraisers are individuals and they are training for an event and fundraising and working with families but this has been the worst of the lot so far. I can see how she frustrated the other PC consulant.

 

[Rebeccascabinet]

Bless and release.

 

[chefkristin]

If you already have orders add them to someone else show.

 

[jkinak]

Also- another thing that jumped out at me- This is Alaska! No one rides their bike to work unless they live REALLY close. There is no real traffic, and lots of space so everything is kinda spread out. If you have a car, you would use it... just makes me wonder if these orders "in her trunk" really even exist.

Gillian-I thought the same thing when she said she rode her bike to work!! I live in Anchorage and I wouldn't ride my bike to the grocery store 2 minutes away! Maybe she is one of those crazy people you see riding their bike to Girdwood on the windy highway in the rain!!! hehe!

 

[scottcooks]

Sounds similar to a bad hostess I had... Ultimately, something is up With Her, as you suspect. Give her a firm deadline, and explain any other orders received after X date will be submitted individually, not to credit the XYZ fundraiser cause.

You could tell her you know how absolutely jammed/busy she is, and that you don't want to take up more of her valuable time. Explain that if she could take 10 minutes and go peek in her trunk, it would save her guest days of worry...and that you wouldn't need to contact her again and again for those orders.

With a 3-hour time difference, all you could possibly do is contact her again and again . Try it for 3-4 days, but also do this:

Send her a postcard. It is absolutely stunning, that folks respond more with one of those loud color Nancy's Artwork postcards in hand, than they do from 3,4 or 5 Host Coaching calls. Everytime I have used them, I see them on the host's refrigerator. Not so much, with the host packets; I have spent hours making a thorough packet, but it is about 10-12 pages thick and mostly they don't read it.

Anyway, after the 3-4 days, really do Bless and Release. Don't let her flood you with this negative energy.

God Bless you!

 

[Kathytnt]

She does live in Anchorage - I don't know that she rides her bike to work everyday but goodness how hard is it to look in your trunk and do the things you have promised people. She is supposed to be coaching others on fundraising.

 

[muffetts]

Fundraising in AKThe most important thing is that the fundraising isn't lost. If the other outstanding orders amount to a "show" then perhaps submit it as a separate fundraiser, with one of the "outside orders" as host. You might just have saved the day and made new loyal customers (and future hosts) too! Just tell them that you're having communication difficulties and really want to get this done so that they can receive their orders. Remember to always find a way to make an opportunity out of every situation - even if it's just an opportunity to learn.

 

[Kathytnt]

The two orders total $147.50 Both are to be sent to the organization. I would have to get an mailing address for the one that lists a P.O. Box

I sent the two customers the following message

You placed an order with Gretchen's fundraiser. I just wanted to let you know that I am waiting on the show to close per Gretchen's request. Wanted to make sure you didn't I had forgotten about you.
Thank you for supporting the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

I am hoping that either I get a response from the customers or the fundraising host

 

[Kathytnt]

I get this reply back from one of the customers

Funny you should email me about this as I was just thinking about
trying to cancel it. It's been what, three months now since I first
placed the order? Gretchen kept saying it should close any time now
and I believe she said she was waiting for you to close it. I also had
given her my new expiration date which she said she emailed to you.

So if you don't mind, please just cancel my order. I figure if I've
gone this long without the things I ordered, I guess I didn't really
need them after all.

Thanks,
Catherine


So she is telling the customer that she is waiting on ME to close the show. Excuse me - You are the one who has been telling me since APRIL that you are going to mail me orders and they are allegedly in your trunk. She told me she was going to call me last week to close the show and give me the rest of the orders.

I am not sure how to response to this tactfully since her friend my host is lying to her and making it look like I am messing up.

GRRRRR

I need conference really bad because right now I have absolutely zilch interest in doing anything with PC I have had such a bad few weeks