scottcooks
Gold Member
- 1,937
A host contacted me to do a show at their apartment complex in the community clubhouse. We did one, and it was fun - a little light in attendance, but booked another for this past summer.
[Venting, now...]The second show was supposed to be in August, and there were going to be piles of guests...So I went and ordered extra old spring/summer catalogs, to be ready with 100+ catalogs, for this apt. complex of 400+ units. Apt. Manager told host 3 days before, "you can't have it then 'cause we are remodelling clubhouse." So - I buy mini catalog updates, make 400 invites, and post them on all the Apt. doors for a Sept. 19show. (host hasn't done much, but did invite former guests and some new folks who live nearby). I also buy 100 new catalogs, to have enough on hand...
Get to the show, there was NO FURNITURE IN THE CLUBHOUSE other than a big kitchen table! Apt.mgr crew had removed "old" sofa & chairs to remodel them, and left a huge refrigerator box & pallette in the back of the room! We pulled in pool chairs from outside, then unpacking, I found I forgot 1/2 my groceries (I buy for hostess then get ca$h there) so she went shopping for me. Had a fairly good show - 400+, but she wanted to co-host with this lady who had received all the host benefits last time.
So it takes over 2 weeks to get this other co-host lady's order, then she is "unsure" about her credit card. I send it in in early October, PC tells me the credit card is declined. I go back to hostess and the second co-host gal - again, hard to reach, she says try it again. We do - it's now the week before Halloween. still no. We try it a third time, Nov. 9 and I say enough and have to go get a cashier's check for her order. $80+.
People were so upset - one called PC HO to say she didn't want her product, then picked it up telling host she was going to stop payment (PC HO says she can't - it already was processed...). Apt. mgr staffer lady who ordered, says I she was so disappointed in how long it took, wants me to refund her order. I'm going to do that tomorrow.
I went and picked up some outside orders to deliver to my other customers, and goofy apt.mgr folks mistakenly dropped someone's order in the box I took...so I get to take it back out to them. Joy.
Ditzy co-hostess says the whole thing stemmed from not having the show in August (I guess her credit cards worked better then and everything...grrrr!) and wants me to write a letter of "professional complaint" to the apt.mgr explaining how they made this hard for me and for hostesses. And, then - she will pay me [again] for the items she ordered.
My director says to write the letter, so I can get my $80 back, I am so fed up with these people. It is very hard for me to stay professional, I just want to go off on them all.
I am getting 2 calls a day from HO from goofy guest who 'doesn't want her order' but picked it up anyway. I guess HO is mailing her a UPS label so she can ship it back to them. So glad they are dealing with that.
I just want it to stop. Should I contact each and every guest and explain to them the delay? It's not really their business, but I had told the hostess, and she D I D N O T H I N G . I just want to fire her. They just think that I and PC are incompetent jerks, when in reality it's the do-nothing hostess, and ditzy co-hostess who doesn't balance her checkbook.
Co-hostess is a sweet lady, and I really get the tight finances not sure if the card is going to work thing - but she needs to TELL ME about that.
So - I'm thinking I should only accept CASH for her order. or maybe a cashier's check, but absolutely NOT her personal check. She can write a personal check to the hostess and the hostess can give me cash and she can deal with it.
Ideas?
I know - I know - bless and release...
Anyone have another "show from h#ll" story to make me feel better?
[Venting, now...]The second show was supposed to be in August, and there were going to be piles of guests...So I went and ordered extra old spring/summer catalogs, to be ready with 100+ catalogs, for this apt. complex of 400+ units. Apt. Manager told host 3 days before, "you can't have it then 'cause we are remodelling clubhouse." So - I buy mini catalog updates, make 400 invites, and post them on all the Apt. doors for a Sept. 19show. (host hasn't done much, but did invite former guests and some new folks who live nearby). I also buy 100 new catalogs, to have enough on hand...
Get to the show, there was NO FURNITURE IN THE CLUBHOUSE other than a big kitchen table! Apt.mgr crew had removed "old" sofa & chairs to remodel them, and left a huge refrigerator box & pallette in the back of the room! We pulled in pool chairs from outside, then unpacking, I found I forgot 1/2 my groceries (I buy for hostess then get ca$h there) so she went shopping for me. Had a fairly good show - 400+, but she wanted to co-host with this lady who had received all the host benefits last time.
So it takes over 2 weeks to get this other co-host lady's order, then she is "unsure" about her credit card. I send it in in early October, PC tells me the credit card is declined. I go back to hostess and the second co-host gal - again, hard to reach, she says try it again. We do - it's now the week before Halloween. still no. We try it a third time, Nov. 9 and I say enough and have to go get a cashier's check for her order. $80+.
People were so upset - one called PC HO to say she didn't want her product, then picked it up telling host she was going to stop payment (PC HO says she can't - it already was processed...). Apt. mgr staffer lady who ordered, says I she was so disappointed in how long it took, wants me to refund her order. I'm going to do that tomorrow.
I went and picked up some outside orders to deliver to my other customers, and goofy apt.mgr folks mistakenly dropped someone's order in the box I took...so I get to take it back out to them. Joy.
Ditzy co-hostess says the whole thing stemmed from not having the show in August (I guess her credit cards worked better then and everything...grrrr!) and wants me to write a letter of "professional complaint" to the apt.mgr explaining how they made this hard for me and for hostesses. And, then - she will pay me [again] for the items she ordered.
My director says to write the letter, so I can get my $80 back, I am so fed up with these people. It is very hard for me to stay professional, I just want to go off on them all.
I am getting 2 calls a day from HO from goofy guest who 'doesn't want her order' but picked it up anyway. I guess HO is mailing her a UPS label so she can ship it back to them. So glad they are dealing with that.
I just want it to stop. Should I contact each and every guest and explain to them the delay? It's not really their business, but I had told the hostess, and she D I D N O T H I N G . I just want to fire her. They just think that I and PC are incompetent jerks, when in reality it's the do-nothing hostess, and ditzy co-hostess who doesn't balance her checkbook.
Co-hostess is a sweet lady, and I really get the tight finances not sure if the card is going to work thing - but she needs to TELL ME about that.
So - I'm thinking I should only accept CASH for her order. or maybe a cashier's check, but absolutely NOT her personal check. She can write a personal check to the hostess and the hostess can give me cash and she can deal with it.
Ideas?
I know - I know - bless and release...
Anyone have another "show from h#ll" story to make me feel better?