Host Complaining About Shipping.

[milkangel]

i just closed a show and this host is complain about the shipping cost. had 2 orders that where direct ship and they thought that the 14.50was way to much and now she wants to complain to pc about it and that they should be more informed about hte shipping cost if direct shipping. and that is is not me. but pc. so she does not ever want to have another one ever again becuse of that. what do i say?

 

[Paula R. Lewis]

Direct is higher, because it is only one item, and it costs more to ship to just one location. (packaging, etc.)

Why did they do direct shipping, instead of to the host??

 

[milkangel]

the host is 7 miles from me and one order was in sd and the other is over 2 hours away and now the host left for florida

 

[yankfan24]

The direct shipping is based on the amount that's ordered. In order to have a cost of $14.50, the customer must have purchased a decent amount of product, or maybe one thing for big dollars. Chances are that the weight of this order would be enough that if the customer paid $4.50 to have it go to the host and then it was shipped out again from the host...they would be paying more than $10 for that shipment. If the orders were places through the website/evites, the customer KNOWS how much it is for a direct shipment and obviously it didn't matter to them. I usually tell them that it's less to direct ship then to ship a second time after you get yourself. HTH

 

[raebates]

Direct shipping is higher because the people whose orders are going to the host share the cost of shipping. If she is concerned that PC is overcharging for shipping I would suggest that she compare the cost of shipping those items directly using UPS, FedEx, or USPS. She'll find out that our shipping isn't bad.

 

[Intrepid_Chef]

I agree .... I paid $11 to ship a box of 4 items to somebody, and the whole box weighed 9 pounds. I got a deal over USPS. So I agree, direct shipping is a bargain compared to what it costs elsewhere.I also agree that her friend's order must have been significant to come to that amount ... and it might have been better for her to book off the host. Then her shipping would be less or free. But then again, it would have cost you $5 to mail her a host packet. Some people need to learn not to major on the minor.

 

[milkangel]

both orders were over 65 each.

 

[wadesgirl]

Were the guests unhappy or just the host?

 

[yankfan24]

The other thing to remember is that sometimes, depending on where it's being shipped, the tax rate might be significantly less than the host's rate. That will reduce the impact of the direct shipping cost, since the tax is based on the location it's shipped to. Also, some states don't charge tax on the shipping. So both factor into a possible reduction in total shipping cost.

 

[esavvymom]

And as far as them not being clear- it's written on the receipts that Direct Shipping is different and on the back of the receipt. It isn't a surprise, just a guest/host who doesn't bother to read! I wouldn't worry about it too much. Be sweet, nice, and give her the HO number to complain there.

 

[lesliec]

The other thing to remember is that sometimes, depending on where it's being shipped, the tax rate might be significantly less than the host's rate. That will reduce the impact of the direct shipping cost, since the tax is based on the location it's shipped to. Also, some states don't charge tax on the shipping. So both factor into a possible reduction in total shipping cost.

This is absolutely right. I have ordered a couple of things lately and added them to shows (past host not wanting host specials....). I live in the country and my tax rate is 1.5% less than in town, so I have just been direct shipping to myself b/c with the tax difference it makes DS worth it, especially not to have to meet back up with the host to get the stuff.
I also always offer it to hosts if they don't want to sort and tell them they will all save a little on my tax being lower.

 

[pampered1224]

I am with bobbi - give her the number to HO and let her vent to them. It is not like you set the cost of shipping and even though PC does not either, they have the contract with FedEx so they can explain it better than you can. Be nice to her and just give her the number. Also, I too would be interested to know if it was the host or the guests that were upset about the shipping cost.

 

[milkangel]

it was both.

 

[nene960]

I had a guest chew me out because of the $4.25 shipping. She only bought one $10 item. Very loudly, in front of everyone at the show, she said it was ridiculous and she would never again buy anything PC. Thankfully everyone just rolled their eyes and ignored her. Even the ladies she came with.

 

[magentablue]

I just had a coworker ream me out for the $4.50 shipping, after she had paid for and received her item. She didn't read that it would be shipped to the host (another coworker). Very frustrating!

 

[pampered1224]

I learned along time ago that the shipping charges need to be explained! Only because, God forbid, anyone read the back of the form or even the front of it for that matter. Depending on the items ordered, sometimes I will ask if people do want to combine orders. What I call the important pieces, I will tell them that they will have issues retuning them on combined orders.

 

[ShellBeach]

What he ^ said!

I think people who complain about the shipping have never done much buying from catalogs/internet. $4.50 is really reasonable.

My last show, nobody complained...they were more out in the country and used to having to get things shipped.
The show before that here in town, in a wealthier neighborhood, about 5 people complained to the host, so she asked about combining orders. I told her if they were buying something with a lifetime guarantee, it was a bad idea. If they wanted to get together and put suaces, rubs, cookbooks together on one order - they could decide amongst themselves who was getting their name on the order and split it up how they wanted, but I wouldn't be able to do it for them.

 

[pampered1224]

What she /\ said! Combining orders on stuff that really has no warranty for more than a year is OK in my eyes. anything else, I really frown upon. It causes a lot of headaches for me when the persons who combined need to return things. I have not let that happen in over 8 years! I made that mistake once and had a heck of time tracking down a product because the person needing to return had combined an order, an outside order, with about 4 other people and she could not remember any of the details! It took me a week to find it! I will NEVER do that again! I always ask on big outside orders if it is more than one person. Then I tell the host that she must ask the guests who ordered what. ESPECIALLY IF THERE IS AN ITEM WITH A MAJOR WARRANTY! I will accommodate them by giving each person on the order, an order form with the buying persons name on it and the instruction that if an item needs replacing THEY must call HO and give them the info from the front of the form. I will not get involved.

 

[ChefBeckyD]

What she /\ said! Combining orders on stuff that really has no warranty for more than a year is OK in my eyes. anything else, I really frown upon. It causes a lot of headaches for me when the persons who combined need to return things. I have not let that happen in over 8 years! I made that mistake once and had a heck of time tracking down a product because the person needing to return had combined an order, an outside order, with about 4 other people and she could not remember any of the details! It took me a week to find it! I will NEVER do that again! I always ask on big outside orders if it is more than one person. Then I tell the host that she must ask the guests who ordered what. ESPECIALLY IF THERE IS AN ITEM WITH A MAJOR WARRANTY! I will accommodate them by giving each person on the order, an order form with the buying persons name on it and the instruction that if an item needs replacing THEY must call HO and give them the info from the front of the form. I will not get involved.

Wow - you're nicer than I am! I won't even do that. I let them know that if they are combining an order with warrantied items (other than spices and little things like mini spatulas) then it's their responsibility to contact PC if something should happen. I won't have any record of their purchase if they aren't the person listed on the order form, and they will have to contact that person and arrange the details of the return with w/ them and PC.

I've been burned and was once vilified (it was a mess - ended up that the check for the return HAD been sent to the person on the order, and she cashed and kept the money and told the other person it hadn't come...but somehow it was ALL my fault. Got the Finance Dept and everything involved - and took over 4 months to resolve!!!:grumpy because of this very thing with combining orders - so I am very up front and honest about discouraging it.

 

[ShellBeach]

One of my first shows, it was horrible - these gals were wanting me to divide the shipping and tax evenly for all of them. OK, I can do the math, but they argued over pennies (pennies!) because they didn't understand shipping is also taxed in our state. I ended up paying those extra pennies - but that wasn't even the bad part.

The mess came when a large stone cracked under guarantee over a year later. I wasn't exactly vilified, but the person whose name was on the order was in the middle of a fued with the cracked stone lady, had changed jobs and moved, was difficult to track down, and wasn't too keen on having the adjustment in her name. Oh yeah, that was after I was even able to track it down in PP an figure out which show it was from.

I ended up paying return shipping on that stone. Of course it was a heavy item, just to teach me a real nice lesson :grumpy: What a mess. If the person whose name was on the order hadn't relented, the stone lady would have been out of luck, I guess.

I was too new to know how to stand up to them. That's why I now tell them I can't stop them from getting together and splitting it up shipping & tax themselves, but I won't get into it, and they better know those folks pretty well if they think they're ever going to use the guarantee on an item.

 

[pampered1224]

Becky - I am not really all that nice. In most cases I simple tell them I will not budge on the separate orders and make them each fill out an order and pay the S&H. Now, on out side orders, I will not do the math for them either. They want to do something I do not want them to do, then they simply have to do it all then and figure out who owes what. Most of my people all know I will not budge or make exceptions so in the last 6years, I think I have only done that twice. And they were both on HWC fundraising orders. There I have a soft spot. Sale and donation trumps headache for those.