Hosting Horror Stories: Broken Items & Missing Cookbooks

[dexheimers]

how often do some of your hosts' items arrive broken?? sara's mom (who hosted our first show) received all of her items and one of the pieces of stoneware was completely shattered and they shorted her a cookbook.

I'm glad that it was part of her personal order. that way none of the guests had to wait. I know things happen and completely understand that. I was just curious if this happends to the rest of you and if so how often does it happen...any horror stories??

 

[jenniferlynne]

Well,that all depends on who you talk to. I live in Indiana, and the distribution center is in Illinois. I have only had 3 things in a year and a half come in broken. My very first show had a bag of coffee come in busted. I heard this is common and happens during delivery. I did not have another single, solitary thing come in broke until about two months ago. I had a hostess order the SA medium plates and one was cracked. Then last month, a chillzanne rectangle server was leaking. That's it!!! Yet, I hear complaint after complaint from people on here saying that there stuff is always coming in broke. Kind of makes me wonder if it is a UPS thing since my stuff doen't have that far to travel.

As far as stuff missing, I've only had two things ever missing. Once was a mini serving spatula (this was during one of the big consultant incentives last year) and a quick cut paring knife. No biggie. I have extra of those on hand anyway. If anything, I end up with extra stuff. I've ended up with a large micro cooker (but no lid), a skinny scraper and a set of recipe cards.

 

[dexheimers]

Extra stuff would be nice!

 

[letscook04]

I always tell my host to check the stones before they give them out to their guest. Knock on wood all of the stones have been in one piece lately!!

 

[jenniferlynne]

I've never had a stone come in broken at all!!!! Watch me have a ton of them now for saying that

 

[DebbieJ]

I literally get my boxes in 12 hours (I live ~45 mins from the HO) and am SHOCKED about how much is broken, missing, or just generally messed up.

Stones and SA shattered, things missing. I happens WAY too often than it should. The HO warehouse staff need to get better at packing and should really add more packing material to the boxes, especially this month!

I could go on and on. Yes, our warehouse (I believe we have just one distribution center here in IL) is very very fast getting our orders out, but I'd rather have them take one more day to pack things with care rather than get them out with speed.

Oh, and maybe hire some solution center staff that have a command of the English language. That would help too.

 

[letscook04]

or maybe it could be the UPS guy! They just throw those boxes around!!

 

[lacychef]

Yes, I love it when the UPS guys pulls up; but I have seen them being quite rough with packages. Don't they see the "fragile" written all over the boxes? Plus I'm sure PC is one of their biggest customers!
I actually don't have too many things arrive broken; usually only about half a dozen every year.

 

[gilliandanielle]

I had good luck until about a week ago when two of my stones where shattered, but the outer boxes where fine. I have posted this elsewhere, but I think we are too quick to blame UPS. The stoneware box and outer box where fine, but the stones looked like they got run over by a truck!!

 

[jdavis]

I think I have only had 2 problems, one was my hosts hand soap leaked all over the bottle, and the other was the pack of twixit clips only had I think 4 clips in it, the package was sealed, so there were no loose ones in the box. Now I will cross my fingers and knock on wood so I don't have my next batch of stoneware in pieces.

 

[lisacb77]

My supply order was a MESS the other day. I know it wasn't UPS b/c it looked like everything was THROWN in the box, no order or anything.

I have a pack of recruiting brochures that were pretty bent. I'm going to try and flatten them out as I haven't had a chance to call for replacements.

 

[kjledford]

Well.. .I got my first shipment in this week - and the boxes were busted up pretty bad... I thought it was UPS - but when I looked inside, boxes had dents/cuts in them in positions that UPS couldn't have effected - only HO. And I was really dissappointed in some of the initial quality - I bought one of the Essential Sets and it had dirty hand prints ALL over it... filthy... and the Measure it All cup had printing errors (messed up print stamp)... I really hope I don't have to inspect every order that comes through before the host gets them...

 

[cat]

For my first 49 shows, I've only had 1 broken piece of stoneware (oh, ACTUALLY, come to think of it, that was one of my SS bonuses!!), one missing garlic press and a few extra items (pantry seasonings). Sometimes, though, the boxes come looking very worn and ragged and the product boxes inside are messed up as well. But I can't complain because most of the time, they are fine.

 

[jdavis]

I have been starting to think with all the postings about the stuff inside the boxes being messed up and not the outside box that maybe they get such a hard time when something is wrong in the warehouse that they just decide that it would be easier to just send it and have the consultant deal with it, or new people who just throw the stuff in there and don't care. I know in the factory that I work in that when we break something, or something comes messed up then we have to go into the computer and fill out a little form and then the guys in the warehouse have to send it back (if it's defective to begin with), try to fix it, or trash it.

 

[pamperedlinda]

My supply order was a MESS the other day. I know it wasn't UPS b/c it looked like everything was THROWN in the box, no order or anything.

I have a pack of recruiting brochures that were pretty bent. I'm going to try and flatten them out as I haven't had a chance to call for replacements.

Mine too! My dvd was broken in half!!!! and I had a box of beer bread that was crushed under my catalogs....had beer bread powder all over the box! I called and they got me replacements within 3 days and were very apologetic about it.

I've had some broken stuff, but not much. I've had more missing items and missing bags than anything else. HO is always great about replacing them and getting the missing stuff out asap too.

 

[Swirl]

I'm just wondering....is this something that has been going on for awhile? I have been a consultant since last November and I've had many shipments and I think I have only had a hand full that where fine. This has been going on with me since the beginning and I keep thinking it's going to get better at HO but I still have problems. I feel like such a pest constantly filling out adjustments, and thinking why isn't somebody looking into this. I agree with Deb, I would love to call HO and speak to someone fluent in English at some point!!!!

 

[jdavis]

Maybe you should Stacy. If I had that many problems I would definately call and have a talk with somebody. Maybe they need to start putting labels in each box, packed by ??? or inspected by ???

 

[lisacb77]

Linda I had to laugh about the Fall DVD. I have THREE now! They have sent one in EVERY supply order I've placed LOL and not by my request.

Anyone want one, hee hee....

 

[gilliandanielle]

Hey Lisa- why don't you sell them on eBay for $20 each, LOL! I am sure that someone has them listed there! I can't stand that when you see hospital cups and baby stuff that you know everyone gets free, but they are still charging $2 or $3! It drives me insane!