How Can I Help My Guest with a Broken Easy Accent Decorator?

[dme.grant]

Hi everyone. I have a show this saturday and one of the guests has the older EAD (pre-2002) which has a broken part. I called HO and they don't have replacement parts for it anymore, so I told the guest and she said "I'm disappointed it didn't last longer than 10 years when I only use it once a year".
I feel really bad and I don't know what to tell her. She has mentioned that she'll look into getting a new one at the show, but what do I say?

Dawn

 

[minirottie]

What broke on it? I wonder if maybe just some of the plastic became brittle over time? I'm like her and use my EAD about 1-2/year to make deviled eggs so I know I'd be bummed too, but on occasion we just get a bad item. My Black and Decker toaster isn't working after less than 5 years and there was the Mr. Coffee that stopped working after 2. Yes, they are heavy use items, but I expect that perhaps they'll last a little bit longer

 

[raebates]

Part of the problem is that plastics break down over time. They become brittle and develop a tendency to break, whether they're used or not. The issue is the age of the product not the number of uses. Don't know if that will help, though.

 

[dme.grant]

Thanks guys. The part that broke was the ring around the tip, which I think could have broken if she was trying to screw it on too tight, but I don't know the circumstances. She also only uses it to make deviled eggs once a year! My favorite thing to use it for!

Hopefully she's understanding that things happen. She does seem ok about ordering another, so that's a plus I guess!

 

[gailz2]

If I'm not mistaken, it is this older model that people have used the ring from a playtex baby bottle to replace it with. Does anyone else remember this??

 

[chefjeanine]

If I'm not mistaken, it is this older model that people have used the ring from a playtex baby bottle to replace it with. Does anyone else remember this??

That is correct.

 

[ShellBeach]

This happened with a host of mine. I told her sorry to hear that, the product has been redesigned, I was too new of a consultant to know when they dropped its replacement parts, and she could order a new one at 50% off.

In P3, I put it on her host order so she got the host discount, and entered the remaining $$ off as a consultant gift.

 

[cochef]

If I'm not mistaken, it is this older model that people have used the ring from a playtex baby bottle to replace it with. Does anyone else remember this??

I suggested that recently to a customer so she bought one and she said it didn't fit

 

[ShellBeach]

woops, Dawn, somehow I read "host" in your original message. I'd be more generous with a host... but you are talking about a guest.
For that I would just give them 20% off and forfeit the commission on the EAD, just enter $2 payment in P3 as consultant gift.

If you don't feel like doing anything out-of-pocket (cuz I understand, you didn't even sell it to her!) I'd just say, PC usually has replacement parts for about 10 years...unfortunately hers broke well after the original and its replacement parts had retired. For example I don't think the egg slicer has ever been restyled! Or the food chopper, apple peeler/corer/slicer, batter bowl has new replacement lids but it's not itslef been restyled as far as I know.

 

[Intrepid_Chef]

I'd simply explain that "maybe that's why they restyled it, because of the problems you're expeirencing" thereby giving her hope that the other one will last a lifetime.I have a friend who has returned her can opener like every 6 months. She uses it daily. Meanwhile I've had mine about 6 months longer than her and never had a problem. I am the only one who uses it in my house and it does not get used every day. So I think, rather than opening up my brand new can opener I got in the SAT, I'm going to gift it to her and borrow back whenever I have a show where I'll use it. That way her kitchen can be my "test kitchen" and she can tell me if it holds up better.

 

[skaugchef]

I've had a couple of ladies tell me that their ring on the old Easy Accent Decorator had broken too. It must be common on the old one.

 

[Sheila]

Yes, they revamped the ring. It's now taller & doesn't break like the old style did.

Go back through all the old threads. There is a certain type of bottle lid that will fit. But I'd highly recommend that she host a show to get a new one for free or at a discount & she'll have a warranty again.

 

[wadesgirl]

woops, Dawn, somehow I read "host" in your original message. I'd be more generous with a host... but you are talking about a guest.
For that I would just give them 20% off and forfeit the commission on the EAD, just enter $2 payment in P3 as consultant gift.

If you don't feel like doing anything out-of-pocket (cuz I understand, you didn't even sell it to her!) I'd just say, PC usually has replacement parts for about 10 years...unfortunately hers broke well after the original and its replacement parts had retired. For example I don't think the egg slicer has ever been restyled! Or the food chopper, apple peeler/corer/slicer, batter bowl has new replacement lids but it's not itslef been restyled as far as I know.

I would not use the word 10 years. Once something is out of the catalog, PC will keep the replacement parts in stock for a while but not for 10 years. I know this current style has been out at least 4 years so it's understandable that they do not have replacement pieces any more.

 

[BethCooks4U]

Someone said that they'd give her 20% off on a new one. Why? It's a very nice gesture but it is not our job to give away our commission to appease a customer. If it's our mistake that's different. Giving good CS is checking on something for them, trying to find them a resolution, going to bat for them. But when it can't be resolved, we did what we could. I'd offer a deal on it if she did a show but not if she was just someone who said her item was broken.

When consultants give away the store it hurts other consultants. I have had customers say "well, my last consultant gave...". Maybe the last consultant did this just occasionally to feed her passion (get deals on the products). I, and most of us, do this to pay bills and I can't be giving it all away. I do however give deals to hosts and customers who have given me a lot of business or when I need to get to a goal and ask for their help but I also don't want to undermine our amazing host benefits. When we add to them we are saying they aren't enough but they're better than any other company I've done shows with recently - I've had 3 different shows in the last few months and friends have done others - none of their host benefits even compare.

 

[ShellBeach]

I was the one who suggested giving away the $2 commission if the guest orders a new one. Actually I gave 50% off to a good host to buy a new one.
Why? Cuz I decided to, she had a January party when I really needed one.

When consultants give away the store it hurts other consultants.

True, but I never give away door prizes or buy the ingredients for every show like I've read about here. To me, that is more giving away the store than my giving 50% off on that one item to a host, hadn't done it before, and haven't done it since. It was $10 and that is a LOT less than buying ingredients for every show!

edit - and it was just a suggestion, I also wrote if they didn't feel like doing anything out of pocket, their call.
wadesgirl you're right, instead of "10 years" that should be "several years" onthe replacement parts.