How Should I Handle Unpaid Orders from a Past Party Host?

[Koolotus]

Sooooo....
Today is October 15th. Surprise surprise I still have an outstanding party from September 30th.
The host sent me an email on 10/9 that said:
"This what I have withthe checks to mail out. Matt and I haven't picked our stuff yet But when Ihave time I will email it to you. Thanks"

I responded with:
"I put in the orders you gave me. You are entitled to $60 Free 2 1/2 priced and and unlimited discount of 20%. You can also pick any one piece or set of the cookware at 60% off.
I would love if you called me to give me your order that way if I have any questions we can resolve it right then. Please put any checks you have for me in the mail now so that I am able to close your show by the deadline. If I do not have the checks I cannot send in your show and that would mean both you and Jen would not get your cookware at 60%.
You should have payments for me from
Sandy
Carole
Kathy
& Ashley which was $44.01

I will be in my office tonight until 11
Tommorrow morning until noon & tomorrow night.
Talk to you soon!
Thanks,
Cheryl"

I have left 3 messages since then, asking for a call. The last one being. Hey Susy, I hope everything is alright. I need you to call so you can get the cookware and so can Jen. yada, yada.
So today is the day. No checks, no call, no email.
I have a call into the past host and I want to send an email to susy.
What do I say?!?
everything I type sounds massively b*tchy.
HELP!

 

[chefann]

Do you have payment from Jen? If you do, I'd tell her (the host) that you don't want your guests to lose out on their specials, too - especially those who already paid. (Because the guest specials expire tonight, too.) And if you don't hear from her by 10pm, you're going to send it in without the orders for which you don't have payment (unless you're comfortable covering those and having the show shipped to you instead of the host).Does that make sense?Such as:
Hi, Betsy. I still haven't heard from you, and I don't want your friends to lose out on their free Mix n Chops because your show didn't get submitted on time. Please call me by 10pm tonight to let me know what you want with your host benefits. Otherwise, I'll pick out some free items but you'll forfeit the half-price items and the cookware special.

 

[Koolotus]

Ann,
You kick ass!
Thank you. doesn't sound witchy. just true.
xoxo,
Cheryl

 

[K_Jurich]

Ann . . .is the best isn't she. I was at a loss as to how I would have handled this.

 

[chefann]

I know that if I bought something at a home party and a) still hadn't gotten things after 3 weeks (which it'll be - at least - if it's still open); and b) lost out on my freebie because the host couldn't get off her tushie, I'd be royally ticked off! If it would make me mad, chances are the guests on this show would be, too. So let's make it about them instead of just about the host.

 

[Nanisu]

I concur:

Hey, Betsy, this is Nancy Collins with PC. Today is the Pampered Chef deadline to get the order in and still have it be a September show, and I need to get this in. We have two choices, and if I don't hear from you I will pick the former. Choice # 1 is I send it what I have. Any orders I don't have payment for will unfortunately NOT count towards your show. Without those orders you show now stands at _____________ which entitles you to _________ in free product value and ________ 1/2 price options. If I cannot touch base with you by 7 p.m. tonight I will pick out free products for you and have the show shipped to you. Unfortunately my business practice does not allow me to submit orders that I don't have payment for, so you would NOT be eligible for any half price or discounted products.

Option # 2 is that I hear from you by 7 p.m. this evening with your order and payment either in the form of debit or credit card for your order and the remaining outside orders. This is obviously more beneficial to you because you can choose products at half price and then a discount over and above that. I would love to work with you to get as many discounted products as you wish, so please contact me as soon as you can.

Once again, if I don't hear from you by 7 p.m. tonight I will submit the show as is and pick out some free products for you.

Thanks so much

Why do I say 7 p.m.? because I'm not sitting by the phone waiting on pins and needles at 9:30.

You can be professional, and not rude. Target has stuff on their ads from Sunday to Saturday. If you go in the next Sunday and want to get something that is no longer on special, they don't apologize all over the place for it, it's just not on special any more. This is your business.

 

[rbvernon]

I agree with Nancy about the time. Don't wait on pins and needles. This is your business and you have to do what you have to do, but nicely

I love everyones advice on here, keep up the good work!!!!

 

[K_Jurich]

Either way I would love to know the outcome of this situation

 

[Yakmama]

This happened to me a couple of weeks ago. I waited until the last minute to submit (before my 30 day mark) and she called me at like 11:30 (maybe it was 10:30). She didn't apologize either! LOL Oh well- I won't let that happen again. A deadline is a deadline.

 

[Koolotus]

I did chat with her briefly. She was in the airport on her way home from Las Vegas!
At least I know she was having fun. She was with the past host I explained the situation and she said she was going to call her daughter for the list of things she wanted and call me back. That was 3 hours ago. I am not stressed. she gave me a vague ok to submit the show as it stands and I will. In a while, I will wait until my bedtime and then hit submit.
She understood about the orders without payment and she said we can just throw together another show. I am sure she will be singing a different tune tommorrow if she calls to give me her order!
Anyhoo, thanks for all the great advice. I didn't realize she was away and was worried for her. There was no reason for her not to close the show before she went away. I am VERY Happy to get the skillet for the past host. I am doing another show for her in November. Deadlines are deadlines and her show was 9/30. her issue, not mine.
Thanks
xoxo,
Cheryl

 

[cathyskitchen]

Ick! This is such a pain. I have an Oct. catty host whose mother just died, and wants to hold off closing her show until 11/15 (we were supposed to close 10/19, but the funeral is this weekend). I have already told her we'll postpone it, of course, but I'm worried of running into this, as well. Esp. since it's a Sat. Good luck to you, Cheryl!

 

[aPamperedBride]

As this host suggested throwing together another show, I think that should be part of anyone's 'deadline' emails..."You have $90 of unpaid guest sales. In order to honor the guests who have already paid and not have them forfeit last month's guest special, these orders will be removed from this show if I don't received payment from you by X time. We are able to put these orders towards a catalog show this month if you will collect another $60 in sales. By booking off your own show, you are able to get the host special twice on your catalog show! This is the best solution I can offer you if I haven't received payment in time since everyone can still receive what they would like to order."

I have not enforced the "I must have the check first" policy many of you have in my business and overall, that has worked for me. However, I did a fundraiser at the end of June for a mission trip and went ahead and submitted when 3 people were supposed to mail me checks. I'm still waiting. My voicemails and emails to the 'host' have gone unanswered...so I will not make this mistake again! Perhaps it worked well before because I used to have all checks made out to the host and the host would write one check to me. I changed that to accepting the checks directly for the convenience of my host. Of course, if a check is returned the host has the product to withhold while waiting for payment, while we have no collateral when the show is direct-shipped!