Order Mix-up: Explaining Price Difference and Exchange Process

[wadesgirl]

One of my recent hosts just emailed me to let me know the guest received bamboo tongs instead of the large batter bowl. When I looked back at the guest's order form, she had the item number down for the tongs but the description for the batter bowl. Her total would have included the lower price for tongs ($12 vs $15.50). I emailed back the host explaining what happened and to have the customer call HO on Monday to exchange the product. I also mentioned that there would be a price difference that the customer would have to pay.

Now the customer is emailing me asking why she would have to pay a price difference when her order form (2-ply write in form) shows the $15.50 for the batter bowl. When I total up the order it's $26.48 with the tongs but $30.19 for the batter bowl (she ordered a couple other items). What I'm concerned about is the fact that she rounded up her original order to $30 for the food bank donation. How do I explain this in the email? I don't have a phone number for her so I would have to email her back. Or should I call HO on Monday and figure it out myself?

On a side note I do know that once in a while if the difference isn't too much they will just eat the cost. I don't want to tell her this but wait to see what HO says.

 

[pcsharon1]

I would just explain to her that per her receipt she paid XXX amount for products plus shipping and handling and gave an XXX donation to the Round Up program and that money has already been donated. And then just say something off hand like "sorry for the confusion but that is where the difference in product total comes from". Then leave the rest up to home office if she still disagrees with that. They are going to either tell her the same thing, or like you said, eat the cost and go on with it.

 

[wadesgirl]

I emailed her back and she responded that she just wanted to return her whole order. What the heck?! I can take the blame for it because I didn't double check but at the same time she wrote down the wrong item number. All over a $3 difference? I did respond that it's a super simple issue to fix and offered to call HO for her tomorrow.

 

[Sheila]

(((hugs))) Sorry girl! Mark this one up as lesson learned.

I train my recruits to double check descriptions too. It's there for that purpose ~ so we can double check and verify what the customer is asking for. It's too easy for customers to transpose numbers and/or us encounter customers with dyslexia. I recommend that you make a practice out of making sure the number you type in pops up the same description as what they wrote. It's also a good idea to double check all the figures & make sure everything adds up exactly. If there's any discrepancy, I call/e-mail the person prior to submitting the order to verify I'm ordering what they wanted. If they underestimated, I either do the rest as a Consultant Gift or call & let them know that they miscalculated their order & tell them the new total. I always e-mail the new total to them & get them to respond via e-mail so they can't come back later & complain that I charged them more than they agreed to pay. If they think they owe more than they really do, I'll e-mail or call to let them know it was cheaper so they can adjust their checkbook register to reflect the right amount.

In this case, I'd have called HO, explained that she wrote the wrong # and I didn't double check the description, and admitted that both of us were at fault. Had them send her a label for the wrong item & send her the correct item. And, if PC wanted the difference, I'd have paid it without asking the customer for the money.

$3 out of my pocket, but happy customers go a LONG way!

As it is right now, she feels like she's being cheated & she's taking it out on you and the host.

By the way, there's a new clause in the policy about returns. PC can & may take back the commission if this customer returns her whole order. If it's big enough, it could adjust the host's befits (if applicable), if it affects you hitting your level (activity), if it means the host didn't make a show, it could effect your a PC incentive that you thought you earned, it could also effect the levels up to 3 directors above you. And, PC has the right to do it for a full year after the purchase - the time frame of the customer satisfaction guarantee policy.

I've heard of them taking the commission before, but with the new wording in the policy, it could effect much more than it used to effect: EX: What if this had been a grill pan set, customer got mad at you & returns it. PC does it. PC takes the commissionable sales from the Consultant. The consultant only had that sale & a $95 sale. Now that Consultant goes from $244 in March sales down to $95 and goes from "active" to "inactive" in March. She was her 6th for the Director, now the Director didn't meet her requirements & is "paid as" a TL. Her AD didn't have an active D & was "paid as" D instead of AD. The SD above her was relying on that 2nd line D for her title, now she's "paid as" AD instead of SD. And there goes April Kit Enhancement for the Consultant, since being active in March was part of the qualifications to get that. ... It's a big snowball now that can hit you and your upline HARD. :cry:

 

[BethCooks4U]

I emailed her back and she responded that she just wanted to return her whole order. What the heck?! I can take the blame for it because I didn't double check but at the same time she wrote down the wrong item number. All over a $3 difference? I did respond that it's a super simple issue to fix and offered to call HO for her tomorrow.

Sounds like this is a customer who will not be happy with whatever happens but if I were you I would call HO for her as you said. If they say that she has to pay the difference I would either just pay it (it is a write off btw) or tell them that in that case she wants to cancel the entire order. Maybe escalate it to a supervisor.

Don't beat yourself up. We are all human and miss that kind of thing every now and then. I have had a customer call saying she ordered two of something but I missed that it was two. She insisted she paid for two and it was on her 2-ply receipt as two but when I went through the math with her I did get her to understand. I offered to get her the other one with no shipping but she ended up saying she'd just get it next time she ordered.

 

[monicag]

Sheila, did we get something about this new policy? I haven't heard or seen anything about this......guess it's another one of those communication things they forgot to communicate to everyone......that could really mess us up if it pertains to things we are earning in a particular month.

 

[carlajanes]

When I am taking the order, I repeat back to the customer what she/he has written down to be sure they wrote it down correctly. It might take a little longer but has saved me a headache or two.
I have had my commission "adjusted" as they called it by a customer cancelling an order...not fun.

 

[esavvymom]

Sheila, did we get something about this new policy? I haven't heard or seen anything about this......guess it's another one of those communication things they forgot to communicate to everyone......that could really mess us up if it pertains to things we are earning in a particular month.

They typically dont tell us when they update policy guide. You will see the date it was last updated on CC listed beside the link. You can open it and see on the first page what was changed, saving youngoing through the whole thing. Current one was last updated Sep 2011.
They may say something in the newswire, but I never see it.

 

[BethCooks4U]

I just checked the policy guide against one I saved from 2010 and I didn't see any real difference in that area. Please share if I missed something but it looks like it is the same as it has been (please include page number in document please). It has always been that if a whole order is cancelled the commission and show would be adjusted but I have never heard of a time that once a show shipped, a host was told she couldn't keep her host benefits or a consultant lost her commission. Individual orders and complete show returns have always been different. If a customer returns the whole order (or show) a commission adjustment is made and a consultant would or could lose her points, incentives and commission on those sales because of that. It would be a total nightmare for HO to process and go back to shows that one order cancelled on up to a year later. They (HO) always has had the option to audit our sales and if there is something that brings up a red flag they will investigate and make adjustments.

 

[BethCooks4U]

I believe the change is just a rewording of the same info. I am only posting this because I know that this kind of thing can be upsetting so I wanted it to be clear - and to make sure I understand it fully too!

2010 version:

Note:
• If an entire Show or individual order is returned,
commissions will be reversed and the commissionable
sales total will be adjusted. In addition, points toward
incentives or credit toward promotions or bonuses will
be deducted.
• The Pampered Chef® is not responsible for any loss of
incentives or awards, Director promotion/maintenance
requirements or Consultant activity status that might
occur as a result of the adjustment.

2012 version:

Product Returns
• Per the Consultant Agreement, a Consultant
authorizes the Company to deduct commissions,
overrides and other amounts due to a Consultant on
products returned by customers. As a result of the
returned sale, commissionable sales totals will be
adjusted accordingly. On any adjustment to
commissions or overrides over $20, the Consultant
will be notified by Consultant Career Solutions.
• In addition, points toward incentives or credit
toward promotions or bonuses will be similarly
adjusted. The Pampered Chef® is not responsible for
any loss of incentives or awards, Director
promotion/maintenance requirements or Consultant
activity status that might occur as a result of the
adjustment.

It looks like everything else under "commission Adjustments" is the same in both versions.

 

[Sheila]

It's new wording on page 14, and new news to the Directors who are talking about it.

COMMISSION ADJUSTMENTS

The Home Office may make corrections to orders without delaying the shipment of your customers’ products or issuance of your commission checks.

• Commission adjustments under $20 are completed automatically.
• In case of a commission adjustment over $20 you will be contacted for approval.

How Commission Adjustments Work:

• Show totals will be adjusted, and your commission check will reflect the corrected amount. Commissionable sales will also be adjusted.
• A deduction will be made as a line item on your commission statement if the adjustment requires additional funds to be paid to The Pampered Chef®.
• Commission adjustments may total up to $20 per order. When errors require corrections that exceed the $20 maximum per Show:
• The order processing procedure will stop.
• The order will be held until a response with the correction is received.
• The received date will be changed.
• The order will be processed in the date/month that the correction was received in the Home Office.
• Order corrections will not be processed ahead of other orders.
• If we are unable to contact you, your Director may be notified of the resolution needed and may give authorization to process.
• If the error on an order causes a $20 or more overpayment by the host, a guest or you, a refund will be issued. The balance of the order will be shipped separately to the requested address. This type of error delays order processing and shipment.
• If the error on an order causes less than a $20 overpayment by the host, a guest or you, the amount will be added and appear on your next commission statement. This type of error delays order processing.

Product Returns

• Per the Consultant Agreement, a Consultant authorizes the Company to deduct commissions, overrides and other amounts due to a Consultant on products returned by customers. As a result of the returned sale, commissionable sales totals will be adjusted accordingly. On any adjustment to commissions or overrides over $20, the Consultant will be notified by Consultant Career Solutions.
• In addition, points toward incentives or credit toward promotions or bonuses will be similarly adjusted. The Pampered Chef® is not responsible for any loss of incentives or awards, Director promotion/maintenance requirements or Consultant activity status that might occur as a result of the adjustment.

And they can come back a year later & adjust something we thought we'd already earned according to that very last paragraph!

There are some Upper Level Directors on the case & working to explain to Jean why this is a bad idea for morale. Hopefully, they can get it changed soon.

 

[BethCooks4U]

Other than clarifying that it's in the agreement I don't see any real change from the 2010 version as noted in post #10 above.

 

[Sheila]

We were posting simultaneously.There are some current Directors being hit for the first time who were never aware of this. Seems like they are starting to enforce it now & maybe not so much in the past. This is new to the group who's talking about it.

 

[wadesgirl]

I can see why that have that in place - if someone tries to order some products under themselves or under another consultant to make their team/self active and then return the product to get their money back.. Normally I double check but some how this slipped through. It was funny because she didn't transpose anything and they are on different pages so it's not like she was reading the wrong page description. The tongs are 2239 and the batter bowl is 2230

 

[BethCooks4U]

I can see why that have that in place - if someone tries to order some products under themselves or under another consultant to make their team/self active and then return the product to get their money back..

Normally I double check but some how this slipped through. It was funny because she didn't transpose anything and they are on different pages so it's not like she was reading the wrong page description. The tongs are 2239 and the batter bowl is 2230

Just one number caused you so much trouble. Sorry. Hopefully it will all work out for you.

 

[wadesgirl]

Just one number caused you so much trouble. Sorry. Hopefully it will all work out for you.

I haven't heard back from her since I offered to call HO from her so who knows what's going to happen.

 

[BethCooks4U]

I haven't heard back from her since I offered to call HO from her so who knows what's going to happen.

I would call HO. See what they say, then let her know and it's in her ballpark. What will be will be. You will have done everything you could.