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Clearing Up Expectations: Feedback on Tasty Tidbits Subscription

In summary, the author is considering adding a fourth newsletter, the Weekly Dish, and is concerned that people may not be subscribed to all of them. She is also considering changing the wording on her website to clarify which newsletters subscribers are getting.
PampChefJoy
Gold Member
1,814
Once again, I'm looking to Cheffers for some feedback on my business. I appreciate the candor of the input I get from you guys.

So, Tasty Tidbits originated as monthly newsletter offering. Over the years, I added the QuickBites mid-month issue and then the Outlet highlights. Right now, those are the 3 newsletters I do.

Recently I added the Weekly Dish as a trial offering. It's going well, though not downloaded as much as the monthly TT.

I have also endeavored to put together the extra stuff as time allows: the Fall Flash & Spring Splash, email blasts for current sales and promotions, the Do You Love a Bargain and Super Savings flyers, recently the fair tri-fold brochure...

I'm planning to update the website soon and I want to make it as clear as possible what people are paying for, and set the expectation for what they are getting. Lately I seem to be getting alot of emails and comments from people who are disappointed that I haven't made up my flyers on time. Today, I had a comment that I repeated a recipe that was both on the monthly and weekly newsletters. (It was my thought that someone wouldn't send both monthly and weekly, so duplication there should not be a problem.)

In my mind, I've always thought that subscribers were signing up for the monthly newsletters. Anything extra that I did was just that - extra. But now I'm wondering if the expectation is that you are guaranteed to get all the extras with your subscription.

I have resisted making promises to provide anything more than the newsletters on a regular basis... I can't commit to making sure everything is produced all the time. Working full time means I am frequently unable to drop what I'm doing during the day when HO makes an announcement in the morning. I've felt alot of pressure to "produce" when these news releases come out with new specials... but also I feel that my job is to write the newsletters.

As my consumers, do you feel that I'm mis-labeling my product or somehow making implied promises that I am not keeping? This is important for me to know so that I can change my wording when I re-do my website.

Or is it that the flyers, etc are the products that people find worth paying for, and I should be either working that into my subscription plan? Especially now that people have access to HO's newsletter via the PWS, does it make sense for me to offer the flyers as a subscription item?

I am planning to send a more detailed survey out to my subscribers this month to solicit more feedback, but I thought I'd go out to the masses here too to find out what the thoughts are. I thank you if you got this far in this massive novel... I'm sorry it's so long, but I have had a million thoughts mulling in my head for quite some time! I hope this makes sense. I appreciate your time and response!
 
i love all your stuff and i realize that you are human and that you work full time besides tt. your newsletters are what i personally use most, but i do truly appreciate the blasts that you create. keep your head up! you're fantastic!!
 
I agree. I mostly use the newsletter and quite frankly forget about the weekly recipe - no email reminder to jog my mind, I guess, but I don't expect you to do that. I just need to be more organized. I have gotten feedback that folks like that weekly recipe, when I remember to go in and send it, so that would be something I would like to contiue to see. I don't use the flyers very much. So, my vote is to definitely keep the newsletter :)
 
I want to preface this by saying I have used a number of newsletter services in the past 2 - 1/2 years and I have always come back to and had the best feedback by using Joy's. I have noticed a trend here on Chef Success and in the true spirit of the season I need to vent on this. Some fellow consultants are becoming very demanding and seem to be feeling very entitled to having more and more done for them. This is an awesome site for tips and ideas and motivational sharing - but I have noticed a growing trend of the "gimme's". i.e.....When are your going to do this? - Can you do this for ME? - I need this...etc....Sure there are thank you's but there are some very kind and sweet souls on here that are now feeling obligated to create on demand. I think Joy is starting to feel the same way. Way back when - I signed up for her Newsletter and only her newsletter and even with the advent of HO Newsletters, I will continue to use Joy's Newsletter. I would sooner she continue to deliver the quality product she is known for, rather than try and satify all the gimme's - only to suffer their criticism...........Happy Holidays and remember that it is better to give than receive..;):love::sing:
 
otisbg said:
I want to preface this by saying I have used a number of newsletter services in the past 2 - 1/2 years and I have always come back to and had the best feedback by using Joy's. I have noticed a trend here on Chef Success and in the true spirit of the season I need to vent on this. Some fellow consultants are becoming very demanding and seem to be feeling very entitled to having more and more done for them. This is an awesome site for tips and ideas and motivational sharing - but I have noticed a growing trend of the "gimme's". i.e.....When are your going to do this? - Can you do this for ME? - I need this...etc....Sure there are thank you's but there are some very kind and sweet souls on here that are now feeling obligated to create on demand. I think Joy is starting to feel the same way. Way back when - I signed up for her Newsletter and only her newsletter and even with the advent of HO Newsletters, I will continue to use Joy's Newsletter. I would sooner she continue to deliver the quality product she is known for, rather than try and satify all the gimme's - only to suffer their criticism...........Happy Holidays and remember that it is better to give than receive..;):love::sing:

Great post! I too have noticed a sense of entitlement. A big "thank you" doesn't always cover the demands that are made. Especially coming from some where those are the only posts they make.
 
otisbg said:
I want to preface this by saying I have used a number of newsletter services in the past 2 - 1/2 years and I have always come back to and had the best feedback by using Joy's. I have noticed a trend here on Chef Success and in the true spirit of the season I need to vent on this. Some fellow consultants are becoming very demanding and seem to be feeling very entitled to having more and more done for them. This is an awesome site for tips and ideas and motivational sharing - but I have noticed a growing trend of the "gimme's". i.e.....When are your going to do this? - Can you do this for ME? - I need this...etc....Sure there are thank you's but there are some very kind and sweet souls on here that are now feeling obligated to create on demand. I think Joy is starting to feel the same way. Way back when - I signed up for her Newsletter and only her newsletter and even with the advent of HO Newsletters, I will continue to use Joy's Newsletter. I would sooner she continue to deliver the quality product she is known for, rather than try and satify all the gimme's - only to suffer their criticism...........Happy Holidays and remember that it is better to give than receive..;):love::sing:


Now where's the like button!?! :D
 
I am so very happy to know that I am not alone in my feelings...Love you all!
 
Joy, I use the monthly email and not the weekly bites. I do like the outlet specials and the flyers for announcements. If you would charge for the flyer announcements I would be willing to pay for a little extra since I am not that good in creating emails in icontact.
 
I enjoy your services, and because I'm active here on CS and know you work a full-time job, I understand that you can't always jump on announcments immediately. I do count on certain things to be available to me on a regular basis, though I can't say I'm organized enough to give you dates. I use TT monthly, and the outlet email as my mid-month. I post the Weekly Dish to my FB page. I like your season change flyers, and I use the birthday one as well.

I do think though that you probably have quite a few subscribers who don't see you the same way us CS members do. Either they don't frequent CS, or they've been referred from an outside source. I think it might be beneficial for you to put some type of a disclaimer somewhere on the site, or during the sign up process, stating that you do have a separate full-time job, and provide hours during which you most often work on your products. Just like we as consultants are often encouraged to have office hours, if you state somewhere that you cannot start working on a new announcment until 6 PM the day of the annoucment, then your subscribers know they can't bug you at 6 AM on the first of each month about the new recruiting special.

I think the best place would be somewhere at the top of the site, and in the sign in process. I would post something in red lettering at the very top of the page for a month or two that says "Please read this very important information regarding the timeframes in which your newsletters will be available" with a link to a page with more detail. Then, after it's been up for a bit to ensure all active users have seen it, create a tab called "timeframes" in your dashboard for everyone to access at any given time.
 
  • Thread starter
  • #10
Thanks for the feedback and the kind words! Keep it coming :)

Noora - that is exactly the type of suggestion I am looking for... I've been looking at my own site for so long that I can't look at it objectively as a new customer anymore... Someone needs to slap me upside the head!
 
  • #11
PampChefJoy said:
Thanks for the feedback and the kind words! Keep it coming :)

Noora - that is exactly the type of suggestion I am looking for... I've been looking at my own site for so long that I can't look at it objectively as a new customer anymore... Someone needs to slap me upside the head!

I don't think you need a slap upside the head. :) Just some fresh eyes. I could totally understand how a new subscriber, who isn't active on CS or is referred to you, would look at everything you have under the different tabs, and make assumptions about what they would expect to have on a regular basis. It's your business, so you get to decide how you run it, just the same as we get to decide how to run our PC business. If you set forth some ground rules, most people will respect that. There will always be someone who won't like it, and will want you to do this and that, but those type of people are inevitable, no matter what you do.
 
  • #12
Oh, and I would suggest to add in your disclaimer (if you choose to do that) also that since you do not work for HO, you do not get any of the announcments any earlier than the consultants do.
 
  • Thread starter
  • #13
Good points Noora!

The revamping of the website has been long sorely needed... I haven't been 100% happy with the way I designed it last time. I am taking a week off between Christmas and New Years and I will get it done if it kills me.
 
  • #14
Joy,
I have always been amazed at your ability to get us NEW stuff quickly! Much faster than I personally could EVER do! I too have tried other companies and have done my own as well and they no where near reach the professionalism that your does! You create an awesome product for us to grow our business with! The other thing is when we have a problem... you are always right there to answer our questions! (I can be a bit computer illiterate" from time to time!)

My customers are thrilled with your weekly letters! I have had more comments on loving my news letters since you started the weekly letter. They even try to get their friends to sign up to get it! When "I" am late getting one out... it is not unusual to for them to contact me to make sure they did not miss it somehow!

The monthly one is awesome and I also love the outlet one~! On the week I send these I try to combine them with the weekly with it so I am not sending more than one per week unless something special is going on like CYBER MONDAY! That is way different and I sooooooooooooooooooo appreciated that one!

The blasts are great! Birthdays etc!

The flyer's are also great!

I don't do anything with the mid-month one...

Just wanted you to know what a GREAT job you do! You are very much appreciated!
 
  • Thread starter
  • #15
Thanks Alida! I am glad to hear the Weekly works for you. I wasn't sure how popular it would be. As you might have guessed from my earlier email to you, as well as this thread, I'm struggling with my priorities, and it's important for me to know what matters to you most.
 
  • #16
The monthly newsletter is most important for me, and I love them...
I'm always reluctant to send more than one email/month for fear of overloading my customers, so I don't really use the other ones.
I have thought about the Weekly Bites, and every time I look at one I think I should start, but I'd have to get into the routine of sending them (put them on my weekly to-do list).
I'd also have to figure out how to find the customers (on my current list) that want the weekly recipes... but that's an aside unrelated to this post.Thanks for everything you do, Joy! I would definitely consider the 'extras' to be just that... extras!
 
  • #17
The monthly newsletter is what I mainly use, as like lorraine mentioned, I don't like to overload my customers. I have used the recruiting blast and the black friday template, but it is nothing that I expect. I see it as a bonus. I haven't taken a peek at the weekly dish, but may consider it for my FB page? We are so lucky to have your service Joy! A BIG thank you to you again!
 

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