March Cn Question - Creative? or Not Allowed?

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Discussion Overview

This thread explores participants' reactions to a section in the March Consultant Newsletter (CN) regarding creative ways to make contacts, particularly focusing on a consultant's experience of using online homeschooling groups to generate bookings. Participants express confusion about the implications of this advice in relation to company policies on online presence.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Opinion-based
  • Anecdotal
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant shares their confusion about how the consultant's actions align with company policies, noting the lack of clarification in the CN.
  • Another participant mentions that they had a similar thought upon reading the CN and found it odd.
  • Several users express concern that the article could be interpreted as an endorsement of actions that may not comply with company rules.
  • One participant speculates that the consultant might have interacted with people in person after joining the online group, rather than soliciting bookings online.
  • Another participant expresses a desire for clarification from the Home Office (HO) to prevent misunderstandings among consultants.
  • One participant reflects on their own feelings of jealousy regarding the consultant's success in making contacts, indicating a personal connection to the topic.
  • Several participants discuss the potential for confusion among consultants regarding online networking practices and the need for clearer guidelines.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Views differ among participants regarding the appropriateness of the actions described in the CN, with some expressing confusion and concern while others speculate on possible compliant methods of engagement.

Contextual Notes

Participants are primarily consultants discussing their interpretations of the CN and its implications for their business practices. The conversation reflects a shared interest in adhering to company policies while exploring creative networking strategies.

Who May Find This Useful

Consultants seeking to understand the nuances of online networking and its alignment with company policies may find this discussion relevant.

So here is my question - what if we are on email lists and ask if someone wants to host a show? No mention of the website, just in case... Would that be OK?Because that was how I had originally read the article... although looking back I do see it says Websites... I guess for me an e-mail list makes more sense in the scenario than a website...
 
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  • #32
See, the specific line that made me think all of that was off - asking to host show, talking about it even in the course of conversation was this one:
Please do not mention, advertise or promote your Pampered Chef® business on any chat rooms, other than those created for communicating with other Consultants.
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KateD said:
See, the specific line that made me think all of that was off - asking to host show, talking about it even in the course of conversation was this one:
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I guess I see chat rooms very differently than email lists...
 
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I guess that's where part of the confusion comes in, since it doesn't matter how either of us see it, but how HO sees it. For example, I would have thought a MySpace bulletin would be ok, since it is like an email to my personal friends, but someone else got bopped for that.I thought about email lists, but the ones that I am on have web presence - like Yahoo groups. Again, only members can see, but that's enough to make me not post. Because I'm a weanie.
 
Yahoo groups still come up in web searches. That's a good litmus - if it comes up in a web search, you can't mention that you're a consultant there.
 
KateD said:
For example, I would have thought a MySpace bulletin would be ok, since it is like an email to my personal friends, but someone else got bopped for that.
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Yep, this was me! I thought it was just like an email too; but was told it was a no-no.
I hope there will be clarification in the news wire about this.
 
chefann said:
Yahoo groups still come up in web searches. That's a good litmus - if it comes up in a web search, you can't mention that you're a consultant there.
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OK, that is a good tester! Especially now that I know that Yahoo groups come up in web searches... Thanks for helping me figure this all out!!
 
I contacted Richard at HO about a similar question a few weeks ago. Several PC consultants advertised on a mom's board I am a member of. I always assumed this was a no-no, but when on of the advertisments was from a director I decided to double check with HO. Richard said that was clearly against HO policy. I am hoping that this will be clarified in a future email to all consultants. That way it keeps us all on a level playing field.
 
just when i think i understand all this, i come up with another question. Okay on your myspace page in your profile it lists Company, we aren't able to post anything PC related in there? Is this correct?--thanks :)
 
That's correct.
 
PChef_ang said:
just when i think i understand all this, i come up with another question. Okay on your myspace page in your profile it lists Company, we aren't able to post anything PC related in there? Is this correct?--thanks :)
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Correct... that's my understanding.
 
Just got a reply back regarding the article in the March CN:

Thank you for contacting The Pampered Chef. You are right, it is a violation to advertise your Pampered Chef business anywhere on the Internet. We apologize for the mistake. We have also addressed this with Laurie as she did not know that she was violating company policy.

Thank you,

Richard Laiche
Specialist, Consultant Career Solutions
Solution Center
The Pampered Chef®
 
BethCooks4U said:
Just got a reply back regarding the article in the March CN:

Thank you for contacting The Pampered Chef. You are right, it is a violation to advertise your Pampered Chef business anywhere on the Internet. We apologize for the mistake. We have also addressed this with Laurie as she did not know that she was violating company policy.

Thank you,

Richard Laiche
Specialist, Consultant Career Solutions
Solution Center
The Pampered Chef®
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:grumpy:
That's how I feel about the e-mail. No one proofreads, and if they do they aren't familiar w/policy. I get that it's a mistake, but come on. She was a featured consultant. We're supposed to get ideas and be inspired.
 
Thanks for posting that response, Beth. Now we can address this issue with our respective teams, if it comes up.
 
The problem I have with this is that she is a Senior Director - she should have known better. I hope HO makes it clear that this type of advertising is not allowed.
 
pamperedlinda said:
The problem I have with this is that she is a Senior Director - she should have known better. I hope HO makes it clear that this type of advertising is not allowed.
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That's what I was trying to say!
 
pamperedlinda said:
The problem I have with this is that she is a Senior Director - she should have known better. I hope HO makes it clear that this type of advertising is not allowed.
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I agree, Linda - she wasn't a new consultant. And NO ONE caught this before the CN went to print???
 
ChefBeckyD said:
I agree, Linda - she wasn't a new consultant. And NO ONE caught this before the CN went to print???
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Exactly! HO knows it's against the rules:blushing:
 
BethCooks4U said:
Pampered Chef is about coming together around the table through the Cooking Show and they want the bulk of our business and contacts to be personal and through the cookign show. I believe Pampered Chef also feels that not allowing it levels the playing field for all of us.

We are allowed to put our websites on all written materials that we produce or get from the company and on our emails. You can advertize in print media as long as it's not a national publication or in the top 100 newspapers.

You'll get a policy book with your kit. Congrats for starting your new business!
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just wanted to say that the kit doesn't come with a policy book, but it is on CC. I think it would be great if it did come with the kit though, so any HO lurkers that is my suggestion!;)
 
The policies used to come with the kit. I was sad to see them stop including them, because not everyone is going to jump up, download them, and read them when they're new.
 
chefann said:
The policies used to come with the kit. I was sad to see them stop including them, because not everyone is going to jump up, download them, and read them when they're new.
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I agree Ann! That's news to me. I always tell my new consultants to refer to their policies and procedures manual when I'm going to be out of my office. I didn't know they weren't getting them anymore! I can't even begin to count the number of times I pull mine out to check up on something.

What about the consultant's who don't use the net? I know that's unlikely but here in our small rural area of Maine, beleive it or not, there are those who don't use a computer or the internet! I'm forever trying to help people fill out all those forms by hand to submit a show, YUCK! I can't even imagine life with my computer LoL
 
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lacychef said:
Exactly! HO knows it's against the rules:blushing:
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I think the thing is, even HO is confused on the rules. Even the uppers are confused on the rules.

I have no doubt - NONE - in my mind that the featured person did not realize she was going against the rules. If she had, she wouldn't have been telling it to CN interviewer! She might have said she talked to people in a home-schooling circle she was joining in the new area.

If upper levels and HO personnel are confused, how are we supposed to not be confused?! There are a ton of consultants on up that I'm sure wouldn't have thought of that being against the rules, especially since it was featured in an HO publication. How I would like to plead ignorance and be able to use just basic web services - not to get away from personal relationships, but because there are people with whom I have personal relationships on a very web level! And part of me thinks, "well, everyone else will be thinking they can do it now, so I just should. Ask forgiveness, not permission." But the bigger part of me is the part that is committed to running my business ethically and with integrity, and since I know it's against the rules, I won't.

*sigh* I promise I wasn't trying to be a sh!t-stirrer or a rabble rouser; I'm just genuinely confused, and not much comforted to know that the leadership is confused, as well.
 
KateD said:
I think the thing is, even HO is confused on the rules. Even the uppers are confused on the rules.

I have no doubt - NONE - in my mind that the featured person did not realize she was going against the rules. If she had, she wouldn't have been telling it to CN interviewer! She might have said she talked to people in a home-schooling circle she was joining in the new area.

If upper levels and HO personnel are confused, how are we supposed to not be confused?! There are a ton of consultants on up that I'm sure wouldn't have thought of that being against the rules, especially since it was featured in an HO publication. How I would like to plead ignorance and be able to use just basic web services - not to get away from personal relationships, but because there are people with whom I have personal relationships on a very web level! And part of me thinks, "well, everyone else will be thinking they can do it now, so I just should. Ask forgiveness, not permission." But the bigger part of me is the part that is committed to running my business ethically and with integrity, and since I know it's against the rules, I won't.

*sigh* I promise I wasn't trying to be a sh!t-stirrer or a rabble rouser; I'm just genuinely confused, and not much comforted to know that the leadership is confused, as well.
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Here is another "KateD" that agrees with EVERYTHING you just said... especially your last statement!
 
One of the issues with it getting into the newsletter is that the department that handles policy is not the department that would create the newsletter. So unless the publications department had someone from career solutions proofread, they wouldn't necessarily know there was anything wrong with it.
 
I'd hate to be the one responsible at HO for this mess!
 
chefann said:
The policies used to come with the kit. I was sad to see them stop including them, because not everyone is going to jump up, download them, and read them when they're new.
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Why in the world would they NOT include the policies in the kit?? That makes absolutely no sense to me at all. Pampered Chef is all about supporting their consultants but if they aren't even giving new consultants the guidlines...:confused:
 
I know - silly, isn't it? They get the business guide, but that's not the policies. And there's plenty of room in the binder to include the policies.
 
The policies are listed on the back of the agreement. When someone signs up on line they can read them and then print them off.

We need to take extra care to point this out to new consultants and encourage them to read them.

I think they took the policies out of the business guide so that it could be streamlined. I know they wanted to have less repetition.
 
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