Missing Guest Payment, Host Is Upset!

[chefsteph07]

The guest left me a message on Friday night and told me a date that it was cleared by her bank and I am waiting to hear back from a manager on Monday to verify that it had gone through. The date she gave me is pretty close to when I deposited the check so I probably did deposit it by accident. If so, I'll send her a refund this week and hopefully be done w/ the whole thing.

 

[janetupnorth]

If you get that proof, good for you for making it right. Write a check back, not cash! Give her a Season's Best or something for her trouble too.

 

[BettieC]

Any update? I've been following this...lol

 

[tabailey]

Just to add my two cents here, if this had happened with say the water or electric company you can bet your bottom dollar those companies would want a real copy of the cancelled check with absolute proof they had deposited it and misrecorded the payment, in their hands not just your word over the phone. Pampered Chef is our business just as much as Duke Energy is in the electric business.

Let us know when you've closed the door on this one!

Tara

 

[K_Jurich]

any update?

 

[pampchefrhondab]

Wow, what a mess. I hope you get is resolved soon. It sounds like my problem w/the guests who said I made her account overdraw!

I always make a copy of the checks I deposit with a total and then write down the cash total w/the grand total amount I deposit. I keep this in the show folder until everything is received by everyone and all checks are cleared. Then I schread the sheets and just list the deposit amount in the inside of the folder (about a month later). I started this mainly because I sometimes do multiple deposits at the same time. I also sometimes do the deposits a few days before the show closes. I always compare what is going to come out of my account when I finalize the show to what I deposited in the bank. If there is a descrepancy I try to find it.

I don't know if it is illegal to copy checks or not. I put them all in row on my scanner and only copy the front in b&w. My schreader is one of those that cuts it in multilple directions in little pieces. I started this because I was afraid I would do what you did - not sure you deposited it or received it. I also write the date on the sheet that I made the deposit.

Now I do have a funny story. One time I had a huge show and had my deposit amount written down. My bank deposit didn't match. I called the bank and they said they were correct. Stupid me - I left the last two checks in my scanner!!

 

[kam]

Good idea, Rhonda about making copies.

I make separate deposits for each show and write the host's on the deposit slip (and in my check book). Many times I am making 3 or more separate deposits at one time. In fact, yesterday I went to the bank with 5!

 

[Madsen7]

I'm glad the situation is almost resolved but I just wanted to add that this is another reason to have the guests write checks to the host (not to you) and then the host can write you the total for all checks. You only have to manage one check, you know it's the right total and if the host misplaces her friends check or it bounces or whatever, you know she'll be able to fix the problem far easier than you will.

 

[chefsteph07]

Well, just heard back from my bank...I did make the error...I am sending the guest her check today. I have learned from now on to write the check number on the guest receipt! That way I will KNOW if I got the check in my hand, although, like I said, I never have lost a check before.

I wanted to respond to the post about having the guests make their checks out to the host...I'd rather not do that, I would rather have one problem w/ a bounced check or something rather than having a whole show bounce and to recover hundreds of dollars from the host or the guests. This is the way I have been doing things from the beginning and I don't want to change that.

Thank you guys so much for you advice and words of encouragment! I really needed it!

 

[pcchefjane]

Wonder how the lady will react now that you have found the check? I write it on all the receipts but now feel almost paranoid after what happened to you! Hopefully nothing like this will happen again!

 

[pampchefrhondab]

Wow, I'm so sorry this happend to you. I would feel so bad, but mistakes happen.

Thank you for sharing your story with us. It helps so much for others to think about what could happen and make changes to their business to prevent it!