Not So Good Party - My Disastrous Cooking Show Experience

[RuthV]

Hi everyone. I had a cooking show Satuday evening about 7 p.m. I should have known as soon as I walked in that it was not going to be a good night. First, my hostess had pawned off the whole party onto her husband. I knew this ahead of time and didn't have a problem with it since her hubby is friends with my hubby and I. Second, when I got there I was informed that the hostess wanted to do this outside, in the heat with the mosquitoes. She didn't want me to have to "cook" anything. Since I got there about an hour and a half early I suggested doing the "cold stone" ice cream party. No, she just wanted me to do a veggie tray. Third sign that it was a bad night, the guests arrived with bottles of alcohol. I had my PC stuff set up at one end of the table and the other end was covered with bottles of booze and drink fixings. Everytime I tried to get things rolling someone had to make a comment about sex/drinks/getting drunk and picking up dates. One of the guys I knew tried to help me out. He's an Army cook and wanted to check out my products. He was great about helping show off uses and givign me new ideas. He got so frustrated with the group that he started to throw veggies at that end of the table. I did mingle and talk to individuals but the party was a disaster. I might get 4 or 5 small orders. I don't know if I'll get enough orders to even count this as a cooking party. Right now, I'm just totally disillusioned.

 

[pckelly]

Well, don't get discouraged, I had a bad one Saturday night too, walked out with one order totaling 35 dollars! Pitiful!! Others just wanted to take their catalogs home and look them over. Don't worry, we all have those from time to time. Just keep your chin up and move on to the next show. If it isn't enough to make a show explain it to the host and that if they don't get enough outside orders to make it, you will have to just add it to some one else's and the whole show would've been a waste. Their loss I guess. Nothing irritates me more than unmotivated hosts!! Sorry it happened!!

 

[nikkijo]

I am so sorry that you had a bad show! I hate it when it happens. Do not let it get you down! It sounds like she is a friend (or her DH is) and she may have done this show as a favor for you. Sometimes friends and family have the worst shows for us. They do them for us as a favor not because they want to.

Have you talked to the army guy to see if he would be interested in hosting his own party? The couple of shows that I have done with guys as the host have been a blast!

 

[Chef Stacy Edwards]

We all have them Ruth But the good out ways the bad... Ruth, Let me tell you about my bad or should say my worst show.
I had a show with a friend of mine and one of her friends that i had never met booked a show, well she was one of these that you could never do host coaching with because she never returned calls, until the night before her show to tell me what she wanted me to make ( wasn't that nice of her )
So I was like ummm ok ( but really wanted to just say forget it, as i was in the grocery store parking lot talking with her) So I proceed to go back in the store to get my ingredients for the show.
Now this was back in Oct. last yr.
I arrive on time to the Host house, whos husband, boyfriend what ever he was at the time, was sitting in the garage and surprised me with his "hello" only because i did not see him.
Anyway to make a long store short. They also had a big bash with alchol etc. I am not against having a good time by no means, but when the host boyfriend, husband what ever starts hitting on you and then takes my flexable funnel and does a beer bong with it and gets beer that he spewed (spelling) all over my table with my products on it, i was a little upset but I stayed calm and professional about the whole thing, all my cook books were damaged not to mention washing all that i had out..
So he proceed to tell me he would buy everything on my table (being a smart xxx i am sure) I said with a SMILE no that I was done and would be on my way just wanted to leave because he still was being alittle flirtious. So the Host was appologizing (also well on her way to being not sober).
It took her over 3 weeks to close her show, had guest calling and asking me when there stuff was coming in. So had to go thru I am tring to get a hold of so and so to close it out. Finally closed I had 2 bookings was not a bad show I think it was around 800.00.

So at one of the bookings from her show (scared to death she the past host and her what ever he was,was going to be there) I asked the host that night setting up for her show if they were coming, and get this one she was in Prison because the night before and right after she got her PC products she and her what ever got into a huge fight and she proceed to slice his throat with our 5" forge cuttlery utility knife (he survived)......OOOO but wait there is more. When this host was closing out her show was when our host were able to get the Professional Roaster at 60% off, so the next day the past host calls me (she was out of jail I assume by then) and wants the host special and I was like ummmmm well i have closed out the party and I can not do anything. But I told her that if any of my host dosen't want to use there 60% off I would give it to her (being the nice person i was)
But of course every host wanted it and had to call her back to say I am sorry but I can't offer you the 60% off but I will offer it to you at 20% off ( out of my pocket of course) OOOOOOO no that wasn't good enough so she said she was callin HO on me and I was going to be fired blah blah blah......Well I let her have it,my professionalism was out the door now, so I said that I had to replace every cookbook I owned because of her show not to mention having her guest call me to find out what was going on which i could not tell them since you were not reachable blah blah..

And If i hadn't bored you with my wonderful horrible show, HO did call me and had to go over the whole situation with them and said that I did not care what they wanted to do but that I was done with this Host forever.......
Just remember we all have them and The GOOD diffently out ways the Bad. That makes us stonger and better IMO.

The End

 

[pcchris]

Ruth, So sorry to hear of your bad experience....I know just how you feel, and it's easy to become disillusioned...but don't let it get ya down.

Stacy - Holy crap! That's one heck of a BAD show! Don't you hate it when HO calls you for an explanation? I freaked out when you typed that she cut his throat with the knife...WOW!

It can be so difficult to keep you professionalism, but sometimes there are people who really deserve to be on the receiving end of non-professionalism...if you know what I mean!

I'd love to read other horror show stories...mine is the disaster bridal shower...and I've LET IT GO!!! FINALLY!!!!

 

[legacypc46]

My 'horror' story is a show that involved about 10 guys drinking outside while about 15 women were drinking inside....and '500' children under five were running amok (sp?). One child would shriek in excitement and they would all shriek. The gals talked to each other throughout the demo...or jumped up to look after a crying child.

The host was a really sweet gal, but getting thru the 'show' was an ordeal. Called my husband when I left and asked him to have alcohol waiting for me when I got home.

Sales were low (don't think all the guests realized the evening was going to involve a PC party)...but one of the guests brought a neighbor who booked a show that just closed at $1000+ and who rebooked for June to get two sets of the steak knives at 60% off. (And she has become a friend to boot!)

So I guess cooking shows are kinda like blind dates...you never know what the guy's brother is going to look like!

 

[legacypc46]

Ruth,

Apologies for us all hijacking your thread (it happens a lot around here!)

Seriously, some shows end up being just plain hard....but the overwhelming majority are both fun and successful. If you are just starting, don't let this discourage you. It sounds like your host took the approach that she was doing you a favor by having a show...so no effort or involvement on her part. Stick it out...all it takes is one really good show to make this business yours.

kris

 

[raebates]

Bad shows provide excellent material for every "OMG! I can top that!" conversation you ever find yourself in.

 

[chefann]

Everybody has to have a certain number of really crummy shows in their PC career. You just got one out of the way right away.

 

[amy07]

Ann & Rae - you guys are so awesome with always putting such a positive and fun spin on things!

 

[raebates]

Thanks, Amy. Unfortunately, I had to endure years of horrid things happening to me in order to develop the ability to see the positive. Other people probably learn faster than I.

 

[RuthV]

Well, getting ready to close that bad show. Low sales and maybe 2 folks who might book parties after the 4th of July. I'm so dissappointed. At least I've got a couple of orders that I can add to it.

 

[katie0128]

Bless and ReleaseNow you can "Bless and Release"... you'll hear that lots around here, too!

 

[Chef Endora]

I love "Bless & release". I learned that here.

Someday you will look back on that whole situation & find some humor in it (I hope)...what was that host gonna do with the roaster...try to drown him in it? I don't think you want to promote our forged utility knife as a "try-me...just try me piece"

I used to belong to a bellydance troupe (long, long ago) and we had some really unusual gigs, but now I wouldn't trade those memories for anything....not even the new fall products for free!