Pampered Chef Food Chopper Vs. Slap Chop

[ivykeep]

I had a guest ask about this at a show. I don't have one, but I have seen the commercials. Like our Food Chopper is opens for cleaning. The problem is that they are selling them at $19.95 (and including a "Graty" which is like our garlic slicer but is a cheese grater for free -- and I've seen tv offers for 2 sets for the same price (just pay S&H for the second set)

Anyone have any insight into the differences and why ours is worth $10 more?

I've gone to the site -- it has a 3 year warranty, $19.95 + $7.95 shipping and handling for the first chopper and grater and then the second set is $7.95 for shipping.

I lost a couple of sales of our food chopper (they were on the order form and then crossed off so I know I lost at least 2 sales) because I didn't have an answer and I couldn't get the guest to shut up about it (she apparently bought one off of tv and loved it).

Any suggestions?

 

[BlessedWifeMommy]

Sorry this guest wasn't polite enough to keep her mouth shut. Ours is better. It has a 5 year guarantee with a company that is well known and will be around in 5 years.You can buy replacement parts for ours. It is a better design with the soft top.

 

[BethCooks4U]

I saw one at Walmart and took it out of the box. It is very cheap plasticy looking and the blade guard looks like a cheap version of the old gaurd we had before they re-did ours. There will be some people who will love it and feel like they're getting a deal but there's nothing you can do about those people.

Stress that ours has a 5 year warranty and that it has been tested in our million dollar test kitchens. Our is also patented. No one else has the exact combination of width, debth, blade... that ours has. So you could say to her "looks kind of like ours before they improved it". (It doesn't, ours never looked that cheap but be nice. )

I have had several people at shows state that they had bought "one of those choppers" at the store or TV and came to the party specifically to get our chopper. I have also had several Tupperware sales people say that they use OUR chopper in their kitchens because it's so much better.

There are always spoilers out there but they just keep us on our toes. I have found that Pampered Chef and our customers bring people back to us!

 

[ivykeep]

Thanks... I was just stunned. It was my first cooking show in about 6 months (I've kept active with catalog shows as I finished a difficult twins pregnancy and survived the first few months) and it took my by surprise and I couldn't think of a reaction fast enough. It was a bit of a let down at the show.I DID try and use it to push for bookings by pointing out that they could earn it for FREE by booking a show.

 

[kam]

I had bought one years and years ago - not from TV - but at a kiosk type stand around Christmas-time. It also came with the gratey-thing. BTW: The gratey thing was useless. Anyway, I just wanted the Chopper.

All those years, it was fine. I used it to cut onions and nuts. Yes, it works fine. And I went to PC shows for years and never felt the need to replace my chopper.

Then I became a Consultant and got the Food Chopper with the kit. I actually thought I would keep the old one in the cabinet to use at home and keep the PC one in my kit. NO WAY! THERE IS NO COMPARISON! The plastic on ours is sturdier. (harder, thicker). It also feels sturdier while using it. The other one went into my yard sale box! (As did my off-brand mandoline!)

I know that might not help. But, yes, ours comes with a guarantee and replacement parts as BlessedWifeMommy states.

So, bottom line - when I didn't know any better, the other one is fine. But, once you try ours - you will not go back.

 

[ivykeep]

Thanks Kathleen -- being able to relate that type of story is great. I've always been able to counter the regular "wal-mart" choppers by pointing out that my mom got one for $15 and it broke, so she got another and it broke and then she bought ours. She could have saved her money by buying a higher quality product in the first place. Ours opening has also always been a big selling point. The way the guest talked it sounded like the slap chop was a brand new product and was sturdy and had all of the PC features just a slightly different look. I have no intention of paying $28 to check out the competition...

 

[BethCooks4U]

Thanks Kathleen -- being able to relate that type of story is great. I've always been able to counter the regular "wal-mart" choppers by pointing out that my mom got one for $15 and it broke, so she got another and it broke and then she bought ours. She could have saved her money by buying a higher quality product in the first place. Ours opening has also always been a big selling point.

The way the guest talked it sounded like the slap chop was a brand new product and was sturdy and had all of the PC features just a slightly different look. I have no intention of paying $28 to check out the competition...

It was the "As seen on TV" Slap Chop that I was talking about in my previous post.

 

[Shawnna]

you can buy those at walmart for the same price as on tv...without the shipping charge and without the extra "free" product. our product is much better than anything you can get at walmart.

 

[kam]

Just looked on the web - and mine was not the "slap-chop". But I am thinking it is very much the same idea. It probably wouldn't hurt to locate one in a store as Swanna mentions and take it out of the box and see how it is.

 

[doughmama]

also in regard to warranty, p chef is a solid company and stands behind its warranty. not so sure about some of these fly by night products. plus, if you lose your receipt for the slap chop and want to return it, good luck. I recently had a customer who had a problem with a cutting board. The warranty had just expired (isn't that always the way) but p chef replaced it anyway.btw - I saw a slap chop at a party I had - the host was talking about it. Honestly - no comparison at all!!

 

[Nanisu]

Buy one at walmart and hold them up together. Guarantee you will sell ours. I had a host that bought a cheap chopper at a county fair two days before her show, trotted it out and we put them side by side and chopped an onion. She bought 2 of mine and I sold 6 that night. The other ones are a piece of junk.

 

[pampchefsarah]

Laura, now that you have these great responses, pull out the order forms and call the people who crossed the Food Chopper off their order. Let them know how sorry you are you didn't have an answer to the questions asked at the party, and it bothered you so much you decided to do some research, then give them the information you learned here. You may not get an extra sale out of it, but it's great customer care! I can guarantee you nobody from WalMart would do the same.

 

[Judybabe]

my dad always says that if you are a novice, buy the best tools you can, it makes the job easier. that's why I keep getting craftsman tools for my b-day and Christmas. In july he gave me a water pipe wrench. Fixed my outdoor hose connections! I tell my customers that all the time when they say they don't cook. Tools that make your job easier, make cooking easier which will make it less stressful. If you ever get a chance to read Doris Christopher's book on PC, that was her philosophy as well.

 

[chefsteph07]

I'd like to know if the chopping area is very large on the SC?

When I see the infomercials, it looks like you can chop "one" clove of garlic, etc...I think ours is large in terms of the area inside the clear collar that you can actually chop.

Also, David Meenan had a great point when I took his Selling w the Stars last year, in regard to the "buy one get one free", he said to tell them that those kitchen products are so cheap that usually when you "get one free" it's not intended to be used as a gift! I always keep that in mind...

 

[chefann]

I agree on the size - it looks really small on the commercials.Another good comparison is the sharpness of the blades. Someone around here (I forget who it was, though), decided a few months ago to do the "chop an onion skin-side down" trick that's included in the infomercial, but with the PC chopper. The blade went right through the skin, unlike the blade on the Slap Chop.

 

[janetupnorth]

Another comeback to the guest is:"Why spend $27.90 for one on TV when you can host a show and get it for free from a company that is around for you if something happens?"

 

[ivykeep]

Thanks everyone I am now well prepared for the next time and I am going to call those customers as a customer care call. Great idea! Thanks!!

 

[raebates]

And, remember that ours turns with each chop. I had a customer call a few weeks ago. She said her DIL's PC chopper broke, so she bought one at Wal-Mart. She was with her DIL when she used it for the first time. She called me the next day to order the PC one. She said, "Rae, that one didn't even turn." You can't beat PC.Oh, and in the right crowd I've been known to say, "If you really think that one's just as good, go ahead and buy it. When it breaks in a couple of months you can give me a call and order the PC one."

 

[mrshamel3808]

I agree on the size - it looks really small on the commercials.

Another good comparison is the sharpness of the blades. Someone around here (I forget who it was, though), decided a few months ago to do the "chop an onion skin-side down" trick that's included in the infomercial, but with the PC chopper. The blade went right through the skin, unlike the blade on the Slap Chop.

My PC chopper doesn't go through the onion skin! In fact, that always bothered me until I learned the "chop an onion skin-side down" trick and now I use that at my shows because I figured if I always had problems with getting through that last layer of onion than so did other people. I have had random times that it's gone through the skin but in general it doesn't get through the botton layer (skin or not).

I actually almost asked this same question about a week ago after my uncle asked me to order a replacement part for his PC chopper. I was at my parent's house and my mom was saying how she had seen the Slap and Chop and how cheap it MUST be to be getting 2 for less than the price of 1 PC chopper. People who know the quality and reasonable pricing of PC should know that if we're charging more for the "same" product, ours will have benefits the cheap one doesn't. I like what Steph said too, point out that the reason they give you one free isn't to give as a gift, it's to replace the one you keep once it, inevitably, breaks. I guess they figure you'd just think "oh well, I have this extra one and it was cheap, not worth the fuss to call them and return it to get my money back!"

 

[esavvymom]

My PC chopper doesn't go through the onion skin! In fact, that always bothered me until I learned the "chop an onion skin-side down" trick and now I use that at my shows because I figured if I always had problems with getting through that last layer of onion than so did other people. I have had random times that it's gone through the skin but in general it doesn't get through the botton layer (skin or not).

I actually almost asked this same question about a week ago after my uncle asked me to order a replacement part for his PC chopper. I was at my parent's house and my mom was saying how she had seen the Slap and Chop and how cheap it MUST be to be getting 2 for less than the price of 1 PC chopper. People who know the quality and reasonable pricing of PC should know that if we're charging more for the "same" product, ours will have benefits the cheap one doesn't. I like what Steph said too, point out that the reason they give you one free isn't to give as a gift, it's to replace the one you keep once it, inevitably, breaks. I guess they figure you'd just think "oh well, I have this extra one and it was cheap, not worth the fuss to call them and return it to get my money back!"

Whenever we see those info-mercials on TV, we think the same thing when there is "get 2 for the price of 1!!!". Yeah, right!

And yes, I'd point out not only THAT tid-bit, but also that PC has been around for 30 yrs. In 1 yr (if your Slap-Chop LASTS that long), will you be able to reach customer service and get NEARLY as good of service? Plus, we have a 5 yr warranty on the FC, not just 3. And PC will take things back almost regardless of reason- if it's within the time frame! I'm sure the other company would tell you it wasn't covered because you 'actually used it', so it's normal wear and tear.

I wouldn't worry about it. Do the customer care followup as suggested. Those who didn't buy the PC item, will either regret it and come back later, or didn't really know about PC's impeccable reputation anyway.

For the record- My first FC purchased from PC lasted almost 8 yrs before I gave in and bought a new one because it wasn't chopping AS good. It would have lasted longer but I tried to sharpen the blades with the chopped ice trick- which DOES NOT work...and I finished ruining it and HAD to buy a new one.

 

[byrd1956]

My hairdresser said her dh was all excited and wanted to order the slapchop when he saw it advertised. She told him not to do it and she ordered a chopper from me. She knows quality when she sees it!

 

[stefani2]

I saw one at Walmart and took it out of the box. It is very cheap plasticy looking and the blade guard looks like a cheap version of the old gaurd we had before they re-did ours. There will be some people who will love it and feel like they're getting a deal but there's nothing you can do about those people.

Stress that ours has a 5 year warranty and that it has been tested in our million dollar test kitchens. Our is also patented. No one else has the exact combination of width, debth, blade... that ours has. So you could say to her "looks kind of like ours before they improved it". (It doesn't, ours never looked that cheap but be nice. )

I have had several people at shows state that they had bought "one of those choppers" at the store or TV and came to the party specifically to get our chopper. I have also had several Tupperware sales people say that they use OUR chopper in their kitchens because it's so much better.

There are always spoilers out there but they just keep us on our toes. I have found that Pampered Chef and our customers bring people back to us!

i agree! It is all about the quality of PC's products!

Plus I loved Janet's input about getting a FC for FREE by Hosting!!! :love:

 

[ChefPaulaB]

My PC chopper doesn't go through the onion skin! In fact, that always bothered me until I learned the "chop an onion skin-side down" trick and now I use that at my shows because I figured if I always had problems with getting through that last layer of onion than so did other people. I have had random times that it's gone through the skin but in general it doesn't get through the botton layer (skin or not).

I actually almost asked this same question about a week ago after my uncle asked me to order a replacement part for his PC chopper. I was at my parent's house and my mom was saying how she had seen the Slap and Chop and how cheap it MUST be to be getting 2 for less than the price of 1 PC chopper. People who know the quality and reasonable pricing of PC should know that if we're charging more for the "same" product, ours will have benefits the cheap one doesn't. I like what Steph said too, point out that the reason they give you one free isn't to give as a gift, it's to replace the one you keep once it, inevitably, breaks. I guess they figure you'd just think "oh well, I have this extra one and it was cheap, not worth the fuss to call them and return it to get my money back!"

I was coming on here to talk about this, because I did try that onion thing after seeing the commercial and I thought that was cool, you didn't even have to peel the onion, but my Food Chopper chopped that skin right up. I don't know how old your FC is, but maybe the blades aren't as sharp as they should be. My old food chopper might not chop through the skins but the one that came with my kit sure do. So, that's always my point if I get this brought up... I usually just laugh and roll my eyes a little (in a fun way) and tell them that story... And also, when someone brings up another brand of anything (knives, whatever) I always make a big deal of hushing them and telling them that's not allowed at my show (always laughing when I say it) and usually some comment about how it's not better, but I just turn it into a big joke and it never goes very far...

 

[legacypc46]

I just read a review on that thing and I'm trying hard to remember in what magazine. They essentially recommended saving your money by not buying it. When I get back from class, I'll see if I can locate it (magazines are my secret vice...my version of mindless decompressing).

 

[chefcharity]

I always jokingly say 'there is a reason they sell 2 for 1... you'll need the extra one when it breaks!'

thanks for all the actual info on the difference tho! lol!