Shipping on Backordered Items....

[lesliec]

I am sitting here, looking at a pink tomato knife that belongs to one of my friends. She was a guest at a show in May, and the show was shipped to my house. The knife ended up being back ordered and came about a week after I had delivered her other items to her. It has probably been sitting here close to 30 days though. She is a good friend, we're both busy, and neither of us has made time for it.
I know last summer (before I was a consultant) MIL had a show and one of my items was back ordered (can strainer). Small item, not a huge priority, buy I never got it from her. She doesn't know what happened to it.
All of this got me thinking, why doesn't HO just direct ship late coming items? In my experience it is usually only 1 item for one person, and it would cost the same for them to ship it directly to the person as opposed to the host. Just a though. Anyone have any thoughts on this one?

 

[ChefBeckyD]

Well, I had a couple shows in late May with backordered pink knives. 7 on one order and 4 on the other. In that case, it was much cheaper to ship to the host than to do 7 or 4 direct ships.

 

[lesliec]

I can definitely see your point in that scenario. I am new, but most of the backorderd items I have had have been just one item per show. I just feel like it is asking a lot of the hosts to have to deliver multiple times to the guests b/c the company doesn't send it all out at once.
Of course I also have a show that has 4 backordered DCB's on it right now, so it is not an all the time situation, but I was just suggesting that it may be a courtesy for those who are already having to wait extra time for their products.

 

[krahema]

I agree - it would be very nice for PC to direct ship backordered items to guests. I was pleasantly surprised, which an item I ordered from a Thirty-One Gifts party was backordered and shipped directly to me. I guess I just assumed it would go to the host and she would have to get it to me. Good customer service & PR on their part!

I would say it is the least PC can do for the inconvience it creates for the guest & host. Especially when it is on items like the Ice Cream Dipper - who would ever think that would be on b/o?!?!

Fortunately I haven't heard any complaints from hosts/guests on the shipping policy for back ordered items, but I wish they would change it. I think I will contact HO to make the suggestion. Anyone wish to join me?:chef:

 

[lesliec]

I will karhema.
I'm glad I'm not the only one on this. I don't think what they are doing is aweful, but with the first shipment, the host is expecting it. By the time the 2nd shipment comes, often PC is out of her mind and other things in life have happened and it can be an inconvenience.

 

[krahema]

Wow - I got a fast response from HO - here is the response:

"Dear Margaret,

Thank you for contacting The Pampered Chef. We can ship back ordered items directly to the guest. You would just need to contact us with the show number, item number and name and address to ship to.


Jill Ungaro
Solution Center Representative
The Pampered Chef, Ltd."


This is good to know - am I the only one that never knew this? I'll be sure to pass it along to my cluster, in case they aren't aware Thank you to Leslie for posting this - now I know the answer:chef:

 

[lesliec]

WOW, Thanks for doing this. I haven't even sent an email yet.
Good to know this info.

 

[rlombas]

Hi there,I totally understand your frustration with backordered items. It can be frustrating when you're eagerly waiting for a product and it doesn't arrive on time. As a consultant, I always try to keep my customers updated on the status of their orders and any backordered items.In regards to your suggestion about direct shipping late items, I think it's a great idea. I know that HO is constantly looking for ways to improve and streamline their processes, so I will definitely pass this suggestion along to them. Thank you for bringing it to my attention.In the meantime, if you or your friend ever have any issues with backordered items, please don't hesitate to reach out to me. I'm always here to help and make sure that your orders are taken care of. Thank you for being a loyal customer and for your support as a consultant. Have a great day!