Should a Pampered Chef Consultant's Blog Be Reported?

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Discussion Overview

The thread explores the topic of whether Pampered Chef consultants should report blogs that discuss Pampered Chef products and include links to personal websites. Participants share their views on the implications of such blogs in relation to company policies and the fairness of enforcement.

Discussion Character

  • Opinion-based
  • Debate/contested
  • Anecdotal

Main Points Raised

  • One participant, identifying as a consultant, mentions that it is against consultant rules to discuss being a consultant on blogs, raising the question of whether to report such blogs.
  • Another participant shares their experience that reporting is a personal choice, with some feeling it is not their responsibility to enforce rules.
  • Several users mention that while linking to personal websites is prohibited, mentioning products in text or images may be acceptable.
  • One participant expresses concern about a blog that includes multiple links to personal websites and promotional content, suggesting it violates company policy.
  • Another participant recounts a negative experience where a consultant's Facebook page was reported, leading to a suspension, which affected their business.
  • Some participants agree that it may be more beneficial to inform the blogger of potential violations before reporting them.
  • Others express frustration with the policy, questioning the fairness of allowing some social media platforms while restricting others like blogs.
  • One participant argues that the rules are unclear and that the ability to use various platforms for promotion should be more equitable.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Views differ significantly among participants regarding the appropriateness of reporting blogs and the fairness of the existing policies. No clear consensus emerges on whether to report or how to interpret the rules.

Contextual Notes

Participants share personal experiences and interpretations of company policies, reflecting a variety of perspectives on the implications of blogging as a consultant.

Who May Find This Useful

Consultants navigating the complexities of blogging and social media policies may find the shared experiences and viewpoints relevant to their own situations.

K
KymberlyMcD
Messages
7
I know it's against consultant rules to discuss being a PC consultant on blogs. Would you report a blog that is strictly Pampered Chef products and recipes? The owner is a consultant because she has a link to her PWS on her blog.
 
Re: Blogging?We can't link our sites to our blogs but we can mention our products. I have a blog and although I don't have a link to the website I certainly mention Pampered Chef in the text and show products in the pictures. I think if she removes the link, she should be ok.
 
  • Thread starter
  • #4
Re: Blogging?I have a blog as well but did not want to mention the products or the show photos because I thought that was in violation as well. This particular blog has the link in several places on her site, as well as a navigation link to "join my team" and "shop online" which goes to her PWS.
 
Re: Blogging?
Nanisu said:
We can't link our sites to our blogs but we can mention our products. I have a blog and although I don't have a link to the website I certainly mention Pampered Chef in the text and show products in the pictures. I think if she removes the link, she should be ok.
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I was under the impression that we can't state that we are a consultant in any way on a blog.

In the PG it states

Only Executive Directors and above may purchase a separate domain name and/or develop a website or blog outside of their Pampered Chef® Personal Web Site for the sole purpose of training and recognizing their downline.
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and

If you maintain a personal blog or external website of your own, you may not search engine optimize the site with any hotlinks, words or references relating to The Pampered Chef® or any of its products, programs, trademarks or copyrighted materials.
Click to expand...

I understood that to mean that we can't even state we are consultants on a blog.
 
Re: Blogging?I am search engine not optimizing it. My blog is whosaroundthetable.com and I state on the front page that I sell kitchen tools with "America's # 1 direct seller of quality kitchen tools in the home". I do mention Pampered Chef once in awhile in a sentence or two and in the past I have shown pics of the DCB and the Pizza pan without mentioning the name of the product, but that's all. There is no link to my website. I take that verbage to mean that I cannot search engine optimize my sight or mention it in my profile, have a link to my sight or promote the products in any way other than mentioning them. I don't have my PC apron on, nor do I have the logo anywhere. I can't see where I am breaking any rules. They would fight me tooth and nail over this one.
 
Re: Blogging?I had a consultant who was posting in Facebook. She is a huge social media queen, with over 4000 fans. She joined and was excited to give it a go. Had 2 $1000 shows all online. She has medical issues and is home bound, so was happy to use her online presence for pc. Apparently, a consultant came across her fb page and started copying every single thing on her own page. The consultant copying her posts was obviously was not paying attn and included photos of my consultants kids. My consultant sent her an email explaining her frustrations and asking her to stop. She offered to help consultant, but asked that she not outright copy everything. The other consultant did some research on mine and found a pic of QSP on pinterest by her. No web link, just a recipe, and a link to her fb pg. The consultant reported mine to HO. She had her pws suspended for 30 days even though my consultant changed everything within an hour of email. She was so turned off by pc comraderie and HO misinformation of social media policies, that she quit altogether. She had to create a new fb page and is still trying to build her fan base because she was incorrectly told by HO that she could not list her pws on fb and needed to shut it down. :(
 
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Re: Blogging?I would suggest contacting the blogger and letting them know they are in violation of HO policy. If they remove the links and such, leave it be. If they don't after about a week, then I would report it.

We all make mistakes and this could be an honest one. I was grateful to the consultant who let me know that an ad I had placed on Craigslist was in violation. I changed it as soon as I received the notice to make it compliant. Had I left it up anyway, then I would have been warned and would have deserved the wrath of HO. By the way the only thing that ad ever generated for me was SPAM....
 
Re: Blogging?I agree Jane. Give the consultant the benefit of doubt and politely inform its against HO rules. Then allow said consultant to correct.
 
Re: Blogging?Why do we all have to appoint ourselves the Internet Police over someone's Blog? Geezo Peezo...it's not like we're going to have people storming our emails to order anything because we show a product or two or mention it. It's a stupid policy, and why do we here have to "politely inform HO" about anything? I know I know, Can of Worms, be opened.
 
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  • #11
Re: Blogging?The only reason why I would report it is because I do not think it is fair for a person to have another outlet other than social media since it is not allowed by Pampered Chef and in 'violation'. Believe me, I'd be the first one to plaster it all over my blog if it weren't against the rules. I do not agree with the rule because I think that if I were a company owner, I would want to spread the word through several avenues other than social media.
 
Re: Blogging?
Nanisu said:
Why do we all have to appoint ourselves the Internet Police over someone's Blog? Geezo Peezo...it's not like we're going to have people storming our emails to order anything because we show a product or two or mention it. It's a stupid policy, and why do we here have to "politely inform HO" about anything? I know I know, Can of Worms, be opened.
Click to expand...

It's not a matter of mentioning or showing a product or two that is at issue, it's the linking to the personal website that is the issue. I looked at your blog, there is nothing in there that I would consider a violation. Yes, you have a lot of pictures of PC products, but they are either the generic product pics or the products in use. No real advertising at all.

KymberlyMcD said:
The only reason why I would report it is because I do not think it is fair for a person to have another outlet other than social media since it is not allowed by Pampered Chef and in 'violation'. Believe me, I'd be the first one to plaster it all over my blog if it weren't against the rules. I do not agree with the rule because I think that if I were a company owner, I would want to spread the word through several avenues other than social media.
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I quite agree. PC has the rules in place for a varitety of reasons:

1. So that they can keep some semblence of control over how we consultants use their name and tradmarked images
2. To be fair to all consultants so that everyone is allowed the same opportunities in advertising. They will not allow for one person what they will not allow for everyone. The few times they will grant an exception, they always have a time limit on the exception.
 
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Re: Blogging?What I think is so wrong about their policy is that you can post all over facebook, but you cant post on a blog. I wouldnt care if they wrote my blog post or censored it or whatever, but letting one kind of social media do it and the others not? Not fair.
 
Re: Blogging?So from what I am gathering, this rule is not clear. I'm not sure why they would block blogs, as they are free, just like Facebook. Everyone has the opportunity to start a blog, so I don't think it makes the playing field "uneven." I just started a blog where I state that I am a consultant and I talk about products and recipes. I have one generic product picture on there, and also the 'Independent Consultant' logo in my About section. I do not have a link to my PWS, just my email address. So.....I am thinking that I am in violation?
 
Re: Blogging?
bentleymommy said:
What I think is so wrong about their policy is that you can post all over facebook, but you cant post on a blog. I wouldnt care if they wrote my blog post or censored it or whatever, but letting one kind of social media do it and the others not? Not fair.
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Totally agreed. It is a very double standard! Not everyone is on FB.

I would be tickled if I could have a blog, but even with some limitations. I would be ok with not being allowed to link to my PWS. But if it was ok to show a picture of a product, or just state that I am a consultant. I think it would be used more so by my existing customer base, just like your FB pages, especially if we are told we cant link our pws, cant "sell" with our blog, just use it for recipes, tips, etc. and maybe are not "search engine optimized" (no keyword tags linking to product names or PCs name, etc that a search engine would pick out easily).
 
Re: Blogging?So, if you can't mention The Pampered Chef or any of their products on any website other than PWS and Facebook, wouldn't Chef Success be a violation?I'm reading and re-reading the policy guide and it seems to me that you are OK with blogs as long as your don't use them for training purposes, you don't link to your PWS, and you don't use SEO tactics.
 
Re: Blogging?I have two thoughts on this...

1. First Amendment Rights

2. Don't they realized we (and they, in extension) can get more business that way?

Has anyone spoken with HO about this restriction?
 
Re: Blogging?
ChefPeg said:
I have two thoughts on this...

1. First Amendment Rights

2. Don't they realized we (and they, in extension) can get more business that way?

Has anyone spoken with HO about this restriction?
Click to expand...

I believe what it really comes down to is protecting trademarks. By placing guidelines limiting where we can post about our business, HO has more control over the kind of material that is out there about PC, and what the public face of the company looks like. Yes, with FB pages anything a consultant posts is public, but it's less likely to be the top hit in a search engine, and they do have guidelines in place that you must make it clear with everything you post that you are an independent consultant and not HO.

I don't think it's that HO is worried about fairness and accessibility to all, I think it's a matter of having to draw the line somewhere. Yes, everyone can get a free blog, but that's just the thing: everyone can get a free blog.

Plus, the heart of our business is always going to be personal connections, and HO doesn't want us to move too far away from that.
 

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the reasons to report a Pampered Chef Consultant's blog?

There are several reasons to report a Pampered Chef Consultant's blog, including violations of company policies, misleading information about products, inappropriate content, or failure to disclose affiliate relationships. If a blog is harming the brand's reputation or misrepresenting the company, it may warrant reporting.

How can I report a Pampered Chef Consultant's blog?

You can report a Pampered Chef Consultant's blog by contacting the company's customer service or compliance department. Provide specific details about the blog and the reasons for your concerns. Including screenshots or links can help clarify the issue.

What happens after I report a blog?

After you report a blog, the Pampered Chef compliance team will review the information provided. They may investigate the claims and take appropriate action, which could range from a warning to the consultant to more severe consequences, such as termination of their consultant status.

Should I confront the consultant before reporting their blog?

It's often a good idea to address your concerns directly with the consultant first. They may not be aware of any violations or issues with their blog. Open communication can lead to resolution without the need for formal reporting.

What are the potential consequences for a consultant if their blog is reported?

If a Pampered Chef Consultant's blog is reported and found to be in violation of company policies, they may face various consequences. These can include receiving a warning, being required to make changes to their content, or even losing their consultant status if the violations are severe or repeated.

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