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soI, Uh, Need Some More Feedback... (Sorry - It's Long)

In summary, due to overwhelming feedback about the closure of Tasty Tidbits, the author is considering their next steps after the end of the year. They had a website programmer that left them high and dry, and they are considering continuing the newsletter or developing a new service that does not involve iContact.
PampChefJoy
Gold Member
1,814
Due to an overwhelming (and I mean I am SHOCKED at how overwhelming) amount of feedback about the closure of Tasty Tidbits, I am reconsidering my next steps after the end of the year.

I had no idea so many people were dependent on my newsletter. I really didn't think so many people disliked the HO version, either.

Here is my dilemma: A major factor in my decision to close was my website. It has given me no end of grief this past year. I had a fantastic programmer that set everything up for me, and he has gone and left me high and dry... so any changes that need to be made to the programming are beyond my abilities. I have contacted a couple friends who generously donated their time to help try to fix what is going wrong (mainly these involve the scripting for the iContact interface, but in general, since the internet evolves so much, I know some of the coding on the site will be obsolete before long and start causing errors.). My friends could not fix what is going on and basically, for me to hire another programmer to fix would cost me several thousand dollars for them to just figure out what the other guy did. (Even though programming is essentially the same "language", you understand it takes awhile for one person to figure out what another person did... especially as convoluted as my site has become. I know because I requested all these little tweaks and add-ons to it as we were building it. It would be difficult for someone else to follow along.)

(Sorry this has gotten so long....)

So now I need to figure out if I decide to continue, what shape the service will take. It may or may not involve "fetching" your newsletter like you do now. So far as I can tell, there are no problems with the merging of your profile data into the newsletter. The errors only occur when trying to send it to iContact. I can provide a workaround and some who are willing to try are able to do it manually themselves. I've had to do the manual copy/paste for others. This is something I would need to consider offering as a paid service or for free if I should move forward, as the option to fix the site is the least plausible.

Any thoughts out there on what you think you would like to see? What you would be willing to settle for, how much you'd be willing to pay for it? I can't guarantee that I'd continue writing as many offerings as I do now, either... that being the other driving factor in my decision - I was simply spending too much time focusing on doing too many newsletters. Yes, I'll admit it - I was getting burnt out.

However, I also feel like I can't abandon all my loyal and supportive customers - even with 8 months' notice, so I would love to find some sort of common ground from which to build upon and develop the next phase of Tasty Tidbits.

Whatever feedback you have to share would be greatly appreciated! This business was built on input from you, and I don't intend to stop listening now :)

THANK YOU!!!
Joy
 
  • Thread starter
  • #2
Also, if you'd prefer to share your thoughts with me privately, feel free to email me at [email protected]. I appreciate your time!
 
I could give a rats patootie about iContact. If that's your biggest problem with the website, then forget about it! Your main service is to create the newsletter.

To me, offering the iContact interface was a nice bonus, but I don't think that's really your job in any way. Personally, I don't use iContact anymore anyway, so it's a moot point for me. Getting the newsletter into iContact was very simple when I did use it.

I would still be willing to pay the same price I was paying, I never use much more than the monthly newsletter and something for mid-month (and lately I haven't been doing that as much either). I did love the Weekly Dish for my FB page, but I could never remember to do it in a timely fashion so I've gotten away from that, too. Oh, and I use the Birthday template, too, but that one doesn't require additional work from you.
 
I used your flyers and odds n ends more than the newsletters b/c I don't do well with keeping up with my email lists and yahoo only lets me send out 100 at a time but I have loved using your flyers and postcard templates. I'd love more post card options but I'm not going to be needy - just giving you my thoughts on what I used.

I LOVED your newsletters but unless someone knows of easier ways to send them out, or keep up with my contacts lists in yahoo, then I'll have to stick with the HO one out of pure ease on my part.
 
I too will keep paying the same price without the icontact feature. I use mailchimp now because it's free and I can track opens just the same (and they're hilarious a company). I thing going to just one style of TT newsletter - but still with the option of book close/far - would be the bare minimum you would need to do to keep the loyalists.

Now if I'm being honest, I would love for you to keep/bring back one monthly team newsletter template and maybe one mid-month customer service newsletter/outlet template. I really didn't ever use anything else.

PLEASE STAY!!!!!! DON'T MAKE US SETTLE FOR THE CRAPPY HO NEWSLETTER!!!

PS - My husband just stated the obvious "Why doesn't HO just hire Joy to design their newsletter?"
 
Melissa78 said:
I used your flyers and odds n ends more than the newsletters b/c I don't do well with keeping up with my email lists and yahoo only lets me send out 100 at a time but I have loved using your flyers and postcard templates. I'd love more post card options but I'm not going to be needy - just giving you my thoughts on what I used.

I LOVED your newsletters but unless someone knows of easier ways to send them out, or keep up with my contacts lists in yahoo, then I'll have to stick with the HO one out of pure ease on my part.

Melissa, check out Email Marketing and Email List Manager | MailChimp. It's free, and helps you manage your contact list, unsubscribes, opens, clicks etc. And you don't have to worry about the 100 at a time thing either.
 
I get so many compliments on my newsletter when I send them from you!! I usually don't use much else from the site, maybe once in a while I'll use the build your own section to send out just the monthly host special or like when the chicken your way came out. Other than that I've figured out a little bit when it came to iContact that I could just make my own simple ones to send out (like I did for my 12 days of Christmas sale). I like to use iContact but as long as I know how to copy and past the html then it doesn't matter if I can upload straight there or not. I was one that was sad when you said you were quitting. I had thought about changing over when HO offered theirs but I had already paid for everything else. Then they started having problems and it didn't seem very reliable so I didn't even look into it.
 
Joy,
I only use the monthly newsletter. So if that is what you went to and only used that, that is great. I was also bummed when I found out that you werent going to be doing this any more.
 
  • #10
I love your newsletter vs. HO. I don't use icontact, so I'll be very happy if you continue with the regular newsletters. I also like to use the DYLAB flyers.
Thank you!!
 
  • #11
Doing a happy dance b/c you might keep your newsletters going!! (crossing fingers and toes!) :D I use the newsletters and DYLAB. I like the A option (the first format you had) and booking out. I will use other stuff on occasion. I'd even pay more to keep you! ;)

Sandi
 
  • #12
OH MY GOODNESS JOY! YOU ARE THE BEST! You would make my day if you continued your newsletters!

I do use I-contact... but can certainly get along with the copy and paste and since they made all their "changes" have been trying to figure out how to go to Mail Chimp anyway... Looks pretty similar. I have all my contacts in I-contact and am trying to figure out how to "easily" import them.

I have looked into several options and yours is by far my favorite! I use the monthly version of "A" plus love the weekly stuff. My customers have tons of good comments. I do admit that rather than send out "too" much... I combine some so that I don't send more than one in one week...Really not sure if I do it right but so far it seems to be working! (Wish I had HALF the knowledge you do Joy!)

I do love your quick blasts such as Birthday, Happy Holiday etc!

I do love your flyers... though would like to see the "Bargain" one re-vamped a bit so it was easier to read... I love the "concept" of this one though!

Maybe if you did the Weekly as a build your own?

I love the "outlet" but it does not change often enough to send a separate one in my opinion! I have been adding your "outlet" header to My news... to gain the attention to that section.... Again... not sure I do it right but seems to come through!

LOVE the templates for postcards! YEAH!

I would TOTALLY love for you to bring back the Team Tidbits too! Makes staying in touch SO much easier! I tend to get pretty lengthy with my "STUFF" (as you can see!) and yours kept me short and sweet!

Thanks for considering coming back Joy! YOU WOULD BE SO APPRECIATED!
 
  • #13
I too was sorry to hear you were leaving the newsletters business. I use your monthly newsletter, the outlet flyers, and only occasionally sent out the weekly recipes. I used your pre-made newsletters and flyers and did not use the make your own feature or the i-contact feature. I just had yours sent to me and then sent from my own e-mail account. Thanks and I hope you keep it going.
 
  • #14
i'd pay more to keep you around! like a $5 per month subscription or something.
 
  • #15
I, too, would love you forever if you stayed with us.

And I don't use either I contact or mailchimp. I just send the newsletter to myself, copy and paste (since switching from old and new versions of Yahoo became like "Hotel California") use an ever-growing list of contacts that HO doesn't have listed, and pray I get a response.
 
  • #16
I loved your team newsletters and I'm a little lost this month without it.
 

1. What is the purpose of "soI, Uh, Need Some More Feedback... (Sorry - It's Long)"?

The purpose of "soI, Uh, Need Some More Feedback... (Sorry - It's Long)" is to gather feedback and suggestions from customers in order to improve the products and services offered by Pampered Chef.

2. How can I submit my feedback for "soI, Uh, Need Some More Feedback... (Sorry - It's Long)"?

You can submit your feedback by clicking on the "Feedback" button on the Pampered Chef website and filling out the form provided. Alternatively, you can also send an email to the designated feedback email address.

3. Will my feedback be anonymous?

Yes, your feedback will be anonymous unless you choose to provide your personal information in the form. Your privacy is important to us and we value your honest feedback.

4. When can I expect to see changes based on my feedback?

We appreciate all feedback and suggestions from our customers and strive to implement changes as soon as possible. However, the timeline for changes may vary depending on the nature of the feedback and the resources needed for implementation.

5. Is there a limit to how much feedback I can provide?

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