Streamlining Your Event: Tips to Efficiently Manage Guest Shopping and Checkout

[leftymac]

I have been at my last two shows for 2 1/2 - 3 hours and am tired of it. I finish the demo in 40 minutes and then they are taking their sweet old time shopping, chatting, and basically taking forever to come to me to check out.

What do you guys and gals do to hurry them along so you can leave your host's place in a timely manner? I don't want to be rude about it, but I don't want to stay there all night either.

 

[pampered.chris]

I start packing up. When I am done w/ my demo I hand out the catalogs and order forms and let everyone know that I will be there to tally their orders and for any questions. I help the hostess get the food around for everyone and take orders as they come in. If it seems to take too long to get the orders I start packing up. This usually shows people that hey, she is leaving!! I have been at shows where I actually started loading my car and there were still people talking and not placing orders. I announced that I would be leaving soon so that the party could continue amongst friends, that usually will wrap up those last few.
I hope this helps!!

 

[Teresa Lynn]

I give the catalogs and receipts at the beginning so they can order during it does help with the decision process & larger orders I also tell them I have already set up my laptop to take their orders and will clean up my demo area and if there are any products they still want to see please do so while I carry my dirty dish tub to the car (yes I always have to carry whatever it was served in out separately but it is usually only my QSP that I can sit on top of a stone or in the bowl.)I tell them that within 10 minutes I will be ready to check them out, and then they are free to linger and chat with the host.

 

[chefsteph07]

I start packing up as well and if I see a few guests still have their catalogs, I look around to start rounding the catalogs up and I go over to them and say "were you planning on ordering tonight or can I grab this catalog from you to take back with me?" That seems to get them moving!

 

[wadesgirl]

I had a show once where they were all around the kitchen island talking and I was just standing there. One of them finally asked me if I would like a seat. I said no, I was just waiting for their orders. That hurried them up.You could also walk around the the groups that are chatting and ask them if there is anything you can help then with or if they are ready to check out.

 

[LBurke]

I give them the catty and orderform at the beginning of the show so they can shop during if they want. At the end of my show I remind them of the guest special, encourage them to get food and then say "Feel free to come up and look and play with the tools. Let me know if you have any questions. I'm going to go start on my dishes. If and when you're ready to check out, just come interrupt me. I can do all that yucky math stuff for you." Once I'm done washing my dishes I immediately start packing them up. I'm usually always interrupted which is great! It yeilds two results... my host or a guest usually takes over the dishes (yeah! I don't have to wash them) and the guests understand I'm not hanging around forever.

 

[jrstephens]

I had out catalogs at the beginning. I turn my laptop on when I get there and enter in the names as they come in and then finish their address and stuff if I have down time in between orders or when I get home. When I finish my demo I tell them I am ready for their orders. When I feel I have given them enough time I start loading my things and collecting my catalogs and things that are laying around. This tells them I am leaving. I save my computer for last, then when I am done loading up I will wait a few more minutes and shut my computer down and tell the host to call me with the rest of the orders.

If I have a show that starts at 6, which is normally when I start them, I am usually out by 8. That puts me there 2 1/2 hours with me getting there at 530.

I have also learned to pick recipes that are quick to do. If they have a 30 minute bake time after the demo, I do NOT offer them since that will just prolong things. I try to keep it to a 10-15 cook time after the demo is done. Plus, if they have to wait that long to have it cooked some will leave without trying it and I think that hurts me too b/c then they may want to buy whatever the recipe is in or I have missed an opportunity to lure them to my website for the recipe.

 

[wadesgirl]

I had out catalogs at the beginning. I turn my laptop on when I get there and enter in the names as they come in and then finish their address and stuff if I have down time in between orders or when I get home. When I finish my demo I tell them I am ready for their orders. When I feel I have given them enough time I start loading my things and collecting my catalogs and things that are laying around. This tells them I am leaving. I save my computer for last, then when I am done loading up I will wait a few more minutes and shut my computer down and tell the host to call me with the rest of the orders.

If I have a show that starts at 6, which is normally when I start them, I am usually out by 8. That puts me there 2 1/2 hours with me getting there at 530.

I have also learned to pick recipes that are quick to do. If they have a 30 minute bake time after the demo, I do NOT offer them since that will just prolong things. I try to keep it to a 10-15 cook time after the demo is done. Plus, if they have to wait that long to have it cooked some will leave without trying it and I think that hurts me too b/c then they may want to buy whatever the recipe is in or I have missed an opportunity to lure them to my website for the recipe.

So do you actually leave before they are all done with their orders?

 

[IAmChefJ]

I have a question for those of you who hand out catalogs at the beginning. Do you have trouble with people browsing the catalog instead of paying attention to your demo?

My first show I had a woman ask for a catalog midway through the demo so she could look up a price on something. Being a rookie, I gave it to her. The rest of the show she had her head buried in that and wasn't paying attention, and occasionally interrupted to comment on something she was looking at, that was unrelated to what the rest of us were doing.

From then on I've held the catalogs and host folders until the demo was done, and hand them out for people to browse as they're eating.

 

[jrstephens]

So do you actually leave before they are all done with their orders?

I have done it if they take too long. Most of the time they finish when they see me packing up but if they do not go ahead and order I will leave. Usually in my experience those that take FOREVER to order buy the least of any any guest.

I have a question for those of you who hand out catalogs at the beginning. Do you have trouble with people browsing the catalog instead of paying attention to your demo?

I do not have any trouble. I pretty much always play a game where when I pick up an item the first person to find it in the catalog gets a ticket and whoever has the most at the end of my demo get a prize. This way they pay attention to me and it lets people know where the item is in the catalog too.

 

[LBurke]

I had a lady at my very first show bury herself in a seperate part of the room and paid no attention to the demo and placed a $200 order!
I actually do a scavenger hunt thru the catalog at the end of my demo to FORCE them to look thru it. I try to pick things all thru the catalog and point out things I like, seasonal items or any of the big 4 that I'm not using in the demo. The last two items are always the hostess program and then (the trick question) the start up kit. the first person to find the item I'm asking about gets a door prize (usually season's best) and has to pass it to the person who finds the next item, etc.
I kinda figure the longer they have the catty in their hands, the bigger their wish list will get...

 

[Nanisu]

I have always handed them out at the beginning. They all talk amongst themselves and share ideas and products likes/dislikes. I never wait more than about 20 minutes--when the demo is done and I feed them, I'm sitting at my laptop--if it takes too long I just start packing up. Yesterday I was in one room and they were all outside, and I would take each receipt out at a time.."Carol, here's your total---you can write me a check or ...who would like me to total their order next?" I had one lady that took forever to get me her order, raved about this, raved about that, and bought $30 worth of stuff...go figure. But I kind of humor them along.

 

[finley1991]

I always hand out my catalogs at the beginning. Actually, I hand them to the guests as they arrive so they can start shopping immediately. If I am doing the demo, All throughout it, I am constantly referring to the catalog telling them to look on certain pages for what I am using so they'll know where it is when they want to order. I find that they pay more attention to me because I am always asking them to look at something.When I do an interactive show, I hand out the catalogs as they arrive, then I ask them to put everything down and that we'll come back to them. We do the demo together, return to the seating area and then I go through the catalog PAGE by PAGE showing them where things are that they used during the show.On the topic of hurrying the orders along. I take all orders and then pack up my stuff. If there are still some lingering along, I will approach them and say, "Excuse me ladies... Just wanted to let you know that I will be leaving in about 10 minutes if you'd like to give me your order tonight or you can leave it with the host." That gets them moving and has always worked well for me. HTHs!

 

[Teresa Lynn]

yes I want them absorbed in my catalog during my demo it increases their orders

 

[jennyl]

I've been thinking about this with the interactive demo. For people that said they had them out right in the beginning - are you also doing an interactive demo? We have varying levels of interactive - but I thought if I'm trying to get everyone around the table or counter that handing out catalogs at the start would be just something else to keep them from joining in.

 

[twinkie10]

After I am finished with the recipe I have them fill out their meal ticket (guest care card) and then let then know that I will be around for another 30 minutes to answer any questions they might have and to calculate their orders. During this time I'm collecting all my stuff and packing it so I'm ready to walk out the door when the time is up, unless I have a line of guests. I ususally don't have too many problems once I've said that!

 

[chefliz]

After I am finished with the recipe I have them fill out their meal ticket (guest care card) and then let then know that I will be around for another 30 minutes to answer any questions they might have and to calculate their orders. During this time I'm collecting all my stuff and packing it so I'm ready to walk out the door when the time is up, unless I have a line of guests. I ususally don't have too many problems once I've said that!

I love how you call it their meal ticket...that is cute!

 

[ChefMary412]

I give out the catalogs first now and refer to them during the show.. so, when we start with the stoneware, I say "turn to page...there are many options in stoneware, All are great.. yada yada yada". I too was worried they would just focus on the book and not me! So, I included the catts into the show. People tend to like that.

 

[babywings76]

I've only done interactive shows so far, the one thing I'm trying to figure out is how much time to give them to shop. I mean, I don't want them just being all chatty and not shopping and taking forever, but how much time to shop should they get? After finishing with the recipe, we sit down in another room and that's when I give them the catalogs. I go over the seasonal items, the guest and host specials, hosting info, etc. Then I leave the room to get my check out area ready. It's the next part that I wonder if I'm doing right...telling them the food is ready, having the host get things dished up for them. I'm ready for ordering, but I wonder if they felt rushed into ordering. How much time should I allow for them to look over the catalog and take time deciding? Obviously, I don't want to be there forever. But since they don't have the catalog during our prep time, don't they need more time? That's the only bad thing about doing the interactive. Although, I'm getting good orders, so maybe they are being given enough time. I like doing the interactive, and am getting great feedback, but there are times that I think I can be sure to cover everything better if I did it a more traditional way.

 

[chefmelody]

Wow, I wish I had this problem. I usually have guests lining up to check out and I have to tell them to pile their order forms and I'll call them when I'm ready for them! I hate having people standing behind the person I'm checking out... it gets them ready to say "no" to all my questions.