Submit Orders Earlier in the Month...ha!

[JAE]

Did you all read your e-mail? I think it's funny. I understand why it would be nice to submit orders earlier in the month, but I truly submit my orders as soon as my host will close the show. I don't purposely hold or submit my shows at the end of the month.

 

[ChefTess]

I hear ya, I am still waiting for my Feb 9th host to get me the rest of the money for her work orders...I will have to give her another call and tell her that HO said I need to get her show closed sooner (like that would get her moving)

 

[pampchefrhondab]

It's hard this time of year because most people wanted to wait until the end of January to have a show due to the holidays. Then I got bookings and they didn't want to have them too close to the other show!

 

[pamperedbecky]

I know! That made me laugh because it's not like I hold on to shows on purpose!! Well, they should be happier with me this month because I have about 3 catalog shows that JUST started, so I'm letting the hosts go into March with them. Those will be submitted soon after the 1st week in March.

 

[mpkegley]

I know! I keep trying to get my hosts to close out sooner, but you know the excuses, "Jane is supposed to get me her order" and so on and so on. What really cracks me up is when you have been waiting for a week and they don't even have one more order! Makes me want to scream.

 

[JAE]

Where's Janet? Can't they prepare for the massive influx of orders at the end of the month? That has been happening at least since I started my first time around in 1995. OR, better yet, how about a commission bonus for turning in orders by the 15th or each month or the 22nd or whatever day helps. I might try a little harder for even a 1% increase.

 

[KellyTheChef]

I know that most of us on here don't "save" orders and submit them on the last day of the month, but I think we (as consultants and "employees" of PC) need to think ahead of time and really push closing our shows before the last 3 days of the month. How much would it suck to work in the warehouse and customer service and have sooooo much work to do, or so many complaints about turnaround time at the end of the month. If we all keep this in our minds, and guide our hosts to close out before the EOM, then we will be helping the warehouse out A TON!!

Where's Janet? Can't they prepare for the massive influx of orders at the end of the month? That has been happening at least since I started my first time around in 1995. OR, better yet, how about a commission bonus for turning in orders by the 15th or each month or the 22nd or whatever day helps. I might try a little harder for even a 1% increase.

The email stated that over ONE THIRD of the orders all came in on the last day of the month. That's impossible to prepare for. I am impressed that they are able to bounce back as quickly as they do.

 

[chefann]

I'm making a conscious effort to close shows within 48 hours of the show. I've found that if the host hasn't gotten the order in that time, they won't ever have it. And it's rude to the guests who placed orders before or at the show to make them wait longer for their items. Closing quickly will also help distribute orders throughout the month, unless your calendar is heavily skewed toward the last week of the month.

 

[Nanisu]

I guess I just don't get why they can't just prepare for more orders at the end of the month---isn't that part of being in business--planning? If I go to Target on Sundays it's a given that it will be twice as busy--that's the day the ad breaks, and Target puts more employees on on Sundays....We've been hearing this for 5 or 6 years now---submit your shows earlier in the month, like we all PLAN to hold our shows...Don't get it. It's their job as a company to plan for this kind of stuff.

 

[c00p]

I would imagine in this type of business, unlike normal retail stores, that planning is like taking a stab in the dark. You truly don't know when orders will come, how many there will be and how big they will be. In retail stores, you can always forecast based on previous years' sales, and I suppose to an extent you can in DS too - only it's a bit more of guessing. Anyway, I would truly HATE to be in the warehouse at PC and trying to fill all of these orders when they are slammed on them at the last minute. I agree with others, that we do not intentionally hold our orders. Heck, I try to get them in sooner so that I can get that mid-month paycheck! But, I do have 3 shows next week, so I imagine that I'll have those 3 being submitted on the 29th as well as a few catalog shows that aren't done yet. It's a catch 22 any way you look at it. Personally, I'm grateful for how fast they ship out orders. It's still faster than most DS companies by a long shot.

 

[pampered.chris]

I agree that PC is faster by far. I have hosted shows with other companies and a month (seems like more) goes by after I close the show and I still haven't received anything. I always tell my hostess's up to two weeks before they will receive their orders, most are so excited they got them early they rave to their friends about it!! PC really is a GREAT company to work for!!

 

[elizabethfox]

It just seems like the sooner I try to close shows, the longer it takes.

For example. I had a show on the 8th. She still has not closed it and it is will be the 22nd tomorrow! We were supposed to close it the following weekend, and then she got sick...then she wasn't able to get her last two orders since she was sick, so then she wanted to wait...and we have been waiting. She has a lady who keeps saying that she is going to place an order online, but has yet to do it.

I told the hostess she needs to be closing her show soon seeing as how her other customers orders are being held up by ONE lady who can't take 5 min to place her order online.

She was in agreement, but sheesh....I am getting so frustrated with these hosts!! I have two more who keep putting of closing their shows and it is driving me nuts!

 

[wadesgirl]

HO knows that we cannot control when our hosts decide to close their show. I think the email was more because they probably got a lot of complaints about the shipping time earlier this month. They were just trying to say it the nice way.

 

[JAE]

I know that most of us on here don't "save" orders and submit them on the last day of the month, but I think we (as consultants and "employees" of PC) need to think ahead of time and really push closing our shows before the last 3 days of the month. How much would it suck to work in the warehouse and customer service and have sooooo much work to do, or so many complaints about turnaround time at the end of the month. If we all keep this in our minds, and guide our hosts to close out before the EOM, then we will be helping the warehouse out A TON!!


The email stated that over ONE THIRD of the orders all came in on the last day of the month. That's impossible to prepare for. I am impressed that they are able to bounce back as quickly as they do.

Like I said, this has been happening for years. Maybe HO should change the deadlines or change the incentives. If I don't make the 15th of the month, I'm really not in a hurry. It's annoying to close a week or more after the show was held. I'll do what I can.

 

[janetupnorth]

Where's Janet? Can't they prepare for the massive influx of orders at the end of the month? That has been happening at least since I started my first time around in 1995. OR, better yet, how about a commission bonus for turning in orders by the 15th or each month or the 22nd or whatever day helps. I might try a little harder for even a 1% increase.

Sorry, just got online - was hanging out with my family and little girl with an ear infection.

The commission part would have to be a mandate from the office. For every incentive they move the dates on, etc., there will always be a consultant trying to get one more thing in to get the next level $750, $1250, whatever to get that extra %, or directors trying to meet their monthly goals, or someone trying to submit just to meet the next paycheck.

As far as the warehouse. They can stock and plan for increases, but you can only cram so many things through the lines and only so many loaded on a truck at a time.

Picking is pretty easy, but STILL requires training. So, you'd have a VERY large influx of temporary workers at this time, only to release them later. It is hard to balance the costs of the equipment if you were to increase with the labor costs to keep more FT people on hand.

Basically, a tough balancing act between cost and productivity. HO has been great at staying within a 5 business day shipping frame along with working with shipping carriers to better sort and speed up transit time. In the last year, I only recall 2 big delays - cookware promo and now spring/double-point promo for consultants. That isn't bad at all.

I hope that helps explain a bit.

 

[janetupnorth]

One concept they could try...we have EDs and downlines. Maybe divide consultants in waves throughout the year...not necessarily for pay periods but for minimums and/or goals. If you are under "X" director, your "month" is from the 10th to the 9th of the next month.Second group is the 20th to the 19th.Next group is the normal "end" of the month.That would break up the last day of the month stuff.We KNOW there are tons of directors throughout the US about to go into relinquishment on a particular month trying to pull it through.As far as other incentives, they do pretty good adjusting submission on those.

 

[erinb]

One concept they could try...we have EDs and downlines.

Maybe divide consultants in waves throughout the year...not necessarily for pay periods but for minimums and/or goals.

If you are under "X" director, your "month" is from the 10th to the 9th of the next month.

Second group is the 20th to the 19th.

Next group is the normal "end" of the month.

That would break up the last day of the month stuff.

We KNOW there are tons of directors throughout the US about to go into relinquishment on a particular month trying to pull it through.

As far as other incentives, they do pretty good adjusting submission on those.

My husband works for a mortgage company that distributes month ends like this. They do it by region to relieve pressure in the lending and closing depts.

 

[ameliasurf]

we cannot control when our hosts decide to close their show.

ok i am new to pampered chef ( well 3 months old) i know that we are giving a service to people and most of us, the priority of our business is because we love the products and secondly the flexibility of creating our own schedule and what hours we want to work..... i have had 2 shows and each was open for 7-8 days past the show date...... ok the first show was my open house so i held it open the extra days because my recuiter told me to do so ( and i am glad that i did) and the second one i just did last saturday and is still open) and i understand that my second host has a bunch of out of town orders and are being sent to her and i understand that.

but you know that we do have control over when we want to close the show...... we have to put our foot down and tell them that we want from them during host coaching and communicate how we would like things done. (i.e: the show closed 3 days afterward the show).... we can do it! we are the manager of our business and we control the hours and times that we are open.... not our customers! the hosts need to get on the ball and get things done with outside orders before the show ( if the show is like more than 1 1/2 weeks out or more) and communicating to people who want to order to have their order in before the show preferable) that this is how we would like it done for the simple fact of getting the products into hands of her guests Earlier....( if HO is not backed up with orders)

This is why host coaching is so key to our business. ( i know i am sounding a little intense here so don't take it personal i am just speaking from the little bit of experience that i have).

I do understand that we have to be flexible in this also and we can't put every host into a cookie cutting mold ( as much as i would like to) and also situations in life come up and we have to be work around those things.

But if we let our hosts run our business it is just like being in a regular job where you are letting someone else control your schedule........ i don't like that and that is one of my top 5 reasons to become a consultant
"Flexible hours"

soo sorry about my little rant but it is the truth.......

 

[ameliasurf]

One concept they could try...we have EDs and downlines.

Maybe divide consultants in waves throughout the year...not necessarily for pay periods but for minimums and/or goals.

If you are under "X" director, your "month" is from the 10th to the 9th of the next month.

Second group is the 20th to the 19th.

Next group is the normal "end" of the month.

That would break up the last day of the month stuff.

We KNOW there are tons of directors throughout the US about to go into relinquishment on a particular month trying to pull it through.

As far as other incentives, they do pretty good adjusting submission on those.

This would be a great idea

 

[JAE]

I really don't expect anything more from HO. I just think it's amusing that they seem to think we do this on purpose. Like I said, if I can't get shows closed by the 15th, I don't have much of a reason to close before month end. I tell my hosts when we need to close, but I'm not going to be pushy if they don't call me back. I'll get pushy to get them to close by month end, though, if it means my commission is affected. I tell them their order will take longer to arrive if they wait until the last week of the month, too. Most understand that, but January was tough. People didn't want to have their shows much before the 15th. I had three hosts close a week or more after their show for various reasons. All of them did add orders during that time, right up until the end.
Oh well.

 

[ameliasurf]

yeah january was a tough month and alot of people are saying that because of gas prices and christmas credit card bills.... man i am glad that there was an extention to the new consultant rewards and extra 30 days to get qualified!

 

[katie0128]

but you know that we do have control over when we want to close the show...... we have to put our foot down and tell them that we want from them during host coaching and communicate how we would like things done.

That is exactly what Julie Weitz says. She trains people to close the NIGHT of the show. That just doesn't fit my personality, but you are right, we do have a good amount (maybe not total, but a considerable amount) of control over when shows close... but it all starts with good host coaching!

 

[jrstephens]

I try to submit mine as soon as possible but most of my host want 4 or 5 days after the show to get more orders and as long as they are getting orders then I am not going to insist they close the show. I prefer to have mine the first of the month and submitted by the 15th to get paid sooner, but mine and my host schedule do not always work that way. I want to get paid ASAP! HA!

I tell my Hosts around the 15th and the 31st of the month that shipment will be delayed some b/c those are our cut-off dates during the month. I have never had a host have a problem with the delay. They already know that PC ships faster than most any other company and are just impressed with the turn around time.

My friend that just signed with Princess House, her recruiter for some reason made her hold ALL her shows for this month to come to her house this weekend to submit the at her house instead of teaching her to do it from her own home. Imagine the wait her hosts are feeling!

 

[wadesgirl]

ok i am new to pampered chef ( well 3 months old) i know that we are giving a service to people and most of us, the priority of our business is because we love the products and secondly the flexibility of creating our own schedule and what hours we want to work..... i have had 2 shows and each was open for 7-8 days past the show date...... ok the first show was my open house so i held it open the extra days because my recuiter told me to do so ( and i am glad that i did) and the second one i just did last saturday and is still open) and i understand that my second host has a bunch of out of town orders and are being sent to her and i understand that.

but you know that we do have control over when we want to close the show...... we have to put our foot down and tell them that we want from them during host coaching and communicate how we would like things done. (i.e: the show closed 3 days afterward the show).... we can do it! we are the manager of our business and we control the hours and times that we are open.... not our customers! the hosts need to get on the ball and get things done with outside orders before the show ( if the show is like more than 1 1/2 weeks out or more) and communicating to people who want to order to have their order in before the show preferable) that this is how we would like it done for the simple fact of getting the products into hands of her guests Earlier....( if HO is not backed up with orders)

This is why host coaching is so key to our business. ( i know i am sounding a little intense here so don't take it personal i am just speaking from the little bit of experience that i have).

I do understand that we have to be flexible in this also and we can't put every host into a cookie cutting mold ( as much as i would like to) and also situations in life come up and we have to be work around those things.

But if we let our hosts run our business it is just like being in a regular job where you are letting someone else control your schedule........ i don't like that and that is one of my top 5 reasons to become a consultant
"Flexible hours"

soo sorry about my little rant but it is the truth.......

I guess what I said came out a little wrong. 90% of my shows close within 3 days of the show date but everyone has that MIA host, the "waiting for the last order" host, etc. That's what I was referring to. I do control my business, I do not let my hosts run all over me but our hosts do have a life of their own and PC is not always top priority for them. I usually set a date with my host to close but sometimes their life doesn't always ork that way. I also will never close the day of a show, there is always someone who didn't make it the day of who may still order. I just listened to a CD that talked about host coaching for "one more" after the show. If the average order is $50, that one more order adds up to an additional $400 in sales per month (8 shows), $4800 per year.

Plus I agree with HO, it's not fair to them when they get 1/3 of the orders for the month on the last day. They probably got alot of complaint calls just because it was taking them the full 10-12 business days to ship our orders. They are doing a great job and worked hard during the holiday season (I sent one order after the deadline and it still came before Christmas) and during this last month. I think I may email them to let them know they are doing a great job, everyone loves a good pat on the back.

 

[cvaccaro]

I find the majority of hosts choose the second half of the month to hold their shows. As mentioned in on the ealier posts hosts always want to wait for the special order that someone has promised that never seems to come. Or better yet the guest that comes to the show, eats and drinks more than any other guest; frequently has negative issues and takes the catalogue home for the order she knows(and I know) she will never place. The host has good intentions and believes this guest is going to place a great order.
Cathy
ps I have a host holding open the show for 2 orders she thinks are still coming!! maybe she will surprise us both and get the orders

 

[wadesgirl]

I find the majority of hosts choose the second half of the month to hold their shows. As mentioned in on the ealier posts hosts always want to wait for the special order that someone has promised that never seems to come. Or better yet the guest that comes to the show, eats and drinks more than any other guest; frequently has negative issues and takes the catalogue home for the order she knows(and I know) she will never place. The host has good intentions and believes this guest is going to place a great order.
Cathy
ps I have a host holding open the show for 2 orders she thinks are still coming!! maybe she will surprise us both and get the orders

I had that problem but I changed something that turned my calendar around. I started marking the first two weeks of the month with pink sticky notes on the days I wanted to book. I do this about 2-3 months out. Then when we talk about booking a show, I ask them what day of the week works best for them. They'll usually say a certain day or weekend or what day doesn't work for them. Then I tell them which of their options they have according to my sticky notes. This has reversed my calendar completely. Last year it seemed like I could only get people to book towards the end of the month, this year is the complete opposite. As the month progresses on then I move any no used stickies to later dates.

 

[fruit76loop]

I believe another thing that added to this huge influx was the bonus points they offered that ended January 31st. By setting this deadline not only for commission but also bonus points they "set themselves up" for this to happen. I personally submitted my shows for January 21-26 those last 3 days and all of my shows from the 28 29 and 30 by the 31st because of the push for those extra points.

Normally my shows on the 28, 29 and 30 would have been pushed into the following month but I begged my hosts to close by the end of the month. I usually give my hosts 4 days to collect orders. And I would never dream on closing the night of the show because my average host gets $200 more in orders after and some even get at much as $800-$1000!

I also submitted a ton of shows for the February 14th cutoff! I had every show even the ones from the 11, 12, and 13 close before this cutoff.By setting these dates they are themselves "setting themselves up" for the huge influx of orders.

I do understand that it can be hard on everyone, but it is natural with deadlines!

Just MHO.

 

[ameliasurf]

I believe another thing that added to this huge influx was the bonus points they offered that ended January 31st. By setting this deadline not only for commission but also bonus points they "set themselves up" for this to happen. I personally submitted my shows for January 21-26 those last 3 days and all of my shows from the 28 29 and 30 by the 31st because of the push for those extra points.

.

THis is so true! you give us a deadline for things and then you turn around and and send the email..... Doesn't make sense!

 

[pampchefrhondab]

I think there are several different things they can do to help with this problem. First, they could plan on working the first weekend after the end of the month if it is late in the week. Jan. 31 was on a Thursday. If the orders came in at midnight that only gave them one day to work on them and then two days off. No wonder it took so long to get orders out. Not to mention they had consultants ordering new spring products/supplies.

Another thing they could do is let us keep our commission up front and only issue us checks for the upper levels and bonuses. Example my show total is $475, I would only have to send in $370.50 (plus tax/shipping charges). I would keep my 22% commission up front. If I knew I was going to get $104.50 the day the show closes I would be pushing for it to close as soon as possible. If I know I'm not going to get my money until the 8th of the next month I don't really have a big incentive to get it in sooner. This is the way many DS companies do it.

This does not mean I try to hold my shows until the end of the month by any means. I like to close them as soon as possible. I have a host who had a show a week and a half ago I have called about 6 times to try and close her show. Although I don't think I'll get her to close it until her Mom gets back from a cruise. They did the show together. The Mom did a great job getting her orders in before the trip (the show was Mon. and she left Thurs.), but she gave everything to her daughter who was collecting orders herself since none of her friends showed up the night of the show. I don't think we will know what the Mom wants to order for free and 60% off until she returns now.

I have another host MIA from last month! She is only at $187 and was trying to get to $350 because I had offered a $25 bonus for a $350 show. I have called her about 6 times as well. It's just crazy. I'm going to try to reach her again today. If I don't reach her I'll be sending her an email stating I'm sending in the orders I have received payment for (which aren't enough to equal a show) on Monday. Hopefully this will get her to finish! I didn't get any bookings from this show so I don't care if I make her mad at this point.

 

[wadesgirl]

THis is so true! you give us a deadline for things and then you turn around and and send the email..... Doesn't make sense!

From what I saw on here, there were alot of consultants upset about the turn around time, I think HO was trying to smooth things out by sending this email not repremending us.