Venting Over Inconvenience: Ms. Harwood's Story

[esavvymom]

OH MY I am so peeved....I have been up late tonight preparing for a booth tomorrow. This booth was originally supposed to be from 12-8pm tomorrow (Friday) for a charity event. I sent my $$. Beginning of this week, I emailed the coordinator to confirm, etc. She emails me back that "Oh, by the way- the event has been changed to 2pm-6pm."OH-KAY.....I'll make lemonade out of this event...it was a "Backpack" Donation event....so I'm thinking a good recruiting possibility.I came down to print a few items I needed, and shut down my computer before heading to bed. I checked email and here is what she has now sent to me:Ms. Harwood,As we discussed this evening [what?? I have not spoken to her ever!], the event has been moved to the Ezra Center at 3706 Bastion Lane in Raleigh [Different CITY nearby!]. The directions are included. All vendors are asked to be in place by 8:30 and completely setup by 9am [WHAT?!!?!]. I will have your updated vendor packets available with your receipts and information. Please call me at 919.637.5758 as soon as possible if you have any questions about anything you think you may need.
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I apologize for the inconvenience, but appreciate your cooperation. I look forward to meeting you Saturday! Thanks so much!
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LorettaI am so mad! Not because I am now NOT going to be able to make this event, but the audacity of this woman to send an email at 11:36PM - yes..that's right...just before MIDNIGHT on the night of!Here was my reply:
Loretta,
Wait a second...what are you talking about?? I was not notified of any meeting that seems to have taken place this evening either.
I was told this event was at a park in Knightdale- and from 2pm-6pm. Now it’s in Raleigh at 9am Friday morning?? Until when?I’m sorry. This is completely unacceptable. You cannot keep changing things and not notifying any of the vendors! Notifying me the night before of a MAJOR change like this just doesn’t work!
I really was looking forward to this, but there is no way I can be there at 8:30am tomorrow morning! I have children and arrangements to make, plus I was expecting a 2pm event, so am not completely prepared or loaded up. That’s a huge difference.I feel you’ve broken contract with me, and I would like my money back. I will call you in the morning.
Kind regards,
Bobbi HarwoodMaybe I'm way out of line- but I don't think so....that's just unacceptable to me! Even if I WANTED to, I can't make the event, plus- one of my team members was going with me, and she was coming here at noon to ride over with me. UGGHHH......the good news is, I can go to bed NOW and I can sleep in.....AND I'm supposed to get my Fall Samples shipment tomorrow- so I can play with those. Sorry- I had to vent!*Update posted below (#14)*

 

[ChefBeckyD]

That is CRAZY!

I think your response was very nice - I'm not sure that I could be that calm. You cannot change a venue, and a time, the night before an event. Who is going to show up at all? How would ANYONE know when or where to be?

Let us know what her response is to all of this. You certainly can't be the only vendor upset!


(((hugs)))

 

[BlessedWifeMommy]

Bobbi, that stinks! I hope you get your money back! Your email is great.

 

[esavvymom]

Shoot- Now I just noticed it says "look forward to meeting you Saturday". It's always been a Friday event, since I sent the check in. *sigh*
This lady is just freakin' CRAZY!I'll be heading to the mountains for the weekend with my family (DH worked 8 days straight- 16 hr days and needed a break). She can just forget it....I'm still calling her tomorrow. Maybe my recruit can do it, I don't know. She's never done one, so I'd hate to toss her to the wind alone.

 

[pc_jessica]

oh wow, your response was nice compared to what i would have said! if it was me i would have called her at midnight! because she said call ASAP!!!! i think it is only fair you get your money back. IMO

 

[dkitten13]

I'm so sorry, what a mess! Best of luck with the gal on your refund or getting your recruit there...

 

[raebates]

You're well within your rights to demand your money back. This is insane. Was there any publicity done for the event?

 

[Fluffy215]

I feel your pain....I have done one event that, for a long story turned short, they advertised the wrong day. The event was supposed to be on Sunday they advertised it as Saturday and didn't bother telling any of the vendors their error. We all set up and got suspicious when not one person walked through the doors 2 hours after it began and after some people doing research we found out what happened. Every one of us marched up to the coordinator and demanded our money back. What stunk is they would not return our raffle donation stating we gave it as a donation. They took it and sold them on Ebay to recoup lost money LOL I put in negative comments on eventlister. So I definitely feel for you and this last minute changes. Please let us know what happens.

 

[pamperedlinda]

I'd be PO'd too.

 

[etteluap70PC]

Demand a refund!

Oh and Bibbi... where in NC are you? I used to live in Wilson with my mom and drove thru Knightdale everyday for work in Raleigh.

 

[Crystal Patton]

I hope you get your money back - your response was ... much nicer than I would have been! LOL

If they are making these kind of changes this close to the event it won't be nearly as good as you thought. How will the public know when and where? It might just be a waste of your day.

Glad you can here to vent - WE understand!

 

[pcchefjane]

That is nuts! If anyone is like me when I have a morning event, I usually am not on my email from about 10 or so the night before until after the event! The least they could have done is to call each vendor to be sure they got the message about all the changes! Hopefully something can be done!

 

[DebbieJ]

I would be livid. There's no way with a last minute change that they'll even get traffic anyway, so it won't even be worth your while!I think you handled it really well.

 

[esavvymom]

UPDATE:

So, after I had vented on here, and figured out it was changed, I shut down my computer and then saw I had a voicemail at 10:45pm last night. It was the lady from the event. She had apparently called me first- but since I was upstairs (and my phone was on vibrate), I didn't know. So then I felt bad about my email to her....so I sent a followup to apologize a bit and that I had been very confused by her email. I said I'd call her in the morn.

I just got off the phone with her. Apparently, the City of Raleigh was the culprit. A lady in the Parks & Rec office was being a b**ch and wanting their cert. of insurance. But when they got it to her yesterday...she said, "I'll accept it, but we're still canceling your event because we wanted it YESTERDAY by 5pm." (it was to be held at a city park). So they were scrambling last night to find an alternate location, which they did- (a church), but had to check that vendors would be allowed (some churches won't). So they've been scrambling to get things changed and everyone notified, etc.

I asked her about the advertisement- which was radio and newspaper, etc. She said they were sending out emergency updates for the ads, and someone would be stationed at the park to redirect folks to the right place & time.

My recruit and I both felt it would be a waste of her time to try to do the event- since who knew how many people would show up since it moved. I'm out of town, so neither of us can do it. When I talked to the woman from the group, I was nice...we chatted about it all, and since the circumstances were out of her control and I just felt like being a nice person - not for her necessarily, although this was out of her hands- you know how gov't can be , but for the kids this event will assist, I asked her what they do with the money from the vendors. It was used to supply/outfit the kids' backpacks. SO I asked her to just send me a receipt and consider it a donation to the event this time. It was only $40. For me, it's not a hardship. I'd rather repair the relationship I guess and see what comes of it in the future, since they do have events throughout the year.

So that's my story. I feel better. I'm going to go to the pool with my family today and just do some host-calls later today instead, then prepare for our getaway to the mountains where it will be 10-15 degrees cooler!

Thanks all! It's like "Cheffer's-Anonymous"- having a place to go and vent where they all understand!

 

[kam]

It would have been very easy for you to really be mad at her - but it sounds like to took the high road on this one. Good for you!

 

[diradt]

Good for you for following up! Even though it didn't work out, sounds like you gave money to a good cause AND you get a fun getaway weekend with the fam. Sounds like a win/win in the end since you don't know how many people would actually be there! Have a great weekend!

 

[Crystal Patton]

UPDATE:

Thanks all! It's like "Cheffer's-Anonymous"- having a place to go and vent where they all understand!

Hi, my name is Crystal and I'm a Chef-aholic.

LOL

 

[raebates]

You handled yourself well.