Washing Products After Demo: Advice from Vicki

[ChefVicki]

Just wondering how many of you wash your products after your demo?
I have heard of some consultants that have the host wash them and some just load up the dirty ones and wash them at home
I always end up washing them myself but am considering buying a big tub to put them in and bring them home and wash them later, just to cut the amout of time I am out for shows.
Thanks for your input.
Vicki

 

[pamperedbecky]

I used to wash them at my shows but that was just no fun. I'd rather mingle with the guests if they're not yet ready to place orders. Then, when they are, I go into a different room to calculate everything and talk to them as they're checking out. Since most things are dishwasher safe, I just bring them home to stick in my own dishwasher. If I'm really motivated and not too tired, I'll do it that night after I get home. Sometimes, though, I'm beat, so I do it in the morning after putting the icky stuff soak in the sink when I get home from the show.

Every once and awhile the host or her family may do some of the dishes while I'm doing orders, but I definitely don't expect it and am totally surprised when I go to finish packing up and some of it's done already!

 

[janel kelly]

I bring along a big plastic bag and put all my dirty dishes in it and then put the bag in my crate. The clean tools just go back in the crate too but don't get dirty since the others are in the bag. When I get home I throw everything in the dishwasher like Becky. I usually only take enough tools to all fit in my crate so its not too messy.

 

[edenskitchen]

I bring along a dish tub and fill it up with the dirties as I go. Many times my hosts will wash it all for me. It's so nice. But otherwise I load them up, take them home and wash them myself.

 

[Nell's-a-Cookin']

I put an extra pampered chef plastic bag or two in my crate and put all my dirty dished in them, then I can just lift them out and put them in my trunk when I leave, and I have more room for other things in my crate as I'm ready to leave. I just ask the hosts that I know well to save any extra bags for me (since they send so many). I would rather do that and have everything in one place rather than accidently leaving anything in the hosts' sink, plus I don't want the guests seeing the host doing any work so they'll more inclined to have a show. I do clean the stone I used before I leave though. I throw in the dishwasher as soon as I get home, I don't like things in my sink when I wake up in the morning. Sometimes I'm even luck and my husband does it for me!

 

[gmosullivan]

I'm Like Becky. I will only wash the simple additions to put back in the carry so they don't break.

 

[PamperedGinger]

I always bring mine home and stick them in the dishwasher. I tell guests I am their entertainment, chef, and maid. Hosting a show couldn't be easier.

I have had host who try and wash my dishes, but I won't let them. I tell them to sit and relax. Remember...I'm the maid. It's time to be pampered!

 

[Roxane Rohde]

RoxaneI Enjoy Reading Everyone's Comments. Thanks!! I Have A Question For Anyone That Will Respond...... As You Dirty Pc Items, Do You Place Them In A Bin As Soon As You Are Done Using The Item Or Do You Leave Them Out For Guests To Look At And Them Place Them In The Bin When You Are All Done?

 

[luvs2sellit]

I usually wash as much as I can while they are eating so that I can put the items out for them to look at. I have had people ask to see something like the chopper and I hated to pass it around dirty. Usually only takes me a couple minutes to wash up what I have used.
laura Anglea

 

[Roxane Rohde]

R. RohdeThanks for the quick reply! I will try my luck and ask you something else. When you are done with you presentation... what do you do??? I feel funny washing dishes (rude), and feel funny standing around waiting for people to order (awkward) and then all of the sudden there will be 3 people ready at once and I feel rushed. I want to take time with each but there is someone waiting to be next. I feel like I work and Target and I am going to slow for the customers. Roxane

 

[luvs2sellit]

Well, this is what I do but I am sure everyone does there own thing. After my presesntation I will ask again if there are any questions and then tell them to help themselves to the food and that after they eat I will take up their orders. After I am sure everyone is settled I will go ahead and do what I can clean up wise but I stay aware of what is going on and listen to the conversations. I chime in when ever needed. Now this is all assuming that the sink is near where the guests are seated. After they have eaten is when they bring me their orders so I am ready for them. I think you really just have to find out what works best for you. Hope that helps a bit.
Laura Anglea

 

[GeorgiaPeach]

I take a Rubbermaid tote (with lid) to my shows for my dirty dishes. During the show I have my purse and jacket snapped inside. After the demo while everyone is filling out the door prize slip, I carry all my dirty dishes into the kitchen and stack them up. I tell the host NOT to wash them. I want my display area to be nice and clean after the show for anyone that wants to look at the products I didn't get to show. I even tell them that it's impossible for me to show them everything so please feel free to come and browse. I then mingle with the crowd, answering questions, taking orders. When there is a break in the action, I can pack my Rubbermaid tote with the dirty dishes and snap the lid back on....no garlic smell in my van!! I wash my large cutting board since it doesn't fit in the tote and whatever stone I used. If someone wants to see a tool I used that is dirty, they usually go into the kitchen and grab it They don't seem to mind that it's dirty. If they ask about it before grabbing it, I will wash it or at least rinse it off. I switched to this system about 5 years ago and it works perfectly! I love the extra time at the show and don't feel like Cinderella that got banished to the kitchen

 

[Deborah Czarnecki]

no line upWhat I was told recently is that you should never have a line up of people waiting to order--after all, this is a party and they should be having a good time, not waiting around for you. Instead, you should announce that they can put their order in a pile on the table then go enjoy themselves and you will call them when you get to thier order. I recently had a party with 16 people ordering and I wish I'd done that because they all ended up milling around the kitchen table where I was trying to order and it made it very hard to talk to people about hosting/recruiting etc.
D.C.

 

[Yvonne]

Pile of Orders!I think that's a great idea getting all the orders in a pile, then calling up guests one by one to go through them! I will def. try that at my next show. I had one show recently where everyone was just pushing money and orders at me, and it was only when I got home that I realised two orders had no names on them, never mind addresses and telephone numbers. Luckily, everyone had completed a survey slip, and I managed to match pen colours and handwriting to the orders.

 

[Christyinhi]

I put all my stuff in a tub to wash at home. I joke that I'm taking it home for my dh to wash.

 

[kpapaeliou]

When I'm finished with my demo and I have gotten the food into the oven, I pass out the catalogs. This is when I take all the dirty dishes to the kitchen and rinse them out really quick. I put everything in one of the many extra Pampered Chef bags I have stashed and put it next to my crate. That way if someone wants to see something, it is not dirty and I can dry it off really quick with my dish towel that I keep tucked in my apron. It doesn't take long and usually everyone is still looking through the catalog and I am available for any questions they have. I really don't have a problem with people coming up all at once, they usually wait untill they see I am available. Maybe I have just gotten lucky. Once I get home it is usually too late to do dishes so I just throw them in the dishwasher the next day, no soaking required.

Kim
Murrieta, Ca

 

[tracychef]

Doing dishesOver the past twelve years, I've tried just about every approach! I really hate doing dishes at home; but agree that it's sometimes impossible to do them at the show. It depends on my host, the layout of her home, and the timing of the recipe. If I can in an out of the kitchen without inconviencing my host or delaying her guests, I'll quickly do my dishes. I usually end up bringing them home, though, in a dishpan that I'll keep under the table during my demo. It's kind of a pain when you have back to back shows, and, of course, there's NEVER room in my dishwasher when I need it ! I liked handing out the catalogs at the end, to give me time to clean up, but it really just lengthened the time I was at my host's home, without appreciably increasing my show average.

I'm not sure I've been any help at all! When I started, my hosts always did my dishes; another consultant pointed out that that may affect future bookings. I'm not sure that it did, but I stopped. Oh, for the good ol' days!

Tracy
Advanced Director
www.pamperedchef/tracyblack

 

[chefjill]

If there is more than 1 person waiting to place an order, I tell them to please leave the order with me, I total it up, then take it back to them individually. This gives me an extra few minutes with each guest to ask about booking a show or interest in the opportunity. Only a few times have I had to rush someone's order so she could leave. No one seems to mind waiting a few extra minutes to talk personally with me. I think they appreciate my taking the time to talk with each of them.

Jill Wright
Sales Director, Benicia, CA
[email protected]

 

[BethCooks4U]

I bring a dish pan with me. As I use the products I put them in the dishpan. I use it as a booking point. "I do the dishes when I get home - no dishpan hands for my hosts". I leave the most popular items (the ones they were most interested in at that particular show) on my table so they can check it out again if they wish and I have seen people dig in the dishpan which is fine with them and with me.

I don't let the host wash the dishes but I do wash big items like a stone or SA large square so it's easier to get it home in one piece. I also use the dish pan as a selling point: "I pack my products carefully when I come to the party but as you see it's all jumbled in the dishpan on my way home. This batter bowl has bounced around in the dishpan on the way home from shows for three years now and has not one chip in it!" BTW: I do also leave the simple additions to wash at home and none have chipped!

I sometimes travel over an hour to my shows and if the host wants to talk or the guests have me parked in I sometimes get in late. On those nights I do not wash them until morning. I put most in the dishwasher just the way they are the next day and wash the rest - no presoaking at all - and everything comes out clean. I tell my guests that too! (easy clean up with our products!)

 

[PhyllisRamp]

What an interesting array of responses!As the only person on the planet who did not have a dishwasher (until about a month and a half ago), I always did my dishes at the show because I didn't have a dishwasher to bring them home to What I usually do at the end of my demo is say something like "I hope you all enjoyed the presentation, thanks for your time and attention. Please enjoy the recipe as I start to do a bit of clean up. If there is anything you would like to purchase tonight and you need me to stop because you need to get going, just ask." I usually set up my order taking spot in the kitchen (I don't know about you guys, but most of my demos take place in the living room or dining area).

I never let them pile up receipts. I let the guests know that I'll be happy to help each of them individually with their orders when they're ready. What I usually find is that if someone comes up and sees I'm working with someone else, she just goes back into the "socializing" area. If someone really needs to get going (babysitter issue or whatever) I let her "cut" the line, although her friends usually insist she do so before I even open my mouth.

Phyllis Rampulla
Independent Sales Director
[email protected]

 

[AJPratt]

I was using a plastic bag, but was afraid I would damage the products. So, I just picked up a plastic tub with handles from Five Below for the dirties. When i get homw I usually put them right in the dishwasher. I made the mistake of leaving things in my car overnight because I was so tired. Pew! I'll never do that again. My car smelled like garlic.

 

[mary k]

I guess I've been real lucky when I was a consultant before and know that I've rejoined I've only had to wash my stuff twice. The hostess always clean mine and I do not expect them to do it and even tell them they don't have to but they insist on doing it. It does make it nice.

 

[pchefmomof2]

I heard this on a CD from lending library!I can not take credit for this! I got this idea froma CD that I listened to from PC (can't remember which one but will try to find out). I used to take a BIG rubbermaid tub but now I use a smaller rubbermaid tub that has a drawer in it. The tub goes on my demo table and the Lg. grooved cutting board fits perfectly on top of it!!! Yes I use it as part of my demo! As I dirty a tool I open the drawer and put my dirty tool in the drawer keeping my demo table nice and neat. I do have to rinse off the stones or Simple additions but that is about it. All other dirty tools stay in drawer until I get home and then go in the dishwasher. I love this idea and will not go back to doing it any other way. It also give you a little more extra height when doing your demo if you have other products to display on your table while you are preparing your recipe. Just thought I would share that idea. The CD's from PC are great sources of information and I get a lot of great ideas from them.

 

[pamperedharriet]

Such great ideas! Thanks everyone who contributed. Where did you find the rubbermaid tub with the drawer? Would love to check it out.

Thanks.

 

[AJPratt]

Hey, Harriet~

My husband's family lives in New Hampshire, Milford. We have also flown into Manchester to go to our lakehouse on Lake Winnesquam!

 

[nicolespcshows]

I wash mine at home. I put them in one of my extra super starter kit crates so all the dirty dishes are in one area. I may rinse them at the show but I take them home and wash them...most of it goes in the dishwasher anyway. I think it is important to mingle with the guests. When I washed them at the show people felt uncomfortable approaching me to ask questions.

 

[pchefmomof2]

I bought it a Wal Mart. Just a white tub with clear drawer, very inexpensive under $8.

 

[AJPratt]

I want people to see my job look as easy as possible, which it is. So, I mention that I toss everything in a PC plastic bag (in a rubbermaid container) and when I get home, everything just goes in my dishwasher, except my knives and stoneware. I think it would be great to go home with clean dishes but like Nicole says, I want to available to chat.

 

[PampMomof3]

I do the same thing. I prefer to mingle with my guests and go home to wash my dishes. I think that it looks like you are being rude trying to wash up instead of mingling. It's essentially why you're there! Just my 2 cents.

 

[Shereda]

show clean upI will have to say that I do what most of you do. I use my show to go and I collapse the crate and put it in the back pocket of the STG bag. I also take a PC bag. During my show, I have my crate on the floor beneath the table and I have the bag open inside of it. This way when I dirty something I simply throw it in the bag. The crate is easy carrying and keeps stuff from rolling around the car. I washed dishes for a year at the show and I got home so late! Even though I do want to mingle (and trust me I do) I needed to get out the door somewhat faster! I went to this system. I then put all my clean items in the STG rolling case and boom I am out the door!

Also, I do tell my guest that I am so simple minded I have to do order forms one at a time. I invite them to stack order forms and I will call their names when ready and then they can come and have a seat and we will go over payment (ie: booking and recruiting questions). It works great! I love this system.

 

[loreedfk]

I bought a cheap plastic tub with lid at Target for $2.99 - I just drop my tools in there as I dirty them (assuming I'm done with them). So, the clean stuff is in the crate that came in my starter kit and the dirty stuff is in my tub. And I have a brief case that I carry with all the paper work. I try to keep it looking simple - 3 things to carry in (can do it in 2 trips) and out.

Someone said they make a joke about DH doing their dishes, but mine really does. The dishwasher is his domain - he says I don't load it right! And who am I to argue! LOL!

 

[KellyTheChef]

I bring a large plastic drawer (It is a stackable drawer from Office Max) to put my dirty dishes into. I leave it under my demo table and put dishes in as I use them. It is large enough that I can put the Large Cutting Board in it and deep enough to fit the med. bowl from the Stainless Steel set. I carry clean items to my show in this, and carry all my dirty stuff home in it. It works great!

 

[Paige Dixon]

I happened to have a plastic bin that fits perfectly inside the old showcase. So, I use the new Show to Go for my clean tools and put all the dirty tools immediately into the plastic bin lined showcase. My kids know that it's their job to have the dishwasher emptied by the time I get home, so everything goes right into the dishwasher.

I do clean the host's kitchen thoroghly. I'm a clean perfectionist and I know if it were me, I'd stay up all night cleaning up, so I make it super clean for her so she can go straight to bed when I leave.

 

[PamG]

I use a stoneware tote. I put my dirty stone in a trash bag and then in the tote. I bring dirty dishes home and don't let hosts wash them either. Truth be told I feel like I want to be sure things are clean enough to suit me to.

 

[PC Angel]

Dirty, But SafeI've actually had a hostess wash my tools and a couple parties later realize that my Slice N Serve was missing... don't know if she thought it was hers (because she had one too... I think), but I'm not going to ask! I put mine in a PC bag and head home to my trusty dishwasher

 

[pcjeanie]

First of all, I pass out catalogs and order forms as people come in. I put my dirties in a Rubbermaid container as I use them during the demo (along with trash). After the demo is completed, I invite guests to ask questions and wait for them at the table to be ready to place orders. I ask them to stack their order on the table if I'm busy with someone else and get some refreshments. Then I call them by name as I finish orders. I throw away any trash and then put the lid on my Rubbermaid container and take home all the dirty dishes. This gets me out quicker and gives me and the host time to mingle with guests. I think doing dishes later makes for a more relaxed party and makes a better impression (gets you out quicker, too).

Jeanie Gay

 

[letscook04]

First of all, I pass out catalogs and order forms as people come in. I put my dirties in a Rubbermaid container as I use them during the demo (along with trash). After the demo is completed, I invite guests to ask questions and wait for them at the table to be ready to place orders. I ask them to stack their order on the table if I'm busy with someone else and get some refreshments. Then I call them by name as I finish orders. I throw away any trash and then put the lid on my Rubbermaid container and take home all the dirty dishes. This gets me out quicker and gives me and the host time to mingle with guests. I think doing dishes later makes for a more relaxed party and makes a better impression (gets you out quicker, too).

Jeanie Gay

I like that idea having them stack their orders in a pile and I will call them up one by one. My last show I had about 20 guest and they were lined up waiting to pay. I felt rushed and really did not have the time to talked to each one.
As for cleaning my dirty tools, I tell the host not to bother but if she wants to washed them for me by all means go head.