What Are the Benefits of Collaborating With Other Businesses for Gift Baskets?

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Discussion Overview

The thread explores the potential benefits and considerations of collaborating with other businesses, specifically regarding the inclusion of Pampered Chef products in gift baskets. Participants share their experiences and concerns about pricing, discounts, and warranty issues related to gift purchases.

Discussion Character

  • Anecdotal
  • Opinion-based
  • Exploratory

Main Points Raised

  • One participant, identifying as a consultant, discusses conversations with a local gift basket designer about including Pampered Chef products and questions the implications of offering a discount.
  • Another participant mentions the need for permission from the home office for large orders and expresses confusion about the discount question.
  • Several users highlight concerns regarding the transfer of warranties to end-buyers and the lack of gift receipts, noting that this could create issues for customers needing warranty exchanges.
  • One participant suggests offering gift certificates instead of discounts to maintain commission, while another mentions the challenges of providing gift receipts without prices.
  • Another participant shares their experience of creating gift warranty cards to assist customers with warranty exchanges, emphasizing the importance of item and consultant information.
  • One participant notes that including contact information with gifts has helped them gain new customers through warranty assistance.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Views differ on the feasibility and implications of offering discounts and the necessity of gift receipts. No clear consensus emerges regarding the best approach to handling these issues.

Contextual Notes

Participants share personal experiences and concerns related to gift-giving practices and warranty issues within the context of their roles as Pampered Chef consultants.

Who May Find This Useful

Consultants interested in exploring collaborative opportunities with other businesses and those seeking to understand the implications of gift sales and warranty management may find this discussion relevant.

susanr613
susanr613
Gold Member
Messages
2,010
Hi -

Has or is anyone working with another business as a supplier, for example, a gift basket business? I am in conversation with a local gift basket designer about including PC products in the baskets. He would want to order wholesale.

Would I be able to pass on my 20% discount to him without sacrificing my commission? Are there any other issues I need to consider?

Thanks so much -
Susan
 
QuantitiesOne thing you need to be concerned with is the quanties you would be ordering. If it is any amount over 50 (I believe, someone correct me if I am wrong...don't have my policies here and too lazy to look) you have to have permission from HO.

And I don't understand what you are wondering about with the discount?? If you give him a 20% discount off his order then your 20% commission would cover that. But if he wants to order a lot, you could do a catalog show for his order....hmmmm...not sure if I understand your question!:confused:
 
The warranty also would not transfer to the end-buyers, either.
 
How about offering Gift Certificates instead? You would still make commission. If you wanted to offer your discount (you cannot by the way) without it affecting your commission, you would have to have the 20% come out of your pocket.

Or offer cookbooks or spices, generally something you wouldn't have to return.
 
Gift receipts
chefann said:
The warranty also would not transfer to the end-buyers, either.
Click to expand...

Good catch Ann, I didn't even think about that.

That brings me to one of my gripes...:cry: .why don't we have the option to print off a gift receipt?? I have people give gifts all of the time and all I can offer is to print off another receipt for them with the prices on it. :yuck: Any thoughts on it? By the way I have suggested it to HO...maybe if everyone puts in their 2 cents something could get done!!
 
why don't we have the option to print off a gift receipt??
Click to expand...

What difference does it make if the prices are there? If they have a catalog, they'll just look anyway. lol Without prices would make a nicer looking receipt but people are nosy or curious so won't be able to help themselves. :p
 
RebelChef said:
What difference does it make if the prices are there? If they have a catalog, they'll just look anyway. lol Without prices would make a nicer looking receipt but people are nosy or curious so won't be able to help themselves. :p
Click to expand...

It is just like say Babies R Us...you buy a gift for someone and you get the receipt without prices. The person could of course go and look and see how much you spent, but are they realistically going to do that? Not me.

BesidesI think it is tacky to give a receipt with the price. And I am sure Dear Abby would agree!:angel: A lot of people don't want people knowing how much they spent on them, so they just won't give a receipt with it and then we run into problems!! I just had a lady with Professional cookware contact me, it was a wedding gift...doesn't know who her friend bought it from, doesn't know when it was bought....called the home office and they are insisting even for lifetime guarantees to have a receipt. This is of course because of all the ebay transactions, yard sales etc.:yuck: :cry:

So the option for the gift receipt would alleviate these problems. IMHO
 
  • Thread starter
  • #8
i checked with home office - no discount, and perhaps higher shipping charges. i am surprised...thought they could at least pass along a host discount or something, if someone wants to buy lots of products on a consistent basis
pooey
 
So if someone buys something and gives it as a gift.. the receipt would have the buyers name.. if something went wrong with the item could the gift receipient call the consultant on issues? I know I have my mom buy gifts for family for example and I have others who do that. I know we don't have the receipts (we could print them) for warranty issues when things are broken(stoneware for ex)
 
The person could still buy the items to include in baskets.

eta:
Said business buys Item 2222 for $8 'wholesale' from PC.
Item 2222 sells to our customers for $10.
Said business sells Item 2222 for $9 to his customers...why would anyone want to buy from us?
 
fruit76loop said:
That brings me to one of my gripes...:cry: .why don't we have the option to print off a gift receipt?? I have people give gifts all of the time and all I can offer is to print off another receipt for them with the prices on it. :yuck: Any thoughts on it? By the way I have suggested it to HO...maybe if everyone puts in their 2 cents something could get done!!
Click to expand...

I also have suggested a gift receipt to HO. Maybe they want to avoid those who would combine orders to avoid S/H.
 
Gift Warranty InformationWhen I first started PC about two years ago, I was very concerned about the lack of availablity of gift receipts - partly because my mom is a realtor, and when she hosted a show for me, she had bought several gift items to give to people closing on their first houses. She didn't want to give them a receipt with her whole host order, or all the prices, OR her address, which I can understand. So here's what I finally got (after talking to several people at HO about this):

For a warranty exchange, all the gift recipient REALLY needs are the item number, the consultant number, and the show number and date. HO can look up the show in their records if they have this information. So, I made up the following Gift Warranty cards, which HO said they would be able to honor. I haven't had to use them much, but they are a great thing to be able to offer to my customers.

Now, about the receipt part - HO has actually NEVER asked me to send back a receipt for warranty info anyway... the only time I have ever needed to send receipts is when the customer actually wants to exchange an item for something else... but that hasn't happened to me yet in a gift situation. The reason they ask for the receipt when a customer calls, is they need to verify that the item was actually purchased from PC - not eBay or somewhere else - and with the show number, consultant number, etc, they are able to verify it with no problem. The receipt contains all of that information, which the customer otherwise probably wouldn't have. Especially if it was a gift.

Disclaimer: I am fully aware that since PC has not publicly endorsed this idea, you (or even I) may run into trouble speaking with someone at the Solution Center with a warranty exchange like this. But if you try it, and you do run into trouble, just ask for a supervisor - because there is no reason they should NOT be able to honor the warranty as long as they are able to verify the item was bought from PC. I offer my gift warranty cards to you as an option if you want to use them, but I cannot guarantee the actions of PC HO when this issue comes up. Know what I mean?

Anyway, I hope this helps someone.

=) Jen
 

Attachments

A couple of years ago I started telling people to include my contact information with any PC gifts they give. Since I have a record of all purchases, I can assist with exchanges during the warranty period. It's worked out well, and it's even garnered me a few new customers. :)
 
jenm42 said:
For a warranty exchange, all the gift recipient REALLY needs are the item number, the consultant number, and the show number and date. HO can look up the show in their records if they have this information. So, I made up the following Gift Warranty cards, which HO said they would be able to honor. I haven't had to use them much, but they are a great thing to be able to offer to my customers.
Click to expand...

This is a great idea and something that would be nice on a VistaPrint business card (or of course a DYI one, but I'm not good at those).
 
warranty card
redsoxgirl said:
This is a great idea and something that would be nice on a VistaPrint business card (or of course a DYI one, but I'm not good at those).
Click to expand...

or better yet.. maybe a label on the back of YOUR own business cards? :)
 
Tell them that they can get great discounts for gifts as a consultant.
Bobby
 

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the primary benefits of collaborating with other businesses for gift baskets?

Collaborating with other businesses allows you to combine resources, reach a wider audience, and create unique gift baskets that stand out. It enhances the value of the gift basket by including diverse products, which can attract more customers and increase sales for all involved businesses.

How can collaborating with other businesses enhance marketing efforts?

When businesses collaborate, they can cross-promote each other's products, leveraging each other's customer bases. This can lead to increased visibility and brand awareness, as well as shared marketing costs, making it a cost-effective strategy for reaching new customers.

What types of businesses are ideal for collaboration in gift basket creation?

Ideal businesses for collaboration include those that complement your products, such as local artisans, gourmet food producers, or wellness brands. The key is to choose partners whose offerings align well with your own, creating a cohesive and appealing gift basket.

How does collaboration affect the pricing of gift baskets?

Collaborating with other businesses can help reduce costs since you can share expenses related to sourcing products and marketing. This can allow you to offer competitive pricing on gift baskets while maintaining quality, ultimately benefiting both your business and your partners.

What are some potential challenges of collaborating with other businesses for gift baskets?

Some challenges include coordinating logistics, ensuring product quality and consistency, and aligning marketing strategies. Clear communication and defined roles are essential to overcoming these challenges and ensuring a successful collaboration.

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