What If a Consultant Refuses to Fulfill Their Obligations? - A Kitnapping Story

[pcchefjane]

John (and everyone else) was saying what could be said about you. I have heard many a "horror story" about the rude PC consultants in the area. Even though sometimes they don't remember the consultant's name, they never forget how they were treated... I had a kitnapper that signed up last March. She had "great ideas" that she was going to do but never did. I even offered to buy her mini-catalogs she had purchased from me plus any leftover catalogs last June but she waited until August 28th to say I could. Told her I couldn't then since new catalogs were due out that same week... You never know with people, but above all, be honest. You don't want people taking advantage of buying the kit and not working the biz, but you also don't want her to spread the word you lied about the consequences either.

 

[susanr613]

Telling kitnappers that HO will charge them or come and repo the kit is not ethical, since we know that HO will do neither of those things. By telling a kitnapper that, you are lowering yourself to their moral level (stealing vs. lying). Don't do it. If kitnapping becomes a problem, then HO can choose to put procedures in place to recoup kit costs from kitnappers.

I agree with Ann. I understand your frustration, but you can't flat out lie to counter stealing :blushing:

You really do need to move on. You will only waste more time and energy on someone who clearly does not want to do anything. Just focus on your business, your productive team members, and on Maui

 

[pampered1224]

That was the point exactly. You read my statement but must have missed the "you do not want to become..." You see how it got way out of hand here. Can you imagine what one comment from her to someone else would end up sounding like after a bit? You remember the old game of "Telephone" where someone whispers something in one persons ear and then they pass it on. It comes out totally different in the end. l so do not want to see you end up with a really bad image from one simply made comment by you. Remember too, you know what you are saying but you have no idea what she is hearing. The words may be the same but the emotion behind them may be completely different on her end. She may only hear "that consultant...". Save yourself the trouble that COULD follow by pursing this. I know a consultant that lost major bookings from a party because the host did not send the money needed to close the party for over a month. This consultant did a $1100 party, got 8 bookings and two recruit leads from the party. But as time went on and the products did not appear, the guests questioned the host. The consultant had been calling her quite a bit to get this resolved and and you what the host told her guests, that the consultant was hounding and harassing about the orders. She did not mention that she was the one who did not send the consultant the $750 to place the order. I lost all of the bookings, and the recruit leads because I was doing the right thing. I know I lost several more booking as when I asked a few people from my mom's work place if they would like to do parties, they very incredulously said no. I found out why later. My mom was the one who ended up telling me what the guests were saying as she worked with several of them. The story, as it came out said I was telling the host I needed more money from her than the party was so I could get more commission and what not. And all I did was call her three times in three weeks and all I said was "Gina, John Watschke here. I really need that money from you so I can get the order placed. Please call me a let me know what is happening. We need to close soon so your guests get their stuff, you get the host bonus you want and I need to be able to get my commission so I can pay bills." One slip of my tongue and all I was worried about was my commission. I have never done another party with her even though she has asked me too. One or two words out of context and there you go. HO does not make us pay for kits on purpose. It is so we do not loose money on dead beats. In other words, they do not want us wasting our time on people who do want our help. We have no financial loss to with stand so also do not waste the time. You have already said what you needed to say to her so let it go. I know you are mad. We have all been there. I have recruited 6 people. One did the $1250 and that was it and one lasted about a year. The others just walked off. I let them. I did not want the emotional investment. Oh and what would HO say? They would say there is nothing you or they can do. All of us who have made that call have been told the same thing. They want us to leave it alone so we do NOT dig ourselves into a nasty hole. We do not want you to do it either! That's all I was saying. We don't give a rats booty about her. We only care about you.

 

[Liquid Sky]

John.....I TOTALLY understand what you are saying and I truly appreciate your taking the time to express/clarify it.

I do still wonder tho....what would HO say if an unqualified consultant called them and straight out asked, "what will happen if I don't do anything in my business?" I really, really wonder what their answer would be, especially when they can see in their systems our history and what not.

All is good tho, I will follow up with her one more time and ask her if she's ready to get on board and so she can earn some cash to help offset the loss due to being laid off. If she "fights" me on the issue then I will gladly and respectfully step back, wish her luck and let her know to let us know if we can help her out in the future.

Thanks everyone! I appreciate all your input :thumbup:

 

[baychef]

John, your post was fantastic! I mean...not the experience...that was just horrible.

I had a past host call me and tell me her stone was broken. She wanted to replace it. Long story short, I did not sell her the stone but she knew it was way over 3 years old. I told her that PC would not replace it.

She then told the consultant that now does her shows that I didn't care and did not want to help her!!! She expected me to offer her to order one and I give her a discount. She never said or hinted this to me!!

It is sad that others trash other people to make themselves look better.

 

[Chef ET]

I had no idea there were so many kitnappers, let alone they exist. I am surprised that it hasn't changed HO's agreement and procedure. It sounds like this has been going on for some time, long enough to red flag HO to come up with some solution so the word doesn't spread that they don't do anything.

 

[NooraK]

You know what's funny? Michael Reeves started out as a kitnapper...

 

[mandy412]

The term kitnapper is cracking me up!

 

[rkcreations]

Ok! I'll admit it!! I was going to "kitnap" too!! I signed simply because it was cheaper to get all the stuff I wanted and MORE! The gal I signed up under totally knew I had no intention of selling. But when I opened up my pc boxes I got sooooo excited about the business aspect of it that I started selling it! Lol! Hopefully the "kitnappers" out there will see what an awesome opportunity they are missing out on!

P.s. My sister was going to kitnap too....but the pc bug got to her as well!

 

[pampered1224]

Michael Reeves really? And Karen, glad you found out how fantastic PC is!
Too funny!
Sky - how did this all pan out anyway? I have ot assume she just walked away but...

 

[lovescooking]

You know what's funny? Michael Reeves started out as a kitnapper...

But look at where Michael is today! :chef:
This is a sad thing when it happens. I had a person sign up, her second time, and I asked how committed she was to following through with the business this time. Oh of course I got the suger coated version of how she really wanted to do it and be successful. In reality she flopped...a second time. She emailed me a year later and asked if she could sign again! My response was, Yes, if you are going to work it this time if not then find someone else. I am happy to report that she has NOT signed for a third time!
I wish there was something HO could do about this because I love TPC and I do not like them being taken advantage of.

 

[Liquid Sky]

Sky - how did this all pan out anyway? I have ot assume she just walked away but...

Funny you ask! Mrs. Kitnapper called me the morning of Spring Launch and hounded me on questions about what PC will do. Rewind....at the beginning of February, I emailed all my "pending 6 months of inactivity" recruits letting them know they are pending 6 months and I am here 100% to help keep them active. Very cookie cutter email...standardized.

Spring Launch morning....urgently asks me to call her. So I do w/in 10 mins. She begins throwing a 100 questions at me about what PC will do. By this point, I have told her "I have no idea and it's best if you just call to ask them". She then proceeds to tell me that I FORCED her to sign the agreement and FORCED her to write down 4 show dates w/ names. At this point I was DONE...D O N E....with this crazy psychopath. You got it, I strapped her down and forced her to fill out the agreement.

After that accusation, I tell her, "look, I have signed over 20 people to my team in the past 2 years and I have ALWAYS been clear to cover the terms and conditions of the agreement. Obvicously, we are getting no where with each other so go ahead and address all questions and concerns to HO." The I hear, "yeah and I get all these call and emails from you saying my 6 months are pending". YOU GOT THAT RIGHT! So I reply, "yes I absolutely did b/c it's my RESPONSIBILITY as the leader of my team to communicate everything and anything that may affect my team in any form...good or "bad"".

BLAH BLAH BLAH....needless to say, I deleted her from my team email list when I got home that night. No longer will I waste a breath or time on her. Unless of course if she fesses up and actually wants to work her biz then I'll support her but I will not tolerate someone wanting to fight with me like we are 12 and accuse me of doing crap that I didn't do (forcing the agreement).

Blessed and released :thumbup:

 

[pampered1224]

Oh Lord! (Yep you got one for the funny farm!) I suppose too that you had to use Twixit! Clips on her little fingers and ratted her hair with a whisk! You must have just totally went all out Mafia on her huh? LOL!!! I'm sorry! I can't stop laughing at the thought of you torturing and forcing someone to sign! I am so sorry you got stuck with a total fruit loop!

 

[pamperedchef88]

I hesitate to to mention this because I am not siding with kitnappers, but just trying to help. If the contract does not actually state that a consultant has to do so many parties or make a certain dollar amount in order to buy the kit then (while I disagree with the practice) they have a legal right and if you are telling them you are going to go collect their kit that would be stealing. They could have you arrested or sued for stealing, harrasment, or defermation of character. Again I think it is unethical but it is leagal. However if their is a part of the consultant agreement that states requirments then that is a diffrent story.

 

[Liquid Sky]

I hesitate to to mention this because I am not siding with kitnappers, but just trying to help. If the contract does not actually state that a consultant has to do so many parties or make a certain dollar amount in order to buy the kit then (while I disagree with the practice) they have a legal right and if you are telling them you are going to go collect their kit that would be stealing. They could have you arrested or sued for stealing, harrasment, or defermation of character. Again I think it is unethical but it is leagal. However if their is a part of the consultant agreement that states requirments then that is a diffrent story.

The girl I have talked about in these postings is one that I internally had red flags about from the get go...and she's been an ordeal to work with the past 6 months. It's just hard when you love a company so much and to see someone (several people in my case) take advantage of it is hard to swallow. I know, I know....it's not my bag to hold and I understand that. I am just passionate about this career and my business. :love:

I'd never harass or steal a kit back...I work full time, have 3 kids and work PC full time so I'd say I have much better things to do. I really, really wish and hope PC will change the terms and conditions to ward against kitnappers.

 

[Liquid Sky]

Oh Lord! (Yep you got one for the funny farm!) I suppose too that you had to use Twixit! Clips on her little fingers and ratted her hair with a whisk! You must have just totally went all out Mafia on her huh? LOL!!! I'm sorry! I can't stop laughing at the thought of you torturing and forcing someone to sign! I am so sorry you got stuck with a total fruit loop!

AHAHHAHAAH! Now that is a visual I am totally cracking up over!!! Now I have a good idea for my next victim...er....recruit.

 

[pampered1224]

I thought you would get a kick out of that! I just can not imagine someone actually saying they were forced to sign up! Now you basically have proof positive she was a kitnapper. "Me thinks thou doust protest to much." is from McBeth. (I know the doust part is spelled wrong but...), you know what it means. It means that you are trying way to hard to convince others, and yourself, that you are not ethically or legally guilty. Now she is blaming you because she signed up! That is way to hard! She never had any intention of doing anything but collecting the goods.