What Would You Do? Navigating a Host's Order Before Vacation

[Intrepid_Chef]

Yesterday morning I met with a host who wanted to close out her show before I went on vacation. She hands me this order and tells me the check will be sent. I tried not to let my jaw drop too low!!!

Well, I've been trying since last night to get in touch with the host because:

* She still hasn't told me what she wants for her 1/2 price items.

* One guest hasn't mentioned what she wants for the guest special.

* After giving it some thought ... I am REALLY nervous about covering a $70 order while I'm waiting for the check to come in, especially with the bank error that I hope to straighten out in the morning. The way I see it ... Pampered Chef would hold up an entire show for one credit card ... why should I be any different? It would be different if it was being shipped to my house instead of hers.

* I'm nervous about anyone hitting "finalize" on P3 except me ... I'm really anal about double-checking addresses, specials and the like.

I'm getting ready to hit the road now ... and still haven't heard a peep ... so when I return from my trip, I'll be happy to send the show in right away.

I've e-mailed her and said that if I didn't hear from her before I left, it would probably be a week before I sent it in. Didn't elaborate as to why!

What would you do?

 

[katie0128]

If you are uncomfortable with submitting the show, I wouldn't do it. You are the one that she (and the guests) are going to come back to if there is a problem, so you need to know that you did exactly what you were supposed to do! If you are not comfortable with floating the $70, then don't do it! It is your business and your right to make that decision.

(And personally, I would probably do exactly what you are doing!)

 

[Intrepid_Chef]

Well, what I told her in the e-mail is that if I didn't hear from her by 8 p.m. I'd wait until I got home because a) I can't send it from the road and b) I can't make any changes once it's finalized and I'd hate to see her forfeit her half price items.

I don't want to do anything to offend this family ... another cheffer served them until she moved out of state and this is the second of 3 parties from this family ... they've been very good to me. I'm sure the lady is good for it but still ...

Besides, in Ohio we get our stuff pretty darn fast!

 

[Kitchen Diva]

No you are not wrong- this is a business...and just like you can't go into a store and get something without paying for it, nor can you order anything online without paying for it first, she should have the money for her order BEFORE you submit it! IMHO

 

[legacypc46]

Is it an option to have the show sent to you? That way if you cover the order and 'select' a half-price item for the host, you don't have to worry about the products.

Of course, if you're out of town for awhile and/or no one is home to take the boxes, this wouldn't help you.

 

[BethCooks4U]

If she didn't tell you what or whether she wants for the 1/2 price item and you have a question about a guest's order and you have let her know there are still open issues on the show, I would not feel bad at all about leaving the show open for that week. If she complains, tell her just what you said, that you didn't want her to lose out on a benefit in case she wanted it.

In the future I would tell people that you do not submit shows until the payment is in hand - even with family.

 

[DebbieJ]

I keep a pretty strict policy of not submitting an order without payment. I would not hesitate to wait on this order.

 

[wadesgirl]

I wouldn't send it! You told her that you were leaving but you didn't tell her that you would submit the show if you didn't hear from her. I don't feel like that is fair. Plus I would never submit a show without payment.

 

[kspry]

just closed a show and made a bunch of customer calls....told them I'm on vacation for the next 10 days, please leave a message, for the ones I got voice mail.

 

[pampered.chris]

I also wouldn't submit the show without payment. Even though someone may be "good" for the payment, how long will it take to get it. I know that I get busy and if I don't take care of an issue right now, I will forget it. Not saying you would forget to collect the money, but the hostess may "forget" she owes it to you.

 

[jessicafawn]

You're not wrong... not in the slightest. Like many have said, it's a business. I hope it all works out.

 

[jenne]

I made the mistake of submitting a show before leaving on vacation with one order unpaid for....that was in April and I STILL don't have payment, even after several phone calls/e-mails. I don't know if I'll ever get paid and it ticks me off....lesson learned...don't learn the hard way like I did. Wait to submit the show.

 

[MissChef]

No you are not wrong, and I would send it when I cam back with money in hand! I also wouldn't submit until I made sure the check was good! That's just me, because I would be really uncomfortable with someone wanting to send me a check, if you don't decide to do that then I would have it shipped to me, and if I didn't get payment then I could send it back to PC!

 

[Kitchen2u]

Nooooooooooooooooo, wait for the check! Think of it this way...can you going into Macy's, Nordstorms, William Sonoma, etc and take the merchandise and tell them you will send them a check? :yuck:

 

[Intrepid_Chef]

Thanks for all your support. Just rolled into town and saw the check from the customer, but not the host's check reimbursing me for groceries and the pink bowl which she already received from another cheffer.

The check, thankfully, has the customer's phone number, so I could at least leave her a message saying I didn't want to assume what free knife she wants.

I plan to call the host today and tell her the show will be sent in as soon as I get payment for any half price items she wants, as well as the other stuff. Hopefully that will be Monday but since my mechanic didn't fix my car on time as promised ... it may be an extra day!

 

[wadesgirl]

Something to help from having to wait for checks all the time is to have the host have outside orders write the checks to her and then get one large payment from the host over the phone with a debit or credit card. 99% of my hosts choose this option because it's easier for all of us!

 

[Intrepid_Chef]

I might do that in the future ... but meanwhile ... I am comfortable taking checks because I ALWAYS verify funds before I cash or deposit them!

Talked to the hostess and all is well ... she has one more outside order which makes her automatically eligable for the Santoku knife ... and if it's big enough she also gets another $25 in credit!