Director Avoiding Unprofessionalism: Lessons Learned from Vendor Event Mishaps

[cincychef]

This is the 2nd time this has happened to me this year.
The first time I gave a vendor event to a consultant on my team(who had done one before) because I wasn't available on the date. I didn't find out until after the fact that she didn't contact the lady until the day before (lesson learned or so I thought) I wrote an apology to the lady once I found out because she had been given MY name by 2 different people. (really wasn't happy that it made me look unprofessional) Never heard back from her.

Last night I got home from a cooking show to a very upset email from someone who was doing a vendor event. I had passed it on to someone on my team and given her their contact information and also emailed the co-ordinator with her name (didn't think to include her #) Now because of the last event, I have been keeping ALL of the vendor events I have passed on to my team on MY calender and trying to make sure they are more prepared and we don't have any no shows. (I hate even feeling like I have to do that, I am not a babysitter) She had confirmed with me THAT week. She didn't call, text or email me that she wasn't going. I have texted her and not heard back, she just messaged that she isn't coming to the meeting tonight(imagine that!) The thing is I do alot of shows, I can't do all the vendor events I get asked to but I try to get them booked for OUR team so they can grow THEIR businesses, but when they do this it makes ME look very unprofessional.
What would you do? Say?

 

[CoidgigBese]

How are you deciding who to pass the events on to? I only pass them on to people who are trying to grow their business and are in touch with me. I would go to my upline and refer it to someone on her team before I would give it to some of my people. I'm not sure how you can do any more than you did in terms of having it on your calendar and confirming with them. Otherwise you could write up a little speech about needing a commitment, how it reflects on you to pass on this info, why you're giving them the event and emphasize that they need to come back to you if they're not able to do it so you can keep it within the team - all of this before giving them the actual event info.

 

[Sheila]

I'd make a rule, that team members who cancel loose their privilege and don't get asked again. Obviously, there would be exceptions to the rule (anything that involves a police car, an ambulance or a fire truck) ~ but just plain dropping the ball would not be an exception. You are going out of your way to help them. You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink ... they obviously are not excited enough over what you have to offer. Focus on the few who are. I hired a friend to sit at my Pampered Chef table & collect info for my newsletter recently, only had one local recruit & 2 potentials & none of the 3 wanted it.In Japan, I usually always had team members thrilled to take a booth, but I'd venture out to hospitality if I didn't have enough volunteers. Anything to keep it in my name & be on the list for the next event!

 

[PamperedK]

I agree with the above. I only give tables to select team members - otherwise, they go to my upline. I would call and in a very concerned voice ask "oh no what happened?? are you ok????" assume, like Sheila said, it involved sirens of some sort. Then when they say "oh I couldn't find a babysitter" you can say something about how this is just as important as a show - would they cancel a cooking show? probably not. and then never offer them something like this again.

 

[PCJenni]

I make a point of telling them that they are not only representing PC, themselves but ME as well. I always tell them that the person is a personal friend or customer of mine and I expect them to act accordingly. I dont care that they are grown women.. clearly a lot of people dont conduct themselves as such!