Why Does Pampered Chef Route People to a Paticular Website?

[Michelle K]

I have a question and gripe! Maybe I need to ask this at the home office but why when you go to Pampered Chef website it says shop online and you click on that and then it asks for your zip code and then person enters that and it pulls up a consultants website! I have not signed up for a website yet because I am not sure how this works. It seems very unfair to consultants without websites. I have always refered customers to Pampered Chef website it they do not have a catalog but now I am scared to because I am afraid they will do business with these other consultants that pop up for the zip code entered. Does anyone know anything about this? Please advise.

Thanks,

Michelle

 

[dannyzmom]

They directot these leads to qualified Directors in the person's area.

 

[jenniferknapp]

Michelle,
Once you sign up for a website, you will get a specific address to your site...and you would advertise this so that your customers go directly to your page and you get the sales.

 

[lacychef]

I would definately recommend getting a website! So many people shop online these days. It has helped with my outside orders for my cooking shows!

 

[AJPratt]

The only way to do something about this is to get your own website! Oh, yeah, and recruit and promote so you can be one of the directors!

The personal website is a wonderful tool to help your business. You can use it for outside orders, advertise sales, help out hosts, its great.

 

[cmdtrgd]

You do have to realize that most Directors who have a website pay for it. One of the Director perks is to get the leads. I'm not positive, but I don't think they can get the leads without having their own website. I highly suggest getting one of your own! Maybe it can be a Holiday gift to yourself!

 

[jrstephens]

I am just a lowly consultant and my webiste has not generated me but about 2 small orders and I am seriously considering not renewing it.

 

[cmdtrgd]

There is a flyer on this site...what my website can do for you.I have begun to give this to all my hosts in the hope that they would use it more. It can be a powerful tool, but you have to know how to market it! Also, I send the invitations for my hosts - that includes the evites. I do let them know that they can go on there and see who has looked at the email or not and even add people they forgot about.

 

[lacychef]

I am just a lowly consultant and my webiste has not generated me but about 2 small orders and I am seriously considering not renewing it.

Are you advertising it really well? I'm just a lowly consultant too....I send out my invitations, & add a label that says "can't come but want to order? go to www....."
I've been getting anywhere from 2-4 outside orders via my website since I started doing this!

 

[dannyzmom]

You MUST market your website if you want to see a return on your investment. The only way people will find it (unless you are a director receiving HO leads) is if you have it printed on your business cards, on every catalog, every flyer, etc. TELL people about it at every show. It is up to YOU to make the website work for you. I make sure my bank tellers, hair dressers, nail techs, waitresses, pharmacists, etc - ALL know about my website. You'd be amazed at the amount of business it will generate if you just advertise it everywhere.

 

[Michelle K]

well I earned the $50 pampered chef bucks for the Stoneware promotions and was thinking about getting one but was concerned about this routing issue. I have really been on a high roll lately I am only $278.33 from the $3000 goal this month and I still have 2 catalog shows out so I could justify getting one but want to make sure it makes me money. I really try to make sure my expenses for my business does not eat up my profit Thanks for the fast replies...I am without a Director close and have not heard from my Director in months and kind of on my on so this is great help and advise!

Michelle

 

[jrstephens]

Are you advertising it really well? I'm just a lowly consultant too....I send out my invitations, & add a label that says "can't come but want to order? go to www....."
I've been getting anywhere from 2-4 outside orders via my website since I started doing this!

I put it on everything I send out. I send a monthly newsletter. When we get Weekly Bites most every week I copy and paste the Quick Tip and email it to everyone. All of this has my website on it. I think in the area I live in people just prefer to have a catalog in hand to order.

I really do not know what else I could do to market it. I know if I do not tell people about it they will not know about it and that is why I send things out and put it on everything to constantly keep it in front of them.

The only reason I hate to give it up is the Outlet being on there now. Mine does not end until March, so, I will just wait and see.

 

[tiffanypc05]

I had mine for 6 months and did not have the first order. I posted the site on my bus. cards, Catalogs, invitations, and everything else you could think of!!!! I told all my hosts and even put a letter in there about it. I'm definitely not in the right area for a site. On the other side of the county, my director does well with it, but she lives in the city where all of the uppity-do people live. Half of the guests at my shows probably couldn't tell you how to cut on a computer as bad as it sounds. I have approximately 15-20 people on my monthly newsletter and i've been selling for over 1 1/2 years now. I feel like I wasted my money is having a webiste.

 

[pamperedbecky]

Do your hosts use the evites? Do you promote it to them? That's where I've gotten the most out of my money for the website. Some hosts really need to be encouraged to use it and I always tell them that I've had hosts who have had an additional $200-$300 in orders if they use this feature. I even offer to send out the evites for them if they provide me with addresses.

I put my website on EVERYTHING. I always do labels on mini catalogs I hand out and tell them they can shop 24/7. Granted, I do get a fair amount of orders on there because I'm a Director, but I know my website has paid for itself several times over because of extra orders it has generated for my hosts. I always tell them they can easily open their show up to out of town friends/family because we ship anywhere, plus it adds to their show total.

The price we are charged is SO reasonable. And it's only going to get better with practically constant improvements they're making. Do you send out the emails through Customer Connection (or whatever it's called)? Right now there's one on there we can send to our customers talking about ordering for the holidays. Give that a try and see what happens!

 

[Michelle K]

See I don't do the invitations for my host I think they can handle that I just do not have time and I have not found that it really helps that much with attendence for me. I do host coach like crazy and print out the pre-labels for the information that goes on their invitations so all they have to do is fill out the address of friend on the invitations. I have had all my shows in the last 3months over $700. So that is why I am not sure about doing a web page not sure if it would get used

Keep listing the pros and help me decide!

Thanks,

Michelle

 

[jenniferknapp]

I think that in this day, the web is a necessity in life, not just a luxury. It looks good to have a website address, and even if you aren't seeing sales from it, you are giving them the option of browsing the catalog, or doing a quick search to see the price of an item on your website...and then maybe they have a catalog and OOF right next to them writing their order down...I can't tell you how many people I have seen do this. And if you send out a monthly newsletter, you can have something to link to in it...

 

[Chefgirl2]

I am a director and saw that as one of the perks to attaining directoship. I really appreciate that we get the leads. Pampered Chef knows that as directors we will follow through on any situation. Some leads to my website are to help people replace broken items that are still under the warranty and were not purchased through me. Other leads are for shows, recruiting, Product questions and product sales.

We all know that there are many consultants that only read their emails once a week. Can you imagine if Pampered Chef gave leads to everyone that had a website? I agree with everyone. Market the website and it will really pay you back. Nothing leaves my hands without my email address. This month I have have $250 in online orders. And this doesn't include orders from my shows that are registered online! Unfortunately, Pampered Chef does not tell us which ones were leads and which were my contacts.

I am pretty sure that when people type in a zipcode that is a lead for the next director in the rotation. So if there a 6 Directors in my area and someone type in a close zipcode 5 times then 5 directors lost out on leads and the other is about to get one when it wasn't earned. It might be that you need to enter more information until it counts. I have never done it but have a good director friend who kept doing it over and over. She felt guilty and wanted to confess what she did

 

[Shawnna]

When you hit the shop online box on the PC website and enter a zip code it gives you the closest consultant who has a website...you are trying to shop online, so it would only be for consultants who have websites. The PC websites do not just route you to director's websites. They send you to the closest one. I played around with it one day and put in my zip code and I was routed to my website...I am not a director. If someone calls HO they give that lead to a director. Routing you to the closest consultant's website helps the customer be able to shop online and contact a local consultant if she has problems. This is a great perk for all of us.

On the other hand. I have had my website for 2 years and only received 2 or 3 orders. My hosts never use it. I put the information on business cards, newsletters, catalogs, show packets...you name it, I've put the info on it...but, I like the website. I have not been able to import my yahoo contacts into my website contact list, but I am still working on it.

 

[dannyzmom]

See I don't do the invitations for my host I think they can handle that I just do not have time and I have not found that it really helps that much with attendence for me. I do host coach like crazy and print out the pre-labels for the information that goes on their invitations so all they have to do is fill out the address of friend on the invitations. I have had all my shows in the last 3months over $700. So that is why I am not sure about doing a web page not sure if it would get used

Keep listing the pros and help me decide!

Thanks,

Michelle

I really dug my heels in about doing the invitations for my hostesses. I finally bit the bullet and decided I would do them starting in August of 05...my monthly sales doubled and tripled...my attendance shot up significantly, and my show average went from 500-700 all the way up to 1000+

I think handling the invitations for our hostesses makes a HUGE difference!

 

[dannyzmom]

When you hit the shop online box on the PC website and enter a zip code it gives you the closest consultant who has a website...you are trying to shop online, so it would only be for consultants who have websites. The PC websites do not just route you to director's websites. They send you to the closest one. I played around with it one day and put in my zip code and I was routed to my website...I am not a director. If someone calls HO they give that lead to a director. Routing you to the closest consultant's website helps the customer be able to shop online and contact a local consultant if she has problems. This is a great perk for all of us.

I am pretty sure this is incorrect.
If you put in a zip code it will always take you to your own website over and over again...whether you are a director or not. It has something to do with the "cookies" in your computer. If a non-PC person goes onto their computer and punches in a zip, it will connect them to the next director on the lead system in their area. The lead system ONLY directs people to Directors and above.

 

[supergirljennie]

I got one as soon as I signed up. It hasn't generated a ton of business for me yet, but I'm still new! I get maybe 2 orders per show. But I think if you get the year price, it's only $6 a month. I think that it's completely worth it for the price!

 

[jenniferknapp]

I have cleared my cookies and cache and tried my zip a few times and receive different people...including myself, and I am not a director. On the other hand, if the director's that have mentioned the dollars they are getting in every month through HO leads, then no one else is obviously seeing mine when they type in the zip...because all orders have been my contacts.

 

[Chefgirl2]

Each time you punch in the zipcode it does not go to any consultant close to you with a website. At first, Tech Support said it did go to anyone but then he got confused when he said it does count as a lead. He sent me to Donna at Director and Consultant services. She confirmed that it is a perk that is given to only Directors or above.

 

[pamperedbecky]

I am pretty sure this is incorrect.
If you put in a zip code it will always take you to your own website over and over again...whether you are a director or not. It has something to do with the "cookies" in your computer. If a non-PC person goes onto their computer and punches in a zip, it will connect them to the next director on the lead system in their area. The lead system ONLY directs people to Directors and above.

This does have something to do with cookies. I don't know enough about computers to knowexactly how. It is my understanding it's only a Director perk to get the leads generated from the "shop online" option. If a consultant was testing this out themselves to see who popped up, if they recently visited their own website and created these "cookies" then maybe that's why their own website popped up under this feature. Who knows why?!

I think the HO leads are a great perk, so yet another reason to promote to director! I have about $230 in orders from my website this month, but I don't know if they were HO leads or maybe people who picked up my various flyers, business cards or heard of my website through the various vendor events I've done. I hope someday that information will be available, like maybe a space for visitors to our websites to state how they were referred to the consultant or something.

If consultants were coming up in that rotation of website referrals without being a Director, maybe it was a fluke or something.

 

[Chefgirl2]

That doesn't make sense. Maybe Donna meant leads not sales? I did confirm it...

 

[pamperedbecky]

That doesn't make sense. Maybe Donna meant leads not sales? I did confirm it...

Would a lead and a sale mean the same thing? That's what I consider it to be, anyway. The only way a Consultant can have someone purchase something through their website is if a customer goes directly to their website. There wouldn't be any way for someone to go through the main PC website to be linked to a consultant's website unless they are a director or above.

Who knows. I think people are getting more and more confused, but Donna at the HO was right....only Directors get "hits" through the "Shop Online" option. If a non-Director's website came up after punching in the zip code, then it was either a fluke or it was these dang cookies at work.

 

[lacychef]

I really dug my heels in about doing the invitations for my hostesses. I finally bit the bullet and decided I would do them starting in August of 05...my monthly sales doubled and tripled...my attendance shot up significantly, and my show average went from 500-700 all the way up to 1000+

I think handling the invitations for our hostesses makes a HUGE difference!

I agree with you. Ever since I started this a year ago, I feel more prepared for my shows. I know how big the guest list is, when the invites go out; everything seems to go smoother now! Attendance & sales are up

 

[Shawnna]

you must be right. I used a different computer at the office and when I put in my zip code it gave me my hospitality director's site. Must be the cookies on my computer. I find it strange that it would do that from a website.

 

[dannyzmom]

you must be right. I used a different computer at the office and when I put in my zip code it gave me my hospitality director's site. Must be the cookies on my computer. I find it strange that it would do that from a website.

Big Brother is watching you

 

[DebbieJ]

My site has more than paid for itself. I get online orders for shows frequently. I've done some individual orders--not a ton, but more now that my name is out there more.

I never give out my email address anymore. Only my website address. Customers can email me through there and they get to see my site.

 

[Grandmarita]

I purchased my website as soon as I signed, so that I could have it printed on my first batch of business cards. The next thing I did was to have my DH do a test by sending an inquiry to PC through the corporate website, asking for a Consultant in his area. It took two or three days before another Consultant replied. She was a Director. He sent a reply telling her that it was a test, since his wife had just become a Consultant, and we had MISTAKENLY thought I would receive referrals as a result of paying for a website. We later received a warning message, telling us NEVER to test the system again!
Referrals were only made to Directors, and this was wasting their time. Now that I have been in the system 18 months, I can appreciate that this could be a real nuisance, and not fair to the Directors who have to reply to phony "customers". It was a great disappointment, to learn that I would not be receiving orders through my website based on my zipcode. However, I do have control over whether I make the necessary effort to promote to Director, and can blame no one for the fact that I have only one recruit in my first 18 months. She just celebrated her first anniversary, so I'm thrilled that she is still active. It keeps me focused to be a role model for her. We march along together.

 

[KimmyDarling]

I mention my website to every single person I talk to about Pampered Chef! I just finished my third month, and 16 people have ordered online. I think it is the best investment I've made in my business, thus far.

 

[PoseyMom]

I mention my website a lot. I mention that if they are looking for a discontinued product to check the website every couple of weeks. I have had one show that was almost entirely on my website and a few other orders. I don't know if it has paid for itself, but I can't imagine not having it in this day and age. I plan on keeping it as long as I am with PC.

 

[chefann]

Whether your hosts talk it up will really make a difference, too. I use a "Can't come? Order online..." label on ALL my invitations (I put it on the bottom over the "preview our catalog at pamperedchef.com" statement). My show last weekend was with a host who doesn't have internet access, and therefore didn't send any e-mail invitations (we're not supposed to call them e-vites, since that's a trademark of that site). There were NO web orders. Tonight's host gave me addresses to mail 30 postcards, plus she sent 10 email invitations, and I have 3 web orders already. So it will depend a lot on how comfortable your customer base is with online shopping.

 

[pamperedgirl3]

Whether your hosts talk it up will really make a difference, too. I use a "Can't come? Order online..." label on ALL my invitations (I put it on the bottom over the "preview our catalog at pamperedchef.com" statement). My show last weekend was with a host who doesn't have internet access, and therefore didn't send any e-mail invitations (we're not supposed to call them e-vites, since that's a trademark of that site). There were NO web orders. Tonight's host gave me addresses to mail 30 postcards, plus she sent 10 email invitations, and I have 3 web orders already. So it will depend a lot on how comfortable your customer base is with online shopping.

I do the labels too. I had an order for tomorow's show on my website & the host didn't give me an email address for her so I never told her about my website, so that was just from the labels. I usually have 1 or more orders from just about every show. I've also had MANY outside orders. Plus I figure when I become a director, the website will allow me to get ho leads.