Worst Consultant of the Year Award

[noradawn]

For some reason I feel compelled to share this very humiliating experience. Yesterday at 12:50 I received a call from a host I had a show booked with for today. She asked if I needed directions to her house. I said I was going to call her about that. I had host coached and I had done a party with her before, so it didn't seem like a big deal to be waiting until the day before for call for directions. She said "The party is at 1:00, right?" and I said "yes, 1 pm, that's what I have." Then something starts to dawn on me. "It's tomorrow, right?" Yes, you've guessed it, the party was yesterday!!!! I had put ithe date correctly on all the post cards I had sent her and the invitations I sent out for her, but some how in my brain the party was Sunday. I never cuss, but I made an exception! (Not while on the phone with her, though.) I hung up and started changing clothes while frantically yelling things for my husband to put in the crate. He loaded up the car and I was on my way. Her house, unfortunatly, is 20 mins away. While I was on the way there I called her to apologize profusely. I felt like such a jerk. She has had many parties and they're always just $150, but still, I didn't want her to think she's not important to me. She said she was telling people I had gotten a flat tire and would be there asap- so she helped me save face!

It was a little awkward to walk in with my crate and be "ON," but it went pretty well. On the way there I was at first thinking "I will get no bookings or sales off this show," but then I decided to change my thoughts to "I will fake it and pull this off." By the time I got there, I felt sort of relaxed and comfortable.

I am giving the host an extra $10 of free product and I told her that if she does another show with me (she's used several consultants) I'd buy the ingredients.

Has anyone else ever had this happen? I would feel better if someone had! I just feel like it was my worst nightmare coming true!

 

[pamperedbecky]

So, how did it end up going? I think you handled it very well under the circumstances. It was a good idea to change to a more positive outlook on the way there. And that was a nice gesture to give the host some extra free products. I don't think you're the worst consultant!!!! Everyone makes mistakes. The closest thing I have to that is driving about 40 minutes to a show and I was almost there and got a call from my husband wondering where his car keys were. I had used his car the day before for some reason and I had his keys in my bag!! They were his only set and he NEEDED to go to take our son somewhere. So, I called the host (who was luckily a friend of mine) and told her I would arrive about five minutes before the show would start because I had to drive back home to give him my keys. Luckily she understood and the recipe didn't have a whole lot of prep to it. I was just glad she was a friend and it wasn't a more involved recipe.

We all do things like that! I can guess that THAT probably would never happen again to you! Hopefully it will turn out to be a somewhat decent show for you!

 

[MSmith]

My heart was racing, just reading your post! I have had that fear for awhile now. I really like how you changed your thoughts towards positive thinking and taking care of the host w/ the free products!

 

[Jennie4PC]

It hasnt happened to me but it happened to a girl in my cluster the hostess called her 20 mins after the show was to start, i believe she had a really good show and some bookings off of it also. (the guests i also believe were a little tipsy)

 

[jenniferlynne]

It hasn't happened to me yet, but it has been a big fear of mine. Especially since where I live, part of the area is on Daylight Savings Time and some isn't (of course now we are all on the same time as of yesterday). I'm always afraid I will show up thinking I'm early to set up, and really be an hour behind.

 

[pcgogetter]

It happens to everyoneA consultant in my home town was an hour away shopping at a mall when her husband called and asked her if she was doing so and sos show tonight and she said no I didn't have one tonight. Low and behold when she got home sure enough she had one for that night! After that she hung her apron! She said she had done enough! Her lose my gain!

My recruiter forgot one as well and by time she arrived they were so tipsy they didn't even care to listen to her spell but they all had a great time and I think she had a good party as well.

We all have done it! My closet call has just been doing my phone calls to close catalog shows

 

[dawnsclassycupboard]

I have a somewhat simialar story. I hope it helps for you to know that we are all human.

Just last month, I had a host who was unreachable to coach. I got to her house and set up about 45 minutes before her show was suppose to start. The show was to start at 11:00am. Well, she seemed a little out of sorts but I thought it was just because she hadn't been coached and she was not sure what to expect. At 11:05 with no guests there yet, she informs that she is going to get in the shower.

HUH??? OK.. I guess. There are no guests here yet anyway and I guess I will just socialize with them when they get here and make them comfortable.

Being very bored standing in her kitchen by myself, I start to walk around. I look at the pics on the fridge, see what her kids have hanging for announcements, then I walk over to her calender. I look at the date that we were on and it says... PC 1:00. Wow did she mess that up I thought. No wonder no one is here yet. Then I get curious and go to my own calender. It says, Suzie Host 1:00 pm. Oh no!!! I run to her host packet... Time of Show 1:00 I will arrive at 12:15 to set up. I was 2 hours early!!!

That is a day I will never forget. She never said a word to me but when she came down from the shower I asked her why she let me barge in and set up on her like that. She said that she just figured that there was a lot to do!! Guess I am not recruiting that host.

Hope this helps you a little!!

 

[noradawn]

Thanks, everybody! I knew you would come through with some encouraging words and stories! That was really what I needed.

The show is at $146 right now and she has 3 people left to call. I know that doesn't sound good, but for this host, it is par for the course. I think she's had about 8 parties in the last two years! Just the last two were with me. She and one of the guests are interested in the opportunity, but they've already talked about it with my recruiter/director, so I can't sign them. Two people there were interested in booking parties. I guess there were 6 guests total- 3 were there when I arrived, the other 3 arrived after I did. One of the guests is already one of my recruits- I felt like it was a terrible show for her to see! But on the other hand, it may have been good for her to watch someone finesse a situation like that. Maybe that's better training than watching a flawless presentation in some respects!

 

[PampMomof3]

I have one too!I have to share my story as well. I had a party in January and my aunts co-hosted a party with my recruiter and I ended up signing a few days after their party on February 28th. Well my recruiter told me that I could have the 4 bookings from my aunts show if I wanted to sign. Well of course I wanted to and it was great b/c I knew all of the people but 1. One of the ladies that booked a show was my nieces grandma and she wanted it for May for the Help Whip Cancer month since she is a breast cancer survivor. Well, I had spoke to her every week for a few weeks leading up to her party. I thought I did a great job host coaching her and everything would go well since this was going to be my 3rd actual kitchen show. Her show was set to be on a Saturday morning and when I do saturday shows, I need to find a sitter for my 16 month old daughter and my two sons who are 3 & 5. I get a phone call on a friday night a week before her party from my niece. She said "My grandma needs the ingredients for the recipe." I told her that "I didn't mind giving her the ingredient list but wondered why she would need them a week in advance?" My niece said, "Uh, Oh, Grandma, she thinks the party is in a week!" Her grandma gets on the phone and says "Oh no, I have everyone coming to my party tomorrow. What should I do?" I told her that I was free the next day but I would scramble to pull everything together and we would pull it off. I got there and ended up getting a $1087 show out of it! It was crazy and not a way I would of liked to start off my career but just remember to put your best game face on and make it the best party yet!!

 

[Sooner PC]

Been there - done that.

I have been trying to use post cards as well as phone calls and emails to coach the hostess. Well - I had one day and put another on the post card. She sent out invitations for both!! We ended up having a good laugh and the show is rescheduled for later this month. I now know to pay closer attention to everything I send out.

Boomer Sooner
Shannon

 

[PCCHEFANDREA]

An OOps I forgot Party!Yes I to have done that. but Instead of trying to do the show; the Dim sum recipe was planned I grabbed pizza at the pizza place on the way there along with my recipe card and some products that I loved and put on a word picture demonstration. and showed and passed around products. I also let everyone make up names and careers because some days we want to be someone else and I became Martha stewart the PERFECT CHEF! small show but was fun everyone was all smiles. Andrea

 

[batroark]

What is this?What is the word picture demonstration? I have never heard of that, but it sounds interesting.

Angela Roark
Ind. Future Director
Corning, AR