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Our workshop orders are sent to the office addressed to the hostess, and we divide everything up at lunchtime. I have any individual orders shipped directly to me at home. I'm not sure how she handles the rest of her customer orders.
__________________ Rachel Proud SU! demo and Sci-Fi Geek!
My Stampin' Up! blog "I'm a time traveler -- I point and laugh at archaeologists." 10th Doctor, "Silence in the Library"
I deliver workshop orders to the hostess after I've separated them and let her make arrangements with her guests for getting the merchandise to them. If it's a stamping club, they come to me to retrieve their orders. Depending on the size of the club, the orders are only 20-30 dollars each, and that's a lot of running for me to do for my small commission! Know what I mean? If someone's going to be coming by and I'm not sure if I'll be home, I leave their order in a covered container near the back door.
I have a technique club that meets monthly at my house. Not all the members now each other. So I usually have it delivered to my house and they pick it up.
At my regular workshop I ask the hostesses if they want it to come directly to their house or if they would like it to come to me. I will organize it for them and add a little thank you note in the bag for every customer. I also put the newest flyer of specials in there. Most hostesses come to pick it up. Usually they get to stamp a little bit more at that time. I do deliver as well, if the hostess lives a bit further away.
So far noone seems to mind. Most of my hostesses and technique club members like coming over and picking their order up so they can stamp, chat or look at more samples.
LOL...It means that one of my downline got a recruit. I am a Stampin' Grandma (having a second downline). Very exciting!!!! My kids are only 10,8 and 5 ....it will be a while before I am a real grandma
Heheheh. I thought you look a little young to be having grandchildren - but then most look younger to me these days! Loved your new designs in the gallery today!
Yes, I do deliver but there are times that I don't because the customer or hostess would prefer to come to my house. I have had several orders that were just added to workshop totals - so those they come to pick it up or I will meet them 1/2 way.
I am a demo and I do deliver. I do this because I want to touch base with my customers on a regular basis, outside of the workshop atmosphere. This way I can talk to them about any concerns they have or give them suggestions on a one-to-one basis (which is most times easier for both of us rather than being rushed at a workshop). I also do this to show my customers that I care about them and not just their sales.
I'm a demo. I prefer to deliver. This way I get a chance to visit with my hostess. Otherwise I would have the items mailed to her directly. But part of the fun of stamping is getting to make new friends. Of course, this is my business.
__________________ Paula Rotmil,
Senior Supervisor
When I was a demo, I delivered. If the ws/customer was too far away, I did a direct ship. After all, the customer paid their 10% shipping.
Basically, I think that if you place an order (under $150) and the demo chooses to add stuff to your order to make a party and keep the freebies that's fine. But the demo should deliver the goods to you, because as I stated, you already paid for shipping, and shipping should be to your home, however it gets there. (UPS or demo).
As a demo, I always try to deliver to customers or deliver to people who can deliver to the customers. I only had one instance where the customer came to me but that was because she was in a hurry to get her stuff and didn't want to wait for me to deliver it.
I have every order shipped to me, separate the order and package individually with a thank you tag, card, gift, etc. and then deliver individual orders to customers and workshop orders to the hostess to deliver.
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I give my customers options: Meet me somewhere, I'll take it to you, or you pick it up. Since I mount my customers stamps for them, sometimes they like to come and pick up their stuff because then I will help them cut paper/plan projects/or stamp with them. I go above and beyond what is normally acceptable I think.
My demo delivers....always. It is a part of her customer service. I live on the other side of the city, and sometime we meet halfway, but usually she comes to my house. She is terrific!!!
I usually have an order to tack on to hostess' WS. They know this and get the extra benies from it. Because of this, I usually have the orders sent to me & then I deliver the whole lot to the hostess. If, say, I have a WS 450 miles from home, then I have it shipped to the hostess and refrain from placing an order for me. I don't have a hostess club yet. I would probably deliver to the hostess of the month in that situation. Any orders I get from stamp camps I do deliver, though. Just makes sense to me.
I have been a customer of SU demo's for a while. When I first started, there was only one demo around (that I knew of). She is snippy with many people and customers are required to pick up orders. Moody may be a better word. Some love her though..... She is talented...
My stampin partner in crime found another demo who is very talented and we switched over because, well... the new one is not rude. The rude one has lots of classes to offer- which I do miss- but the new one has the greatest projects- Stamp Camps ~ once a month.
One of the things that bugged me about the rude one is that she expects us to pick up our orders from her house. We are her customers, and she makes money from us- I think that items SHOULD be delivered unless I am in your neighborhood and offer to pick them up. (whether she makes $3.00 or $300.00- it is still a business...) I should not have to go out of my way to pick them up, I have to come there when it is convenient to YOU- what incentive is that??? Customer Service, BABY!!!
If I have a party at my home, I think it is fine for the demo to drop the entire order at my house- hopefully seperated so she knows that everything is there- and I have no problem delivering my friends orders off to them.
My demo delievers to me she goes out of her way to bring me my stuff or just comes to teach me something new. I'm just learning all this wonderful stamping and tech's.
My previous demos always delivered--- and very quickly, as in "it's here today! and I will be there today. Call me back if that's not good." Then we could chat a minute, look at the whole order together, arrange to get together and stamp......we were all friends, lived fairly close by (within 15 minutes) and stamped together before any of them became demos. In fact they got me into stamping!! They usually tucked in an inspiration sheet or a notecard about a cool technique or even just a quick thank you. My favorite was the folded thank you card with chocolate "treasures" inside! And if I did pick it up, it was because I insisted because I just couldn't wait any longer to get it or would be in the area anyway. I was spoiled I think!!
My current demo is also maybe 10-15 mins away (we moved) and offers to deliver, but that has always been "The order's here, I can run out next week sometime". That is after already waiting 2 weeks for it to come in (is that the norm for Mid Atlantic area?), so I just drive and get it from the box on her porch. I'm sooo ready to have my stuff. But I do miss the personal touch--not to mention getting the mini cattys in the mail! Not quite sure she is the right fit for me. I know I will be invited in Feb to attend another demo's workshop, maybe that will work better.
I think when it's a Stamp Club (or Hostess Club, whatever you want to call it) it's a little different than a regular customer order or orders that originated at a stamp camp (in which case I always deliver).
I have a Stamp Club in its third year. The first year I treated each month as I would if the hostess of the month had actually had a workshop in her home (we always meet at my house and do 3 projects). The orders were sent to the Hostess to separate and deliver. The last two years I have changed it to have the orders sent to me. This saves the ladies from having to deliver to everyone when it's their month to be Hostess. In exchange, they are responsible for picking up their orders each month, either from my home or my work. I e-mail everyone as soon as the orders come in. Most of them pick up the orders, and one lady always waits until our next monthly meeting.
These ladies do not all live near one another, so for them to make the deliveries in their Hostess month was not always easy. Also, some were better about making the deliveries in a timely manner than others.
There are 8 members in the club, so their committment to purchase is a little over $18.00 per month. Most of them stick pretty closely to that figure, so I generally have right around a $150. workshop.. I have my home open for a fun stamping night once a month and provide them with 3 projects, always teaching new techniques or using new tools/accessories. I feel like I am giving them a very good value for their money and everyone always has a good time. I really hope that none of them resents the fact that I do not deliver to them every month. I want to do everything I can to be a good Demo, but I make very little money from the club and delivering to 8 people every month would mean I probably just couldn't afford to have the club at all.
I hope this sheds some light on the question of why all Demos don't deliver in all situations.
I have a stampers club of 12-15 women who come to my home once a month. I do not deliver. Most of the time they just wait until the next month to pick up. At Christmas I had a central pick up location for them. I did this mostly because we all live so far apart. It would take me a good part of a day or even two to deliver. After reading some of these posts I feel a little guilty not doing the customer service part and will ask them again on Monday when we meet if this is still exceptible to them. I would hate for one of them to be upset about it. I know customer service is important and I try to be a great demonstrator but I really do not think my gals are upset about either making other arrangements or just waiting until the next month.
I know that is a slogan for some company and I can sing it but I cannot tell you what the company is!!! But I must profess in this day and age when there are stores open 7 days a week 24 hours a day where there are restaurants every 20 feet, CUSTOMER SERVICE is everything!!!!! I know for me personally if I am not happy with the service portion of any transaction I will take my business elsewhere. Since you can find just about anything you want on the internet...take the previous thread about checkbook covers, I would say service is not a place we demos can afford to skimp. Perhaps if a demo had offered to assist with the Sunday school project all the materials might have been ordered from SU!!! Now I am not saying that anyone is doing anything wrong, I just think that people REALLY appreciate the little things. I would not make a customer come pick her stuff up from me unless there was a family emergency and I would somehow be delaying the order pickup otherwise. I had a customer that started chatting with me at the Kodak picture machine. She was going to a SU workshop in a few days but was not going to order anything, she decided this before she ever went. The reason was that she would be very interested in ordering on a regular basis but this demo refused to give her a catalog. She said she had to pay. I told her that if she went to the demonstration and still felt the same way to give me a call. She did. I gave her a catalog as well as two of her friends. They have had numerous workshops for me as well as just started a 10-15 club. Service is everything to a lot of people!!!! Sometimes it is not easy to do but almost always there is a reward for you, cutomer loyalty being number one!!!
Laura Littlefield :o)
__________________ Want a little? Place an order!
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I am a demo. I deliver all of my orders to my customers. They are always so excited when I show up at their door. They are always so excited when their products arrive. I also take time to give them a few tips for products they may have ordered but never tried before etc. We live in a very small town so it is very easy to deliver to everyone.
I have sold Tupperware for 5+ years and I agree customer service is important and I usually deliver or ship directly.
I am signing up to be a demo and while reading over the contract I am signing it states:
"I will conduct my sales and activities in a fair and ethical manner, including but not limited to: (g) delivering customers' orders, if any are shipped to me, in a timely manner (no more than seven days after receiving the shipment)"
So--I guess company expectations are that we deliver. Just an FYI
When I was in a stamp club (nondemo) we met once a month at the demo's house and we just picked up our orders the next month -- anyone that wanted theirs earlier I imagine she made arrangements, but I don't know what -- I do know that when I needed something I ended up going to pick it up, but it might have been becuase she was away and she left it with her husband. I have different thoughts about the stamp club -- being that you are going to be meeting up probably a week after the order comes in, I don't see why you could't wait until the meeting, but that is just me who doesn't have all too much time available to stamp (I mean, I have a baby on my lap just to type here, LOL).
HOwever, when I was a demo, I ALWAYS delivered. In fact, I used to give my customers the UPS info when I got it and ask them when it was going to be good to deliver - where/when, etc. I could't imagine saying to them to come pick it up, I would be embarrassed to even suggest it. UNLESS they offered, were going by, needed it and said, hey why don't I come by this afternoon, etc.
In your situation, as part of a stamp club, I wouldn't be that annoyed, and would just expect to get it the next time we met. If the demo had 4 stamp clubs that met, can you imagine the amount of driving around she would have to do? I only delivered to the HOSTESS -- that meant maybe 4 people at the MOST a month, but a stamp club would have 6, that means for four clubs that is 24 people a month to deliver, so that might not be feasible/cost effective, and I don't know what I would do in that situation.
I'm a demo and whether I deliver depends. Like some others, I have a stamp club and because everyone knows where I live since we meet here, I have set up the club that when they come to the monthly event, their orders are ready from the previous month.
If they can't come, we have a mutually agreeable set up. One gal is about 45-60 mins away BUT she has her family that lives within a mile of here and visits them every Tue and Thu so I leave it on the porch. She certainly does not expect me to deliver. 2 of them go to church with me, so I bring it. If they don't come, one of them can meet me somewhere, or last week, she was out running errands & I gave her directions to pick it up at my work. The other lives so far away & I've never been there. She only comes to town for church on Sundays. She doesn't mind having to wait. Another also moved away (used to be close & I would deliver) but his wife goes to school & passes by my work & home on her way to/from school so she will get it.
Perhaps your demo has a reason that she cannot deliver, but have you ever just approached her & asked her if she can? Sometimes the best thing to do is just what we don't want to do. She may not even realize that what she is doing is upsetting you & she would probably feel awful about upsetting her customers and make some changes. Let us know what happens if you decide to approcah her.
I also belong to a SU Stamp club. We meet once a month unless the hostes would prefer to do a book party. There are 14 of us spread out across a wide area. I could not imagine the hostess orthe demo delivering everything to us. She would never make any money!! We always make arrangements to pick up our orders from whoever the hostess is. I live the farthest so when it is my turn I have it delivered to the demo who is more centrally located. I go and pick up my order from her along with everyone else.
I think it is just whatever works for you!
I sell Home and Garden Party and the order is shipped directly to the hostess, but occasionally they don't want it shipped to them and I have it shipped to me and I will deliver it to them no matter how far away it is.
It is not required of me to this by our policy, but I do it anyway.
Don't want to hijack this thread...just a quick PSA to all SU Demos...
There are lots of new Demos here at SCS (some are just new to SCS, some have recently signed on with SU to be Demos)...just want to be sure that you are all aware of the Demo Only Forum for lots of great business discussions. If you are not already a member just go to the left side of the Home Page and click on "Join a User Group" and follow the instructions. If you are already a member then this is just a little reminder to check out some of the Forums over there. Thanks for reading.
This has been a Public Service Announcment. And now back to your regularly scheduled programming!
I always have the workshop orders shipped to the hostess, and she takes care of getting the orders to people. Once in a while I place an order for several people, and when I do I don't deliver them. I call my customers and they come pick them up. They don't mind and have never indicated that they thought I should deliver them. We have a good system worked out. My front porch is large and covered, and I have a glider bench on it. If I'm not going to be home when it's convenient for someone to stop by, I just set it out on the bench. It's protected from the weather, and can be picked up whether I'm home or not.
Another way to think about it is this. If you, as a demo, want to offer the service of order delivery to your customers, that's great! But it shouldn't be expected. We go TO retail stores to make our purchases, and if we have to special order something, we go TO the retail store to pick it up when it comes in. They don't deliver it to us. Of course, in some cases we could have it shipped directly to us, but we would pay extra for that. Why should demos be any different? My schedule and my customers' schedules don't usually mesh to be able to make deliveries. The "leave it on the porch and I'll pick it up" system works very well for my customers and I.
I'm a demo and I deliever to the hostess. For a Club though that is different because the hostess didn't invite the others. Now I would give all the orders that each club member's friend ordered to her, no reason every one would have to come out.
HTH
Teresa
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Lorri, My demo always delivers. I'm really surprised that yours doesn't. By the way, I saw the PM and I'm sorry I haven't replied to you yet. I definitely will!
Well, "back in the day," demos did NOT have orders shipped to them. The whole premise of the home party was that hostesses receive free goodies IN RETURN for doing some of the work. I for one do not think that premise has changed. That's what helped grow this whole business, was the inclusion of hostesses in the business plan, so to speak!
When an order is placed in the system, the assumption is that it will be delivered to the hostess. Your demo has to go out of her way to change that and have it delivered to her. The company assumes that the hostess is doing the separating, packing and delivering. That's why they came up with the new packing form, to help the HOSTESS sort it easier. The only reason that there is a line in the contract about delivering in a timely manner is IF the demo for whatever reason changes the delivery to her house, say for instance, if she puts in an order on her own and adds an order for a customer or something.
Sounds like, by automatically handling the delivery process, some demos are actually deviating from the norm. If some demos choose to do that, fine, that's up to them. Sure doesn't seem fair to pass judgement on those that run their business otherwise, particularly when it's them that are in line with the company's game plan.
Because hostesses deliver items to guests at their parties, don't you think it is more convenient to pick up from your demo's home rather than having the stamp club order come to you when it is your month to be hostess and you delivering to all the people in the stamp club? Wouldn't that involve the same # of trips?
Besides if your order is only $20, she gets $4. Do you get anything like a free night of stamping at her home, free catalog ($9.95 value), free mini catalogs ($0.75). I only ship the minis to my club members.
I try to drop off to my customers when I'm out and about town. If they don't live close, I don't. When they sign up, they are notified that they must pick up their order. When the club ends, you can solicit another demo that would deliver to your home.
