fredron Posted November 5, 2008 Share Posted November 5, 2008 Just completed an, for lack of a better word, "interesting", fund raiser, and thought I'd tell my experience to save someone the same disaster. This was a small fund raiser for a gymnastics group, for whom I'd done 3 previous programs. A new chairperson took over, and after receiving my program, ignored the part where they were to pick 15 fragrances, and sent out my entire list of 285. One of their group, familiar with my program, notified her of the error, and she called in a panic. They had already taken the orders and was ready to place their order with me. She cried, sobbed, and moaned so long, soft hearted jerk that I am, I told her to send the order, and I'd deal with it. Well the order was for 135 candles in 2 sizes, with 101 different fragrances, only 16 of which I had in stock. Some of those fragrances I haven't made in months. The project is finished now, but NEVER AGAIN. There are two types of people in the world, warm fuzzies, and cold pricklys. I'm going back to being a cold prickly!Fredron Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toni S. Posted November 5, 2008 Share Posted November 5, 2008 Fredon,Sorry to hear about your disaster and as you said, THAT WILL NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN........... I think I would have been one of those cold pricklys right from the start! Keep smiling and chalk it up as a lesson well learned. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bugtussle Posted November 5, 2008 Share Posted November 5, 2008 What a nightmare! I feel for 'ya. I have an "Other" column on my fundraiser brochures, but they are only allowed to order from the current scents on my website. Carole Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MissMary Posted November 5, 2008 Share Posted November 5, 2008 Oh goodness... good on you to still go on with it for the group, even if this woman could care less about details. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisR Posted November 5, 2008 Share Posted November 5, 2008 I've got a question Fredon. Why do you have FO's on your list of availability, when you actually don't have them? So if someone orders one of those FO's, do you make them wait while you order it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
debscent Posted November 5, 2008 Share Posted November 5, 2008 I'm wondering how long it took to test 200+ scents. You been in business for 35 years or something? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luci Posted November 5, 2008 Share Posted November 5, 2008 You sure do aim to please for going through with them making such a monumental mistake.As far as testing a huge number of fo--for the first 3 yrs after I retired, I tested at least 200 or more fo. I got up at 5:30 like I did when teaching and worked until at least 4 each day--sometimes into the evening. I think that people thought I was holding seances all the time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Candybee Posted November 5, 2008 Share Posted November 5, 2008 Bet you'll change the wording on your program! Sorry that happened to you. Live and learn. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jade Posted November 5, 2008 Share Posted November 5, 2008 "I think that people thought I was holding seances all the time." LOL-That's a good one! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thesoapbox Posted November 6, 2008 Share Posted November 6, 2008 It would probably be best if your fundraising packet ONLY had the fragrances available for the fundraiser so a mistake like that could not happen again. If you are only going to offer x amount of fragrances then those should be the only fragrances even mentioned anywhere on your fundraising information packets.That will save even more headaches. No sense in listing ALL your fragrances if they aren't all available KWIM. Forgo letting them pick their own. You choose the fragrances you want to offer for the fundraisers.Angi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tootie04 Posted November 6, 2008 Share Posted November 6, 2008 I let them "pick" from a limited number of scents BUT I set up a meeting and we choose the scents then. ONLY then do they go on the order form.What a nightmare....I cant imagine and I would NOT have been so nice...:tiptoe: tootie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alajane Posted November 6, 2008 Share Posted November 6, 2008 Fredron, I had almost exactly the same thing happen several years ago. I do like you and let the organizers of the fundraiser select 6-8 fragrances from my entire fragrance list. I also give them the option of choosing either 1 or 2 containers, then I make up their order forms, personalized with their selections.I had a very detailed letter that I sent to the organizers of fundraisers with all that information in it. A group had requested fundraiser information but had never gotten back to me with their decisions, so I was shocked when a person from the school (who was familiar with my policy from previous fundraisers) called me and told me the TEACHER in charge of this had copied my entire fragrance and container list and distributed it to all the students in the school!!!I didn't want my business reputation ruined, so I filled the orders, but now I always make sure the people get both verbal and written information about how my fundraisers work. I was just stunned that a teacher, of all people, was unable to read a simple information sheet and follow the instructions (provided in a 1-2-3-format list--it couldn't have been simpler!).We live and learn!Jane Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sockmonkey Posted November 7, 2008 Share Posted November 7, 2008 If my math is right, it looks like you'll have to buy 85 fragrances to fulfill the orders. Do you get them all from the same place? Even if you're just buying sample sizes, that's going to cost a fortune, isn't it?I hope you don't wind up losing money on the deal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alajane Posted November 7, 2008 Share Posted November 7, 2008 Well the order was for 135 candles in 2 sizes, with 101 different fragrances, only 16 of which I had in stock. Some of those fragrances I haven't made in months.Sockmonkey, I may be misinterpreting this, but I thought perhaps he meant that he only had 16 of the candles fragrances poured up. On the other hand, you may be right--I sure hope he didn't have to order all those FOs!! That would be a nightmare.Jane Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sockmonkey Posted November 7, 2008 Share Posted November 7, 2008 Sockmonkey, I may be misinterpreting this, but I thought perhaps he meant that he only had 16 of the candles fragrances poured up. On the other hand, you may be right--I sure hope he didn't have to order all those FOs!! That would be a nightmare.JaneYeah, maybe I misunderstood. I hope I'm mistaken about it anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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