Requirements for Testers?

[morethanrubies]

Hi there, I want to take on some independent testers for my melts only. When I say independent, I mean those who are not family and won't care if they hurt my feelings LOL. However, since I am giving them free product I wanted to know what others used as a standard for their testing. Here are a few of my questions:

How much of each scent do you give them?

Do you require they use the same melter?

Do you have them check temp of their melter? (as in the same one u would use/have)

Do you require a specific amount of time they must let melter "run"?

Do you make them fill out a form on each scent?

Anything else?

Thank you all so much I love this place!

Edited February 10, 2012 by morethanrubies

[ksranch]

I give mine a form where they describe how long they used the product and rate the scent throw etc - but I don't give them instructions or anything like that because I'm looking for info on how they do when used by the general public. I already know at this point how they do when used correctly - as I have tested them, so now to see how they stand up under abuse! That make sense?

[morethanrubies]

That makes complete sense.

If I may, on your form, do you ask them scent throw in general or compared to anything else they have used?

Do you give them a scale of 1-10?

I personally would like to know the temperature of their melter as the hotter ones burn out scent sooner.

How much do you give them of a scent?

Thanks!!

[ksranch]

I do use a number rating system, and do include a question as to how it compares to other brands they have used. I understand the temp would be benificial for you, but you should consider the tester - do they have a themometer that they can get an acurate reading with, and are willing to sacrifice (as in they can't use it for other things once used in wax), My biggest concern would be the accuracy - not knowing what type of themometer they are using and if they are leaving it long enough to get a real reading etc. Perhaps asking the brand of melter they are using would be enough?

When testing my melts I usually give them about 2oz - but I don't do clamshells, so you may need to do it differently.

[morethanrubies]

good point, on the temperature. I do clamshells but I also do crumble style, so I will do it that way.

Thanks for the tips. Now I need to play around with making a form!

[Aimee81]

My last 5 tester's I gave 10 scents to (some new one's I am trying) and a sheet to fill out. I did ask if they are able to, give me the temp of the melted wax becausee if they come back with bad results from my melts that they only lasted 10-15 hours I want to know why they didn't get such good results as other tester's. Not sure if they will give me the temp or not, I guess asking what kind of melter they use would be beneficial but it also depends on how close the bowl is sitting next to the bulb too. I have melter's from every company that sell's them and some of them get SO hot even though the bulb isn't that high of wattage and other's don't get hot enough and I have to put a higher bulb in. I have some wax melter's that will throw 3-4 day's of a particular wax melt and the same scent with different melter will throw only 2 days......frustrating since I have no clue what brand melter my customer's or general public will use lol

I think it is really funny how out of the 5 tester's I have I already heard back from 3 about the scent Love Spell. Here are the results.

Tester 1: Love Spell lasted 7 day's and LOVED IT

Tester 2: Love Spell lasted a few day's and could have been stronger and last longer for her

Tester 3: Love Spell lasted 5 day's and LOVED IT

[morethanrubies]

Aimee, I have 2 styles of warmers in my home. The BH&G from Walmart and then some of the ones from Just Scent that are a much larger bowl, and I personally think they burn pretty hot and my melts do not last as long in those, however I get scent almost instantly.

I am my own worst "tester" because I have such candle nose! I will smell when I first put it in the warmer, which is usually the weekends (I work full time). The weekends happen to be when I am making more stuff, especially lately because I just got a new retail account and I "open" on 2/18. Anyhow, so I have all these smells going! AND I am notorious for never shutting the melters off (bad bad bad LOL)

Now during the week, if I turn on the melter when I leave home in the morning, I can smell it as soon as I walk in the front door. (I love that!)

When you are saying your testers are getting 7 days, how many hours? Like I said I am notorious for turning on the melter Friday at 7 am and forgetting I never shut it off Sunday night LOL. So I have fired myself. sigh.

[Aimee81]

To be honest, both the tester's that said 7 day's and a few day's haven't given me back the sheets yet so I don't know what they consider days....I am curious to find out. They just told me via text about the day's. I asked on the sheet how many hours so hope they filled it out right.

My tester that said 5 day's leaves his electric plate melter on 24-7 so one day to him is 24 hours. So his melt lasted about 120 hours. He finally just threw the love spell melt away because he got sick of the same scent...now his space is a small size office he test's them in but he smokes in it and only likes stronger melts that last a long time and covers up the smoke smell. A few cinnamon or apple scents I have given him to test don't last more than 2 day's or 48 hours in his office. I have yet to find a really good cinnamon or apple scent that last's in my wax.

I am a stay at home mom so when I test my melts in my home, a full day to me is 15 hours. The lowest hours I get out of a melt I keep is 30 hours. If a melt doesn't last 30 hours or at least 2 full day's in my living room (my living room is a huge vaulted ceiling space) I won't keep that scent in stock.

Hope that answered your questions lol