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go with online ordering? I think there are probably a lot of potential customers that don't buy from SU because they don't have that option. I for one, won't order anything if I have to phone in an order. I just don't like it. I prefer online ordering, or if I absolutely have to , snail mail. Plus, their online catalog is not the best, hard to see, hard to navigate. I don't like that I can't see their catalog in person because I either have to contact a demo to see it, or buy one. I hope they do move into the 21st century and make the leap to web site ordering.
I kinda think that would undermine the whole idea of a demo? I wouldn't really mind it cause I'm a hobby demo, but I'm sure many business demo's really wouldn't like that. I think it would reduce the amount of workshops/parties and thus bring the demo's income down. I don't know, just somethin to think about
Most Demo's do have websites that you can view and even email them orders with Paypal. Then they have the order shipped directly to you. I know a few Demo's that the website is their main business and they actually have customers all over. I know a Demo on the East that does this and she even offers free shipping on any order over 35.00
Let me know if you would like her website.
I wouldn't be surprised if they went to online ordering where the demo gets the credit for orders placed with her number/code. So many other companies do this along with home parties (TAC, CTMH, Tastefully Simple, L'Abri). Seems logical and just a matter of time.
__________________ Lauri G.
Blessed wife and mom
TAC demo #2239
I think online ordering would have been a good option in the UK - at least until SU! is widely established. It is so hard to find a local demo at the mo as it's early days for SU! here. I've found a great demo but she lives in the next county and so has to post my orders to me.
It's fabulous that she runs a Stamping Ten group. That way I can amass my collection of SU! CS over a few months. But if I wanted to place an order for lots of CS (well, it IS hard only having a few colours to start with LOL!) the additional postage would be quite expensive. I know SU! would charge postage for online orders but it might be a standard charge as opposed to charged at actual cost.
I first was introduced to SU! while stationed in Monterey. my demo got stationed in VA and for a good solid year I was still ordering from her before we got stationed in MD..and I am still ordering from her.
I personally prefer to have a hard copy catalog to play with, and my Demo will either comp me the catalog or give me a few bucks off my order. of course I only order like twice a year but they run in the hundreds of dollars range...
I think that it many ways, they do offer 'online' ordering. Simply email your demo your order and use a card/paypal to pay - the fact that there is middle woman in the middle is the only difference and really not very noticable.
I get orders all the time via email and for many of my customers I have they payment info on file, so I get the email, submit the order and bill - all in the matter of a few minutes.
While I'd never say never, if SU did go to online ordering I highly suspect that it would be through a demonstrator's individual website. I know that this is how may other direct sales compnay work. For example, my Longaberger demonstrator has a website that I can order from..I place the order, she gets an email that I placed the order, she double checks everything, gets in touch with me regarding payment, then places the order.
This process really isn't too different from what many demonstrators already do.
I know, for example, that I have the online catalog on my website. Many of my customers view the online catalog (or call me to get their own personal hard copy of the catalog), they email their order, I email them a paypal invoice (that way they don't need to give me their credit card info-it goes through a secure site), once I get the paypal confirmation the order is placed and shipped to them directly from SU (or hand delivered to them by me if they live close to me).
This seems to work well and also gives me the ability to answer questions, be sure they get everything, etc- it also allows me to make sure they get the best bang for their buck- for example, I had a customer email me a $300+ order the last week of January. Had this been a direct online order, the customer would have gotten just what she ordered. On the other hand, after reviewing the order, I emailed the customer and let her know that if she could wait about 1 1/2 weeks (til Feb 1) for me to place the order with SU she would qualify to receive 7 FREE items from SAB- guess what, she waited and got alot more than she thought she was going to get.
If you like online ordering, I suggest that you look for a demonstrator you like who takes email orders and place your orders with her.
I want a hard copy of the catalog. Stampin' Up's catalog on-line is very difficult to view and navigate.
I do place my order via e-mail with the Consultant that I first met. I do have to take my check over to her and also pick up my order from her personally. I wish there was the option of having my order shipped directly to me. I order several hundred dollars of merchandise at one time and would rather the UPS man carry it to my door. My order is considered a party in itself due to the $$ amount.
I am not in favor of direct internet ordering. I prefer to deal with a live, breathing person who does speak and understand English (I live in the US). I don't trust putting my personal information over the internet. There is no Customer Service in dealing with my keyboard. Only live breathing humans can do that. This way I also am more assured that I will be getting what I order.
I hope they do- even though it would be through an individual demos website, sometimes you just don't want the bother of talking to a demo!
With the TAC websites even though the demo gets credit she doesn't have to do anything with the order. It goes straight to the home office. TAC doesn't do hostess benefits on online orders, so it encourages people to do parties (or to at least work through a demo to get them) but if you DON'T want that personal touch (and some people don't) or you want to order at 4:00 a.m. those websites are really nice!
You should be able to get your order sent to your house. I have a demo, who by the way I have never seen, who lives in another county about (45 min to an hour)... I e-mail her my order she sends me the total, I send her a check or MO (she does not do CC), in the mean time she has placed my order to be sent to my house... I get my orders between seven to ten days . Easy Peasy
Quote:
Originally Posted by pjw2855
I want a hard copy of the catalog. Stampin' Up's catalog on-line is very difficult to view and navigate.
I do place my order via e-mail with the Consultant that I first met. I do have to take my check over to her and also pick up my order from her personally. I wish there was the option of having my order shipped directly to me. I order several hundred dollars of merchandise at one time and would rather the UPS man carry it to my door. My order is considered a party in itself due to the $$ amount.
I am not in favor of direct internet ordering. I prefer to deal with a live, breathing person who does speak and understand English (I live in the US). I don't trust putting my personal information over the internet. There is no Customer Service in dealing with my keyboard. Only live breathing humans can do that. This way I also am more assured that I will be getting what I order.
Patti
__________________ ~~@Marcia Luisa@~~ Nothing splendid has ever been achieved except by those who dared believe that something inside them was superior to circumstance. -Bruce Barton
I hope they do- even though it would be through an individual demos website, sometimes you just don't want the bother of talking to a demo!
With the TAC websites even though the demo gets credit she doesn't have to do anything with the order. It goes straight to the home office. TAC doesn't do hostess benefits on online orders, so it encourages people to do parties (or to at least work through a demo to get them) but if you DON'T want that personal touch (and some people don't) or you want to order at 4:00 a.m. those websites are really nice!
That's me at 4 AM!! And that is what I meant, online ordering through a demos site. I do that occasionally with CTMH. I didn't even think about using PayPal, though. That is an idea I never thought of. How much are catalogs, though? I couldn't order anything just browsing the online one, too hard to see details about products, but I'd hate to shell out cash for a catalog and then not like anything from it.
Personally I think ordering on-line defeats the purpose of a demoing...then you just become another internet site...I think it would spell disaster for the smaller business demos...rather than having people seek out a demo in their area they just go on-line and place an order.
I know many demos already have a form of on-line ordering...you contact the demo...place your order and they use paypal or another form of credit to pay and have the items shipped directly to the customer...I have done this on many occassions for my personal customers with no problem at all...
__________________ Jenni -Happy SU Demo - MY GALLERY & MY CHAOTIC LIFE One kid makes you a Parent - Two makes you a Referee
I want a hard copy of the catalog. Stampin' Up's catalog on-line is very difficult to view and navigate.
I do place my order via e-mail with the Consultant that I first met. I do have to take my check over to her and also pick up my order from her personally. I wish there was the option of having my order shipped directly to me. I order several hundred dollars of merchandise at one time and would rather the UPS man carry it to my door. My order is considered a party in itself due to the $$ amount.
I am not in favor of direct internet ordering. I prefer to deal with a live, breathing person who does speak and understand English (I live in the US). I don't trust putting my personal information over the internet. There is no Customer Service in dealing with my keyboard. Only live breathing humans can do that. This way I also am more assured that I will be getting what I order.
Patti
If you want a catalog, talk to your demo about buying one or doing a workshop so you can get one for free (if that's a benefit she offers). Demos are usually willing to work with you on this. Just remember that we have to pay for our own catalogs, which is why we charge for them. Plus, they're filled with ideas so it's like buying a huge magazine that's aimed at giving you ideas for supplies you already have/buy rather than ones from 18 million companies that you then have to go and figure out where the heck to find the supplies!
As for shipping, she can have it shipped directly to you. I generally do this for my customers as they prefer it. Ask her about it. If you're doing a workshop level order ($150 or over) you should also be getting hostess benefits.
Stampin' Up has also announced that they will take customer credit cards and process them some time this year. They have NOT set a date yet for them doing this, so we don't know when it'll go into effect. However, since SU will process the credit cards, it makes it easier for us demos to take credit cards as we don't have to deal with getting a private company to use to process them and paying a fee for each transaction. Thus, paying will be easier!
I agree with the others - you can find MANY demos who will take your order online, you can pay them with Paypal, and it will be shipped right to your door!
I know I have at least 2 customers on the other side of the country! And they both e-mail me their order (I already have their address on file), I enter it, but don't finalize it, send them a Paypal invoice with their total, they pay, I finalize the order. I then let them know when it ships and when they can expect it. One of them also likes to have her tracking number so she can watch it
As for the online ordering issue (per the OP), I'd like it if we'd do something similar to what Close to My Heart and TAC does. They do allow their customers to order via demonstrator websites. I'm not clear if they offer hte complete catalog online though. They do seem to have (at least with respect to CTMH) different deals for dealing with your demo directly than online. Seems to me, it ends up being the best of both worlds - customers who want to shop at 4am can (or who just want to plain ol' internet order and nothing else), and those who prefer a more personal touch can still get it. As a demo, it gives us an opportunity to reach out to our customers that we haven't met yet and tell them about other great deals that may not be available on the web (such as hostess benies). I've done both, and I have to admit that I love the option of just clicking, paying, and then being done rather than having to wait for a response or pick up the phone. However, I also like the personal touch too. It just depends on what you're looking for.
Just an FYI... VERY soon, Close to my Heart IS going to have their entire current catalog on their home page www.closetomyheart.com Click on Products and you'll find it there... It may happen as quickly as this weekend! And I am a consultant with a website, and I LOVE getting online orders! I have clubs & workshops at my house, but my customers like the fact that they can order from my website at any time, and the order gets shipped directly to their house. The shipping costs are a little higher (still less than SU!s) but they like the convenience factor. They can also order stuff that is discounted, or no longer available in the catalog. (Things that get bumped from the catalog almost always end up online.) I always have enough orders throughout the year on my website to pay for the website... I LOVE THIS!
One of the great things about Stampin' Up! is that they give demonstrators the flexibility to run their business their way, so if you're unhappy with your demonstrator - talk to her! She simply might not know and can easily accomodate your wishes.
For example, if you'd rather the order was shipped direct to you - let her know. As a demonstrator, I typically have all orders shipped to me. I do it because of customer service - I personally inspect the order and make sure its complete. It doesn't always happen, but from time to time there is an item that wasn't shipped, or the wrong item sent, or maybe damaged. It doesn't happen often, but I like to be able to double check the merchandise. As a demonstrator, I would much rather deal with a missing item or a pack of cardstock that has a bent corner - then have my customer get frustrated, angry.
I have several customers who order from me as easy as online ordering, they email me their order - I tally it. I call them and get their credit card or allow them to mail the check, then place the order!
I look forward to SU! having online ordering (if they do), so long as it goes through a demo. Otherwise us demos will become obsolete. I do allow for online ordering in a way. I accept email orders and I send a Paypal invoice. Those orders get shipped directly to my customer. I have a few out of state customers that I do this for. Actually all orders get shipped to the customer unless it's a workshop order where I am the hostess, such as for my open house or classes. I also have a Buy It Now button on my Blog Store for purchasing the catalog.
Again, it goes back to each demo running their business how they want to. If you aren't happy with your demo, find one you are happy with.
__________________ Heather Hawkins - Stampin' Up! Demo and new mom. I have the two best jobs ever! stampinheather.blogspot.com
Patti -
Definitely ask your demo if you can have the order shipped directly to you. She should be able to make this happen for you, especially if they are large orders.
I haven't seen a demo for I don't know how long. I do 99% of my SU ordering by emailing the demo and telling her what I want; she emails me the amount and I send her a check. As soon as it clears, she places the order and has it sent directly to me. Works good for me.
I enjoy having a hard catalog from whatever company I use. It allows me to browse and mark and browse and remark, wel you get the point. I am a Demo and do NOT have a Demo Web Site. I guess that if SU allows online ordering I will get one.
Just my 2 cents worth as an Aussie Demo. I place all of my orders for my customers on-line and pay for them on-line via direct debit (straight from my bank to SU). My customers will either be via a Workshop, or I'll email all my customers to let them know when I'll be putting in my next order so they can let me know if there's anything they need. They can pay me by cash or credit card or they can direct debit the money to my bank account. I have a deadline for money to be to me by as I have to have it in my account before I can place and pay for my order with SU. All of my customers have the hard copy Catalogue as they have all had workshops for me in the past and "earned" the Catalogue for hosting. I've had one lady who doesn't "know enough people to have a workshop" but her first order total qualified for a workshop in itself, ie: she spent enough to earn hostess freebies etc. As a result, I treated it as a workshop and she too, got the free Catalogue.
I agree with what Rebecca said. Perhaps talk to your demo and let her know what you want. If you're spending big $$$'s throughout the year, it would be in her best interest to provide you with a Free Catalogue (IMO - that's what I'd do, anyway!!!)
Will SU ever...
