Stamp-a-stack not!
 

I have a problem. One of my retirement homes COMPLETELY
misunderstood me and wants to do a SAS of 20 cards--total! Not 20
per lady. So now I've shown them samples, booked the date and then
realized when she said I could pick up the $25 anytime that there was
the misunderstanding. I don't want to be a jerk, but really, for like $5
in profit, it's not worth my time cutting paper and sitting there all
evening with like 6 80-something- year- old ladies. I had understood
her that there would be 6 ladies EACH doing 20 cards at $25, so then
it was worth it to spend the time.(although it still felt like
charity)
So now that I said I misunderstood the numbers, she still somehow thinks
it's still all fine, and I'm not sure how to say "it's not" without
seeming greedy. Especially since I approached them about this
event. Any tips?
My hubby said I should tell her that I've revised the cards and show
her UGLY ones and then she'll back out! lol! I dunno, old ladies
may love something I think is nasty!

Thanks for advice!
-Jenn

I think that you might get a better response to this in the demonstrator forum instead of the general forum. This is a link on how to get into the demonstrator only forum:
http:////www.splitcoaststampers.com/...ad.php?t=62533

However, I think that it's a nice gesture to still do this event, but in the future, I would definitely get clarification on the price per person and other expectations.

You have already commited to doing it so you may as well and achlk it up to ecperience to make sure to claify your expectations.

you should honor the comittment, and write off you loss.

Not much you can do about it now since you've already committed. And people don't realize how much it costs to do that stuff so the other lade is probably completely clueless.
Anyway old ladies can be pretty fun and you can learn a lot from them....they used to be young ladies with hopes and dreams. Find out what they did with their life!! I work at a nursing home and some of the things the older people did when they were younger....OH MY...and they think we are wild.

On the other hand....I think you should be totaly honest and let the lady know what you meant in full maybe something could be worked out. My best freind is my demo and sometimes I feel she should do things just for me or give me deals and my DH says remember its business. KWIM... I'm realy learning boundreys and I dont want to sound mean I just feel people need to stand up for themselves :) just my 2 cents :)

If it were me, I would go ahead and do it as a gesture of kindness. Maybe you could take some cards to sell and you could make some extra money that way? Or what if you made card *kits* that they could buy to make their own in the future?

I've stamped with seniors before and was paid by the hour...it probably worked out for $20 and I had 12 very, very happy folks...It brought them alot of joy to "make" something.

I do honestly think, though, that your original plan to make 20 cards with them may have been too much for them.

Why not resubmit your idea for 5-6 cards per lady? I think that may make everyone feel better. You don't want them exhausted after it! :rolleyes:

I know I just recently did one card at a retirement home...............I wasn't charging though, hence the one card. But it took an hour and a half to get all of the women finished with their card, so that's something to think about also. Even 5 or 6 may take a good long time, depending on your group.

Put a smile on the Seniors face. They have endured alot throughout their life. Now they are at the mercy of others for a little enjoyment. Mark it up for Civic Duty and take a loss.

Ask the seniors to give your card to their families who live in the area... this way you can look at this evening as a way to build business. Leave cards for the employees as well. Enjoy!

I would do it... who knows you may get some sales from it down the road.

I don't understand. It takes our stamp club about 2 hours to do 5 cards and we are all experienced stampers and much younger. It would take us a whole day to do 20 cards each. Am I misunderstanding?

Are your five cards all different? The SAS that I have been part of include: 5 stations of four cards each. Each station has it's own card design sample. I have been given an envelope up front with all of the cardstock cut for each card. You take the envelope around the stations and use the correct cs to make the 4 cards. Ink and stamps are at the stations (however, the ones I have been to have put alternate choices out so that we can personalize them a little more). Does this make sense housefan? I have no idea if that's how hers was going to take place. For me it takes about 2 to 2 1/2 hours to do the 20 cards this way. I have a friend who has very little experience stamping and she takes FOREVER to stamp 20 cards (even if they are the same).

Be as gracious as possible, go and work with these ladies to make their cards, try to enjoy yourself and them as much as possible. You will have done a kindness.

As you said...I work with seniors too and they are a blast...so many stories (and ones you'd rather not hear sometimes too :shock: ) I would agree with other posters and do less cards. They would likely have their hands full doing 4 or 5 different cards, especially if this is all new to them. You can bet if you're having a good time, the staff will likely be interested too and you may get new contacts that way!

I had a stampin party and invited my two great aunts. They had a hard time getting the images pressed hard enough to make a good image and I had to help them often. We only made 3 items and it seemed like a long time. One of them didn't make the more complex item because of not being able to get the image stamped all the way.

So my vote would be to do less cards and explain to the director what your original price was to be, and that it would have taken more time than you thought for new stampers.

I think you should do it this once. You might just give a few older ladies a lot of joy in their otherwise depressing lives...that in itself is worth it...to me, anyways.

Thanks for all the advice. I will probably see it through. I should clarify though, it's a grand total of 20 cards that the ladies are all sharing the "making" process of. So if 6 ladies come, then they'll each make a couple.
The misunderstanding was that I agreed to everything thinking that it was 6 ladies making 20 cards EACH for X amount of dollars EACH.
And I was surprised too that this was the # of cards the activities director chose as I know seniors often take a great deal of time longer to stamp. I was expecting 5 or so too. (should have been my first clue!)
I'm not at all losing money in this, it's just on such a small scale that I was really feeling like it wasn't worth my time away from my kids.
This is the kind of thing that FOR ME is stickly business, so I prefer the profit to be worth it. I do other events that I enjoy more that are not as disappointing if I don't make a profit on, but everyone is different in their business goals!

Thanks again though everyone!
Jenn

what a great opporunity....take your kids with you

I think 20 cards for ladies in a retirement home is way too much for them. I teach classes in my +55 neighborhood and in a +55 luxury RV resort and most of the ladies in my classes are experienced stampers. They had difficulty getting 9 cards done in 2 hours at our Christmas SAS.

Kathleen Heckel

Age 5 and 3 -- both VERY active boys.... um, no thanks!:)

I agree, I would honor the commitment.

And take your kids, regardless of how active they are. I have 4 and having been taking them into nursing homes since the day they were born. My "devils" turn into "angels" and I can only imagine it would be better in a retirement home :)

I would do it, you may think it'll be boring but I think it would really make their day!! And I agree that 20 cards each is a bit much for them to make at once. I would do some cute simple cards with one layer to keep costs low.
You may really enjoy it, even if you don't make much money.

holy cow, some of these threads advance quick!! By the time I read and write I'm way out of the loop!!!
I'm glad you will probably see this through!

I wouldn't take the kids this time BUT taking the kids is a wonderful idea. I was Sunday School superintendent for a number of years and once a quarter we would take the K-3 graders to a local home where they would sing 4 or 5 songs for them on Sunday morning during our Sunday School time. We would choose at least one song they would know. After song time the children would distribute out among the residents and talk to them. The residents were thrilled. Some of the ladies would pat their heads or hands all with the biggest smiles on their faces. The kids did start developing relationships with some of the residents and would know them by name. By all means, take your active kids there.......on another day. Have them make something fun for the residents. Our SS kids would make door decorations that could be thrown away later.

Enjoy the times with your ladies. Go in with the attitude that you will have fun and you WILL!!

Best Wishes for a fun evening. I am sure you will be happy that you did this for the ladies...volunteer work in any form can be quite rewarding for all involved. Although this situation is a bit different it could still be viewed as spending time with ladies they may or may not get much attention.

Oh and I have to agree...I wouldn't take my boys either not when I have to focus on others, that is when mine get unruly and uncooperative.

I do hope you will come back and tell us how it all turned out.

the ladies will love you. Both my mom and dad passed away this past year, and had been living in an area nursing home. My mom loved working with the crafts, she had alzheimers. And she was still pretty good with it up until the week before she died. You won't feel like you are wasting the time once you get there. And it sets a wonderful example for your children about giving back and spending time with senior members of your family or community. I hope it goes well for you. It's never time wasted, and all the folks at the home LOVE the kids. My great niece was always a big hit with her greatgrandma and greatgrandpa.

I am hoping that you will choose to still do it. Sometimes rewards don't come in monetary ways, but the sheer joy that they will reap by you spending a day with them will pay off far more for you than for them, I guarantee it.