~Avon Hints & Tips (Part 8) ~ Please read first post :)

susan6780

I'm sure I've said this here before, but ASM's are only interested in your first order, that's the main target for them each campaign. I know this because I was a Sales Leader and I worked closely with an out of area ASM. It is assumed that Sales Leaders would take care of any issues once the Rep has placed their first order. Your ASM wouldn't care if you were quitting. If you want her attention hit the Sales Leader button on your page, she will be all over you like a cheap suit, purely because you will be recruiting 5 reps for her to qualify. Cynical eh? This is one of the reasons I left Avon.

Dick_here

susan6780 wrote: »

Your ASM wouldn't care if you were quitting.

If she cares about her Avon career she would.

pixtotts

susan6780 wrote: »

I'm sure I've said this here before, but ASM's are only interested in your first order, that's the main target for them each campaign. I know this because I was a Sales Leader and I worked closely with an out of area ASM. It is assumed that Sales Leaders would take care of any issues once the Rep has placed their first order. Your ASM wouldn't care if you were quitting. If you want her attention hit the Sales Leader button on your page, she will be all over you like a cheap suit, purely because you will be recruiting 5 reps for her to qualify. Cynical eh? This is one of the reasons I left Avon.

Unfortunately I was signed by my ASM so it's just one big headache trying to get anything done
x

chairing555

HI All,
I mave MOV last campaign but a customer now wants some items which is about 24 quid, i know i may have to pay delivery for her plus i am not maing anything here but she s a friend as well, my questions is : do you think Avon can add these to my items arriving on thursday, seeing as today is tuesday?

susan6780

Unlikely sweets. Do you have a friend in another area mailing plan that can add them to her order?

pixtotts

I thought same as Susan unfortunately she's missed it
But I'm in Worcester if that's any use to you?

What do you guys think of the homewares talk on connects?
I really think its a bad move do you think anyone would notice if I took the pages out lol
x

I,_Geek

Yeah I have a few issues with the homeware section/separate flyer.

- Quality of products - I'm afraid this area (the non-consumables) of Avon's product range is the weakest.

- Delicate products - a plate set is shown in the image on Connects. I recently had some plates delivered from Matalan that looked well wrapped (thick bubble wrap) but a few had shattered around the edge and I had little shards falling on the carpet.

- Light-but-bulky items - like bedding sets. I already find Antler and other big bags a bit awkward to deal with. They don't fit in the large plastic boxes I use - they have to poke out the top and I can't put a lid on. Might have to do extra trips to get a single delivery round done, just because items are big.

- Returns - taking up more space in our house than they currently do. I've squished Antler bags into the Avon boxes but some other bags won't fit and have to be wrapped and barcoded separately = extra faff for us.

- Heavy items - again, could mean extra trips to get a delivery round done because we can only carry or pull so much.

- Electrical item guarantees - people especially expect these to last a long time so if it breaks outside the 90 days they're still entitled to their money back. I realise this applies to things we already sell, but I think people are more likely to push for a return of an electrical item.

- Extra weight of brochures - either through extra pages or separate flyers. I think to make the homewares look as nice as possible they should be in something more like the main brochure than the sale flyer (but that means it's heavier).

- Avon's current homewares are a bit pricey. Plastic lunchboxes in upcoming brochures seem expensive compared to buying from supermarket, Wilkinsons etc...

- Possibility of fixed discount - this is far from certain but some of Avon non-branded items come with fixed discount.

nicki_2

I hope they don't start selling homewares apart from the limited range already stocked. We already have a Kleenze rep here, I know as I order from her! I struggle to deliver some of the orders now as I do it all on foot (my shopping trolley I use for really heavy orders is out of action ATM as its currently hiding DDs Christmas gifts as no where else to put them as they're bulkier than I thought!:rotfl:) I had a look at the US catalogue linked there and there's so many things in it that I'd happily order for myself!

I have a question: What paperwork do you keep for your records? I have a years worth of brochures (I regularly get customers asking for that "spray that I got last year with a pink label") but chuck last years when I've done this years as aback order. So when I've put in this campaign (C1) I'll chuck C18 2012 out. I also have all the customers order forms, the HTs and the whole invoice/letters (I know I need to keep the invoices and return slips), and all the leaflets etc. going back to when I started in Feb 2011. Do I really need to keep all this, or can I get rid of some?

I know I need to go through and sort out my contacts box, I've lost quite a few customers who I've had for a while. Guess what I'll be doing while DD is away over the holidays :rotfl:

chairing555

HI Pixtotts
thanks a lot, thats so thoughtful, but I am based in Manchester. Guess i just have to tell my customer to wait till the next campaign.

Thanks all

pixtotts

I, Geek - I agree 100% with every point you raised! and you nicki. A couple of my customers are my little sisters friends mums so she takes their orders to college for them, which means they are carrying them around all day sometimes I already feel sorry for them having to lug about bottles of bubble bath imagine something bigger and heavier, would add about 30miles to my delivery run to take them to their homes too .

I like the odd bits of homewares that appear currently, but I honestly think if they add to it too much they are going to ruin the brand image they have made for themselves. I could write them a whole book of suggestions of products they should already be offering before they branch off in new directions. They don't even do a clear top coat nail varnish right now, and yet they are spending time and money on stuff thats going to do them no good
They are never going to match the price of supermarkets or quality of lakeland and I think trying to do so is just going to make their other products not look as good
I really hope they see it's not going to do them any favours before it all goes too far


chairing555 That's ok, wont be long before the next ones due anyway x