Unreliable Avon Reps

Petra_70

Many years ago (from the mid 70s to around 2005,) we had about half a dozen Avon agents, and they lasted YEARS. One lady we had for 10 years; she would trudge around all the houses in all sorts of weather, delivering the catalogues, coming back for them, sorting everyone's stuff/sorting the orders, and then trudging around AGAIN to bring the stuff back to the customers.

Now for the last 8-10 years, we have had one useless, unreliable rep after another, and without exception, they have been young women (under 30.) They come around around 5 or 6 times, sometimes only once or twice... and then they just don't bother again.

There was no Rep where I live for a couple of years, and then a book popped through my letterbox 2 Mondays ago (7th Sept,) with a note saying 'Hi, I am your new Avon Rep Allie;' and it had a mobile phone number and a facebook contact name 'Allie Jones Facebook.' ***

I was so chuffed, and I pored through the catalogue for half an hour and ordered 6 items (£30 worth.) I put the order form and the book on the doorstep (as she requested,) as she was coming to get it on the Thursday (10th Sept..) But she hasn't been back!

I messaged her on facebook last Tuesday (15th,) to see when she was coming to get the book, as she should have come 5 days earlier. (Also, she has no address, so I can't go pop the book through her letterbox... ) I rung her mobile phone on Thursday (10 days after she left the book, and a week after she was meant to get it,) and left a message, asking her when she was coming to our street to collect the books.... No response to the FB message OR the phone call... Nothing. It looks like this one hasn't even bothered to START before she has given up! :mad:

What the heck is going on? Is it that young women are not made from the same stuff that they used to be? Is the idea of actually having to tear themselves away from Jeremy Kyle and go walking around in the rain put them off actually doing it long-term? I live in a nice, quiet area with low crime, so it's not like they fear for their safety.

So what gives?

And should I contact Avon and complain?

(I have no interest in being an Avon Rep myself before anyone asks... and I don't really want to send for the stuff online...I prefer to have the books delivered...)

*** Not her real name.

Money_maker

Sorry to hear of your troubles. Problem is, there is a high turnover in this type of business. I've been a rep for around 10 years and still delivered around the birth of my daughter and when I had a broken ankle!

You could ring avon and complain or you can go to the website and 'find a rep'. You can actually place the order online and avon forward it to the rep for you. She/he needs to accept it within 5 days then it gets delivered to you once they have had their next delivery.

Unfortunately, avon does involve a lot of legwork and customers have to be found and looked after. Too much work and not enough instant reward for the youngsters. There are reps out there who want your business though.

lisyloo

Is it that young women are not made from the same stuff that they used to be? Is the idea of actually having to tear themselves away from Jeremy Kyle and go walking around in the rain put them off actually doing it long-term?

Sorry, but I think you've kit the nail on the head.

Petra_70

Money_maker wrote: »

Sorry to hear of your troubles. Problem is, there is a high turnover in this type of business. I've been a rep for around 10 years and still delivered around the birth of my daughter and when I had a broken ankle!

You could ring avon and complain or you can go to the website and 'find a rep'. You can actually place the order online and avon forward it to the rep for you. She/he needs to accept it within 5 days then it gets delivered to you once they have had their next delivery.

Unfortunately, avon does involve a lot of legwork and customers have to be found and looked after. Too much work and not enough instant reward for the youngsters. There are reps out there who want your business though.

Pretty much my sentiments LOL!

Why can't you be in my area?!!! You sound like a fab Avon lady... like in days of old!

To be honest, the Avon ladies were always like you, but this past 8-10 years, they have gotten unreliable and lazy.

Yes I do believe it's that younger women can't be doing with the legwork; many of them are inherently lazy... I know that sounds like a generalisation, but I have honestly found that.

I know there are other reps, and I have looked, but the nearest one to me is 10 miles away ... So I don't want to drag her all the way out here (where we live is quite hard to get to; winding roads, quite high up etc,) and if someone DID come all the way out here, I would feel as if I always had to have something from every catalogue. Although even if someone came every 2-3 months that would be OK though, as I probably WOULD order something every time then...

Thanks for your response.

Not sure what to do now. I think I may complain to Avon.

lisyloo wrote: »

Sorry, but I think you've kit the nail on the head.

Yes I think I have.....

teddysmum

The lady working on our estate is very reliable and her two delightful junior school age children usually drop off and collect catalogues/orders.


I do miss the old fashioned samples of perfumes, though I realise that the reps had to pay fro them, but scratch and sniff patches in the catalogue don't smell the same as the real thing.

Money_maker

Petra_70 wrote: »

I know there are other reps, and I have looked, but the nearest one to me is 10 miles away ... So I don't want to drag her all the way out here (where we live is quite hard to get to; winding roads, quite high up etc,) and if someone DID come all the way out here, I would feel as if I always had to have something from every catalogue. Although even if someone came every 2-3 months that would be OK though, as I probably WOULD order something every time then...

She will have a Personal Online Brochure you can order from to save her having to drop a brochure off each time if you're ok with an online rather than physical brochure. You order it through her reps account and she delivers.

soolin

You can buy Avon online cheaper than going through an agent. Lots of special offers and quite often free postage as well.

I had a large order only last month, several months worth of hair products, shower gel and various creams, 26 items in total delivered for £30 and they have just sent me a money off code against another order.

ThumbRemote

Money_maker wrote: »

Unfortunately, avon does involve a lot of legwork and customers have to be found and looked after. Too much work and not enough instant reward for the youngsters. There are reps out there who want your business though.

lisyloo wrote: »

Sorry, but I think you've kit the nail on the head.

Petra_70 wrote: »

Yes I do believe it's that younger women can't be doing with the legwork; many of them are inherently lazy... I know that sounds like a generalisation, but I have honestly found that.

If the world isn't exactly as you want it, blame the younger generation.

Maybe the younger generation aren't lazy, maybe they're just not stupid. After all, why on earth would anyone get involved with an outdated model of door-to-door selling, potentially for way below minimum wage or even ending up losing their own money doing so? Given that you can buy the stuff online, or just shop in Superdrug, Boots, a supermarket or anywhere else, your customer base is pretty much people who remember Avon from the 1980s.

For the vast majority of people being an Avon rep is a mugs game. That's why they don't do it for long.

Laura_Scotland

I had a similar experience a couple of years ago. The woman knocked on the door to introduce herself and seemed very enthusiastic.
I placed an order, which she brought round and mentioned that some people in flats hadn't been letting her in when she pressed the buzzer to get the catalogues/orders back.
She left a new brochure (they seem to change them quite often!) which I then put it on the doorstep the night before the allocated day with another order, but it was left there for days and she never came back.
It was a shame, I've ordered a couple of times on the website since as I like some of their shower gels and make-up, but I wait until they have a good discount code to get some money off!

nomoneytoday

AFAIK there is also Quidco if you order online..

donnac2558

Avon have been losing money for many years. Hence selling off Liz Earle to Coty. People today do not want to wait three weeks for their products. They are ordering online, arrives quickly no hassle.