Raise your hand if you have to go to a pampered chef/tupperwear/naughty lingerie/home accent/wrought iron sconce I don’t need/and/or/candle party in the next few weeks.
I’m done. I’m not going. I’m not buying the crap to help you out or to stick in my guest bathroom.
I’m not going for the food or the free drinks or the mingling with other women I only know from seeing them at some school function last winter.
I’m not going to throw a party so you can get the extra large hurricane vase and I can get a 20-percent discount.
I’m not going to ask the same people I ask every single time to come. And I’m not going to go to their parties because they’ve run out of new people at work to invite.
I’m not going to feel obligated to buy something cheap so you can get your discount. I’m not going to make people I know feel obligated to buy something from me because I bought at their last party.
I’m not going to be tricked into thinking I need 2 dozen plum scented votive candles. I’m not going to buy yet another measuring cup that can’t seem to measure the solids or the liquids correctly after the first dishwasher safe cycle.
I’m not going to feel bad, either.
Stop the madness.
Wow! You all sure have horrid attitudes; I bet you’re all welfare moms. Get a life!
Chill out….
If you don’t like them don’t go. Some people like to enjoy friends and see useful, new, and fun products WITHOUT fight crowds.
Friends invites friends…. it’s ok to say no…..
Frequently the situations is: if “you” AREN’T invited “you” get your feelings hurt for being left out. If you are invited, and don’t want to go, just be polite and RSVP your regrets (NO).
🙂
There really are more important things to set up tight about!
Sounds like some love and compassion for your fellow human beings is in order. May you ALL be blessed with peace and unconditional love and support by your friends and family.
My wife has been selling Pampered Chef for 12 years. She has been totally brainwashed in to believing that she is making all this money, spending more time with family, etc etc. That is a load of crap. She spend at least 7 weekends during the summer doing craft fair booths, does all these shows, goes to Chicago for a convention every year, misses numerous baseball, basketball, and other children activities. I love taking my children everywhere, but they always ask why mother doesn’t come. I don’t tell them because she is totally obsessed with Pampered Chef. Also, I refuse to answer the phone because it is impossible for me to carry a notepad around and take messages. And I won’t mention all the Pampered Chef crap laying around the makes a cluttered mess. And after all this is done, she gets her 1099, subtract expenses, and she ends up makin a couple thousand dollars. This is not worth it folks. I did the math and she worked over 1000 hours last year. That makes it roughly $2.50 per hour. And they advertise this “business” as being a money machine and to spend more time with family. What a load of crap. Even if she gets 10 people under her, that might add about $4000 – $6000 to her income, but then less time at home managing them. Get the picture, any of this multi-level sales, there is 3rd and 4th line people that make decent money. Her regional director has 135 people under her and she makes good money by having all the puppets make money for her.
well i don’t mind the parties it isn’t like you are forced to buy something and if you are then you shouldn’t go. Hey some women have these types of jobs because this all they can do, so i will support my friends especially if they are single moms just trying to make a living. I mean if we boycott every company in America that was over priced then we would be eating dirt and living in cardboard boxes.so if you go and buy something use it , I’m sure it will pay for itself. I am going to host one this month and i don’t really care if my friends buy something or not. either way it will be fun.Get happy women!!
oh and let me add oh my gosh , were you so so so offended to be so angry and so full of hatred towards this type of work that people do.
there are worse things in this world to get so heated over just remember if we buy it keeps our economy going , so what do you or your husbands do for a living what if people just stopped buying into their companies.We buy what we want and what we need.so ladies take a deep breath and chill , don’t knock other people for making an honest living.This is still America, this land was built on opportunity. God Bless All
My God, you need real help if you have this much time to ‘complain” about attending one of “those” parties. All y ou have to do is politely refuse the invitation instead of wasting people’s time with y our opinion. Get a life please. I was actually looking for a PC product and got this stupid website.
My friend and I were going to both do the Pampered Chef Parties together where we host each others parties. Living in Okinawa, JP it is hard to find a job, and I wanted to do something to bring in a little more money to help pay off our credit card debt. My freind hosted her first party a week ago and invited only her friends. Of course she made them feel obligated to buy something. With her knowing I was going to do these parties as well she asked me if I was going to buy something from her. The nerve! Needless to say we are no longer friends and I am not going to do those stupid chef parties. I was looking at the products on the table and they are all so cheap! I looked at the products on line and the prices, and they are overpriced and cheap! I am somebody who likes nice things. I earn my money and I like to spend it in cash on nice expensive brand names. I love my Louis Vuitton that I payed in cash. I put that in there because I know top named products, I grew up with them and so will my kids if I have any. All my kitchenware and cookware is Calphalon and Onieda products. I bought a bunch of Onieda cooking spoons, spatulas, turners and more the other day and they cost all together 25.00 in US dollars. However, I did buy them at the base exchange so they were probably marked down by a dollar. I looked at the same products online at the Pampered Chef website and they were cheaply made and cost 12.00 for one cooking spoon! I new right away I was not going to do anything with Pampered Chef. I don’t want to sell cheap overpriced products to people and nontheless even say that I am that cheap of a person to use them. I think people that really like these products have never tried anything better and really have no idea what really good products are. If you are curious in the differences in Pampered Chef and Onieda go look at the website and compare it’s quality. For those of you that have not heard of Onieda, it is the Louis Vuitton of cookware. Except you are not paying for those ridiculously overpriced items. It is all quality that makes every little bit of difference. As for inviting your friends to these things, well, that is not a very freindly thing to do now is it? I swore to myself that when I do the Pampered Chef (although, I’m not anymore) that I would only advertise and not invite any friends only for the reason that I do not want them to feel obligated to buy anything from me. It is bad form, and poor judgement. If you are going to sell overpriced cheap things have some class and do not invite anybody you know. Or for that matter don’t get your own mother and family members to buy anything.
My wife has a 4 year degree in accounting. Had a good job then became a stay at home mom. So, she could find a job if she wanted to do something productive. As mentioned, I am not sure why Pampered Chef promotes this business as a way of spending more time with family. The children are at school in the day time. Her shows are not during the day, they are on week nights and weekends. I am like a single dad because when she is not doing booths, shows or meetings, she isolates herself in her office closing shows and making endless calls. Every night she is home, 7:00 she heads up to her office, closes the door, and that is that. Excuse me if all think I am negative, but reality is, she is neglecting her family and PC has brainwashed her.
I hate Target and Walmart. I hate the low pay they give their employees. I hate the cheap quality of their items that you can buy from the store. But yes, I buy at Walmart. Target, I go very rarely. The last time I was in Target in November ’08 was to buy overpriced prescriptive glasses. The glasses already are falling apart (March ’09) from normal use. I spent well over $300 to have my nose hurt as I write ’cause the metal piece lost it plastic coating. Eventually I may go back to any eyeglass store and get it fixed. I won’t be returning to Target ever again. As a working mom, I love the idea of earning free quality products whether it is as a consultant or hostess. It works for me. The concept is simple: It is selling without permanant walls. You gather a few friends and that’s it. My goodness, no one is asking you to invest thousands of dollars. If you don’t want to go don’t. Let the people that are there have fun. You don’t want to host a “party” in your home- don’t . Do a catalog show. Now, there are online parties too. As far as Oneida goes, so what. Buy where you want and stop slamming PC and especially hardworking consultants! And yes, I may become a PC consultant too in the future. LOVE IT! (((())))< Have a very motivating day!
Elsie
To the husbands, does your wife know that you do not support them and that you think that what they do is pointless. As a single mother who works full time, having the second income that PC has provided me has been a godsend. The time I commit to it does not take away from my child. Are you looking for a miad and Nanny to do everything around the house or a wife who can take pride in what she is doing.
I have read the comments about having a business that you can do while staying at home. I understand because when my kids were young I wanted to be home with them. my brother in law talked to us about having a business from home where we could use our own products and show others how to do the same. We also service customers because our products are very high quality and they are consumable, meaning that you use them up and order them again. We have vitamins, cosmetics, and home care items. We both retired from our jobs in 1994. I am happy we did it. the name of the company that has given us this great opportunity is… AmwayGlobal…. if you want more info. let me know. The PC thing is fine, but the thing is you can only buy so many kitchen items, then you have to find other people …. in our business, everyone is using laundry detergent and skincare, so your customers stay your customers….and you can look for new ones if you want to make more money…. I like it.
and have been making a good living in this MLM since then.
I had to smile when I read SS’s comments about knowing good products. Here’s a secret about the kitchen tools industry: many of the products offered by Oneida, OXO, Pampered Chef, Williams-Sonoma, SurLa Table, etc (even Target and Walmart) are actually made by the same manufacturers. The difference lies in the specifications and design details that each brand negotiates into their contracts. These are generally determined by what is important to the market being targeted, coupled by what that targeted demographic is willing to pay.
Sometimes the only difference between a $20 kitchen tool and a $30 dollar one is the name of the brand it’s being sold under. A brand’s ‘snob appeal’ can easily double or triple the profit margin it generates. The same is true of a product’s celebrity-affiliation; don’t ever assume a kitchen product is superior simply because a celebrity-chef’s business manager negotiated an endorsement deal with a manufacturer. On the flip side, products marketed at bare-bottom prices, are generally bare-bottom quality as well.
As for SS’s observations, Oneida is a decent company, but their products are mass market for their demographic (i.e their customers tend to buy ‘the name’ versus the features designed into their products.) As for Pampered Chef, their reputation (and brand recognition) is largely based on a committment to customer service and satisfaction. They actually rate higher in these areas than any other US kitchen tool distributor to include, among others, OXO, Kitchen-Aid, and Martha Stewart. (This is according to a 2007 survey sponsored by the Home Furnishings industry which is the parent category for these type companies.)
Ten years ago, I bought almost exclusively from the high-end stores such as W-S and SurLaTable. While living in Europe, I discovered I could often find the very same items locally for a significantly lower price. That broke me of my ‘kitchen snob’ tendencies. All said, when it comes to kitchen tools go for what works in your kitchen, and what feels good in your hands (especially true when it comes to knives). Multiple brands now reside in my kitchen, though when I think about it, all my Oneida has been passed to assorted nieces and nephews. I’m generally not willing to part with PC products.
First, Clay, you are an idiot! You obviously do not understand the concept of expenses to bring down your income. When your wife drives somewhere, she can deduct 55 cent a mile…if you get 20 mpg, you are paying about $2 for that 20 miles, and the government is allowing her to deduct $11…was that actual $11 spent NO!
Also, maybe she is holing herself up in her office because she doesn’t want to be around you! I did that in my early years…being a career woman turned stay-at-home mom, I was YEARNING for soemthing mind stimulating! Talk to her, ask her to curtail the nightly in the office, nicely! When my hubby did, I did! I realized I could make calls during the day when my kids napped.
As for the rest of you that think our products are cheap, I am glad to say you are in the MINORITY! Everywhere I go, when I mention that I do Pampered Chef, EVERYONE says “I LOVE PAMPERED CHEF”! Unsolicitated!
Please, allow people to make a living the way they choose. Allow people to make their own determination about our company and products. We do not brainwash anyone! People dive into the business because they want.
For me, I pay the mortgage on my 3000+ sq ft house and all the bills, all while working about 25 – 30 hours a week…can you say that?
I realize I’m coming in late on this but I too was searching for opinions on PC and came across this blog. I have to speak up for the men on here who are getting bashed by women who don’t seem to care what their husbands think. Marriages don’t work when both people don’t participate and if PC is more important to a woman than her marriage there is a problem. I use to be the kind of women who would lock myself away in a room to do my thing and think that I was doing some good for my family – but I wasn’t. Just like these men state, my husband was taking care of the kids and missing me – along with the kids. Too many women think they deserve a career – that’s BS. If you are a single mom and you have to work I understand that of course. But if you are a married women with kids be a MOM.
I think some of the comments people are leaving about Pampered Chef are absurd. First of all, no one is badgered into coming to a party nor do people push things on you. Perhaps as a friend/family member you feel obligated to purcahse something but that’s their fault. The host is simply hosting a party and a consultant is demonstrating products that are not only useful in a kitchen but are reasonably priced and most have a warranty. Sure some of the items in a catalog seem frivolous but it’s up to the guest whether or not to buy anything. I hosted a party and invited people to come and some said they would come support me but they couldn’t buy anything, I could care less! Pampered Chef gets people together and allows people to be informed about products before they buy them.
I am now a consultant and it is a little work at first but once you get the hang of things, it takes less and less time. It’s great owning my own business and booking shows AT MY LEISURE. Also, working at home allows you to write off almost everything, mileage, rent, cell phone use, postage, electric and items you use to practice or things used for meetings. I’m the boss and it’s very empowering to be a woman that can make her own money and be independent. Also, family members and friends are asked to help a new consultant but they are not forced to.
As for the incredibly narrowminded and uneducated people about the PC business, too bad for you. Clay- your wife has not been brainwashed. Obviously she enjoys what she is doing because she does it a lot. As for missing time with you and the kids, why don’t you talk to her about it instead of on this blog. You cannot blame PC for your wife’s conduct, blame her. Rachel- let me say wow. Woman do DESERVE a career! I understand marriage takes 2 people, duh! But, sometimes being a stay at home mom isn’t the only thing that’s going to make a person happy. They can meet in the middle but earning my own money is something that is so rewarding and I’m sure other wives think that. Another thing, “my husband was taking care of the kids” so what? What’s the difference when a mother stays at home and takes care of the kids? Nothing. A man and a woman can have a role reversal, there is nothing wrong with that.
Also, what if a woman is the breadwinner of the family? Guys are usually the head of the household but when woman start making money, men feel inadequate.
I’ve said my peace, have an enjoyable life.
My wife has been doing PC for about 3 yrs now, and is currently at the PC convention. She was a retail manager before having our first child in 2001, after staying at home for years raising 2 kids while i was working contracts overseas 6 -12 months at a time it came time for the kids to go to school. Guess what, she got bored QUICK! What filled the boredom? Shopping, when no shopping needed to be done! That’s a negative income. So she became a PC consultant after WE discussed it and some ground rules were laid out. I had dabbled in some MLM opportunities before and knew what the undesirable aspects were. #1 She does not go out beating the bushes begging people to become consultants, if someone is interested she gives them all the info and answers any questions…that means not being a pushy arrogant MLM advocate (that ticks me off more than anything) #2 My job pays the bills, provides the healthcare, etc, etc. If there is a scheduling conflict, sorry PC but unless they going to provide a salary, you lose. #3 This is probably the most important one. It was established right from the beginning that if I ever felt that our childrens needs or my needs were ever being put on the back burner for PC, then PC was over IMMEDIATELY!
My wife gets to get out of the house, meet new people and most importantly have adult interaction. She doesn’t make a ton of money, but makes enough to cover stuff that you normally don’t think of to add into a budget, school clothes, little extras on family outings and of course her convention trip(take it from someone who has spent years working away from their family, its great to be around home almost all the time now, but a little break from the everyday family grind will do her wonders, and when she gets back will probably do me wonders too ;-))
So if you and and your spouse are having problems with any MLM or so-called work from home business, get together sit down and communicate the issues and establish ground rules!!!
And to the guys, I only buy Snap-On tools, you think I’m going to tell my wife she is spending too much on a spatula?
I love all those types of parties. It allows me to spend time with cool women and shop. What more can you ask for? Whoever originally posted this. I think most of us feel sorry for you. You seem very angry and depressed. Just don’t go to the party if you don’t want to. I LOVE LOVE LOVE my pampered chef products. They have lasted me years and years; bought my first PC garlic press 13 years ago and still have it to this day. I own my own business and have the income for most high end products and whenever I don’t go with pampered chef, I end up regretting it. PC is way way better than OXO (junk) and Cephalon (junk). I would put it on par with Williams Sonoma but more creative. If I had the time I would sell the pampered chef products in a heart beat and I LOVE the parties (did I say that already?). And yeah, I have to agree with everyone else with the angry husband. I work 80 hours a week and still happily make time for my honey. Your wife probably wants to get away from you. Sorry. Maybe stop blaming pampered chef and start being nicer to your wife.
Well, I guess we are all entitled to our opinions. Let’s see, one of my children played 92 baseball games. I missed 4 of those, Pampered Chef wife missed 79 of those games because of a variety of booths and shows. He also had 17 basketball games, and well, she made one game. The house is always a pit, but, I spend so much time getting children to where they need to be, when do I have time to clean the house. So, I would gladly trade the couple thousand dollars she makes for some help raising our children. Some of the stuff is alright, but this is the closest thing to a cult you can get. Brainwashed.
Again, Clay, I repeat, you are an idiot. I believe your problem should be with your wife, not Pampered Chef. I am an upper level director with the company and I have made EVERY football game of my sons, every basketball game, every scout function, all games for my daughter, etc……
You would have the same problem if she did Tupperware, or liked to gamble. Or liked to shop or anything she liked to probably get away from you! I know I did that too! But guess what? My husband and I talked about it and I reined in my attention to ALL other things besides the famimly!
TALK TO HER! Tell her you want her to be successful but you want her time with your family as well!
Pampered Chef is NOT your problem, your relationship with your wife is. I will take my $50,000 a year commission from Pampered Chef and free trips, time with my family, volunteer time and all.
I agree with the last poster, seems the problem is the marriage not Pampered Chef. Pampered Chef is your wifes outlet away from whatever is making her unhappy inside, not saying it is you, but she’s unhappy somewhere in her heart and needs something outside of herself to feel complete.
I would like to respond to KP’s comments toward my post. First, I was upset about my friend (to which I have not spoken to for a year now) and decided to post the comments I did directed toward my dislike of Pampered Chef, Ltd. True, I do not care for these products I do feel they are poorly made and overpriced. My husband has a friend on base that is a culinary chef for the Admiral and Chief of Staff at their command. My husband mentioned to her at the time that I was looking into hosting these parties and she told him that the products are cheaply made and overpriced. At the time I was excited about the merchandise and wanted to do this Pamered Chef thing and felt discouraged by her words. After having conducted my own research into these products and seeing and using the merchandise first hand I was highly disappointed at how cheaply made Pampered Chef items were. Thus, having learned that both she and me were right that Pampered Chef is cheap and overpriced. Now like I said at the time I posted my gripe which was almost a year ago, I was angry and dissapointed about having lost a very close friend. What I would like to say is to each his/her own. If you like Pampered Chef, go have fun with it. I don’t care and I am not about to run around town carrying signs screaming at the top of my lungs at what an awful product this is. Mostly because I don’t care about all this and I fully agree with NN’s comment about getting a life. I re-read my post and I sounded like a bit of a snob-in-a-half. Sorry about that, I know I can be a snob but, I have learned life is too short to care. The only real snob factor I have is when people go out and buy fake name brand handbags or anything fake and try and pass them off as real. That is probably because I am a fashion freak and it is a shame when somebody defaces a lovely designer such as Louis Vuitton, Gucci or Hermes. What also kills me is the people who buy the fakes are providing these illigal opperations and sweat shops to make more cheap items just to sell out of the trunk of a car or online at “dicounted” handbag sites. They are usually dirt cheap because they are fakes, people!! Okay, sorry I know this is suppossed to be a post about Pampered Chef. In my last post I talked about Oneida, OXO and Calphalon. I was trying to make a point about the quality and price difference between these products and Pampered Chef products. For instance I have at this moment both the Oneida and Pampered Chef websites up and I have compered something as simple as the dry measuring cups. On the Pampered Chef site you can buy the dry measuring cups set for $19.50. They are made of plastic and on the up side can stick together by the handles and are dishwaser safe. On the Oneida site you can purchase the same item in a set for $14.99. Granted they are marked down from $25.00. They have been marked down for a long time. Oneida’s dry measuring cups are made of 18/8 stainless steel. That means it will not rust, is dishwasher safe and does not bend or break. You see, that is called quality. To be able to buy a better maunfactured item for five dollars less or when it is at its normal price just five dollars more than the plastic Pampered Chef tools. You can also compare the quality and prices in the cookware as well. Granted Pampered Chef has a skillet that melts frozen foods very quickly. I have seen it melt an ice cube in a matter of seconds. I do not know what skillet it is or if it melts because it is anodized. I can’t find anything about a skillet that can do this on either site. Not to mention I can’t find anything on the Pampered Chef site about having any anodized cookware. However, I could be wrong about that. I would like to correct KP’s comment about the manufacturers for brands like Oneida, OXO etc.
KP writes: “Here’s a secret about the kitchen tools industry: many of the products offered by Oneida, OXO, Pampered Chef, Williams-Sonoma, SurLa Table, etc (even Target and Walmart) are actually made by the same manufacturers.”
Wrong.
Oneida is manufactured by Kitchenware & Cookware Service LLC. OXO is manufactured by OXO International, Ltd. Calphalon is maunfactured by Calphalon Corp. Pampered Chef is manufactured by Pampered Chef – Canada Corp. located in Markham, ON. So, no they are not made by the same manufacturer. As for celebrity endorsed brand names the only three I can think of are Martha Stewart, Rachel Ray and Emeril Lagasse. I do not watch, nor buy from either one of these celeb endorsed companies. In fact I don’t buy anything endorsed by celebs that includes fashion, perfumes or even their own line of clothing such as L.A.M.B. by Gwen Stafani, J-Lo’s line, and dvb by David and Victoria Beckham. I do not buy the same handbag because Angelina Jolie has one or Jennifer Aniston was caught carring a Bottega Venetta. Many of these celebs are given these handbags as a “gift” by the designer as a selling tool so they can be carried in the public eye. I do not like that fashion designers have drifted in that direction and niether do those who are hard core in aspiring fashion such as me. I buy these “snob brands” because of quality. Knowing that I will still be able to use some of the same kitchenware and cookware in the next thirty to forty years gives me the drive to purchase top brand qualty. As for these names being called “snob brands” don’t you think that is a bit cliche? I do not shop at Williams Sanoma because it is way out of my budget and yes, anybody would know you can buy the exact same thing that Williams Sanoma sells anywhere else at smaller prices. As for buying the name instead of what the product features, in my own opinion you are wrong about that as well. I buy Oneida because of their stainless steel features and anodized cookware. I buy Calphalon because of their non-stick skillets and their anodized cookware. I buy OXO utensils because the soft grip handles on the knives, can opener, and stirring spoons. I like knowing that my hand has a good grip on the knife and will not slip. A trip to the emergency room is not my idea of fun.
KP writes: ” As for Pampered Chef, their reputation (and brand recognition) is largely based on a committment to customer service and satisfaction.”
Can’t you find that everywhere? Usually businesses like to keep their clientelle and are willing to go out of their way to make you happy. Personally I would not think to incorporate a business inside your home where somebody working for Pampered Chef or just hosting the party is being very customer service friendly when you intentionally invite your friends, nieghbors, and even family members to feel obligated into buying one of these products. I don’t know anybody who deep down really cares for that kind of commitment. Pampered Chef may be fun and exciting for some but, for most it is vexatious and can cause friction in any kind of relationship. Just read the emails about the wives involvement in Pampered Chef and how sad their husbands are by this mess. Shannon (from above) mentioned that this was an outlet for their unhappiness in the home. I’m sorry, that is sad. Is a wife and mother really that unhappy with their husband and kids to feel the need to run off and misplace their energy into something like this? Good greif, I certainly hope when I become a mother I can continue to see and feel happiness within my home. I do believe that a wife and/or mother should be able to get out of the house and do something enjoyable for themselves. I do not believe in losing yourself when you become a wife and/or mother. However, I do agree in doing something healthy and not destructive towards your family. If Pampered Chef helps to bring in extra money that is also good for the family but not at the cost of ruining a marriage and missing out on your duties as a parent. I feel alot for Clay’s post. He is very sad, angry and I am sure lonely for the companionship from his wife. She is selfish, and for all women who are reading this post needs to wake up and get off your high horse of this feminist goggled world you live in and stop being selfish for once in your life! We as women have tendancies to get very selfish, it is hard for us not to do that. Clay if you are reading my post, I am truly sorry for the selfish behavior of your wife. Take the advice from Holly and Marc and tell Amanda to go screw off. The only recommendation I can give (speaking from experience) is to sit down and talk with her. Have her be quite and not speak until you have said exactly how you feel. Do not place blame because that never helps and do not say anything that can cause her to retaliate. Just let her know how you feel and how it hurts your feelings. Tell her you miss her and need her as your loving wife. The next thing is to listen to what she has to say on her side of the story without you arguing or yelling back. After all is said and done, try and see if you guys can come to an agreement. You both have to be able to compromise with a situation like this so both parties are happy. Remember, she may need somthing like this in her life to feel a bit of herself as her and not just a wife and mother 24/7. Everybody needs that. I’m sure you may do the same with some of your guy friends, or when you are able to leave the house and go to work. You have the luxury of seperating yourself of that husband/father man you have become and be the businessman (or whatever profession) part of your life. You get a breather from your home life which is healthy for you and her both. But, you guys need to come to some sort of an agreement or ground rules where she can continue to do Pampered Chef but tone down the amount of time spent on it. Maybe you guys can come up with family nights where you all sit down together and watch a movie at home under blankets and eat popcorn. Maybe you can have a healthy family day where you all together go to the park and fly kites or go for long walks or go to a museum. When you talk to her, if you talk to her, be honest with yourself and to her and remember this is supposed to be an open discussion. Listening is the key on both ends and compromising would be the best result for the both of you to come up with. I do not pretend to be a psychologist or a therapist. The only psychology I have taken is reading from my Pysch 101 text book. I am just trying to give some descent advice to a husband from a happily married wife.
As for those of you who like Pampered Chef, more power to you. Go be pampered but, do it with grace and no pushy behavior. If the product sells itself, great. As for those who don’t care much for Pampered Chef, take my word for it, you can get better quality for less money and yes sometimes more money with those ever-so-famous “snob brands”. As for KP, know your stuff first before making a post giving false information. Do your research. Don’t just assume that someone will carelessly step in the bull shit.
SS, thank you for taking time to write this out. Hopefully, Clay will take our advise and talk to his wife, maybe even get counseling. It saved my marriage.
Now, about the manufacturing, you are right and wrong. Many items ARE manufactured by the same people. Before becoming a SAHM and Pampered Chef person, I was a buyer for JCPenney. I was in our private label, and the people who made our clothing were Liz Claiborne, Donna Karan, Norma Kamali and many more. We asked for different colors, different buttons, etc and our label was put on it, at a much cheaper price
Pampered Chef does not manufacturer anything. The Home Office buyers work with manufacturers , who also work with all the other kitchen places. We ask for our own specifications. So, yes, we carry similar items, from same manufacturers, as many other stores. But made the way we want them to make it.
PS. Our Dry Measuring Cups can be put in the microwave, the metal ones can’t! (Just HAD to add that!)
All I want to know is what type of plastic does Pampered Chef use for their gravy seperator and their Quick Stir Pitchers? It is not clearly marked and when I called the company , they gave me the run around. I’m still waiting for a response. I’m guessing they use #7 which is the worst kind you can use for your health. If this happens to be the case, then I can say that I am very disapointed in PC for continuing to push this crap on anyone!
Pampered Chef does not use any dangerouse plastics. They are free of toxins and Chemicals. So they are safe to use….Pampered Chef is a great business and a great company.. If anyone is feeling that there wives are a prisioner in this business that is not the truth and there is no brainwashing….You yourself choose when you do parties not the Company. So your wife is scheduling things when she has things to do. That is not the companies fault that is her fault for scheduling parites when she has things to do. I only schedule my shows when I have an open day not when I have a family event of the kids have sports. It has allowed me to have the freedom to be with my kids and it has also provided me with the extra income that I need to help my family. If your wife is spending more then she is making then of course what good is the money she needs to look in to why she is spending more then she is making. It should be the other way around. I always come out on top. Of course you need to invest in your business as does any business. Its all a matter of how you run your business and that the company leaves up to you the consultant to make your own schedule. So stop being angry the Company they are truly amazing. You need to talk to your wife about how she is running her business…Kristin Team Leader with the Pampered Chef for an amazing 5 years!!
SS is a tool….
I like Pampered Chef for the most part. I just hosted a party and I am thinking about becoming a consultant. My whole family loves Pampered Chef. I got orders just because other people saw the invitations my family had (there were struggles over the catalogs, lol). I had a good party and I am looking at every angle before I join. I already have a part-time 20-30/hr a week job so trying to find time for PC might be an issue.
As for Clay and his wife thing. Why is there no complaining when a woman stays home, watches the kids, does the housework, takes care of the bill paying..etc and the man goes to work full-time? Seems a little one sided to me. My husband and I take equal share in OUR responsiblities even though we both work. Him 50 hrs/wk. Also, so what if the house is a little untidy. Who really sees the house but you?
Anyways, I am still debating if I want to join. My husband said he didn’t really mind it. He doesn’t worry to much about ‘me’ time. However, I like to give him the time to do what he wants because he does work 50 hrs or more a week. So I might try PC for a bit and see what happens.
Yes our house is jammed full of PC stuff and every thing brecks!
YOU HEAR ME?
Is it normal for a consultant who helps a ‘new’ consultant with her first party to keep 50% of the profits. This was not made clear and it may be the way it is, but before we proceed with this business we wanted to verify that the ‘training party’ is not a freebie.
Kristen –
How can a plastic pitcher be free of chemicals? Do you even understand what plastic is? I am not saying plastics are dangerous or bad for you but to say that all PC items are free of chemicals is comical. What do you think teflon is or made from? Stop with the brainwahed garbage response about being free of toxins and chemicals. this phrase is overused and misused by those who have no clue about the items around them.
I attempted to get customer service help me out with a small problem. I was given a set of torte pans as a gift – I don’t want them and would like to exchange them for something else. I called the customer service number – got someone who barely speaks English. She told me that I had to have proof of purchase (the damn thing has Pampered Chef written all over it – where else would it have come from) – or that I should go tell my gift giver that she had screwed up (not going to happen). So I am stuck with pans I don;t want and a really bad taste of Pampered Chef in my mouth. Please don’t invite me to a “party”.
Went and got suckered. Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me. Next time my “friend” invites me, I am going to tell her to fuck off literally.
@ Kathy- Please email me at mmoran4pc@gmail.com. ….. I would like to help you get the items you would like. Pampered Chef does not want their customers to have things they don’t actually want. Shoot me an email and I will help you as best I can from a consultant’s side and call them myself. Thank you!
*erin’s note .. lol … a consultant pitching and selling in this post? ROFL
WOW! This is crazy!
All these men and husbands are talking about their wives being busy with Pampered Chef. I figure the men work during the day and are gone far more than the wives. Wives HAVE to do nightly work because they are busy with your kids during the day…basically your jobs swap.
MANY people are making GREAT livings at PC. Someone is behind EVERY product you buy a the store, PC, the gas station, etc. Shoot, the men that work on oil rigs are gone 12 hours a day doing VERY hard work just to power your car….everyone needs to make a living, have time for themselves, and get out of the house!
My husband says that I have changed for the good since working with PC. I’ve met new people, got involved in various things, and he can tell how happy I am…and here’s something…He actually tries to get involved in it with me helping out and coming up with new ideas. Maybe you men should try that and see what’s making your wives happy rather than getting mad because you have to spend time alone with your kids! If you work together, maybe she wouldn’t have to/want to spend so much time on PC work!! You KNOW she does a lot for you!!!
Cooking, cleaning, washing clothes, running errands, kids…that’s more than a full time job and she rarely see a penny for that work!
Clay is right on.” Some of the stuff is alright, but this is the closest thing to a cult you can get. Brainwashed.” “As mentioned, I am not sure why Pampered Chef promotes this business as a way of spending more time with family”….baloney
The only thing that PC is concerned about is how much money did your last show produce….Get on the phone/computer all night long, and book those shows…Spend your money and attend the annual conference pep rally to try to make believe that you are making $20 an hour……all this to make, maybe $2.50 an hour. Do you really think Warren Buffett or Doris Christopher care about you….baloney…
It’s okay, your a “Consultant”, you can use your own automobile and drive all over creation, spend countless nights at people’s homes you don’t even know, while leaving your family..again, “spending more time with family”…..baloney…
If you haven’t guessed, I agree, with this Blog’s title.
I am a previous and current PC consultant. I did PC in the mid-90s and then had a full time position which required me to be on call 24/7 and had to quit. I recently became a PC consultant again. I have had all of my products for 15 years (most of what was in the catalog then) and I have to say that only 1 has become *almost* unusable but ONLY because I didn’t follow the easy care directions for the last 15 years. I also have Calphalon and other name brands in my kitchen from the early 90s – 2010, it is all crap compared to anything I own from PC. In fact, most of it was stored away for the last several years, collecting dust and I gave all of it away last weekend to a college student. I’ve had to contact PC customer service for various issues over the years and they have always been extremely friendly and helpful, as well as English-speaking. If you’re having issues, contact your consultant first. If you don’t have a consultant, find one. If you don’t like your consultant, find another one.
My daughter was young when I first started PC. I never missed any of her games, school activities, or any other important event in my family. I made my own schedule, which didn’t require locking myself in my office and ignoring my family all night or doing so many shows/booths my family suffered. My husband and daughter were extremely supportive and love PC as much as I do because they know its quality merchandise from a quality company that truly wants their customers to be happy with their purchases. Our reputation is everything, so why would it be otherwise? They have a huge help to me in promoting and operating my PC business. My daughter is now grown and considering becoming a PC consultant also. I currently work approximately 8-10 hours a month and average $45 an hour. That is my choice. I also run a medical business full time (50+/wk) and travel for my work. My husband is my partner and we support each other in everything we do. We’re a team and have always approached life that way. We’ve been married over 20 years and still feel like we’re in the honeymoon phase. I know that’s hard to believe, there’s so few of us out there nowadays but it is true. Everyone who has advised Clay to talk to his wife is right, a marriage without communication and compromise is not a marriage at all. I’m sure if all parties are willing, it will work out. PC is my escape but I don’t let it take over my life. It pays for our 10-day, all inclusive vacations to the Caribbean every year and my kitchen is full of quality items that we use every day. I’ve made some really great friends and I’m also earning free travel and much, much more with PC. Over the years I have researched and been involved with a extensive amount of MLM companies. PC is NOT MLM, it is a direct sales company. I could care less if someone joins my team, I only want them if they’re going to act professionally and be a quality consultant. We don’t need any more crappy consultants out there giving us a bad name. I also carry no inventory. My initial investment was $155 for over $500 worth of products and supplies and it could have been less if I had hosted a show. Access to really good training is phenomenal. I never feel like I’m in this alone. If I decided not to continue as a consultant after my initial commitment of 4 shows, I could have quit with no obligation and my commission from those 4 shows would have more than covered the cost of my initial investment, plus I would have kept all of my products received in the starter kit and anything I earned that first month in free products. One of the first things I tell people who book shows and guests at the shows is please don’t buy anything!! Please just enjoy yourself!! I tell them how I personally can’t stand to feel obligated to buy something and never want anyone associated with my PC business to feel obligated or that I was pushy about anything! I’m in this business for pleasure and extra income. Being aggressive and pushy is not professional, nor does it bring success or happiness – only stress for all persons involved. It alienates people, such as the woman who started this tirade. What a shame. Ironically, my guest buy more of what they want (and therefore I make more commission) because they’re listening to my tips, tricks, and quick recipes instead of worrying about what trinket they’re going to be getting out of obligation and I don’t have to feel guilty about being too aggressive. They leave happy, so do I, and my hosts are ecstatic at their level of free products, half price items, and significant discount – plus other monthly host specials. The PC host program is one of the most generous, if not THE most generous of all the direct selling companies. Everyone eats. Not everyone likes jewelry, some people have sensitive skin or allergies, some people use disposable food storage containers, some people can’t use candles, etc. If you think that PC products are overpriced, please take into consideration that many, many hours are spent by PC buyers and developers and in the test kitchens researching to find the best products for the best prices to offer our customers. If the stuff was cheaply made, the company would have gone out of business by now but yet we’re still going strong since 1980. I’d much rather spend my hard earned money on a product that I know is quality and guaranteed, that I’ll have and use for many years to come than buy overpriced things that I’ll have to buy again and again. I’m not bashing any of the other companies but to me, lighting those expensive candles is like burning up money. Taking high powered multivitamins and then flushing what the body doesn’t use down the toilet, money goes with it. Buying a swag that will end up in a garage sale because it goes out of style too quickly has happened too often. I have invested in products (not the businesses, just the products) from Tupperware and Mary Kay in the past. They are quality products. I have Tupperware that was my mother’s from back in the day that still looks new and is still holding up very well. I haven’t found another hand cream that I like as well as Mary Kay’s Satin Hands. Worth the money in my opinion but they still don’t have much of an impact on my daily life. At least I know what I buy from Pampered Chef will still be with me many years down the road and that is a solid investment. I know that by using my PC items I can get in and out of the kitchen quickly and easily, including cleanup, to spend more time doing what I enjoy and spending time with my family. PC helps me focus on what is truly important in life – those I love.
BTW – All PC products are warrantied for at least 1 year, some are 3 years, some 5 years, and some are Lifetime. I also want to mention that if you purchase something from PC and you’re not happy with it for ANY reason – the company will send FedEx to your door within 24 hours to pick up the item for an exchange or full refund. Department/box stores obviously do not offer this. I can’t buy a pan at Target and when it falls apart in a year or even 10 years and ask Target to replace it for me. I know I will be buying pans every few years of my life if I buy them from a box store. Not much less often if I buy them at a department store or online, even if it has been a good brand name in the past. The quality of many previously good brand names has severely declined in the past decade. Also, many PC items are American-made. Try to find that in a box or department store these days!
PC is a fantastic opportunity for anyone! Men and women! College students, professionals, stay-at-home moms, retirees, etc! If you don’t know how to manage your time, take a class or read a book about it. If you don’t know how to run a business, do the same. This is a business and should be treated as such. Professionalism should be maintained at all times out of respect for the company and fellow consultants. If you think your consultant is pushy, find a new one! If you’re thinking of joining, go for it – you’ll never regret it…if you do it right!
Good luck and God bless!
I support the aggravation that goes with knowing someone who is in any kind of this trade. But they do it because they are trying to make a living just like you. Dont go to the party, dont buy anything. But dont go around spreading a hate for it to people who do support them. I am a pampered chef consultant. I am a stay at home mom, full time nanny, part time student, run my own small cakes and catering business and I am married to a full time student. I still have alot of time with my son and other activities because you choose how much you are going to work yourself. I enjoy being a consultant because it gets me out of the house. It gives me extra income. I earn extra credit and in one month I have earned an addition 500.00 in pampered chef money to build my kit and pay for supplies- so I dont have any expenses. That was on top of my commision which helps me to pay for food for my child and clothes and diapers on his body. I am lucky I have a husband who is supportive and parents who are supportive. If a friend asks you to buy something you stop being friends with her? Gross. I wouldn’t want to be your friend either. The products are well put together- are they all perfect? no. Complaining they are overpriced for what they are? Go buy your louis vuitton…which costs 20 dollars to make and is sold with an overhead 20x higher then pampered chef products. I understand that there are missed events and lots of phone calls. Maybe your wife is a goal setter and likes to work and feel strong and feel like she is adding something to the family. It’s fun and it makes her feel good and you shouldn’t crap all over her for it. I bet she doesn’t crap all over you when you work, I never post on anything and I had no intention of reading this- I was busy looking up stuff about a company I respect. But the comments that followed this post ticked me off 100x more then the post itself. You shouldn’t knock something that gives people the opportunity to feel like a success.
“For those of you that have not heard of Onieda, it is the Louis Vuitton of cookware”…SS is everything that is wrong with the world!!!
Wow-this is my first time on this blog and I have read everyone’s post. All the gentlemen that are complaining of the wife not being home because of being a PC consultant or any other consultant-Grow up!! How many women stay home and take care of the family while the men are at work. THERE are MANY occupations that require both men and women to work more and be at home less. Not all of the them are high paid either. I would like to know where most of you work that you do not have to sell and up-sell your product. Almost every company out there is about selling their product by cold-calling, email, and advertisement-how many block – ups do you get while on the internet. You cannot go to a store withou them asking for your email and do you have a _____credit card?, when you buy a car the salesman is always looking to sell you warranties that you dont need. Restaurants always ask when you order an alcoholic drink ( rum, vodka, tequila) would you like 151, absolute, or Jose. I guess all of us who work are brainwashed from the company we work for-try not to sell what the customers dont want or need and lets see if you still have a job!!!!
I accidentally landed here after searching for PC recipes with Google. I’m so glad I did because I want to throw in my two cents:-)
When I read your post, I laughed the whole way through because I thought it was hilarious. We’ve all felt that way. I won’t even buy stuff from my son’s school fundraiser because I hate all that over-priced catalog crap. (Before you throw tomatoes at me, I just send a check for donation) And then I read the comments. Whoa, Queen of Spain, you struck a chord, girlie!
I’m a (newish) Pampered Chef consultant, and what I love about it is that sure, we’re selling cooking products– BUT you also get education with it. How many times have I bought something from Williams-Sonoma, and then I get home and use it as it was intended, and that’s it… but when I go to PC parties, I always learned all kinds of short cuts and multiple uses for items that I hadn’t thought of before. I love that it empowers people who think they can’t cook, and then for those of us who love to cook, well, it’s just gravy really.
Do I make a lot of money? I make $100-200 every time I leave my house. Is it a lot? No, but I’d do it for less because I love seeing my friends in their kitchens making their husbands and families happy by cooking– which is what I’m doing. I do one party a week, and that’s it. My family isn’t suffering– in fact, my husband loves that I’m here playing around trying new recipes and cooking for him the other 6 nights a week. It’s all about perspective. You’re going to be happy or you’re not, whether or not you attend a direct sales party.
LOL! I agree with you! And I don’t view this post as hateful or offensive. It is true. The parties are a nice idea, but the products are overpriced and generally poor in quality (though there are some good quality), and I get invitations from all angles. And there is definitely a sense of obligation to buy! Like I said, the parties CAN be fun, but not when there are SO MANY! In a few years when I actually have extra money, I will probably go to a few parties, but those will be few and far between. It is getting old being invited to so many, especially when I don’t have money to spend.
LOL Thanks for this blog, it made me laugh! I totally agree, I always refuse invitations to those parties.
You are all so funny, overpriced or can’t afford. There are no obligations to purchase anything. I am a single parent of 3 boys and have a limited income, I love to get together with friends and learn about new products and win cool prizes. I spent about $30 because that is all could afford and decided to have my own party and I received $150.00 in free product. Can’t beat FREE- You dont have to go to parties if you dont like the product, unless you tell every person you know not to invite you, you will continue to get invites-if a group of friends were going out to dinner and they new it may be a little to pricey for you-it would be ok if they just went and exclude you? Everyone likes to be invited to join the group and then you have the choice of saying no. Is there any product that you pay more for? shoes, handbags, detergent, perfume?
LOL… ok this may be one of the funniest rants I have seen… and yes, i am a consultant for The Pampered Chef in Canada.
There is bullshit being slung from both sides here… whether it seems to be the un-knowing know it all PC basher, or the un-knowing mis-informed Pampered Chef consultant. I have been with PC for 10 years… and I thought I had heard it all.
First you should know that I was not “recruited”. I decided to try a home party business and set out to find just the right one… I looked up everything I could about several different comapnies before I decided to become a consultant for PC.
My husband thought of it as my funny little hobby for a long time… until I started single handedly paying for Christmas without using anything but my PC paycheck… and then I swear now that he has been to Mexico, Paris France and Aruba… courtesy of The Pampered Chef… I swear I could just hand him the apron and send him out to do shows.
We cannot afford to take exotic trips like that otherwise… ok, maybe we are just too cheap to pay for it ourselves… but still.
We have in the last 5 years been able to double our mortage payments which means our Mortgage will be payed off next year… instead of 12 years from now which was the original schedule, and I belive that is because of my second…or maybe i should admit…3rd income from PC. I also work full time during the day, and do one or 2 cooking shows a week… yes, that is all I have to do consistently to earn those trips and make decent extra money.
As for the guy who posted about how PC has ruined his life because his wife is always gone and he has to take care of the kids…blah blah blah…
I am so sorry that your wife chooses to run her business this way. I personally put all of my family commitments on the calendar first and the PC shows are booked around them which I think is what we are usually encouraged to do when we begin, but it is hard to not get wrapped up in your success… especially if you are in need of a place to get recognized which is what i suspect is going on at this unhappy mans home.
I have met so many women over the years who say that PC is the only thing that makes them feel recognized, acknowledged and rewarded for doing something as they are taken for granted so much at home and never told “You do a great job hunny”!
I would stop cleaning, cooking, and even ATTEMPTING to make my husband happy if he never bothered to give me a pat on the back once in a while.
Why continue to do a good job at something if no one notices when you do?
We are constantly rewarded for our efforts from PC. You get rewarded for what you do… if you dont do anything… then there are no rewards.. or income for that matter…LOL.
I started this saying it was funny and it really really was… but now that I have given my 2 cents… I guess it is kind of sad that so many men are likely blaming The Pampered Chef for their disfunctional marriages, when really, the PC is probably an outlet for their extremely unhappy wives and likely the only thing that is keeping them distracted enough to not call the marriage quits for whatever the real reasons for the disfunction are.
BUT… im not saying that these PC wives who are neglecting their families are right to do what they do, but maybe they need to consider marriage counselling and working their biz like it should be worked instead of using it as a distraction which is what i think is likely the case for a few. Maybe if they got their relationshipd fixed up and felt better about themselves, they wouldnt even need PC anymore and they would have very very happy husbands!
Remember the old saying… If the Momma’s not happy…. then NO-one is happy!