Forum Thermomix
Welcoming Center, Management and General Chat => Chit Chat => Topic started by: wombleydoo on December 02, 2010, 01:03:47 am
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Hi everyone,
I attended the Festive Cooking Class/Demo in Brisbane last night with 3 friends and we were rather disappointed in it. I enjoyed the recipes, but I thought at $30 it was way overpriced for what we got! Two small tasting plates, a little gift of some cooking and a little bundle of gift cards. No recipes! We had to go and buy the festive cookbook for $10.
I've been to a couple of cooking classes and one of them was a festive one in 2008 and I got a recipe booklet with all the recipes in it and it only cost me $15. I liked having the recipe book to follow along with as they cooked.
Has anyone else been to any of the festive demos?
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i haven't been to a festive class but i've never got any recipes at any of the other classes i've been to.
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My feeling is that you should always get the recipes for what is cooked on the night included in your entry fee. Otherwise it is a rip-off and someone is getting very greedy.
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Yes for $30 you should get the recipes.
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I went to the Cyndi O'Meara class in Brisbane a couple of weeks ago and have sworn that I won't go to another class again. I felt it was a waste of money with the class being grossly overbooked, crowded and uncomfortable. You couldn't see anything and the food that was cooked was basically the same as what is done in a demo. Cyndi was very interesting but the entire thing was very much a hard sell for the machine and Cyndi's products. I was hoping to learn something new about my machine...but instead came away very disappointed. Between the class and the inability to purchase some cookbooks without a demo, I am feeling very negative towards Thermomix.....its just a shame that their machine is so damn good. It will be interesting to see if the new Kenwood Cooking Chef has any effect on their sales given that it will be much more widely and easily available....and no demo required!
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i won't bother going to another class myself either (or at least it's very unlikely) i felt it wasn't value for money and i didn't really learn all that much. (not that i couldn't, but it was too hard to see, they really need to do it in a teaching kitchen, not just anywhere they can get)
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Yes, I agree too Wombleydoo, it is a bit steep! I went to one in Perth last week and while I enjoyed watching the recipes being cooked, I didn't think it was anything special - given the price. I bought the book at the reduced price of $10 on the night. It was the first cooking class that I have been to, and I'm not sure if I would go to any more if that is the format. My friend and I weren't even sure what was on the 'sweets' plate as some things were baked before the class, and we weren't told what they were. I think I would be more inclined to just buy the book for $15 and cook recipes on the recommendations of friends and members of the forum (saving myself $25 :))
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Ditto stacylee.
Gretchen
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Yes I agree too Stacelee.
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I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks its a rip off. I've been to a couple of classes (are they classes?).. one with Nico and the other festive one. Both times it was crowded and the speakers don't have microphones so its hard to hear. Both times I got recipes. We had them before the class so we could follow along.
I went this time because my bro and sil and friend are all new thermomix owners. I think we all got more out of the demo and the varoma demo's we've been to.
I did like the Arabian Lemonade and the Chicken and Potato Salad. The rest was ho hum.
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I think where I was so disappointed is that I thought I would learn something. I haven't heard from the consultant who sold me the machine since the night it was dropped off. I work fulltime and have two teenagers so time is something that is limited for me....which is why the thermomix attracted me. I object to the fact that to get the full steam ahead cookbook, I have to host a demo....I don't have time to entertain friends at this point in my life, let alone trying to bribe those friends to attend a demo and be "sold" a machine just so I can buy a book. I thought that the "cooking classes" would be designed to help people use their machines more fully....not to sell more machines.
This forum is a wonderful resource with fantastic people who have taught me an enormous amount about using the Thermomix.....it still amazes me that there is not an active presence from the company that manufactures the machine. After a lifetime (as much as I hate to admit it...I have been involved in the catering equipment industry for 40 years....my parents started our business when I was 2) I have never seen a catering equipment appliance supplier with such an "interesting" method of interacting with the end user. I wonder what will happen if more competitors appear on the market.....Kenwood are definately setting themselves up as a possible competitor.
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I didn't go because I thought $30 was too much. If it had been the regular price I would have gone. Glad I didn't miss anything.
Thanks for the feedback. :-))
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Sorry to hear some bad feedback about the Festive class :( I thought ours was really good, and we all had lots of fun - everyone I talked to said they really enjoyed it - but we made up our own menu and charged less, and had a cookbook with the recipes we made. (The recipe book did cost $10, but it was printed with a colour cover and all, and heaps of recipes (not just the ones we made) so I think it was good value.) How many people are usually at those classes, Stacelee? We had our biggest class ever (70 people) and had to turn people away, but we're not going to go that big again - it was just too many. Next time we'll stop at 40-50. Our second class was about 40, and much easier, and great atmosphere. Any of my customers out there that have some feedback about our Christmas cooking classes???
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Your classes sound really great Jo and good value for money. Perhaps you should do a Christmas road show and tour the country next year. ;) :D
Stacelee I think you have hit the nail on the head. It doesn't work to combine "classes" with "selling". We are all sick of seeing the basics over and over again in "classes". In my opinion "Introduction to Thermomix" evenings should be held regularly but also 3-4 actual "Cooking Classes" throughout the year for thermomix users. Even if we had to pay $50 (or more) per ticket to cover the costs involved (including the consultants time) I am sure there would be many people keen to attend. Classes in Delicious Desserts, Beyond the Basics in Bread, Scrumptious Starters!!! Now that would appeal to me!
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It's all interesting feedback......
I haven't been to a festive class yet this year. Our group decided against holding one & calling it a festive class because we thought it was a bit cheeky to ask that much for it. We discussed options that would make things potentially festive & had brilliant feedback about how much people learned from the hints & tips we gave.
I hope you put your comments on the feedback forms for the event? I know that HO Australia watch this site & what is said so it should get back to them.
Is the consultant you bought off still active Stacelee - coz if so, ring them & ask for some help.
As far as numbers blowing out, despite requests for pre-bookings for eg Cyndi classes, people still turn up at the door & we hate to turn them away so we squeeze them in - within safe boundaries!!
If anyone knows of places set up better to hold cooking classes we'd love better venues. The issue is finding somewhere we can hire that will let us use the facilities after hours & not charge us a fortune. We rarely cover costs as it is with inexpensive venues. This is particularly challenging in the metropolitan areas.
Any venue suggestions for SE Melbourne would be much appreciated.
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There were over 90 people at the class here in Brisbane for Cyndi....they actually admitted that they had over booked....but did not apologise for it which I though was a little rude. There were a few things I didn't like about it including being told to try and sell a thermomix to the person next to me if they didn't have one.......the silly thing was it was my mother who was sitting next to me who doesn't have one and was thinking about getting one....she is now so disgusted after the class that she won't consider it. The class just left a bad taste in my mouth....we left as soon as we could.
Just so noone thinks I am just b**ching here....everything I have posted, I have given as feedback to Thermomix, both on the class feedback form and in a survey that I was emailed a few days ago. I don't want anyone to think that I am just b**ching here for the sake of b**ching. I have raved about how wonderful the thermomix is to many of our customers.....we deal with everyone from the little local takeaways to five star hotels. I am now hoping that my husband will bring one of the new Kenwoods into stock so that I can have a look at it.....I might have a different machine to recommend to customers.
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Your classes sound really great Jo and good value for money. Perhaps you should do a Christmas road show and tour the country next year. ;) :D
Stacelee I think you have hit the nail on the head. It doesn't work to combine "classes" with "selling". We are all sick of seeing the basics over and over again in "classes". In my opinion "Introduction to Thermomix" evenings should be held regularly but also 3-4 actual "Cooking Classes" throughout the year for thermomix users. Even if we had to pay $50 (or more) per ticket to cover the costs involved (including the consultants time) I am sure there would be many people keen to attend. Classes in Delicious Desserts, Beyond the Basics in Bread, Scrumptious Starters!!! Now that would appeal to me!
It's funny, I actually forgot to mention anything about buying a machine at our class :-)) - as everyone was leaving I had a customer say "you should let them know how to get one!!"... oops! (I'm still new at running classes - I'll be doing my junior group leader training in Feb next year.) I think it's important to focus more on the actual cooking and how the machine works and how wonderful it is, and just have a great time!! - and I find people come to me asking how they can order! I'm not a salesman, that's for sure. I just love good food and healthy cooking - and I think if you have a passion for what you're doing it naturally makes people want to know more - you don't have to do the 'hard sell' on them!!! Like you Stacelee, I think it turns people off.
A road show sounds fun, Chelsea! I really want to take the kids travelling around Australia... hmmm... ;)
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I understand your frustration Stacelee - not perceived as b*tching at all. The company can't improve without feedback & as you've indicated they will alienate existing & potential customers if they don't take feedback on board. It's an inherent problem with the business model when HO want one thing to occur but the consultants are the face of the company & want to look after their customers. Without keeping customers happy it makes it incredibly hard to keep a business going at any level.
I think the message you are getting from Jo & I is that every class is different & depends to some extent on who is running it. I remember asking Thermomixer why he kept coming to classes & he said that he often learned one little thing that made it worthwhile. It might be just mingling with other users at the end which makes it worthwhile for you.
I'm really sorry you have had negative experiences & I know you're not alone. Hopefully there are at least as many good classes as bad ones.
I love Chelsea's idea of basic & then advanced classes......just not certain how they would go logistically as so much is proscribed by HO.
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I think you have just hit the nail on the head JaneeZee for me with the selling model that HO uses......HO preventing the product from being demonstrated in the most suitable way for the situation. I obviously don't know what you are or are not allowed to do as I am not a consultant but I know that most of our customers would be extremely unimpressed if we told them that they couldn't buy one of our pizza ovens, robot coupes etc without having a demo with five people. We quite often have customers come into our showroom with "product" to be put through a machine to see if it will work for them.
We also arrange for our supplier's reps to go out to see the customer or our salespeople go out to see them.....and it can be about machines that are in the same price as the thermomix. I realise that that is probably not a reasonable expectation of consultants in the marketing model that HO are using but surely they are limiting their sales by the way that it is marketed.
I don't know if I am expressing myself well, but I know that when I first heard about the Thermomix, I put it in the too hard basket as I didn't want to host a demo as it was all too much for me at the time. Luckily someone else was interested and hosted the demo instead. I was then almost turned off again when I had to wait about three weeks for delivery....it gave me lots of time to wonder whether I had made a very expensive mistake. There was definately no instant gratification involved. This is where I have to wonder if "other" machines will end up doing better....no demo, instant gratification (in many instances you would be able to walk into a shop and walk out with it....it takes us maybe 24 to 48 hours to source most of our small appliances if we don't have them in stock) and ease of buying accessories.
I'm probably just venting but I hope something of what I've said is of use to those who are consultants.....I wonder how many people are turned off because they don't have a helpful person around to host a demo.
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I love Chelsea's idea of basic & then advanced classes......just not certain how they would go logistically as so much is proscribed by HO.
I think the changes need to come from HO. The advanced classes could be the same across the country. The special advanced recipes could be devised by the recipe developers, the recipe booklets made up at HO and all of the necessary info sent to consultants so they could practice the recipes and arrange the classes. Even it were twice a year, it would still be better than just the back to basic and festive classes. :)
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I didn't get a chance to put my feedback on the form because they rushed us to fill them out "or we'd miss out on the gifts". I did email HO today as well, so hopefully that will make a difference.
It would be good to have some more focussed, maybe smaller classes, where we could BYO Thermomix and all cook together. Then you could ask questions and actually do it yourself. I suppose though, I've had my thermomix for a few years, so I don't really know what I want to learn LOL. I just like getting inspired with new ideas. I really just attended because my family and friends are new owners and I wanted them to be encouraged and inspired.
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It would be good if you could set up a lunch/dinner club......get a few people together with thermomixers......try out recipes, cook together, eat together, have a few drinks. I would love the opportunity to get to know other local people who have thermomixers, swap recipes or even try out recipes that we have seen on here. Something casual....and enjoyable
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That sounds like a good idea, Stacelee!!
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Any venue suggestions for SE Melbourne would be much appreciated.
no ideas on prices but what about TAFE colleges, school kitchens etc? anywhere that is a teaching kitchen (with amirror over the cooking area) would be great :)
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Personally I don't feel there is any need for hard sell at cooking classes Jo so yours sound perfect to me. As we all know, the machine sells itself.
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[/quote]no ideas on prices but what about TAFE colleges, school kitchens etc? anywhere that is a teaching kitchen (with amirror over the cooking area) would be great :)
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Hi Karen. Yes I've got a potential here - just got to sweet-talk the principal!!! They don't usually rent out the room to externals & the after hours part could be a concern.....I'll keep my fingers crossed & hope.
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I too was opposed to the home demo, however I decided to buy a TMX after seeing a very close friend with one and then spending hours reading thru this forum. The forum was what really sold it to me. No sales pitch ! I don't like being sold to, if I like it I will make my own mind up. I actually bought my TMX thru ebay direct from Germany. I later decided to have a demo and was very up front with the consultant that I had already bought it on ebay, she was okay with it. On the night though she turned up with her GL who I wasn't at all impressed with. I had 14 people at the demo and another demo was later booked via mine and the consultant made a sale at that demo. Her follow up service to the lady who bought one has been appalling ! (Funnily enough when I told her I bought one on Ebay prior to the demo, follow up service was something she told me I would really miss, bit of a joke really). I haven't been to a cooking class, the forum has been my cooking classes !
I absolutely love my TMX and sing its praises to everyone but I don't like the way they sell thru demos either as some consultants are letting the company and the product down I feel. In saying that, I don't really recommend my friends buy the way I did. I use ebay a lot and knew every avenue I needed to know to protect myself if something went wrong. I wouldn't buy one for someone else either as if anything did go wrong I'd feel responsible.
TBH I feel that to pay $30 to go along to a "cooking class" and have the sales pitch shoved down my throat would really annoy me especially given that there would be a high percentage of existing owners. I would expect to walk away having learnt something ! To me if it was going to be a sales pitch, then why should you pay for it really ?
Just my opinion. I've just had an eye operation today and may be suffering from the after-effects of a general anaesthetic (sp?), so might have to read this again tomorrow and delete it LOL.
Debbie
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It's such a shame that Australia has this sales model for the Thermomix. In the UK it seems much more relaxed and you can order one direct from HQ without having to have a demo.
In fact, a friend with whom I will be spending Christmas has just ordered one for herself (yipeee!!!) and I will be showing her how to use it over the Christmas period. UK Thermomix were perfectly happy with this arrangement.
What's more, you can order any cookbook you want from the UK Office and they will post it to you.
It does probably mean that less people buy TMXs here than over there, but on the other hand, anyone who does buy is very happy with the support they get. We don't have consultants in the same way but if you have questions, you can just ring Head Office.
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I am just back from a festive cooking class (Manning, Perth) and it was fantastic ;D. A simple show of hands at the start of the session showed that everyone in the room already had a TMX, and there was no sell at all, and it would have been silly if there was, we were all converts!
$30 covered the Festive Cooking cookbook, printed recipes of all the additional ones done, and lots of food. I hadn't eaten dinner, and I walked out stuffed ;). I really liked most of the recipes, and it certainly gave me lots of inspiration for cooking over the Christmas period. There were a lot of recipes I would never have tried if I hadn't seen them or tasted them, so for me, it was well worth the $30.
The recipes were all presented by different consultants, and they shared tips and tweaks for the recipes, and general use of the TMX. Everyone was very friendly and upbeat, and it all ran really smoothly and professionally.
It is such a shame that people have been disappointed with this cooking class, I don't imagine anyone who attended the one I did would have said that. In fact, I knew 7 people there, and we all thought it was great. They also gave me a booklet for a friend who couldn't attend as she had just had a baby :D
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Oh, and I would have been mightily peeved if I went to a cooking class and saw how to make a sorbet! :-)) :-)) :-))
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Sounds like yours was much better than the one in Guildford last week. We didn't get any print outs of the additional recipes and had to buy the festive book for the reduced price of $10 if we wanted it. How can they be different, even in the same city? My DS's Pre primary TA went tonight, and it sounds like she will have had a good night then! I'll ask her how it was tomorrow.
PS and we were shown how to make a sorbet!!!!
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Just a note on this thread before anyone gets confused re the purchasing of cook books.
You can purchase cook books from your consultant or head office at any time with out a demo EXCEPT for the Full Steam Ahead cookbook. You need to hold a varoma demo to get that one either free with a sale from that demo or for half price with out a sale.
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I've been reading this with great interest.
In the past I have helped to organize and teach cooking classes (not for the TMX) in various venues, ranging from a shelter for abused women and children to high end department stores and a gourmet cook's supply store and on one rather memorable occasion, in the conference room of a medical office.
Other chefs and bakers with whom I have worked to put on these classes, not just demonstrations, have worked out over the years that the ideal size for a three hour class is no more than fifteen people. More than that and there is no way to answer reasonable questions, much less the ones that may be considered frivolous but need to be answered so as not to appear rude or uncaring. Patience is important.
Demonstrations alone, with no class participation can handle up to thirty people reasonably but any more than that is simply not feasible because if just half the attendees asked a question, it would take too long to answer all of them. Some people would have to be overlooked and this would be an unhappy experience for them, especially if there are a couple of "pushy" people who keep asking questions and don't let others get a word in.... I put a limit on the number of questions I will take from any one person, until everyone has had a chance.
For some of these classes we charged a small fee, mainly to cover the expense of ingredients. The charitable ones were free.
We always gave away donated items from the store, recipe booklets, coupons (some substantial) and lots of food, much that had been prepared earlier as it would have been difficult to prepare enough for everyone during the classes.
We were not trying to sell anything. The classes were a way to get people into the stores but there was no requirement to buy anything.
The classes held at the medical center were to teach people with diabetes how to manage their meals with demonstrations of how to convert recipes using various sugar substitutes and how to work out the nutritional figures in the prepared dish.
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The cyndi cooking class was definitely bad value, the recipes we pretty much the same as the demo and Cyndi did not speak for that long and then pushed her own health products for part of that. Unless she is hideously expensive they would have had to have covered costs easily as they only hired two rooms at the back off the rsl club and shoved over 90 people in them. The only thing we were given was a recipe for rice salad and the opportunity to buy a bundle of Cymric books etc for a reduced price which is available via her website for the same price.
Talking to Mum last night, she is probably now going to buy the Kenwood KM070 Cooking Chef from somewhere like Harvey Norman, DJ's etc, and put it on one of the many real interest free plans that normal retailers offer (we can buy through our business,since we deal with the supplier but why not use interest free when you can) Watching all the videos on their website has convinced her that it is better....I still don't understand why in this day of media streaming and YouTube, HO don't film a demo and make it available for interested potential puchasers. Or even film the specialized cooking classes and make the videos and recipe books available as ebooks available for purchase from their website. I would love to be able to watch someone making the dish and cook along with it....surely if Julia Childs and Jamie Oliver can make money out of film....thermomix can.
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Wow CarolineJ, I should have gone to your class LOL. All we got to eat was some sorbet, about 3 mouthfuls of arabian lemonade, a few mouthfuls of lettuce soup, a small plate with a maybe 2 tbs of chicken/potato salad, 2tbs of christmas waldorf salad and a cracker with some artichoke dip on it and a plate with a small shortbread biscuit (? don't know what it was, they didn't make it), a fruit mince pie and a tiny sliver of pudding with a tsp of brandy sauce. The only sweet thing they made at the class was the brandy sauce.
I didn't learn anything new, but I have been to a few demos recently since my bro and my friend have decided to buy. I haven't had a consultant for a few years so I learnt heaps of things I didn't know (really obvious stuff like having the litre measurements printed in the side of the jug and the little butterly mark on the blades. I never knew about them hahahaha)
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I think that the only way things will change is if people provide honest feedback. How will anyone know what you want unless you tell them ;) So if you have an opinion, positive or negative contact Thermomix.
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I am just back from a festive cooking class (Manning, Perth) and it was fantastic ;D. A simple show of hands at the start of the session showed that everyone in the room already had a TMX, and there was no sell at all, and it would have been silly if there was, we were all converts!
$30 covered the Festive Cooking cookbook, printed recipes of all the additional ones done, and lots of food. I hadn't eaten dinner, and I walked out stuffed ;). I really liked most of the recipes, and it certainly gave me lots of inspiration for cooking over the Christmas period. There were a lot of recipes I would never have tried if I hadn't seen them or tasted them, so for me, it was well worth the $30.
The recipes were all presented by different consultants, and they shared tips and tweaks for the recipes, and general use of the TMX. Everyone was very friendly and upbeat, and it all ran really smoothly and professionally.
It is such a shame that people have been disappointed with this cooking class, I don't imagine anyone who attended the one I did would have said that. In fact, I knew 7 people there, and we all thought it was great. They also gave me a booklet for a friend who couldn't attend as she had just had a baby :D
Glad you enjoyed it Caroline ;D We had a great time presenting it.
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I went to the Adelaide class and it was exactly as others have mentioned. $30 and you got 2 very small plates of food with no recipes although you could purchase the cookbook for $10. Oh and we did get a set of gift tags. Ours was held at the local adult education centre so the kitchen was a reasonable set up.
I did attend a couple of the back to basics classes but now I've seen more sorbet demonstrations than I want to see. Its clearly a way of getting more customers rathering than ensuring their current customers are happy with their what is a quite expensive purchase. As others have said thank goodness for this forum.
My demonstrator has pulled out, saying she wasnt making enough money. Instead of being notified who my new consultant was I had to ring HO and then call my local consultant. I have a friend who has almost saved the money to purchase a TMX and wanted to know who she was to go to, otherwise I wouldnt have bothered.
Of course the survey we've just filled out didnt ask for this sort of feedback!
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I did provide the feedback both on the class form and also in a survey that was emailed to me. At the class I also indicated that I would like to be contacted about a varoma demo. I have heard nothing in response. I had planned on buying a second jug and need a new seal for the jug I have but I am now seriously considering purchasing a different machine instead. I have always voted with my feet, if I don't like the way a company does business, I will go out of my way to not deal with them.....this forum is the only thing going for Thermomix as far as I am concerned at the moment. Unfortunately I will still need to buy a new seal :(.
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My consultant is great, but even if she wasn't- it wouldn't put me off the Thermomix!! I have seen two different consultants present, and they were both fantastic, as has been the after demo service/contact. It's a real shame that people have had such bad experiences ???
I do feel bad for the consultants having to do a Varoma demo to people who already have a machine though. I would have thought the Full Steam ahead book should be available without the demo...
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Well, I do think the Varoma demo is great because SOOOO many people don't hardly use theirs until they see it demonstrated! I've been told that so many times by customers, that they had no idea all the things you could make in it, and they'd never (or rarely) used it! I know of people who've actually SOLD their TM21 varomas because they never used it once! Pretty sad - I use mine every day, sometimes 3 times a day!
I agree with Caroline about not being put off the tmx despite a not-so-good consultant - I never heard from mine again after I bought my first machine (TM21), even though I ticked the box saying I wanted to become a consultant!! But I raved about my tmx to everyone, and taught myself to use it without any forums or websites, and only the basic cookbook and booklet... I think people that buy them now have HEAPS better customer service, and so many cookbooks and places to go for help! It's great :)
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As with any product you can be influenced by the sales consultant. Home Demonstration (or Party Plan Consultant) is the way that Vorwerk has chosen to bring forth their product to the market for probably a few reasons. Not being a consultant, I am not going to justify their reasons. Not being your consultant, am I am not going to justify why she is no longer a consultant. One thing that Thermomix has in their favour is a non-biased forum such as this where a group of non commision based satisfied customers (that also includes consultants who are satisfied customers) can contribute to getting so much more out of the machine than one would dream possible and is open to the world wide web. Let your disappointment fuel your desire to serve other TM users and everyone will benefit in the best way possible.
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As with any product you can be influenced by the sales consultant. Home Demonstration (or Party Plan Consultant) is the way that Vorwerk has chosen to bring forth their product to the market for probably a few reasons. Not being a consultant, I am not going to justify their reasons. Not being your consultant, am I am not going to justify why she is no longer a consultant. One thing that Thermomix has in their favour is a non-biased forum such as this where a group of non commision based satisfied customers (that also includes consultants who are satisfied customers) can contribute to getting so much more out of the machine than one would dream possible and is open to the world wide web. Let your disappointment fuel your desire to serve other TM users and everyone will benefit in the best way possible.
Well said CP :)
Also be assured there are passionate hard working consultants out there who provide excellent customer service ;)
Speaking for myself I remember every single person I have sold a Thermomix to and often think of them, wondering how they are going with their machine. I know I am not the only one who feels this way. I started selling TMs because I was passionate about spreading the word, more than for the money. It is dissapointing for me to see/ hear when people have had bad experiences but hopefully the great consultants out there and here on the forum make up for it. :)
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I'm with you Meagan - I send my customers friendly emails or ring them up and have a chat about what they've been making (or chat on Facebook) - I think it's important to keep in touch and keep the excitement by sharing what we're all cooking. We've started making our own local Thermomix cookbooks too, which is fun :)
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The cookbook is a wonderful idea to share Jo. Congraulations. I think bad consultants probably don't last very long.
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I didn't have a home demo and was able to buy my machine as I saw it at the Newdegate Field Days. Perhaps Vorwerk need to have a list of consultants on their website so people can contact one in their area.
I didn't have a delivery demo either as my consultant is three hours away. I did eventually have a Varoma demo, but wasn't that enthused and don't like the Full Steam Ahead book anyway.
I've often thought that I'd love to be a consultant, but I don't think I could cope with the rules. I don't like following rules when marketing a product, I prefer companies which let you run your business the way you want to.
As someone who is a long way from anywhere where classes are held or demos are available, I appreciate this forum and have learned so much more here than I could ever learn in a face to face class.
Thank you all (http://www.thedishforum.com/smilies/signs-and-sentiments/yourock.gif)
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Yes I agree MJ. This forum is just amazing. I often wonder how I would be progressing with my thermomix cooking if I hadn't been told about this forum. I would probably just be sticking mainly to the EDC and converting a few recipes of my own. I wouldn't be using it half as much as I do now!!! ;D
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Ditto here MJ and Chelsea. If I'm feeling a bit flat re TMX all I need is half an hour on here and I see photos of beautiful food or delicious sounding recipes and I'm inspired. If I have a problem someone on here has good advice for me.
I really believe that this forum has kept my love for the TMX firmly in place.
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i don't like the new look though :(
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i don't like the new look though :(
If you are talking about the forum, neither do I Karen. What the ???? Lots of crosses in boxes, Cookie's avatar is the only one I can see at the moment, there is no colour and to be honest I just don't like it at all. I feel as if I am on a completely different site. I cannot even get it on my computer and had to use DH's.
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I don't like the new forum format either. :( I'm having loads of trouble with it, password and posting.I can't see if I have messages and like Judy can't see peoples avatars. :( I feel I have landed on a completely different site. ???
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I imagine the forum will get back to normal over the next couple of days. I assume the migration to a new server happened today (that was posted a few days ago) and the missing image issues are just due to the move. (I've migrated a few smf forums and the images always have issues). Either the av's will be transferred across or you can just reupload them. The other broken image links will no doubt be fixed.
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Though the avatar directory needs to be made writable to upload a new av.
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oh that is lookingbetter already - without the posts stretching all the way across the page!
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It's such a shame that Australia has this sales model for the Thermomix. In the UK it seems much more relaxed and you can order one direct from HQ without having to have a demo.
I disagree, I think TMX need a demo to convince people it can do what it says. And that is why it can't just be sold in shops - it needs a consultant. Head office selling them also undermines the consultants and no one would do it - each demo is about 2 hours not inclusing travel or prep time and if they don't make enough then they won't do it and no one will buy anyway.
Head office should have done the forum though.
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I agree, Zebraa. I had to see the thermomix in action before I believed it did all it does. My friend was telling me about it and I just couldn't understand how one machine does all that. I reckon there should be kickbacks for sales from demo's though. I've "sold" two thermomixes by raving about them and there are two more "sales" in the pipeline from one of those people. No, I don't want to be a consultant, I just like bragging LOL (Oh, that sounds like pyramid selling... so maybe not LOL)
I got a call from a Brisbane consultant who got passed my email to head office about my disappointment with the Festive Cooking Class. I said it would have been nice to have got copies of the recipes they cooked on the night and that people who go to things like this like to feel special and indulged (esp at $30 a head). It doesn't cost much to do up some recipes nicely and photocopy them out etc. She asked if I bought the festive cookbook and I said no, because I didn't see why I should have had to pay an extra $10 to get the recipes. If they'd given the recipes they cooked, I probably would have bought the book for the rest of them (if you know what I mean). Anyway, she said she'd send me a festive cookbook, which is very nice of her, but I wasn't looking for a freebie, just wanted to give feedback. If they don't know, they can't do anything different next time.
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Was yesterdays 'funny forum' the new look? I could get up the first page but nothing would open when I tried. This morning I kept getting messages saying this site is down, then all of a sudden it came up. I don't understand.
My needs are simple, to get on here and have a good chat. I have withdrawal symptoms. My weiro squawks in the morning and if I get out of his sight for half an hour (spent on the forum) he calms down.
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I find it interesting that you received a phone call Wombleydoo....I filled in the feedback form at the Cyndi class asking to be contacted about a varoma demo...and giving my feedback about my displeasure with the class, I have also completed a survey that was emailed to me. I have heard NOTHING from them. That was part of the reason why I decided to buy the Kenwood as my second machine instead of a second jug for Tom. I paid $1500 from Clive Peters, was able to put it on 24 months interest free and walked out of the shop with it on Saturday afternoon, within 20 minutes of seeing it demonstrated in store. I've been using the machine now for five days and am not at all disappointed in my purchase.....but it wouldn't have been made if it wasn't for the Cyndi class and lack of contact from Thermomix.
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Well after all of my carrying on in the thread about cooking classes, the festive class in my area has now been cancelled (karma I think ;)). There were only 4 of us booked in. The class was scheduled for Saturday (my birthday) and I was quite looking forward to getting out for the afternoon child-free and talking thermomix. I guess I will get my money back now.
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I am glad I read this as I live in Hervey Bay and I would have to travel a great distance to attend these classes. I also have a problem whereas I would like to buy an additional Servo Warmer but would have to get my very pregnant Consultant (who is also working with a toddler) to do a three hour round trip to do a third demo which I could not possibly ask her to do. I would like another Servo Warmer as they are so good, but I cannot understand why I have to go through all of this to get one. Does the demo reward change so in the future it would be available to buy from the Company?
Penji
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Hi Penji, welcome to the forum with your first posting. Like you, I also love my thermosaver and we mostly all agree with H.O. methods of selling items like this. If you could just buy things outright they would sell heaps of them but having to hold another demo just to get one puts a lot of people off. Maybe a consultant can tell us if things have changed in this regard or are likely to change in the future.
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The sales method is discriminatory to people who don't live near major urban areas or don't have a consultant close by.
My consultant has to do a seven hour round trip to do a demo here. I had a Varoma demo a few months ago and no one bought, so I can't bear to ask her to come here again.
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I still don't understand the whole idea behind this marketing strategy and how it seems to change from country to country.
An acquaintance who just came back from a year's sabbatical in Switzerland said she saw the Thermomix demonstrated at a local food fair in Davos and could have purchased one right then but didn't think she would really use it. She said that one man who told one of the demonstrators that he was a chef, picked up three while she was looking on so apparently they did not have to order them, they had them on hand for immediate sales. The only "discussion" was about the discount the chef was to get on the price.
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Yeh I'd love to get the Full Steam Ahead book but don't want to have to hold a varoma demo. I'm sure lots of people are the same. It's good to hold incentives to get people to hold demo's - but surely say 50% off an item if you hold a demo, full price if you don't type thing would get more people buying and demoing.