Support from Consultants

[Thermomixer]

For Warren and others looking at purchasing a Thermomix,  the system of sales is through a direct marketing technique along the lines of Tupperware.

The main reason for going through a consultant and not buying over the internet is that you should receive support from your consultant after purchase.

Just wondering, for those with a Thermomix, how often do you make contact with your consultant, how often do they contact you - phone/mail/email, how helpful are they and are there any groups that have formed, like the classes at Loose Produce?

Does anyone's consultant send a regular email letter?  We used to receive monthly email newsletters with the monthly recipe, but since the blog has been developed the newsletter has stopped - need to talk to poor Tenina.

I have had very little contact with my consultant, but that's because I haven't had any issues.  She has always answered the phone and emails if I need help, but have received little news or info, other than Classes.

Poor baf65 is probably saying - help - don't anyone ask me about bl***y risotto.  How's it going baf65?

[UnConundrum]

I for one, realized that, and that's the frustration with being in the US.  With no one local, there's no demo or support, so I might as well buy through the internet.  Quite frankly, I think I'm into my cooking toys enough to figure it out   But I can also see the value of a conscientious rep who would help with recipes and make sure you'd get the best out of your investment.  This great forum fills a lot of voids.

[cookie1]

I really have had little support from my consultant. They did phone once to see how it was going but that has been all.
After speaking with others who have thermomixes I felt that my demonstration was a little rushed. It was good and I did appreciate the work the consultant had done to come to my home etc. But some people had received that little bit extra, like coffee at the end of the demonstration made in the thermomix.  I don't know if it made any difference that I had already made it clear that I wished to purchase one.
I am quite sure that if I was to contact her I would receive all the help I required.
I'm having great fun experimenting.

[Alina0210]

My consultant is my cousin, so we have lots of contact. She sends out a fortnightly email with info on whats happening ie: cooking classes or new recipes. And i can call her any time if i need help but nowdays i call her with new recipes i have made lol...

also she has had a call at 1am from one of her sales with a question how to make alcoholic slushys lol... she was havaing a party and neded help...

[baf65]

I'm only a new consultnat so I cant really comment too much as Ive only sold 2 machines and both were to friends who Im always in contact with anyway.  My plan is that i will be in regular touch with anyone who buys a machine off me and send them out regular recipes and details on cooking classes, new books etc etc which Im guessing I will either be converting myself or using the resources provided through TM head office

I think it is important to offer really good customer service as not only do you not want someone bagging TM because you dont get any support, but if you offer service 'beyond' the norm then you are going to get someone spreading the word of TM to all their friends

Cookie I think it does probably depend on how experienced the consultant is at doing demos, maybe thats why others got a bit extra - it could be that the consultant hadnt done coffee before.  Hard to show someone something you are not familiar with yourself and make it look professional. 

[Thermomixer]

Hi baf65 - you are right that it is best to offer "beyond the norm".

How much support did you get from your consultant? - probably good in Perth?

[brazen20au]

my consultant is a member of the '500' club so i'm sure you all know who

i just checked my emails (yes i'm a shocking email hoarder lol) and i got an email from her 12 days after buying and then that's it except for when i contacted her this year to try to set up a demo for my friend (but luckily found out about my local demonstrator )

that was the only service i got at all. i think i have had more help from karen(3), tenina and jeff via the boards! lol!!!

[baf65]

have to be honest that my consultant has never sent me through a recipe nor a newsletter, I guess about 2mths after I bought the machine I decided to be come a consultant myself so she probably thought she didnt need to bother
ANother friend of mine who also became a consultant at the same time on the other hand has more recipes than she will ever need sent to her by the lady who did her demo
I guess it depend on the consultant, if its their only job, their hobby job, or a part time job

[brazen20au]

that's right. i did monthly emails when i was doing tupperware, shared recipes etc as well as the specials, but i know most people don't

[CarolineW]

I haven't had help from my consultant beyond the demo, but she made it very clear that I only need to phone or email and she'll help me if I have any questions.  The head office of UK thermomix sends out emails and runs courses each month, which is great.  And of course, there's this forum :-)

I did find, with the TM21 I bought 2nd hand, that thermomix consultants the world over were willing to help me, even though they hadn't sold me the machine.  They were just very generous people who were passionate about the machine.  I was very impressed by that.  Even now, I know that I can get support from the Ozzie consultants I've met, even though I didn't buy from them.  One of the things which is selling me on becoming a consultant is the generosity of people generally in the TM world, and the lack of 'if it didn't get me money or give me money now, I won't help you.'.  Even when my TM21 was out of waranty, the UK thermomix was still very willing to help.  That's part of why I was willing to find the money to buy a TM31, and have tried to find other ways to give back for all the generosity and good will I was shown. 

My main problem, first time around, was that I didn't know what questions to ask as I didn't really know what they did.  And there was only one English language recipe book at the time, no YouTube (which has online Demos), and no English speaking forums :-)

[cecilia]

Hi everyone.  I am bumping this thread to ask for your expectations of your Thermomix consultant. We are all "independent" business owners, but we do our work to strong customer service guidelines and as the bar is already set high, one has to be creative to go the extra mile in customer service, without cutting in to profit too much.

Are you conscious of the little extras that your consultants do for you as they go about their work? 

Have you ever had a surprisingly positive experience in dealing with your consultant?

I'm after some inspiration to take my little business to the next customer service level.  Please share if you would like to inspire me.    Thanks.

[Bambi]

I was doing monthly emails but have been told we must now send any emails to our gl first to be approved ... that put me off sending emails.

[gertbysea]

I was doing monthly emails but have been told we must now send any emails to our gl first to be approved ... that put me off sending emails.

So much  for being  an " independent" business owner. Sounds more like Big Brother  or Sister is censoring everything you do  and say.

Certainly interferes  with the rapport you may have with your OWN BUISNESS customers. 


Gert

[baf65]

LOL at how keen I was 4yrs ago!! hmmmm lasted all of about 2 months hehe!
Never did get round to sending out newsletters and emails and never did receive any emails myself off the person I bought my machine from initially
Seriously there is so much more information around now about TM, so many blogs, forums, facebook pages i really dont think there is as much need for consultants to send out newsletters now as there was 4 years ago....its surely easier to google what you want and get an answer staight away. 

[judydawn]

You are dead right there baf65, when I got my machine and wasn't impressed with the EDC meals, I googled and came up with Joy's TMX meals and very little else unless it was in another language.  Nowadays the internet is a great resource and with the recipes on people's blogs you can make your own recipe books.