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Why weren’t we told up front that this was going to cost us an additional $120 per person? If I did that kind of thing in my business, it would be called a bait & switch. Someone fouled up here.
I want to make clear that I still love the purpose of the seminar and the new direction of the franchise, but it’s not right to spring these fees on us in November when we were initially told to have made our reservations by the end of October. I also want to be clear that I don’t think it is unreasonable to require a fee for a convention. However, to ask for it after the reservations have been made for room and airfare is poor form.
I guess we all should have expected a fee, but agreed that a heads up would have been beneficial to all, even if it was just to say “small fee associated with conference, amount TBA”.
On the national convention note, two quick questions that popped in my head. First, is it possible to have a separate fee for just the dinner/awards portion of the conference. I am guessing some people’s spouses/kids do not want to hear about carpet cleaning for 8+ hrs if they are not actively involved in the business, but may get bored if they have to spend the majority of the day alone. Seems like this would be the best time to funnel them in. Also, leaving a spouse unsupervised to gamble/shop for such a long period of time may not be a good option for some people. Secondly, is there going to be any form of child care available for those that may bring their younger children along to Vegas and both parents want to attend the conference? I have neither a spouse nor child so these don’t affect me either way, but thought I would bring them up for all’s benefit. I also realize that keeping it simple is sometimes best and one fee for the conference may be the way to go.
ditto!
If the fee was mentioned prior to most registering, then a decent number would have stayed home. My wife was going to be there but now she isn’t.
I will speculate that pre-mentioning the fee was an oversight. With all of the planning involved, this could easily happen. However, looking at the entire package that is included in the fee, I see this as a small investment with huge returns. The fee includes, beyond meals, “materials” (possibly priceless, for everything else, there’s mastercard). Seldom, if ever, have I EXPECTED someone to pay for my meals. The thing that I like to keep in mind is that we are the owners of our own business. We are not employed by Heaven’s Best, therefor, we should be responsible for the costs. In my previous life, to do my job as effeciently as possible, I spent over $10,000 on tools. $120 seems reasonable to me. I am going to enjoy the seminar with my wife and gain maximum return on my small investment. As my wife has a great memory and note taking skills, her fee will be well spent. Please, I think we have all spent this much in one night on a “dinner and a movie”.
Summary- This seminar is for OUR 😉 financial benifit.
Ditto Ron…my wife and son were going to go and my wife bailed out immediately thinking it is too much. $360 more? (This was going to be a belated 25th Anniversary Celebration/combo from this past July, talk about timing and justification for a trip?)
Our son has been in his own van since March, 06 and full-time for 1 1/2 years..my wife (franchise owner) is wondering about the sensibility of him going as we had planned. We were planning on staying an additional couple of days and see the area a little. That plan just died a really quick death.
I have been to a number of meetings in our first 3 years and Cody knows and remembers what I did to attend my first in California… and there was no fee there, none in North Carolina and none in New Jersey last summer and none in Connecticut…I have done my fair share of attending meetings for additional learning and gaining knowledge.
With flying, parking fees, travel to the airport 1 1/2 hours each way in PA, turnpike fees both ways, hotel costs and all of this in our worst grossing month of the year!!!???? The lowest cash flow time period of the year? And all of this as we are trying to get our vans straightened out from botched jobs and bubbles and $2,400 invested…+++$$ for accessories???
My question is this for the corporate office. What is the owner’s agenda of the time there in LV and just exactly what am I/we going to learn that will benefit us? Besides a drawing for a van…
Is there anything going to be presented that I/we cannot learn from a video or other presentation by not spending a lot of $$$$$$$???? to be there in person???
It would be nice to meet many of the other operators and exchange ideas face to face….by my count not that many are active in the bulletin board but a lot of information is shared in a tempered manner in any event. I am personally interested in hearing the untempered information.
Just what is going to happen in LV that is worth a $1,500 – $2,000 expenditure in our worst time period and midweek to boot? Each and every other meeting had been connected to a weekend…this would be a very expensive educational experience.
I would appreciate a response as soon as possible from corporate, since at this time we may bail out completely. I was going to book our 3 flights this weekend, however, that is going to wait until I hear from you to see what will be more cost efficient: 1) for Dan and me to come or 2) just me and have Dan hold the fort with working, or 3) no one attend.
If this information has already been shared, pointing me to it would be much appreciated.
Excalibur had the audacity to already hit our charge card at the time we made reservations for the room…Most hotels hit the card if I fail to show…. not 7 months in advance.
Thanks, in advance, for your response…
Definitely lots of questions out there! Personally I would agree that an additional fee seems ‘petty’ at best. People have already invested in the franchise and pay fees & purchase supplies from corporate every month. These types of seminars should not require a fee in addition to travel, rooms, etc. I decided awhile back that I could not attend – but I really would have liked to! I actually really liked the regional approach to meetings, since then I could drive & spend less overall. The atmosphere of Vegas also does not appeal to me. But that said, my real question here is: Can we get copies of the materials, videos, or whatever, if we are in fact not attending??? I don’t want to miss out – just can’t afford to go this year!!
Jeff
You always make well thought out, intelligent comments. The question that I have to you is, How can you afford NOT to be there?
I agree with Dennis. No one can afford not to go. The biggest problem is that not everyone knows exactly what’s going to go on there. What I know so far is there is going to be a wealth of knowledge available at this seminar. There is going to be technical training that ,by itself, could increase your business, in a couple of months, far more than the expense required to attend. I think everyone will re-evaluate attending when they see whats going to be offered. I lust hope they get us that info soon.
The regional seminars are definately more convenient as far as expense, down time and travel time, however I like the idea of a huge get together with other operators in one location, sharing their knowledge. I wouldn’t want to dish out the dough every year for a seminar like this, but maybe every five years or ten years is a good idea. I don’t know very many of the operators I’ve seen posting on the bulletin board and think it will be cool just to meet some of you guys. Im not exactly thrilled to find out that there is additional fees now to top off the hotel, meals, plane tickets, shows, etc. and agree with Jeremy that it is in “poor form” on the part of our company. My wifes birthday happens to fall during that time and she was looking forward to the trip as part of her present, now she may be eating the other part. The only other thing I might ad is that for $120 per person I hope we are being fed steak and lobster, because I know you can eat very well in Vegas for much less. 😕
I appreciate your views and opinions that you express on this bulletin board. It is a great way to share ideas and express concerns.
Our regional seminars have been informative and inspiring. Our operators have gone back home with a new determination to make their business even better that it was. They have taken with them ideas that they have gained from the instructors and the other operators who were in attendance.
Our national seminar will provide the opportunity for each of you to meet and talk with other operators in the business. This cannot be accomplished by providing you a video tape or written instruction–it takes being there in person. We will provide you with some instruction and encouragement that you can use to improve or fine tune your business. You will be able to see the big picture that is taking place as we move the business to the next level.
As for a rough agenda for the meeting we will be covering our present status, items concerning the transition, the LMCCA, Advertising and marketing tips, prototional items, home show displays, Spot dyeing class, minor carpet repair class, a time for you to meet with your state owners, Product review, motivation and encouragement, developing your areas, and the outlook for the future.
In the past the corporate office and your state owner have paid the bill for you to attend the regional seminars. We have provided you lunch, a room to meet in, a gallon of cleaner, and many other prizes which you can use in your business to make you more money. We stood all of the cost and all you had to do was show up. In just about every seminar we had operators committ to attend and then never show up. We have still had to pay expenses for the number we said would attend based on our operators verbal committent.
The registration fee for the national seminar will include two very good buffet lunches and an evening banquet of Prime Rib or Salmon. It will include some materials that you can take home to help improve your business. The registration fee is greater than we had originally planned. The meals are costing much more than we anticipated. I send many of my corporate office staff to training seminars throughout the country. Every one has a registration fee of $250.00 to $500.00. The travel and meals are above and beyond the registration fee. We are providing you this national seminar at the lowest cost possible. Yes we realize that it will cost each of you out of pocket expense. It is costing the corporate office and your state owner out of pocket expense. Do we feel the expense will be worth it? Yes it will be worth it. We are takeing this company to the next level. Does this cost each of us money up front? Yes it does. Will it be worth it in the long run? Yes it will. I wish the corporate office was makeing enough money to pay for all of your expenses involved with the seminar. I wish your state owners were makeing enough money to pay for all of your expenses. Neither one can, but we have provided a way for you to be able to pay these expenses.
The average ticket sale for most all of our operators is now $120.00. This means you may need to push just a little harder during the next three months to acquire at least two more jobs than you normally would. One of these jobs would pay for your registration and the second one would pay for your spouse or partner’s registration. We have provided you with a fantastic looking large spotter bottle that has our amazing cleaner inside. During the next three months you can pay for this registration fee by selling 20 new spotters. Will this take a little more effort? Yes but it can be accomplished very easily. We asked each of you to get your sleeping rooms and airfare during the busy months when your cash flow was greater.
Anything worth having is worth working for. Pat Riley a famous basketball coach said “If you want something you have never had, you have to do something you have never done”. If you want your business to go to the next level, you may have to do something you have never done. Just a little more effort goes a long way. Once you realize that you can sell 20 extra spotters it will be easier to do it on a regular basis.
We are not the enemy. We want each of you to be able to make your business the profitable business it can be. Our operators are already successful and can become more successful. This national seminar will help each of you in your business. We realize that not everyone will be able to attend. We wish everyone could.
There will be some great give aways as well as a lot of business building information at the seminar. I hope to see you all there. I am glad you are part of the business.
Cody,
For those who wanted to bring spouses to only the dinner, is that possible without paying $120 for the whole thing? I know some spouses work the business while others do not and they may not want to sit through two days of carpet cleaning stuff…
Dan 🙂
Good answer Dave. You all, need to be there. You, your wife and your son. If I am going all the way to Las Vegas to meet you face to face, then I want to meet everyone connected to you as well. Push, pull or drag them along. Make it a challenge to over come and set up a competition between vans for proctor sales or spotter bottle sales. Or SOMETHING.
It is going to be worth it for all of us. This may be the only chance we ever get lets take advantage of the opportunity.
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