Trash-Talking Vendors

[cerelife]

) I was wondering why you describe the other soaps as crappy, but you said it yourself that you sometimes buy products from other vendors.

Sorry LunaSkye...that comment was from my notes, and I should have edited it out before I posted
But since I DID put this comment on a public forum, it's only fair that I clarify why I described these two vendor's soaps as 'crappy'.
Vendor 1 had soap along with a myriad of other things for sale, and every soap I picked up just smelled like 'old soap'... AND many of them had DOS.
Vendor 2 also offered soap along with many other items for sale and I honestly couldn't help but like the guy - he was a complete sweetheart! But he was slicing bars from a loaf of soap that he himself told me was only a week old...saying that he just didn't understand why the person he bought them from wanted him to wait a whole month before selling them.
I tried to explain why he really should wait, but he just laughed and said "Sugar, it's just soap and I have people wanting to buy it NOW!"

 

[pamielynn]

"JUST soap"? Ack - my whole life is soap, LOL

 

[ourwolfden]

She sounds very rude but I have to say I don’t fault her on not giving you the names of her suppliers. I don’t sell soap but I come from a family of mall kiosk-ers and it was ingrained in my mind at an early age not to tell anyone where your supplies come from. Especially today where everything is a google search away anyways I would be super hesitant. I am surprised she didn’t talk shop with you though and the fact that she had no idea (or was pretending not to) about the differences in EO and FO. I personally would have tried to make friends or acquaintances and maybe when you became a vendor work out a trade eventually if I liked your stuff (which I’m sure I would). But I would not have told you where I purchased my supplies.

Hope that didn’t come crossed as rude.

 

[dixiedragon]

I would be tempted to visit her regularly and ask in front of customers, "Where do you get King Cake essential oil?"

 

[Epilepsydreams]

Hi I am new but with your situation and your Sig line, I had to respond. Do I feel she is going to play nice once she sees you set up? No, ugly people like that are desperate and selfish. But with you now, she will find some way to "talk" about you.Even possibly now making best buddies with the soapmakers there, to lie and trash you.

As for your quote. My nickname is "Smiley". No matter where I go, it follows. More important tho, it has and does touch many lives.SO, NO MATTER WHAT, NOR HOW BADLY YOU "MAY" FEEL HURT......a sincere smile will prevail over all ugliness in the end. I hope she is more mature than what she has shown. Or learned from your convo. Good luck to you

 

[cerelife]

Hope that didn’t come crossed as rude.

Not at all, Manda! I've worked hard on my recipes and won't share those, and honestly the only reason I shared suppliers with this person was because I was angry with her for trashing other vendors, and wanted to prove a point...not my finest moment

I would be tempted to visit her regularly and ask in front of customers, "Where do you get King Cake essential oil?"

Dixie, girl...I'm gonna try to take the high road, but it IS tempting, LOL!

SO, NO MATTER WHAT, NOR HOW BADLY YOU "MAY" FEEL HURT......a sincere smile will prevail over all ugliness in the end.

Thank you for posting! My 'real' job for the past 10+ years is in Radiology as a Cat-Scan tech in a very busy hospital. It truly IS amazing what a sincere smile can mean to people. Especially if you take the time to combine that with an honest inquiry of "How can I help you/make you more comfortable/ease your fears?' Such a small thing to do, but sometimes it means a great deal to others

 

[Susie]

Thanks to everyone for the great responses and food for thought! You've confirmed my idea to just ignore this vendor and do my own thing to the best of my ability...great products with honest ingredient lists/labels!
@ Susie...yeah, you right! NOLA folks can suss out the BS...I'm currently making soap for my buddies at Villa Convento on Ursulines...but WTH should it smell like?? I"m playing around with a floral scent per the bordello angle, but any other ideas??
And yep, this vendor was VERY aggressive with her trash-talk and maybe it wasn't my finest moment to bait her as I did, but I despise bullies and one of my many failings is to refuse to back down when I know I'm in the right. BUT I sincerely doubt she would remember my face, and I never told her the name of my company...so no worries with her trying to sabotage me

I don't sell soap, so take this as being from someone who does not have that experience, but when I think of floral scents that say NOLA, three come to mind first: magnolia, gardenia, oleander. So, I would play with those and/or rose. Then I would go with an undertone of some sort of spice and I hate to say it, but a tiny bit of a musky scent or a teensy tiny bit of patchouli to give it that hint of naughtiness. Think of jazz music...you have the melody playing(floral) that has all your attention, but playing in the background is that brass(spice)that makes it sound sexy, and percussion(musk) that really drives where that melody is going. Make it hit that place in your brain that says that all their wishes can come true...

 

[cerelife]

I don't sell soap, so take this as being from someone who does not have that experience, but when I think of floral scents that say NOLA, three come to mind first: magnolia, gardenia, oleander. So, I would play with those and/or rose. Then I would go with an undertone of some sort of spice and I hate to say it, but a tiny bit of a musky scent or a teensy tiny bit of patchouli to give it that hint of naughtiness. Think of jazz music...you have the melody playing(floral) that has all your attention, but playing in the background is that brass(spice)that makes it sound sexy, and percussion(musk) that really drives where that melody is going. Make it hit that place in your brain that says that all their wishes can come true...

Susie, that was almost exactly what I was thinking, but you've added some really great ideas!! Thank You
My first thoughts were Rose or Gardenia for the floral notes, and Patchouli or Nag Champa for the 'naughty' notes, with a bit of Black Pepper to add some spice. I didn't even think about Musk (and I have some!) - so I'll add that to the mix!
And what a wonderful analogy about the music - you can bet I'll have my NOLA playlist going while I play around with scents for this soap!

 

[hdicreations]

"crappy soap?"

 

[Susie]

Susie, that was almost exactly what I was thinking, but you've added some really great ideas!! Thank You
My first thoughts were Rose or Gardenia for the floral notes, and Patchouli or Nag Champa for the 'naughty' notes, with a bit of Black Pepper to add some spice. I didn't even think about Musk (and I have some!) - so I'll add that to the mix!
And what a wonderful analogy about the music - you can bet I'll have my NOLA playlist going while I play around with scents for this soap!

Honey, I have been to NOLA several times, and I can assure you that to me, the music and the feel of that city are unique, entrancing, and utterly enmeshed in my mind. I simply can't separate out one from the other.

Oh, yes! Those are perfect! I was going to say magnolia, but the FOs never seem to get it right. Matter of fact, if one batch is a success, I would do honeysuckle and gardenia in the spring, and rose and gardenia in the fall.