The Job of a Honcho isn't as easy as it seems

[Boomer Mikey]

Hey Guys, give the Honcho's a break!

Some Honcho's have more than one group buy running at the same time:

Everyone likes to do things their way... I had no idea something as simple as a return address could become such a headache.

It's easy for a Honcho to miss a fine detail like updating the Group Buy Management System (GBMS) "PAID" field. I'm guilty of this indiscretion... The GBMS automatically sends you a message if the paid field is "no". The Honcho's update list can be overwhelming when it's over 100 orders long! If the Honcho took the time to place your zip on the payments received from list you're covered.

Help your Honcho: :-D

Put your GBMS order number's on your check's and include a copy of your invoice with your payment.

If your Honcho isn't using the GBMS include a note indicating the mold('s) you're paying for, your ship to address for the mold('s) with your real name, your screen name and write the group buy name on your payment.

If you're going to pay with PayPal; include your real name, mailing address, order number or group buy name, and screen name (handle); especially if you're using someone else’s PayPal account to pay.

If you're not in the United States; include your Phone#: Global Priority Mail requires one.

Please don't use a different return address on your letter than the one you want the mold shipped to. If you really want to confuse a Honcho have different addresses on your check, payment envelope, and GBMS invoice. :veryconfu


If you want to make sure you don't get your mold:
Send a money order in an envelope without a return address and an unreadable address on the money order, and of course, don't put anything else in the envelope to indicate which mold you want, who you are, or what your screen name is. :confused:

If you want great service:
Include a $5.00 bill with a note saying thanks, have a cool one on me! This guy must have been a Honcho at one time; his order is on top of the pile. :wink:


Boomer :Fire:

[nighthunter]

LMAO Mikey: I just went through all of that stuff with the problems of cross referencing names between the 2 sites. Then trying to figure out the address changes of people that had moved and their zipcode didn't jive with what I had on record. All in all ... it hasn't been all that bad. I'll complete the 22-70-GC buy and I'll probably be dumb enough to do another one one of these days.
Nighthunter

PS ... Scrounger, Have you found a honcho for that 35 caliber you wanted?

[Johnch]

I did 1 GB so far
I probely will do another

But I just can't believe I could handle the ......... running 2 or more at the same time

You seem to be doing a great job

John

[Catshooter]

Boomer,

Talk about ROTFLM ass off! Everything you've listed and plenty more.

One guy was a differnt address on the check from the return envolope. I thought I was good though as his phone # was on his check. It was a church! In Canada, fer cryin' out loud. I didn't even know how to call Canada.


The guy with the $5 bill (have a cold one on me) did the same to me. Yep, top of the heap.

Oh my, the things we do to get cool moulds and help out a bit, huh?


Cat

[ron brooks]

$5.00 for a cold one, hmmm, never thought of bribery. I'll have to give that a whole lot of consideration.

Ron

[No_1]

Gentlemen,
I echo your words. Running the Gatorcheck GB as a ongoing thing is kicking butt!

Robert

[Boomer Mikey]

Gentlemen,
I echo your words. Running the Gatorcheck GB as a ongoing thing is kicking butt!

Robert

Robert, I don't know how you manage it, my hat's off to you!

I have six group buys in process now with another two in the works but that's nothing compared to your list of issues. I'm happy you have a son at home to help you...

Many thanks to you, felix, Catshooter, 45 2.1, and all the other guys that make things happen around here, this place really has the feel of a family.

Boomer :Fire:

[SharpsShooter]

I took over one after the psuedo Honcho semi-vanished with several checks form the members. Got that all straightened out and ended up with a good run of moulds and a bunch of satisfied folks who waited seemingly forever to get their mould.

I'd do another. No problem there.

SS

[Char-Gar]

Jeeze guys it isn't that hard.. All this new program did is make things harder. All I do is.

1) Open the payments when they arrive and post the zip on the thread. Put the payments in the safe.
2) When the time to receive payments is over, open the safe, take out the payments and create mailing labels from the payments which becomes your master list.
3) Double check the master list/labels against the payments and the zips posted on the threads. Make shure you have money for each name and zip.
4) Deposit the checks and money orders and wait three weeks.
5) Send the order to Lee
6) When the molds get here, select one at random and makes a test cast.
7) Tape, and put the address labels on each mold box
8) Mail the molds.

That is all there is to it.. no programs, no spread sheets, no invoices..nada, just money, labels and molds. I don't know why some folks want to turn this into a major accounting activity. Fourth grade math is all that is needed.

What makes this work, is you don't count the "I'm in" posts, or the PMs. You totally disreagrd all of that..no need to keep track of promises. You only count the payments when they arrive at your PO box.

[trooperdan]

What the hell in a GBMS?

[Catshooter]

I sort of agree with you Chargar. I don't use the GB site. It's a 'nother site, and it takes a bunch more clicks and stuff to get where you want to go. There are many members who's computer skills are way above mine, but there's plenty as are way lower than mine, too. Just makes it harder, I think.

But 'Put the payments in the safe.'? Works, up until he didn't put which mould he wanted, no return address, no screen name and you can just damn near read his telephone number. *sigh*

But it's worth it to me, at least so far. :)


Cat

[Char-Gar]

Cat... I have never run but one group buy at a time, so there is not much confusion. Thus far I have been able to read them all and the shipping addy is made clear. I guess I have been lucky.

When I get this current Gb (311291) over, I don't plan any more. I have just done these when I wanted a certain bullet and there were many others, but nobody wanted to take on the Honcho role.

I have settled on the 30 caliber as my favorite and have all the top performing 30 caliber bullets I want.

[jeff223]

i ran five group buys and i kind of run it and keep track of it like Charger.

it was nice for the guys to set up a special group buy management site but if i ever run another group buy i will just use my system of keeping things straight.the number of buyers on these mold group buys are low enough that its easy to keep track of.maybe if the buys were to draw one hundred buyers or more the group buy site would be a plus

one thing the buyers should do is make sure their name and return address is printed clear so the honcho can read it.ive had a number of names and address that i could hardly read.its hard to beleave someone would send a payment to someone else with a chicken scratch return address

[Poohgyrr]

First, Thanks to all the Honchos for all the work.

And providing cold ones, and maybe pizza, to the right people can definitely speed things up sometimes........

[warf73]

As a first time Honcho I like the group buy site. Most all the guys thats sent payment printed off the invoice page wich has there address in plain easy to read print.

Which makes it easy to type out there address lables on my lable maker. I then fold up there lable with the invoice and the check and mark them down as paid.

Pretty easy for the most part.

I'll do another group buy for sure and its coming up next month[smilie=1: just waiting on the group buy to wrap up.

Warf

[Boomer Mikey]

I prefer to use the Group Buy Management System (GBMS) because it helps me as a honcho coordinate addresses, screen names, and real names in a readable form.

I don't believe it's any harder for the user to master than our Cast Boolits Board; If you can sign up and create a login for this site you can do the same for the GBMS. For the honcho; he or she doesn't need to send 30 or more PM's with addresses and it provides a reference to confirm a mailing address later on when it's time to ship molds. For the buyer, it provides a reference and a clear statement of what they ordered or forgot to order and when the buy ends. The system provides the honcho's address immediately... no waiting for a PM with an address. Another plus is the buyer only enters their information once for all buys and can update the information if they move.

As far as more work for the honcho is concerned, it takes less than 5 minutes to setup a buy and it takes another minute or two to update the "paid" field when you receive a payment but the order number is a convenience as you have a common reference with the buyer to an order and in the event something happens to the honcho you have a general idea of the status of a group buy.

This is a new deal and the boomer generation and pre-boomer generations generally resist change. As a new system there's always room for improvement. A few changes I would like to see are:

1.) Add help screens for each column instead of the general splash screens.
2.) Once a person has logged in the first time, created their account and accepted the conditions, they shouldn't need to wade through the splash screens every login.
3.) Honcho's should be recognized at login and only need to click on the honcho tab to manage their buys.
4.) It would be nice to have the option of listing the managed Group Buys by Group Buy name, order number, screen name or real name. The same applies with print options but print screen would work fine for this if the listing options were available.

Ok, I'm a computer guy, I'm developing a spreadsheet to list everyone's address, and screen name then create a column for each Group Buy mold # and put an X or order # in the box to indicate the order is paid for. This would be convenient as I would only need to enter a person's screen name, real name, and address once with the ability to print labels for each group buy based upon an entry in the Group Buy mold # column.

All in all, I think the pluses outweigh the minuses and I give the buyer the option to use the system or PM me for my address. I post Group Buy activity both ways for everyone's convenience.

Mikey Likes It,

Boomer :Fire:

[wiljen]

You all do know that I can provide you with a mail merge for Avery 5164 or 8164 mailing labels so it will handle that part for you too right? All ya gotta do is let me know and I'll send you a word and excel file and you can print all your labels from it.

Wiljen

[wiljen]

In answer to Boomer's points:

1.) Add help screens for each column instead of the general splash screens.
2.) Once a person has logged in the first time, created their account and accepted the conditions, they shouldn't need to wade through the splash screens every login.

These we are looking into revamping

3.) Honcho's should be recognized at login and only need to click on the honcho tab to manage their buys.

It does. If you are speaking of the splash screen - that goes to #1 or #2 but once you are registered as a honcho no special logins or extra steps are required.


4.) It would be nice to have the option of listing the managed Group Buys by Group Buy name, order number, screen name or real name. The same applies with print options but print screen would work fine for this if the listing options were available.


These have been updated recently to include both real name and screen name.

5.) This would be convenient as I would only need to enter a person's screen name, real name, and address once with the ability to print labels for each group buy based upon an entry in the Group Buy mold # column.

As I mentioned - let me know and we can provide the spreadsheets for each buy - don't waste your time recreating them as that was part of the purpose for the system.

Wiljen

[Boomer Mikey]

You all do know that I can provide you with a mail merge for Avery 5164 or 8164 mailing labels so it will handle that part for you too right? All ya gotta do is let me know and I'll send you a word and excel file and you can print all your labels from it.

Wiljen

Thanks Wiljen, good job!

I'll be happy with everything when the splash screens go away. I didn't know about the mail merge and spreadsheet options, life gets better all the time!

Boomer :Fire:

[Catshooter]

I think I jest been called old . . . I be crushed.


Old Cat

[Poohgyrr]

I remember when I realized the local Oldies radio station was playing songs that came out when I was in high school. And when store clerks started calling me "Sir".

:roll:

[Boomer Mikey]

I remember when I realized the local Oldies radio station was playing songs that came out when I was in high school. And when store clerks started calling me "Sir".

:roll:

Cat, look what you started!!! I refuse to stur the pot!

Much,

The sad part is when you no longer need to ask for the senior discount.

'Marks of distinction' For many boomers — and also folks who're older than the oldest boomers (now 58) — fear of high tech is dispiriting, and explanations make their eyes glaze over like a window in winter.

Boomer is 58... :Fire:

[wiljen]

Jeeze guys it isn't that hard.. All this new program did is make things harder


Considering you have never been set up as a honcho in the new system, I'd like to know how you figure that. If you don't want to use it, don't. Nobody is forcing you, but please don't feel the need to make comments on something you've never used.

Wiljen

[Char-Gar]

Wiljen ol pal.. I went to the system and check it out and decided it was not for me and so didn't go through all the stuff it takes to get "set up".

Now, I will feel free to comment on any darn thing I want to, anytime I want to, whether you like it or not.

I have never been pregnant, bankrupt, smoked dope, had a heart attack, or anyone of thousands of others things I comment on from time to time. If we can only comment on what we experience, it will be a pretty dull and shallow world.

The ability to project our selves through thought into situations beyond our hands on experience, is one of the major things that seperates humans from animals.

BTW..who jerked a knot in your tail?