What is Pampered Chef?
Pampered Chef offers high-quality kitchen tools, along with the support needed to help families make memories at mealtime. We strive to offer personalized service and an enhanced customer experience through a direct connection between the consultant and the customer. My customers are important to me.
How long have you been a Pampered Chef Consultant?
I’ve been with Pampered Chef for about five years.
What got you started in this business?
I’ve heard that Pampered Chef tools were of good quality, so I signed up to replace some worn-out items in my kitchen. I had no intention of doing home parties or actively selling, but then someone called me up and asked me if I “did parties.” She was looking for a consultant to do her annual holiday party, and to my own surprise, I said “Sure, I do parties!” This was the beginning of my leaving my comfort zone and reaching for more, which I found exhilarating. One of my favourite aspects of being a Pampered Chef consultant is that it gets me out of my comfort zone – but on my own terms. I choose my challenges, and having a history of small accomplishments has helped me build so much more confidence in myself.
What makes you proud to represent Pampered Chef?
I suppose the obvious answer to this question would be the quality products they offer. The products often sell themselves. People in my parties will often speak so highly of products that they actually sell them to their friends – which frees me up to work on building relationships and figuring out what products would really make a difference in their day-to-day cooking.
It says on the Pampered Chef website: “We’re here to help bridge that gap between the ideal mealtime and the realities of today.” How do you accomplish that?
The ideal mealtime would be where loved ones sit together to eat, with plenty of time and energy to do so. The reality for most families is the necessity of getting everyone fed in a fraction of that time, rarely around the table, and maybe even in the car on the way from one activity to another. My job is to find ways to make this more enjoyable, nutritious, and efficient. Some solutions may be through bulk food prep or freezer meals, make-ahead snacks, portable recipes for “grabbing-and-going,” or just a cooking method that takes less than 30 minutes from start to finish.
How does Pampered Chef simplify mealtime?
This would be where personalized service comes in. I love to ask my customers what tasks they hate in the kitchen, so I can help with solutions to those problems. If a customer is always short on time, I might recommend the Quick Cooker. If the problem is storage space, I might recommend the Rockcrok (one of our most versatile and multipurpose cookware pieces). If the problem is that the chef is overwhelmed, I can help teach the rest of the family how to help with snacks or sides. If the problem is food allergies or picky eaters, I may recommend Enrichables or from-scratch recipes, or one of our appliances that helps customize typical store-bought items that often contain undesirable ingredients (nut butter, alternative milks, soups, sauces, dressings – even rotisserie chicken).
Can you give us an example of how Pampered Chef simplified mealtime at your house?
I might say that Enrichables have helped at my house immensely. I always have an envelope of Kale and Fiber or Pea Protein on the go and add it to the food I’m already making. I have 9-year-old twins, and one is very picky. I know that he’s getting added nutrition, and I don’t have to fight about it at every meal time. It helps us enjoy the time spent together so much more.
What are some of your bestsellers?
Pampered Chef Stoneware is iconic. It’s the cornerstone of what PC Founder Doris Christopher first offered 40 years ago in her first home party, and it’s still very popular today. The newer electric products are creating plenty of well-deserved buzz though. The Deluxe Cooking Blender, Quick Cooker, and Air Fryer all offer features that are unique to Pampered Chef. As a consultant, I am here to make sure my customers have them out-of-the-box and are enjoying them to their fullest potential.
Smaller items worth noting are the Manual Food Processor, Food Chopper, and the famous Mix N Chop (most people know it as the hamburger masher). The Mix N Chop is so popular I can’t even keep them in stock.
What are Enrichables?
Enrichables are blends of either freeze-dried Kale and Chicory Root or Pea Protein. They are excellent ways to boost what’s already on your menu. No need to buy fancy groceries for recipes your family won’t eat. Use them in soups, baking, smoothies, pasta, even ground meat. They are dairy-, soy-, gluten-, and nut-free as well as certified vegan as well, which makes them a great choice for families who struggle with food allergies. They’re available as a one-time purchase, or as a subscription, so you never run out. I always have a packet on the go that I sprinkle on everything from grilled cheese sandwiches to pizza sauce.
I noticed Pampered Chef sells replacement parts to its cooking products. Is that something that will surprise most people?
I have many customers that have products still performing well for years after purchase, so I don’t think many would be surprised to know that they can get replacement parts to help keep their items working like new. However, I don’t know that many other companies offer replacement parts. So, in this regard it may come as a surprise to most people.
What Pampered Chef products do you use the most in your own household?
Right now, my family is obsessed with the Air Fryer. We use it at least once per day, and often more. My husband loves to do everything in it – from smokies to Stromboli – and the kids do pizza on naan bread, and grilled cheese. I enjoy doing rotisserie chicken.
I tend to use my Rockcrok Dutch Oven a lot as well. It can go in the oven, on the stovetop, in the microwave, on the BBQ, on the slow cooker stand, and then in the dishwasher. So, I always know I can grab it for whatever’s on the menu.
I also couldn’t live without my Scrapers, Batter Bowls, or my Large Bar pan. Oh, I could go on and on. (Laughs)
What Pampered Chef products do kids tend to prefer?
One thing I love about the kids line is that they are fully functional tools that happen to be kid-sized (instead of “toy versions” of the regular tools). They have kid-friendly features (non-slip bottoms, lids, bright colours, and are easy to clean), but will last as long as any tool in the catalogue, with the same warranties as well.
What is it you would like people to know about Pampered Chef?
To the customer, Pampered Chef works to provide a quality experience – from their products to their customer service.
To the consultant, Pampered Chef truly sets us up for success with encouragement (I just received flowers for a recent promotion), incentives (my husband and I travelled to Budapest, Hungary with PC), world class leadership, and flexibility in how I run my business (they encourage creativity in parties: I’ve done freezer meal workshops, kids’ cooking classes, online parties, gift registries and wedding showers, and, of course, fundraisers).
At a Glance
- Business: Pampered Chef
- Phone: (780) 296-5985
- E-mail: lisa.wiens.pc@gmail.com
- Facebook: My Pampered Chef Consultant – Lisa Wiens