If it ain't broke, don't fix it. If it is working for you, keep it going. We went from a long-standing relationship with Innisbrook (great sales rep) and thought we'd try Current the next year. Our sales dropped dramatically and even though we've gone back to Innisbrook, our sales have never quite been what they were. Sometimes a change isn't necessarily for the good. We do great in candy sales and wouldn't want to change that. I agree you can't please everyone and you have your constant complainers.
We have done the same type of fundraiser for several years. We did choose a new company for last year but the same type of product. There are some who complain about quality and price and the same old stuff, but you will NEVER find something that pleases everyone. Let your sales results speak for you. Also, our rep last year told us that typically he expects a 30% increase in the subsequent year, because as people become familiar with the product they look forward to purchasing again and buy more. Of course, that only works if you had a good product to start. I would recommend using the same fundraiser for at least two years. If your sales decline significantly or you had a real do the first year, then it's time to start searching again.
Just a quick question...how many people use the same fundraising company two years in a row (or more)? We will be using Kathryn Beich this year for our large fall fundraiser, as we did last year. Our sale last year was very successful; however, there were a couple of complaints regarding the quality. There were also people who loved it. Our rep is WONDERFUL, and bends over backwards to accomodate us, which is actually the main reason that we chose to go with them again. I guess my question is, for those of you who use the same catalog company in consecutive years, does it hurt sales the second year? Can you expect the same kind of response from the previous year? I'd appreciate any information from people who have had this experience.