Doesn't the Customer deserve a Local Consultant?

I was asked for my opinion from a consultant who wanted to do the Go-Give thing when a customer (whose consultant lives 3 hours away) wanted to switch consultants because she wanted to see the products in person. The consultant was being swayed because she had consultants telling her that the golden rule is giving the customer a local consultant so she could get better service since her consultant couldn't show her things - yet she had always heard that we should refer people back to their consultants. Here is my response: First of all, you CAN have a personal relationship with a customer who is long distance. I have several customers all over the country and they are tied to me as their consultant because we have built a relationship and I care about them so please do not make assumptions and use that as a reason to take a customer. I HAVE driven 3 hours for a class before (and developed new business in that area while I was there). My out of state customers DO go to other people's Mary Kay parties occasionally and or guest events to see what's new and the consultant understandably takes the sales that day of whatever my customer wants to purchase - my customers and I openly discuss it and it is a win-win all the way around. They bought new stuff from her, saw stuff in person. reorder from me, are on my PCP list, get samples from me, bday cards & calls from me, etc. You will severely limit your business if you feel that you can not adequately service a customer long distance - that's why Mary Kay has no territories. The bottom line is the Golden Rule: I tell the customer what I would want a consultant to tell MY customer if they ran into her - THEN it is up to the customer. I've had that happen to me recently. Ran into someone who recently moved here and saw my Cadillac. Has a long distance consultant (about 2 hrs. away) and wanted to try some products in person. She ASSUMED her consultant would not want to drive. I told her that I successfully service many consultants long distance and that in Mary Kay we work our business by the Golden Rule and I would want to at least know that my customer wanted to see the product in person and have the opportunity to be of service before she went elsewhere. I did end up booking a show with that customer on the condition that she give her consultant first opportunity to hold it. I treated her the same as I would if I had a customer of another consultant show up at a show. She could get anything she wanted that day but I would not be putting her on my customer list or following up. I would notify her consultant of anything she bought so she could keep record of it. (Just because the consultant is not willing to come hold the appointment doesn't mean she can't service that customer well - when my parents were dying, I wasn't holding ANY shows, even local ones. I'm glad people didn't use that as an excuse to take my customers - never make assumptions!) Our goal is to work as a team to make sure Mary Kay customers are taken care of - thinking the best of each other and treating each other the way we would want to be treated - without making it difficult for the customer. The customer shouldn't need to jump through hoops to get serviced (that's why she thinks she needs a local consultant because she thinks local consultants won't show her what's new if she stays with her out of town consultant) The customer should get what she wants (an in-person appt.) without the local consultant using that as a reason why that person should switch consultants. The local consultant gets sales from the new product she introduces with no other follow up efforts required on her part - and the customer continues to be serviced from her consultant who does all the follow up and customer service. It's a win-win all the way around and we are operating together to take care of that customer.