-1 Youflowers +1 Mioux a Mday story

[Joe Mioux]

Saturday, I sent a lady a bouquet of flowers from her daughter, went through TF.com (that won't happen again, but that's not what this story is about)

Her son also sent, however, it came through a rather unique distribution route.

Apparently, he used FU flowers (is it just me, or does that abbreviation seem really really appropriate for and OG). It went to a shop 14 miles east of my shop. That shop is both 800 and FTD.

The order needed to be delivered 10 miles north of my shop. (the receiving shop would have to drive 25 miles). On Sat, the shop attempted delivery without calling recipient. Recipient lives in the country and the road the florist took was flooded. So instead of taking a different route, they went back to their shop and called the recipient.

The recipient was perturbed that the shop didn't call her first so she could have given them driving instructions.

At 1:45 pm, Monday, I receive this order via FTD from the other shop.

Yesterday I delivered it.

Mother told me the story and also told me that her son thought his order would have had come to me originally. It didn't.

The son will now use my website so that is the +1 for me and -1 for FU.

i suspect the order came to the other shop via 800 flowers, but they "forwarded" it to me via FTD.

Something smells here. How can I go about finding the original price of this order?

joe

 

[Kristine]

Apparently, he used FU flowers (is it just me, or does that abbreviation seem really really appropriate for an OG).

joe

yes this is what we call them in this neck of the woods.


as for what he spent? have you talked to him about this order, then perhaps just ask him and reference their price vs yours and value

 

[aileen_c]

Something smells here. How can I go about finding the original price of this order?

joe

I would ask the son. I mean you can make it a courtesy call to him and work it into the conversation. Yeah for you on scoring a new customer!

 

[shannonlovesflowers]

Good story Joe.

We rejected about a million orders for OG's this year.

I cannot tell you how many of the OG's customers would call us and say "I tried to order online with FYF or 1-800 blah blah blah, and they said you wouldn't take the order, so they told me to call you."

WOOO HOOOO!!! It works! Then I'd give a quick bit of education, then take the order. and everytime they would tell me (in one version or another) that they spending less with me on "delivery".

hummm, really?

 

[CHR]

Mother told me the story and also told me that her son thought his order would have had come to me originally. It didn't.

This is the single biggest reason NOT to accept those incomings. Shops undermine their own customer bases by giving all the expected quality and services for far less dollars.

If they want you, they should order direct from you. Otherwise, they can take the convenience or 'discount' or 'deal' or 'free' from an OG and take their chances on the WS fulfillment roulette wheel.

 

[Spookyflowers]

I got and email from a lady yesterday and how she got it I don't know. The jest of the story is I was to deliver and order to her daughter on Sat. I called no one so left message no returned my call as of Monday so I called her husband who owns a business here in town and he said bring it to him. The email asked me why I hadn't done that on Sat. I told her we had left a message and my answering machine has my cell phone # on it and she could of called and we would of been happy to take it on Sunday. No answer back to my Email.I'm just wondering how the lady even got my email address.

 

[Joe Mioux]

This is the single biggest reason NOT to accept those incomings. Shops undermine their own customer bases by giving all the expected quality and services for far less dollars.

If they want you, they should order direct from you. Otherwise, they can take the convenience or 'discount' or 'deal' or 'free' from an OG and take their chances on the WS fulfillment roulette wheel.

yea i know......

but in this case, i think he was lured by the national marketing of either Proflowers or 800flowers.

This guy has known my shop all his life, why he just didn't pick up the phone and call directly is beyond me.

also, on a similar note, my neighbor, who moved next door to me about 3 years ago, still uses the flower shop in his old town to order flowers for his wife. Every Mday, I receive a TF order (dozen roses) from that shop that gets delivered to my neighbor. go figure.

thinking about it.... it might be these people don't realize that the sending florist gets a commission so it doesn't mean anything to them.

joe