$8 per zip code listing?

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bloomz

bloomz

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Nov 12, 2002
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After reading this on the floristboard I called TF and asked. She did not have a good explanation at all but did tell me that yes, your shop will be listed "free" in the zip you're located in, but any other zips you deliver to and want to be listed in are going to cost $8 per month - each!
next directory

This sounds like it means other zips will be sorta like asb's? My city has 2 but I can't imagine somewhere like Houston or LA.

Somebody else call and see if you can figure it out, sounded like, huge to me.
 
bloomz said:
After reading this on the floristboard I called TF and asked. She did not have a good explanation at all but did tell me that yes, your shop will be listed "free" in the zip you're located in, but any other zips you deliver to and want to be listed in are going to cost $8 per month - each!
next directory

This sounds like it means other zips will be sorta like asb's? My city has 2 but I can't imagine somewhere like Houston or LA.

Somebody else call and see if you can figure it out, sounded like, huge to me.
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THAT WOULD SUCK!

Even in my little city of Midland, we have 7-8 zip codes, with the hospital having its own, Dow Chemical having 3, Dow Corning 2, and the city split between 2, and then near county 1 and out county1 ...Hmmmmm

I assume that most would be covered within the main zips which would mean 2, but not sure how they would handle something like this...FTD goes by city name far as I know...and only brings other zips into the mix when it is a berg with another name?
 
If they keep shooting themselves in the foot, they will eventually kill themselves....
SLOW DEATH
Luc
 
They already called and asked which ones I want to list in.We currently service about 20-way to expensive! It is for the separte section in the front of the city listings much like it is now only you can be listed there in more than your own zip for people who use that to find a florist. We are only going to list 2 and see how it goes.
 
Maybe once they find they do not have coverage they will change the game plan...but I would suspect, like DaDot, they know the closest florist and you will get the orders anyway...if you choose to accept them....

I will say this, at 80% they are making these orders more valuable than those form DaDot as well as from other florists, however the fact still remains that they have morphed into the newest order gatherer in the game...but, that said, they will come off looking like the good guys to florists not in the know...and they will be able to get these orders filled in most markets...

Should be an interesting Valentines Monday....
 
THE WAY IT WAS EXPLAINED TO me is that it is to be used by other florists who use the book( the section in the front of the city's first page) not how the orders will be sent out form HQ. I often use that section to find a shop close by- so that makes sense to me.
 
LORRIE said:
not how the orders will be sent out form HQ. I often use that section to find a shop close by- so that makes sense to me.
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Personally I would not believe that they will not use the same process to get the order to the closest florist possible, especially at holiday time. It is their best bet at getting it filled.

As to your other thought, the book, honestly I have not taken the wraper off one in 3-4 years, and I doubt anyone with a directory on any type of technology uses it much either.

I have no ASB (also served by) listings anymore. I feel that since I pay membership, I should get the orders that fall within my delivery area for no additional fees. Like with FTD.com I am doing them a favor filling their orders, I should not have to pay more to get them by listing in another zip code. That said, as far as I know, FTD.com keeps a listing seperate from the book of what florists will service what zip codes, and I have given them a list of the ones I cover, and no cost is associated at all. Seems that Teleflora could do the same.
 
Boss alluded to something very important there about paying for book listing. This is a guess but I think 90% of orders come from shops with POS systems, who also never unshrinkwrap the books.

A florist in the next city over who just bought TWO full page ads in the TF book - $450 a month PER!!! One for his city one for mine.

Since he doesn't have a pos system, I hope he gets $900 worth of feel good by seeing his name up in lights cuz that is the dumbest move I've seen all year.

By the way - I won't be paying for any extra zip code listings, wonder how many will?
 
Another thing Bloomz

Have you ever looked at the ads on the CD?? I did the very first one that came out (just to see what was up) and I never look there either...

I have seen a continued decline in the number of shops that add special listings like PQ and such to the regular listing too now that they are charging for those as well....

I think your number is a bit off, I think the number is more like 80% or there abouts....but still significant. And you may be closer these days, with all the free Doves and the old Mercs still in use...Alot of folks not looking at books tho just the same...

Anyone with a card ad of any type in a Wire Service directory would do just as well sending me the money, it would generate about the same number of orders for them...
 
Sorry I meant to include Doves and Merc Directs in with the pos's. Virtually anyone with an electronic sending system of any type doesn't need any stinking paper directory.
 
Since the computer that held the Dove pooped the bed (needs a fan....7 yr old emachine)....I still haven't opened that book...but I NEVER open a book and PO's me to be charged for them even now. Which is another reason to get rid of one if not both of them .....one on the way out the door...
 
bloomz said:
Sorry I meant to include Doves and Merc Directs in with the pos's. Virtually anyone with an electronic sending system of any type doesn't need any stinking paper directory.
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Although that is certainly true, a lot of florists still like to look in the book. I don't know why, but perhaps it is to get a "feel" for the filling shop based on their ad and/or wording in the listing. I guess this would make a good poll.
 
Sorry to say I prefer the book- the computer poops out to much. I like to have the complete list and to look carefully at the ads to find the best match.
 
I find there are a lot of florists in you category. It is not always incredibly busy and a lot of them like to look in the book. A lot of them also like to talk with the filling florist. They say it gives them a more personal relationship with the florist.
 
George Simon said:
They say it gives them a more personal relationship with the florist.
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Perhaps true...to a point...

But I am of the type that preffers to send to those that send to me, and my current database of florists I use has 5 years of both inbound and outbound information based on the number of orders as well as the total dollar amounts per florist. It also is missing any florist I have had trouble with in the past, they are simply deleted...thus I do not have to try to remember them in the future.

Based on the fact that generally you send to the same cities you have sent to in the past, this works for me, and when a "new" florist must be used for a new location, they are added to this database.
 
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