a bit of good news from FTD - controversy invited

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Bigted said:
Thanks Erlene. The program is meant to address some real problems, but as always, there is no penalties for the crap that is sent every holiday. I guarantee that on Saturday and Mother's day Just flowers will send a ton of orders for same day delivery starting about 2:00 in the afternoon. This creates a lot of work when you are extremely busy.

One thing, remember that this is not the new owners of FTD doing this. They haven't had time to do anything yet.
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Ted,

This program is meant to address some real problems, but not your problems and not mine.

The sole purpose of this program is to solve FTD's, more accurately FTD.COM's, problems. FTD can't continue to spend huge amounts of money acquiring customers to have stupid florists screwing up their orders.

If florists want to be fed, they are going to have to learn to obey.

RC
 
RC in Dayton and Cincinnati said:
Ted,

This program is meant to address some real problems, but not your problems and not mine.

The sole purpose of this program is to solve FTD's, more accurately FTD.COM's, problems. FTD can't continue to spend huge amounts of money acquiring customers to have stupid florists screwing up their orders.

If florists want to be fed, they are going to have to learn to obey.

RC
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Well Randy as larger senders we're gonna get some benefit by riding on their coattails.

You've never sent an order and a few days later got the message "Our printer wasn't working"? I'd guess that half of the failure to delivers we get are some lameass excuse like that.

I think this is a beautiful thing, and yes we fill incoming orders also (tho no dotcons only rarely) and if we get penalized well we deserved it. I'm fully willing to play this game from both ends.

Anyone that sends a single order a month can benefit from this - it is hardly and far from benefiting only OG's.

There were too many recent points that have been posted in the last couple pages to give my vested interest opinions on, some complete preposterous bs ( FTD doesn't care about quality? Every failure is the sender's fault? responsibilty yes, fault, no way) but one thing I notice is the ones screaming the loudest don't even seem to be members of FTD. So if it doesn't affect you why do you even care.

It's one small thing addressing competency and quality in the network at large, for the benefit of all members. Dotcom gets the most benefit? Duh, well I guess that's cuz they have the most orders, duh.

All the more reason to "get in the ring" and work harder to get those orders back from them.

Mikey - the bet as I accepted it was the first of you and me that gets penalized has to send the other one the same value as the fine - so, we'll see my fiend, I mean friend...

opinions vary

but here's to raising the quality of the industry at large - mine is that this is one small step for mankind or something like that. I hope not one more consumer ever gets burned on a flower order.

Now how about those danged mandatory decons? Drop shippers are killing us on that one.
 
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Bloomz,

I agree with everything you have said.


...HOWEVER, the facts are the industry can be divided into two groups, senders and fillers. I know there are some that fall in between, but mostly a florist is primarily either a sender or a filler. If FTD, You, or I ever really want a quality system, eventually the filling florist is going to need to be paid more than 50 cents on the dollar.

It's my opinion FTD is trying to solve much needed quality issues without taking the needed actions.


RC
 
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Big deal!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Just stay focused and keep your eyes on the ball and nothing bad will happen to you. :handball:
Wake up, stay awake and focused and you'll be all right.
Screw TF, FTD and 800 flowers, and all the OTHERS.:buttwiggl
Work for yourself and your florists friends you know or NEED to know.
Amen............Hollywood :jester

A friendly suggestion from a :newbie:newbie:newbie:newbie:newbie:newbie:newbie

PS: I don't really understand WHY some of you get your panties all twisted about that piece of crap news..........who cares.
 
Here's my two cents because this is all its worth

FTD is doing this for one of many reasons and I happen to be one of them. I purposely hold orders from OG's and Florist who OG with the intent purpose to have them lose a customer. Now, I firmly believe that flower buyers are flower buyers and they were LURED in by some gimmick of FREE DELIVERY or SAVE 20% ... blah blah blah.
I would hold the order for awhile then I send it to the WORST florist in my city. Now Jonathan and the rest of the OG's will say that this is giving the industry a black eye. Well they have given the industry a bloody nose.
FTD is doing this to
1) Take more orders from Teleflora by luring the OG's to send this way to build revenue, because unlike what Ryan states that $10 is more profitable than the rebate, but it isn't as profitable as the 20% plus the rebate. FTD is getting beaten up by florist switching teams, I for one.
2) They are doing it to give themselves more revenue. $10 will do a lot for .com's advertising budget.
3) They are doing it for the big sending shops to move order to them and hopefully gain more of their business. 5 hands in your pocket takes more than 1 hand.
4) They are doing this to " show they are for making the quality of the shops " improve industry wide.
5) They are doing this to get $1 for every REJ for those that want to send a message and don't think to forward.

What FTD can't defend, nor Jonathan,

1) Most of the small shops in sending towns don't even have a Mercury. You have to order by phone. What about that fine, if they turn down you order they are fined.
2) The Quality Assurance Program should handle this.

What I see will come out of this:

1) The small shops will SUS much earlier for the holidays now, If this was May 1st effective, My Merc. would be shut down tomorrow. I can send out Dove. Because the OG's don't know how to stop sending me their crap.
2) FTD will get back to smaller numbers, smaller than the BOB days, because hopefully the fees will out weigh the rewards of that incoming since hopefully the filling shops will be able to do the math.
3) Teleflora will do a wait and see about how many orders they will lose, but will at first do the right thing and get those filling shops to see how this will hurt them the most. Tell them sure you want those summer orders but " At what cost ? "
4) FTD will have the system tested by all of these orders being forwarded about every 2 minutes.
5) When a shop sees they are past the time limit, they will send out close as possible, and when you complain they'll say tough luck, they followed the rules. Now talk about a black eye for the industry.

Good luck to those that think this will be a good thing. I hope the $60 a month goes toward that ever shrinking outgoing total that is killing the bottom line. This isn't good for any industry, except that Outgoing wire industry that is the dying quicker than the record industry.

p.s. MAS shops should also be afraid because if you can't get it filled, where in the heck you gonna go? That is the pink elephant in the room that you should be worried about.
 
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RC in Dayton and Cincinnati my brother,
With all due respect from a :newbie forget the "filler" and the "sender" do us all a favor..............call us ARTISTS, and guess what ????suddently the pictures will get clearer and easier.
We all work very hard and a lot of "easier" is much appreciated.
As a I see a lot of you guys are very worried about your money. It is a big heavy ball you are carrying on your hankle.
Steven Spielberg told me a long time ago, "IF YOU DO A GOOD JOB, THE MONEY WILL COME". ( a little bit like) "If you build it they will come"
We worked for him an entire year and no one can deny his genius.
So friends, be artists in our beautiful craft and quit being accountants.
But still keep only one eyes open on the money, and the other eye and your mind on your craft and your beautiful creations, that is what will bring you that money you want so much.
PleaSEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE, listen to a:newbie
All my love as always, (could not do without it) Hollywood :jester
:soapbox::soapbox::soapbox::soapbox::soapbox:
 
FTD want's to have their cake and eat it too!

What ever happened to the KISS system??

FTD had a program in place (and I think still do) to suspend members that did not meet the FTD quality standards. It had it's problems when we were member owned (too much politics) but it should be able to work quite well without the politicians.

FTD doesn't want to suspend members now because members = $$$ so now they are bringing in a program that will allow them to keep these $$$ at the same time making dot.com and the other og's look good.

FTD should use the KISS system and suspend the florists that don't play by the rules 2 strikes or 3 strikes and you're out. Nevermind this complicated system of fining hard working florists for making an oops.

Mercury should also be updated so that we can list the og's and florists that we don't want to fill orders for..........but I don't think that will happen because they are scared that they will have no one left to fill their orders!
 
Jumping in late, not reading all the comments but I found it quite interesting that Mike sends out this important slimcast message the Monday before Mother's day. He really doesn't have a clue about the floral industry. Why not wait until AFTER Mother's day?
And, my question to him in response to his message. What do we florists get to charge FTD for all the faulty .com orders they send us? I'm not coded for any FTD product, have continually asked to be taken off the list of shops that receive .coms. Now my 'quality rating' is going to be based 'partly on my shops rejected order values'. If they'd stop sending me the stuff I've asked them to, I wouldn't have a 'rejected order value'. More after Mother's day...
 
The Great Compensation Divide

RC in Dayton and Cincinnati said:
Bloomz,

I agree with everything you have said.


...HOWEVER, the facts are the industry can be divided into two groups, senders and fillers. I know there are some that fall in between, but mostly a florist is primarily either a sender or a filler. If FTD, You, or I ever really want a quality system, eventually the filling florist is going to need to be paid more than 50 cents on the dollar.

It's my opinion FTD is trying to solve much needed quality issues without taking the needed actions.


RC
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You nailed it right there RC.....the "compensation divide" is the problem. If we / they could get that fixed we'd have something.

All the best,
 
bloomz said:
one thing I notice is the ones screaming the loudest don't even seem to be members of FTD. So if it doesn't affect you why do you even care.
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Guess I fit into that description...

1) Somebody needs to balance out all the 'this is so great' rhetoric with a little bit of math and some comments about how this could affect, and will be dealt with by small florists.

2) We were once a very proud member of FTD. My husband was their former national champion designer. The brand was once well-respected both from within the industry and by consumers. Membership was a 'win' for both fillers and senders. Though it's never gonna happen, returning to their original core values would make me want to rejoin, so I continue watching.

3) The monkey see, monkey do effect. If this flies at FTD. expect TF and 1-800 to follow suit.

There are SOOOOO many inequities in the current system, it's interesting to see that FTD has chosen to penalizing their real florist members - since NONE of the new rules negatively effect senders.

P.S. And...oh, yeah.... doesn't the title of the post say 'controversy invited'? :>
 
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bloomz

bloomz said:
There were too many recent points that have been posted in the last couple pages to give my vested interest opinions on, some complete preposterous bs ( FTD doesn't care about quality? Every failure is the sender's fault? responsibilty yes, fault, no way) but one thing I notice is the ones screaming the loudest don't even seem to be members of FTD. So if it doesn't affect you why do you even care.

opinions vary

but here's to raising the quality of the industry at large - mine is that this is one small step for mankind or something like that. I hope not one more consumer ever gets burned on a flower order.
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Bloomz, got a love ya. Just like all liberals, you only look at things from your vantage point. More regulations and more fees are a good thing. And like all Liberals you think this is the answer to raising the quality of the industry.

But if I get this right....FTD created this mess by raising dues and fees to the point that filling orders is very unprofitable for a "real florist". Then, FTD opens it's arms to every OG. Quality as you put it falls off because florists in the know are leaving, so punishing the remaining ones is your idea of a solution.

Now I am not FTD, but my hope is that they triple these proposed fees. Why stop at only $20.00, why not $50 or $100. Hit those filler florists hard. Make not filling a OG order a huge financial penalty. Those filling florists derserved to be punished. What I want to see FTD turn into a a giant group of OG's. No real florists. Think about it, you guys send your orders to each other, no one filling, getting your rebates, collecting your fees, and the only one getting screwed is the public.

God, it must be great to be FTD.
 
sfox said:

But if I get this right....FTD created this mess by raising dues and fees to the point that filling orders is very unprofitable for a "real florist".
...
What I want to see FTD turn into a a giant group of OG's. No real florists.
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Wow - Fox, you really do make it hard to be conservative, sometimes :)

Let's see ... I must have missed the part where Soenen put a gun to a florists head and said: "You must sign up. You must fill. Resistance is futile." Silly me, I thought it was real florists who were choosing to be unprofessional in how they handle their obligations.

You've been around longer than me, Fox, so you must remember the florists who swiped flowers from funeral homes and dumpsters. You must remember that skimming and curtailing ("cuz the sender won't see it!") go back much further than the sale of FTD. Snakes are snakes, and some florists are snakes - sending and filling.

Some florists are overwhelmed and feel forced into making bad decisions - but the responsibility is theirs. Why do we each start our own business? To take responsibility for our success, to call the shots. No way would I consider shorting a customer because I didn't like what a vendor was feeding me.

Very simply: FTD shops who sign up to get orders have a responsibility to deliver orders or reject (or respond with ??) them in a timely manner, or cancel your membership. Why pay dues just to botch orders??

BTW - I love how a flower shop that sends a lot of orders gets branded as "not a real florist" just because they have volume. What's your definition of a real florist, then?

Ryan
 
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Ryan

Infinite said:
Wow - Fox, you really do make it hard to be conservative, sometimes :)

Let's see ... I must have missed the part where Soenen put a gun to a florists head and said: "You must sign up. You must fill. Resistance is futile." Silly me, I thought it was real florists who were choosing to be unprofessional in how they handle their obligations.

You've been around longer than me, Fox, so you must remember the florists who swiped flowers from funeral homes and dumpsters. You must remember that skimming and curtailing ("cuz the sender won't see it!") go back much further than the sale of FTD. Snakes are snakes, and some florists are snakes - sending and filling.

Some florists are overwhelmed and feel forced into making bad decisions - but the responsibility is theirs. Why do we each start our own business? To take responsibility for our success, to call the shots. No way would I consider shorting a customer because I didn't like what a vendor was feeding me.

Very simply: FTD shops who sign up to get orders have a responsibility to deliver orders or reject (or respond with ??) them in a timely manner, or cancel your membership. Why pay dues just to botch orders??

BTW - I love how a flower shop that sends a lot of orders gets branded as "not a real florist" just because they have volume. What's your definition of a real florist, then?

Ryan
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Ryan, you are right to a degree. I read on some other thread about the falling number of FTD shops. From, the numbers I read, it seems that even with a gun to their head, FTD can't sign up florists.

And from the very beginning there has and will be good shops and bad shops. No amount of fines is going to make a bad shop change their ways. But fines will make a good shop go bad, once the financial burden gets to heavy.

And as to your statement "Very simply: FTD shops who sign up to get orders have a responsibility to deliver orders or reject (or respond with ??) them in a timely manner, or cancel your membership. Why pay dues just to botch orders??" The answer to that is that just like on the sending side of the wire business, their are good senders and there are those that try to game the system. Do mean to tell me that you just like some OG's who use dirty tricks like skimming, that there can't be fillers willing to play by those same rules.

And as to this statement........"
BTW - I love how a flower shop that sends a lot of orders gets branded as "not a real florist" just because they have volume. What's your definition of a real florist, then?"...... I never said that. Over the years I have followed the various boards, there have been many discussions about how florists that choose to be fillers are a drag on a wire service. To me, large senders are also a drag on any wire service. They usually look at themselves as special and because of the volume they bring, that they deserve some kind of special treatment...ie bigger rebates, sweet deals in other areas.

I have never been in the ranks of the large senders. Over the years, we have maintained a steady balance between sending and recieving. What I can see happening within FTD in the very near future, is that once all the small florist filler shops leave and the number of shops drops to that magic number Big Bob so proudly talked about, it will be that all you large volume senders who will have to fill orders. What that means is that the huge financial burden of filling will now rest solely on your shops. The only real winner that will be left within FTD is "Sending Only" internet companies. Look at bloomz. His sister runs the shop and he focuses on being an OG. He posted recently that he had Gaylon Pyle out to help with the financials of the shop. Doesn't that say something about how hard it is to make money running a real florist shop, even when it is paired up with a OG operation.



 
Infinite said:
Wow - Fox, you really do make it hard to be conservative, sometimes :)

Let's see ... I must have missed the part where Soenen put a gun to a florists head and said: "You must sign up. You must fill. Resistance is futile." Silly me, I thought it was real florists who were choosing to be unprofessional in how they handle their obligations.

You've been around longer than me, Fox, so you must remember the florists who swiped flowers from funeral homes and dumpsters. You must remember that skimming and curtailing ("cuz the sender won't see it!") go back much further than the sale of FTD. Snakes are snakes, and some florists are snakes - sending and filling.

Some florists are overwhelmed and feel forced into making bad decisions - but the responsibility is theirs. Why do we each start our own business? To take responsibility for our success, to call the shots. No way would I consider shorting a customer because I didn't like what a vendor was feeding me.

Very simply: FTD shops who sign up to get orders have a responsibility to deliver orders or reject (or respond with ??) them in a timely manner, or cancel your membership. Why pay dues just to botch orders??

BTW - I love how a flower shop that sends a lot of orders gets branded as "not a real florist" just because they have volume. What's your definition of a real florist, then?

Ryan
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Dude I'm laughing so HARD right now, this looks like a post I would have made 10 years ago back on the FTD board. @@@@ shame you painted yourself into a corner and only have one choice for a team.

Don't worry, I'm Teleflora now because of a better deal, but still have FTD hanging on becuase I have choice, but costs me in the long run.

Everyone has their price.
 
HERO said:
Dude I'm laughing so HARD right now, this looks like a post I would have made 10 years ago back on the FTD board. @@@@ shame you painted yourself into a corner and only have one choice for a team.

Don't worry, I'm Teleflora now because of a better deal, but still have FTD hanging on becuase I have choice, but costs me in the long run.

Everyone has their price.
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Too funny ... I'm not sure what you mean about only having one team?

I have no problem critiquing FTD or any other service, just look at the FTD Sold thread :) Actually, my company sells websites to shops who want to be WS free - the only team is the Home Team, so to speak.

You're TF now? Does that mean you've switched flavours of Kool-Aid?

Ryan
 
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