Another instance of customer thinking "They" are the Mother Ship

[bloomz]

I just returned a call thru FAH someone wanting flowers for Monday by 10 - she said "oh sorry since we couldn't reach you directly we called a 1-800 number - I think it was called florist.com and they took the order for us, because they said they could promise same day delivery".

I said "they'll just send it back to one of us here in town" and she said she didn't understand it worked that way.

Are comsumers dumb enough to think 800TFTD delivers everything themselves thru some act of magic or teleportation???


I guess so. :dunno:


I think I am gonna call FAH and tell them they owe me that order by not just taking it for us.

But they may weasel out of it - she may have had questions they couldn't answer. I know they don't want to overpromise, but it's a fine line between yes we can and maybe not.

And it falls down to *them* getting the order instead of us.


This is not the first time I've told a customer something like "yes it's too late for delivery in New York City today (5PM)"

and had them say "Ok well I'll just call ftd or 800flowers then"

 

[CHERYL BAKIN]

Jon:
Just had the exact same thing happen today.

Customer called, desparate for an order to his girl friend...before 3 pm today. I was in the middle of a bunch of symp work...and couldn't drop everything I was doing & get it there in the next 90 minutes. (I was headed in the opposit direction by miles with family work.

Not 10 minutes later, from you flowers called with the exact same order. Called 3 times. Finally was willing to give me an extra $5.00 to get it there. Answer was still NO, because I was, by that time at least 1 hour from her location.

No, Customers do not have a clue.........The magic fairy (you know, the one with the wand) makes this stuff....and wisks it miles away to its destination!

Cheryl

 

[RC in Dayton and Cincinnati]

Sorry,

But, I think this is a symptom of your flowers are no different than theirs syndrome. If you can't do it someone else probably can.

Now, if your customers aren't willing to accept anything but you this won't ever be an issue.

 

[CHR]

I wonder what percentage of business goes to OGs who accept orders knowing the likelihood of getting them delivered as shown on time is slim or none?

By accepting those orders, they have effectively stopped the consumer from searching for a company who actually could get it done (like a local shop) and removed the dollars from the table.

Take the order, apologize later?

 

[terri]

This is where a mass effort to educate the consumer comes in......Got milk?

 

[RC in Dayton and Cincinnati]

Cathy,

If you're an OG with an endless pool of potential random customers you can afford to do business this way, but if you're a local florist with a limited pool of potential customers you can't.

This is why OGs have the edge in attracting random customers. They can afford to over promise and under deliver; we can't. This is also why florists need to spend more effort in attracting fans for customers instead of relying on random customers to sustain their businesses.

 

[LJVF]

Take the order, apologize later?

Not sure about the other OG's, but I have reason to believe that FU Flowers makes a habit of this practice. I used to get several orders a month from them with a request to add an apology card for the arrangement being delivered late. (Of course I never filled these orders).

 

[BOSS]

Sorry,

But, I think this is a symptom of your flowers are no different than theirs syndrome. If you can't do it someone else probably can.

Now, if your customers aren't willing to accept anything but you this won't ever be an issue.

Cookie Cutters abound...they see it on your site, and on the mother ship site and ass-u-me you be them... oh..that logo enforces the idea... confirming you're them...

Not sure about the other OG's, but I have reason to believe that FU Flowers makes a habit of this practice. I used to get several orders a month from them with a request to add an apology card for the arrangement being delivered late. (Of course I never filled these orders).

This must be an increasing thing? I too have had several requests the last 2 months, on orders we did not originally have, even rejected ones... 1 we did have, from FU was rejected 3 times before they stopped sending it to me...

 

[AMB]

I wonder what percentage of business goes to OGs who accept orders knowing the likelihood of getting them delivered as shown on time is slim or none?

By accepting those orders, they have effectively stopped the consumer from searching for a company who actually could get it done (like a local shop) and removed the dollars from the table.

Take the order, apologize later?

This is exactly the behavior that is turning alot of people "off" of floral gifts. The customers don't realize that the OG route they've chosen is the true problem, they just know that their order wasn't delivered as promised and they'll think twice before ordering flowers again - from anyone.

 

[makescents]

I wonder what percentage of business goes to OGs who accept orders knowing the likelihood of getting them delivered as shown on time is slim or none?

By accepting those orders, they have effectively stopped the consumer from searching for a company who actually could get it done (like a local shop) and removed the dollars from the table.

Take the order, apologize later?

You hit the nail on the head.. they lie - and misrepresent the situation to get the money.. and take the money from us!

I would NEVER ever do this to a customer - It's just WRONG!

 

[inferno63]

Here's what I don't get....we say that the OG and the WS hurt the industry as a whole and that people won't order flowers from anyone including a real b+m florist....but why is that true, if it even is? When I have a bad meal, I still go to other restaurants. If I get bad service from a dry cleaner, I still go to dry cleaners.

When a real florist refuses an order from an OG and that OG can't deliver as promised, AND if the customer truly doesn't understand how it works, don't they throw the egg at the OG or WS? To say they believe that FU Flowers rides a magic carpet and does their own delivers AND also say that they won't buy flowers from a real B+M because of it doesn't make sense to me.

Refuse the OG orders, fire the WS and let them take the eggs! AND THEN we get our business back, don't we?

 

[SpringCity]

Yes but there are real florists making money from this system and while they may know it's a problem, it's not a problem for THEM or so they think, so they don't want to disrupt the system that is putting dollars in their pocket. Paying your bills trumps higher ideals. Understandable. Plus many of them have always done it this way (being a ws member)

Though, Susan, I agree that you are 100% right and that we florists actually do have the power to cut off the life of OG's if we all agreed. There's the problem. And talking about trying to do any collective effort is like trying to herd cats.

The only hope is that newer florists are getting clued in and it might take a generation or so for the old model to die.

 

[BOSS]

And talking about trying to do any collective effort is like trying to herd cats.

The only hope is that newer florists are getting clued in and it might take a generation or so for the old model to die.

I've given up trying to herd them.... tis more prudent to work on your second scenario, and I think you're right, they will become less and less of an issue with changing ownership....

But, I'm not patient like I said, so I'll keep complaining....:rofl:

 

[Mikey the Flower Guy]

AGAIN...the wire services are responsible for this mess!!

 

[Chezbloom]

I wonder what percentage of business goes to OGs who accept orders knowing the likelihood of getting them delivered as shown on time is slim or none?

By accepting those orders, they have effectively stopped the consumer from searching for a company who actually could get it done (like a local shop) and removed the dollars from the table.

Take the order, apologize later?

No, I don't think they apologize at all. They take the order and when it does not get delivered they will put the blame squarely on the local florist for not getting it there. Or just ignore the customer and perhaps give a partial refund someday.

 

[bloomz]

AGAIN...the wire services are responsible for this mess!!

Naw, stupidity of florists if you really dig to the bottom of it all.

Without complicity, they could never have done it.

They just took advantage of their army of willing participants.

 

[theRKF]

Here's what I don't get....we say that the OG and the WS hurt the industry as a whole and that people won't order flowers from anyone including a real b+m florist....but why is that true, if it even is? When I have a bad meal, I still go to other restaurants. If I get bad service from a dry cleaner, I still go to dry cleaners.

Right - but if you have bad Thai food 2-3 times, do you maybe decide to try a steakhouse next time? People will continue sending gifts - but if the floral segment is buggered up, they will switch to a different flavour of gift.

Dry cleaner example doesn't apply - that's a nearly essential service, not entertainment or gift giving.

Ryan

 

[Rhonda]

hmm, haven't found a Thai, Indian, or Steakhouse that I don't like (yet)
*although there have been a few suspect "Chinese" restaurants I wouldn't return to*

 

[inferno63]

Right - but if you have bad Thai food 2-3 times, do you maybe decide to try a steakhouse next time? People will continue sending gifts - but if the floral segment is buggered up, they will switch to a different flavour of gift.

Dry cleaner example doesn't apply - that's a nearly essential service, not entertainment or gift giving.

Ryan

Good points Ryan, However from the complaints that I see on Twitter and Facebook about the OG and WS, customers are placing the blame squarely on the shoulders of the front-line offender. I think that WE may assume that their gripe is with the industry as a whole but I have yet to see any complaint, statistic, survey, focus group, or any other proof that this is the case. I do see company specific complaints and if the consumer does not realize the process includes the local florist, as some imply is the case, then they don't know to blame the local florist.

I am afraid that you are right more so than trying to prove you wrong. Because if they blemish the whole industry to the extent that you and others believe then they are still in my back yard even though I fired them. I continue to educate the consumer with the truth and have confidence that Joe Consumer is intelligent enough to see the difference. They cannot effectively pass judgement without the facts. Let's give them the facts. That will be our salvation.

 

[Dollar Tree - Mark Anderson]

First I want to say that you are great customers of mine and I really appreciate your business. Second I really enjoy reading through the different postings because I get a great education on your business and challenges.

Lately I seem to be reading a lot of postings about the order takers and how the Independent Florist need to team up to win back some of that market share. (More or Less) I came across this posting and had to add my own comments that I hope will make everyone think.

I am a consumer not a florist. Who, until my job required me to learn more about your industry had no idea about the differences of the 800 number and the local florist. So does that make me “dumb”?? (By the way I only buy from my local florist now!) I read through some of these postings and here is what I found.

“Are comsumers dumb enough to think 800TFTD delivers everything themselves thru some act of magic or teleportation??? I think so” (Now I am sure I have misspellings in my posting but I did have to laugh that “consumers” was misspelled, since we were using the word "dumb".) Not saying you are dumb, just pointing out something funny :0)

“No, Customers do not have a clue.........The magic fairy (you know, the one with the wand) makes this stuff....and wisks it miles away to its destination!”

My question and something to think about, is it my job as a consumer to take time to be educated on how your “business works” As a consumer I just want nice flowers and get what I paid for. At the end of the day if the person that received the flowers smiled and enjoyed the gift then mission accomplished. Why do I need to worry about the inner workings on how the flowers got to its destination? When you get on a plane you assume that everything is in order and you will have a pleasant and safe flight. Are you dumb because you don’t know everything that goes into how the plane was made, who made the plane, how the plane got shipped to the airport??? Your “business” has created the monster not the consumer. They (we) still have the same needs before all of the 800 numbers. Why get frustrated with the customer?

PS I love you guys so don’t get mad at me )