Another "new" Proud FTD Order Gatherer

[steve]

Just received this months issue of Florist review and don't you know there is a full page ad in the magazine featuring flowersbyjerry and talking about their co branding with FTD and your right there is no Jerry involved but rather Kerry and Kevin Patton!

 

[Allie444]

I have been thinking all day about whether or not to post this.
As I mentioned above I consider my SEO brilliant competitors to be smart business people and they impress me every day. No one on these boards or probably anywhere in the country has a trio of such brilliant marketers within 10 miles of their shop.

But - I can't help but ask what is the difference between what Jerrys is doing and what Avante Gardens is doing. I am not trying to throw CHR under the bus in any way. She is a brilliant florist, marketer and huge supporter of our industry...my point is just that many florists gather orders in some way or another.
That is our job to gather orders in order to sell flowers.

By the way none of these florists are in Fullerton...

 

[BOSS]

But - I can't help but ask what is the difference between what Jerrys is doing and what Avante Gardens is doing.

As far as I know and see it, after mapping the locations, I assume (bad on me if I'm wrong) that Cathy and Eric deliver directly to Fullerton themselves? I'm going by the mileage as my delivery area is more than 25 miles in a couple directions, and Eric is only 14 miles away, and Cathy is even closer. (correct me if I'm incorrect)

Flowers by Jerry, collects orders and wires them out from all over the country to all over the country.

 

[Allie444]

Good point Boss. But in an earlier post you stated that "serving" a certain city implies being in that city and that that wasn't OK. My response was to point out that we all do it.

I am simply stating that we are all in the business of gathering orders. Some people just take it a little further than others. And yes I do agree that there is a difference between trying to get business in a city you actually deliver to and one you have to wire out to. But at what point is it wrong for actually appearing to be in a city that you are not.

I just wonder if some magic SEO genius showed up on many of our doorsteps and said I am going to give you a website that will generate 100's of orders a month for you and make oodles of money for us and it is free. How Many of us would say "Na I'll just sit here happily barely surviving with my 30 website orders a month. But thanks anyway.''???

Actually the only florist I know who I think might really turn an offer like this down is Cathy at Avante Gardens!



Another thing. While I agree FTD is happily letting Jerry's advertise for them it seems to me this is a lose/lose situation...

-Jerry's loses their own identity and makes people think FTD instead of Jerry's - This is just about the stupidest move I have ever seen a florist make!!!!

-Ftd get's more order gathering competition from Jerry's. I am sure they would rather collect $14.95 and drop ship their own merchandise much more than they would like to get Jerry's measly 7%.

 

[steve]

My feelings are when you run a paid ad in a town that gives the impression you actual deliver there or are located there thats when you become a deceptive order gatherer. and yes we are all ordergatherer's within our deliverable markets and clearly we all want as many orders within that market as possible. Now if a customer from CA was looking to send soemthing here in Vermont and found me as a local florist and I fulfilled their order. In the future I would market to that customer via email since they had already chosen to do business with me.

 

[keith]

My definition of "serving" means that you actually deliver to that city. In your vans with your drivers. If you normally wire out to any city then you should be clear that you are able to contact a local florist in that city to have them deliver. I personally detest the word "serving", it ranks up there with "In lieu of" as i much prefer the words "Personally Deliver to"

 

[anytimeflowers]

I just wonder if some magic SEO genius showed up on many of our doorsteps and said I am going to give you a website that will generate 100's of orders a month for you and make oodles of money for us and it is free. How Many of us would say "Na I'll just sit here happily barely surviving with my 30 website orders a month. But thanks anyway.''???

Actually the only florist I know who I think might really turn an offer like this down is Cathy at Avante Gardens!

Cathy is no fool ~ if there was no hint of deception she would probably go for it, I know I would.

Allie, the difference is that these florists deliver from their shop to those cities. I deliver to over 130 communities, why would I not let my customers know that?

 

[BOSS]

Perhaps I used the word "serving" too loosely... to me it implies that a shop delivers there themselves as others have stated. I should have been more clear.

 

[augustblooms]

Oh, man, I was so-o-o wrong! I cannot believe he is doing this!!! My opinion of Kevin has changed from valued to sleasy! Won't ever do business with him again!

 

[Allie444]

Oh come on Augustblooms that's a little dramatic...

Is Jerry sleazy or just stupid? Who in their right mind would put their competitors logo on their van bigger than their own. Just beyond dumb in my opinion...

So Boss if a customer asks you if you can get flowers to Chicago are you gonna tell him no. No you will tell him yes because you serve Chicago. Right?

And lastly why don't we all take some advice from Artbenevas 1800 F post from earlier and start emulating some of the smart business moves of the big guys instead of just bagging on them.

 

[anytimeflowers]

So Boss if a customer asks you if you can get flowers to Chicago are you gonna tell him no. No you will tell him yes because you serve Chicago. Right?

I can speak for Boss and myself. We say no, we look up a couple of florists on line, and let the customer make their own purchase. Neither of us delivers there ourselves.

 

[prestonway]

I can speak for Boss and myself. We say no, we look up a couple of florists on line, and let the customer make their own purchase. Neither of us delivers there ourselves.

Just wondering...since the "service" you are providing consists of referring your customers to a florist on line...

Would your customer now be inclined to go online when purchasing for delivery in YOUR OWN town?

 

[Allie444]

Linda that is very, very nice of both you and Boss but is it smart business? My cousin called me to send flowers to his wife 30 miles away last week and I told him to call a florist in his town and gave him the name of someone I knew. He said he was on the road and just wanted me to do it and bill his credit card which is on file. For every person who would appreciate that type of service there is another person who just wants to make their flower ordering easier.

We have to make things easy for our customers because that is what FTD/1800 does!

 

[steve]

Allie August is not be dramatic if he is running deceptive ads in her market fact is that would make him sleezy. and to take that one step farther several states have passed laws against this and many more have them in the works so its more then florist viewing this as a big issue

 

[BOSS]

So Boss if a customer asks you if you can get flowers to Chicago are you gonna tell him no. No you will tell him yes because you serve Chicago. Right?

WRONG.... I do not do wire's in or OUT,<period!!

I do have the "Golden List" of florists you have probably heard Bloomz and others talk about elsewhere on the web, it's an electronic directory of EVERY florist in North America, with stats and such accumulated over decades of wire business. I send my customers directly to the filling florist I feel will best handle their needs in the recipient city.

It would be hypocritical of me to do otherwise, considering my stance on wire business.

If you checked out my website at all, you would know that. Here's the link explaining... WHY WE SUGGEST THIS

 

[anytimeflowers]

Just wondering...since the "service" you are providing consists of referring your customers to a florist on line...

Would your customer now be inclined to go online when purchasing for delivery in YOUR OWN town?

No.

I give the phone number out. Many of these people stand right in my shop and make the call so that I can assist if they feel unsure about a question the other florist is asking. These people are usually over 50 years in age, I can honestly say that I have not had someone under 40 come in wanting flowers sent out through me for at least two or three years. Those under 30 in age probably don't even consider flowers by wire.

 

[Allie444]

Seriously BOss and Linda what you are doing is very nice, it is very ethical.....But what is the purpose? Wiring out flowers is a service that we provide.
Yes you are taking a moral stance and I totally respect that but at the end of the day are you doing your business more harm than good?
And I stand by the fact that some people would rather just have you wire out the flowers than have you give them a phone number along with an education about the woes of the local florist.

 

[Rhonda]

Allie, sometimes our customers who want to send out of town have no idea what other shops charge. I will send it out for them, a designer's choice, or will also give out phone numbers. I usually research while they are there.. many prefer that I call it out and fine, I do and charge a service charge. Some do wish to speak directly to the florist to see what they will get for their money, let's face it, the WS templates and prices MOST shops use, are not actual representations of what they can do in their shops and lots of time for less money. My demographics here is over 65, retired, or living on a very limited income (over 15% unemployed as of last week). When I read in the directory or go online and find a minimum of $45.00 + $12.95 delivery charge and my customer just wants a small vase as a "remembrance or thinking of you" for a hospital or home, they don't want to spend that kind of money. I know of one shop that had (many years ago) a codification of $25.00 minimum arrangement + delivery and that $25 was a bud vase with 3 carnations, some baby's breath and greens/small bow. A budvase and an arrangement are not the same thing and nor were they many years ago. My customers are very frugal and if I tell them it's going to be $70 + to send to Florida?, they'll send something else not flowers.... so I will give them the chance to talk to the florist and see what they can do for them because if it comes in as a "wire service order" you can dang well bet, the price will be inflated... IMHO...

 

[BOSS]

Allie, you answered your own question... for me, it IS about ethics and morals. That said, I do not think that people who continue to wire out orders are unethical for the most part, there are some bad apples in the barrel and those are the ones I am trying to do something about. My customers understand my reasoning very well, I began educating them a full year before I quit. And trust me, the trend is consumer to florist direct, consumers get smarter every day, and with each passing month, more and more will go direct and eventually in 10-20 years there will be no wire business.

Likewise, I have said before, the wire side of my business accounted for less than 7% of my total sales, and 90% of my headaches... I don;t like headaches.

Also, my NET is improved with the removal of the wire side. I just finished my fiscal year, with a NET profit of 9.8% after my salary, best I've done in more than a decade even in this economy, and my first year of no wires (10 months of it)...yes, I have made other changes too.

 

[Clarabella]

Seriously BOss and Linda what you are doing is very nice, it is very ethical.....But what is the purpose? Wiring out flowers is a service that we provide.
Yes you are taking a moral stance and I totally respect that but at the end of the day are you doing your business more harm than good?
And I stand by the fact that some people would rather just have you wire out the flowers than have you give them a phone number along with an education about the woes of the local florist.


Boss and Linda (and many others) are doing the absolute BEST thing for their long term business! Yes, they may lose the short term profit (20%) but they are gaining long term LOYAL customers which is worth MUCH more. They arent telling the customer "I cant help you", theyare educating the customer, teaching them how to best achieve their desired results and assisting them in the process. When you show a customer how to save money, get better product, and surpass their expectations the end result will almost always be a very loyal customer for life.

The education you give your customers should NEVER be about the "woes of the local florist", it should be about the way the customer can get the best quality product at the best price. It should be about how if they "have the florist do it for them" 40% of their money paid will go to administrative and wire service fees instead of the flowers they think they are purchasing. The education is about what is in the best interest of the customer.

They also aren't advocating giving the customer a phone number and sending them packing. They are advocating providing a valuable service to the customer and helping them through the process from start to finish. They are investing their time in this process in order to gain the customers loyalty. Consider it an advertising/marketing cost. Many shops will also charge a small fee to help place the order direct (4.95 etc) which is also legit as long as you are up front with your customer and give them them choice, because you are correct there are a few customers that will pay extra to have you do it for them. The biggest difference is whether you want the customer to leave thinking "they did a nice job and were reasonably priced" or "they did a great job, really went out of their way to make sure I got a great value, and they did it with no personal gain--they treated me like I was family--and I trust they will do what is best for me". Personally I can't think of another advertising/marketing method that is likely to give you a loyal customer and cost you 15 minutes of your time.

Respect and trust are one of the hardest things a business can earn from its customers and one of the easiest things to lose. It is also something that will differentiate you from the competition. I would recommend following their lead....they are both spot on in regards to this topic!