Are you planning to go WIRE $ERVICE FREE?

[TOTO]

I love POLLS!

And so, I figured that, it's time for some WS POLL fun.

Just choose the number which best describes your current relationship with your wire service partner/s.

You can choose one or more in the poll questions which best describes your situation.

This poll is ANONOMOUS unless you choose to POST in addition to your vote

 

[TOTO]

Time to take the WS POLL!

UMMMMM! How'd I know this one would be a tough one? D-A-M-N-E-D if ya DOO and D-A-M-N-E-D if ya DON'T!

Remember,

THIS POLL IS ANONOMOUS

And so, it's just YOU and the FC LAMP POST!

The real point of the POLL is to let all of them know, they are skating on REAL THIN ICE with their SO CALLED PARTNERS, who they seem to have forgotten about.

It's no secret they all read this board, and it's no secret THEY ALL SHIP FARM DIRECT, or at the very least, sleep with the companies that doo.

Since they've chosen to eliminate THEIR PARTNERS from the FLORAL ORDER EQUATION, it would only seem right that, THEIR PARTNERS start to return the favor.

 

[prestonway]

The real point of the POLL is to let all of them know, they are skating on REAL THIN ICE with their SO CALLED PARTNERS, who they seem to have forgotten about.

And here I thought the real point of a poll was to gather information.

Because this poll is designed with an agenda in mind, it is not all-inclusive, even though a number of possible options are provided.

How about two services or one service, and not planning to change?

Me thinks it needs one more option, TOTO...


...We are not planning on changing...YET

...which would apply to most florists adopting a wait & see attitude.

...just my thots...

 

[Bigted]

We have two - one will be evaluated closely but we will probably keep both.

 

[TOTO]

This is what POLLS are for!

And here I thought the real poll of a poll was to gather information.

Because this poll is designed with an agenda in mind, it is not all-inclusive, even though a number of possible options are provided.

How about two services or one service, and not planning to change?

Me thinks it needs one more option, TOTO...


...We are not planning on changing...YET

...which would apply to most florists adopting a wait & see attitude.

...just my thots...

All POLLS are slanted and always depends on who's taking them and what answers they are looking for.

In this case, and in addition to gathering information, the goal is three fold:

1. To be able to view what folks are doo-ing or, have already done.

2. To be able to let other folks know that, IT'S OK TO JUMP SHIP, especially when it's overcome by RATS.

3. To let the RATS know that, their SHIP'S passengers are not a CAPTIVE AUDIENCE!​

As to maintaining a WAIT and SEE Attitude, just how bad would any one of them have to become and before any florist threw them overboard?

I really thought FARM DIRECT SHIPPING would've put them over the top?

In fact, and since all of them are in a FARM DIRECT RAGING PRICE WAR NOW, with each one trying to convince DA PUBLIC that, THEY ARE THE CHEAPEST, my only question is: HOW LOW CAN THEY GO and HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE for all of them to hit the ABSOLUTE BOTTOM?

As my Dear REAL FLORIST FRIEND, OZ in NYC, always says:

"WHEN THE WHALES FIGHT, the SHRIMP GET KILLED!"

Only problem after that is, IF THEY KILL ALL THE KRILL, they WILL DIE OF STARVATION TOO!

Best case scenario for THE REAL FLORISTS is, to cut off their passive streams of revenues which they continue to send to THE WHALES and try to STARVE THEM OUT OF OUR BODIES OF WATER FIRST!

 

[lori042499]

I also cannot answer as the have 2 and not going to change is not there....

 

[NavyBrat]

One and still keeping em'...for the moment! Waiting for a miracle to occur.
One and keepin' em' not on the poll.

 

[Michelle McMichael]

One and still keeping em'...for the moment! Waiting for a miracle to occur.
One and keepin' em' not on the poll.

Ditto... not on the poll.

 

[bloomz]

My answer wasn't on the poll either so I voted that I love them all just to be my usual smartazz self.

 

[Joe Mioux]

I can't answer your poll because my choice isn't listed. Sorry.

joe

 

[virginia_Bob]

We have one and they are going. We haven't used them to send for 6 months as a trial and have been doing just fine going florist direct with a credit card. The only problem is overseas orders and since we only do 2 maybe 4 of those per year it isn't really an issue for us.

 

[RWK]

Other than orders to Canada, Teleflora has never really pushed, advertised, or truly developed a vehicle for overseas orders. In that singular respect, FTD has the slight advantage.

However, In light of all the other things that FTD is guilty of, coupled with the fact that for the most part, English is taught and understood by most of the developed world, renders that aspect almost nill.

If your shop is located near an area, such as a military base, or a major metropolitan area that routinely has a continual influx of foreigners, then it stands to reason that your international orders will be more than a rurally located shop.

Is that reason enough for a shop to keep FTD? For my own opinion, No. You all may think differently.

As far as the poll goes, It is my opinion that with the ease of the internet, the proliferation of credit cards, both person and corporate, and belonging to such forums such as Flowerchat, AIFD, or other floral organizations, that we as florists can still render the service of sending orders for our clients without the need for a wire service membership and through talking with the florist on the other end via the telephone, I think for the most part, still be assured of reasonably good service and appropriate, quality design.

However, this reflects just my one man's singular viewpoint.

 

[Jerry]

I for one am pleasantly surprised at the numbers.

Now the next step is to get everyone off this 80-20%(I deserve it) split thinking and we've got quite a movement. Mo money to the recievers, maybe they can thrive rather then survive.

I've given up on trying to educate my once or twice a year sending(just bill me) customers. Now, I give them the numbers of the florists or take them to locateaflowershop.com and they use their c/c. I was just making more paper work for myself, with no return, I was still enabling them.

 

[ivygreen]

A little off topic, but Jerry mentions the 80/20 split, and I wonder about it how many feel entitled to it. I had a shop call yesterday and he was polite until I said I prefer not to do the 80/20 split, then he hung up on me. Can we do a poll about the 80/20 and see how everyone feels about it?

 

[Seasonals]

None of the above!

 

[twiggy]

I started without any WS (6 months ago) and am so glad I did! I send with the credit card, and am doing just fine. I don't ask for a 80/20 split, I'm just happy to get my order out.

 

[Rhonda]

A little off topic, but Jerry mentions the 80/20 split, and I wonder about it how many feel entitled to it. I had a shop call yesterday and he was polite until I said I prefer not to do the 80/20 split, then he hung up on me. Can we do a poll about the 80/20 and see how everyone feels about it?

I believe that it has been discussed before.
I do not ask for a split, I have charged my customer a service charge to relay the order for them. I give the filling florist 100%.
If I get an order in and they want to put it on a credit card, I ask if they charged their customer a service charge, if they have, I do not give the 20%

 

[TOTO]

IFA can handle Overseas Orders!

We have one and they are going. We haven't used them to send for 6 months as a trial and have been doing just fine going florist direct with a credit card. The only problem is overseas orders and since we only do 2 maybe 4 of those per year it isn't really an issue for us.

Just so you know Bob, IFA can handle your Overseas and out of the USA orders. We just send that type of order to their 99 code, and they do all the rest.

For only $20 per month (and only when you send) it's a great deal.

www.myifa.org

 

[virginia_Bob]

ToTo,
Thanks I really hadn't thought about that with IFA. I have looked into them in the past and might again but to be honest. At this point I am leaning toward no WS at all. This might not work for everyone. Though I suspect If they really look at the numbers and cost associated with most (no IFA because of the very reasonable $20.00 per month only if you use them) WS most would realize that it is actually more cost efficient to call their Wire outs. Unless you are sending a ton of orders (probably over 200) per month I can't imagine justifying the WS. But that is a business decision that we all have to make on a case by case basis to meet the needs of our individual businesses.

Thanks,
Bob

 

[TOTO]

The sending Florist earns their commission.

A little off topic, but Jerry mentions the 80/20 split, and I wonder about it how many feel entitled to it. I had a shop call yesterday and he was polite until I said I prefer not to do the 80/20 split, then he hung up on me. Can we do a poll about the 80/20 and see how everyone feels about it?

While every REAL FLORIST covets the consumers 100% SALE, and rightly so, every sending florist has earned the right to their 20% sending commission, since it was they who created the sale.

As SFOX posted some time ago, and a point which I totally agree, it is the SENDING FLORIST who has spent their money on ADVERTISING along with the many years of cultivating their own customer base by providing them with TOP QUALITY PRODUCT coupled with IMPECCABLE PERSONALIZED $ERVICE which helped to create the sale to begin with.

Since that florist has developed the TRUST FACTOR with their clients, their clients look to that florist to effect the desired results of either MEETING or EXCEEDING their personal expectations, for both the LOCAL as well as the OUT-OF-TOWN orders.

Add to that, the ORDER AQUISITION COSTS born by the SENDING FLORIST, and NOT THE RECEIVING FILLER FLORIST, and it's still a great deal.

On the flip side, and what I find AMAZING, is when we send our orders out to some florists at the usual 80%/20% ratio, and a small minority of them say NO THANKS!

Funny thing is that, those same florists have been more than willing to DISCOUNT their WS incoming by the same 20% SENDING FLORIST commission, the 7% CLEARING HOUSE fee, and the average 2% FTO (reverse the order's transmission charges) for a total discount of LESS (-29%). Go figure? How could it be that, 71% NET TO FILLER is a better deal than 80% NET TO FILLER and with my money in your bank account in 48 HOURS?

Then, add to that another average 10% in the form of WS dues and fees and the filller florist's incoming order aquistition costs come to (-39%) and they're filling each incoming at NET 61% and AT A LOSS! Only, they never SEE THAT because they don't reconcile their WS statements to the full extent.

OOPS! Almost forgot that, on the majority of those orders, especially from the DOT.CONS, OGs, and SKIMMERS, they add NOTHING EXTRA to help cover the delivering florist's COST OF DELIVERY.

In our case, we add in an EXTRA $10 GROSS to each of our orders which NETS the delivering florist a REAL $8.00, a realistic delivery fee in 2008.