B Brooks

Status
Not open for further replies.
Lucy's Garden

Lucy's Garden

New Member
Apr 7, 2008
83
47
0
Boulder, Colorado
www.boulderblooms.com
State / Prov
Colorado
Does anyone here use B Brooks? We currently do not use any wire services (and like it that way!) but have heard some good things about b brooks, and are thinking of submitting a request to join.

How many orders do you receive per week, on average? What's the average price of those orders? Any hidden fees or charges to be aware of?

Would love any feedback! Thanks!
 
If ou do a search for bbrooks or b brooks you'll find a lot of discussion about it
 
We have been members for 3 years and I LOVE THEM. As more of a Studio Shop, Teleflora was draining every penny I had. B Brooks offers the same convenience. with No Headache. As Far As incoming orders, I get anywhere between 10-20 a MONTH. averaging $75.00. No Hidden fees and they even have the capacity to hook up e commerce to your web site. After Teleflora I was simply looking for a way to send out of state. Anyhting I get INCOMING Is a Bonus as far as I am Concerned....and the best Fringe Benefit is that it has given me new Higher end Clients in My Area because the order is usually coming from the higher end on the other end. I hope this makes sense
 
After your original post, I sent a PM to the person that is on flowerchat and, so far, I haven't heard anything back.
 
Thanks for all of the input, everyone. Very helpful. I think we are going to go for it. We are also a studio rather than a storefront, but we've been getting more and more requests- mostly from regular and corporate clients- wanting to send out of state.
We'll probably get back to them about it next week... once all of the 8-8-08 wedding chaos calms down!
 
seanco said:
We have been members for 3 years and I LOVE THEM. As more of a Studio Shop, Teleflora was draining every penny I had. B Brooks offers the same convenience. with No Headache. As Far As incoming orders, I get anywhere between 10-20 a MONTH. averaging $75.00. No Hidden fees and they even have the capacity to hook up e commerce to your web site. After Teleflora I was simply looking for a way to send out of state. Anyhting I get INCOMING Is a Bonus as far as I am Concerned....and the best Fringe Benefit is that it has given me new Higher end Clients in My Area because the order is usually coming from the higher end on the other end. I hope this makes sense
Click to expand...

Hmm, that's funny. When we (I) applied, I was told orders range in the $100 - $150 range, with "most" designs featuring very high-end flowers. I was sent sample photos of "their typical designs" and I had them priced at $150 - 250 each. Van Dyke Tulips, White hybrid lilies, yada, yada, yada...

I see a $75 as a $65 order plus delivery. Certainly not $100. Not exactly "high end" in the Philly area.

To say the least, my 100 year old flower shop was "not the right fit" for B.Brooks.

Never even gave us the chance. I guess they don't want store fronts, only studios.

- H.

(sorry if this has a tone of resentment, but let's just say they rubbed me the wrong way. No, no sour grapes here, just talking themselves up to make it sound they are "above" most florists irritated me...)
 
  • Like
Reactions: 2 people
I find it a bit interesting - my take on this is they are a "highbrow" order gatherer. I obviously have nothing against order gatherers, but it sort of offends my sensibility (what little there is of it) when someone tries to claim they don't do what they obviously do.

We used to fill their orders, but I decided I had to draw a line somewhere and mine is SFO's - if you can't fill mine I won't fill yours. And they are a SFO. So I told them sorry last time they called. I felt a bit bad because they are very nice and know flowers, but a line is a line.

Some are now looking at membership there as sort of wire service free.

It isn't. It's a middleman between you and Teleflora. So you're still supporting the wire services, just by proxy is all.

I'm sure it depends on numbers, but when you give up the big 2 (or 3) you give up your rebates as well. If you don't send many orders I guess that doesn't matter. But in essense what you are doing is giving someone else your rebate, and I pretty much bet the majority of their orders are sent thru Teleflora.

The separation of delivery fees from merchandise is I guess a good thing, but not enough to forgo rebates.

Maybe it works for some....

good luck with your decision. But do some math and make sure you're not giving up enough rebates to offset your membership, cuz all you're really doing is letting someone else send Teleflora orders for you.

opinions vary.....

blessings
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 person
Hey Bloomzie,

Are you saying that if a flower shop is accepted as a BBrooks member, they can then send their customer's outgoing orders thru BBrooks, WHO IN TURN TRANSFERS THE ORDER TO TF?

Why does a customer need two middleman (bb/tf) when a florist can just call direct?

how much money does bb keep when they send out via TF?

Joe
 
bloomz said:
Some are now looking at membership there as sort of wire service free.
Click to expand...
Not me, they're a wire service - without all the BS fees that go to pay for the Kay's and the E-Florist-Inc's of the world.

I also find it refreshing they do not charge consumers any service fees for placing their orders with local florists. I call that an excellent value.

The orders primarily flow between members, but if there's no member in a town, it goes through TF to a shop on their golden list. ;)
I'm sure it depends on numbers, but when you give up the big 2 (or 3) you give up your rebates as well. If you don't send many orders I guess that doesn't matter.
Click to expand...
Florists would need to send more than 1100 TF orders annually to earn enough rebate dollars to offset the difference in fixed expenses between TF and B Brooks. They'd need to send more than 1300 through FTD.

Rebates don't rule my world, nor some of the very biggest, most respected florists in the US - who are now going direct.
 
Joe Mioux said:
Hey Bloomzie,

Are you saying that if a flower shop is accepted as a BBrooks member, they can then send their customer's outgoing orders thru BBrooks, WHO IN TURN TRANSFERS THE ORDER TO TF?

Why does a customer need two middleman (bb/tf) when a florist can just call direct?

how much money does bb keep when they send out via TF?

Joe
Click to expand...

I guess so and I think so.

Good questions.

So I wonder what percentage of their orders go thru Teleflora?

It still looks to me to be a softer feel good version of "support your chosen wire service".

Rebates don't exactly drive my world either, but they do put gas in the car, and give me advertising money to compete with.

It's a good deal - for somebody.....I don't think it's at all earthshattering for filling florists to get an extra 30% (or whatever) of a delivery charge.

Giving up rebates isn't earthshattering for sending florists either IMNSHO.

Membership in TF - $150 a month - Dove (if you have it - another 80? (I really don't know) = 230 a month X 12 = 2760/5 (rebate) = 552 orders a year to cover membership. If you don't have Dove that would be 1800 a year 360 orders - 30 per month. Don't most florists do 30 per month? at a $4 rebate 690 orders if you get a $4 rebate, 450 orders without Dove.

What did I miss that's not a value added service?

One problem with rebates - most florists don't get them cuz they don't pay their bills on time. (I bet this helps immensely in paying high ones to big senders, right RC?)
 
Dove is $100/mo including use sales tax (which we CA florists must pay) and TF's published rebate for sending less than 200 orders/mo is $3. There's an additional $20/mo Quality assurance fee and a $25 quarterly directory fee, so the total's about $3350 - plus a $1.25 receiving fee per order. $3350 divided by $3 = 1080 orders to earn enough rebate dollars to offset the fixed expense.

That number doesn't take the unequal sending fee into account, and I'm certain a large number of florists get dinged for that, too.

As far as not getting rebates for paying bills late, the rules only apply to the little people. The big ones can & do have a different set of rules.
 
CHR said:
Not me, they're a wire service - without all the BS fees that go to pay for the Kay's and the E-Florist-Inc's of the world.

I also find it refreshing they do not charge consumers any service fees for placing their orders with local florists. I call that an excellent value.

The orders primarily flow between members, but if there's no member in a town, it goes through TF to a shop on their golden list. ;)
Florists would need to send more than 1100 TF orders annually to earn enough rebate dollars to offset the difference in fixed expenses between TF and B Brooks. They'd need to send more than 1300 through FTD.

Rebates don't rule my world, nor some of the very biggest, most respected florists in the US - who are now going direct.
Click to expand...

Was recommended to them, submitted my pictures of our work and in less than a month did around 12 orders..all over 100 plus my 10-15 delivery fee. All of the orders came from florists directly . Nicer clientele, no hassles, no containers...I simply love it. I in turn recommend another florist who did the same thing and she is quite happy as well...oh and by the by...started July 1st..got my check July 31...kinda refreshing to have my money in hand.
Sher
 
bloomz said:
Some are now looking at membership there as sort of wire service free.

It isn't. It's a middleman between you and Teleflora. So you're still supporting the wire services, just by proxy is all.
Click to expand...

From their website:

What is bbrooks? Is it a wire service like Teleflora and FTD?
bbrooks is a consortium of fine florists, offering exquisite floral design in seasonal flowers for delivery nationwide. To use a traditional descriptive, is somewhat inelegant term - we are a wire service. Our network of florists specializes in fresh, seasonal flowers arranged with exquisite artistry.
When you order from bbrooks, one of our exclusive floral designers creates a unique floral arrangement just for you, and we deliver it anywhere in the US. bbrooks' member florists join us by invitation only, so you can trust that yours will be the very finest local delivery.
Click to expand...

If what Bloomzie says is true, isn't this a form of deceptive advertising?
 
*sigh* Deceptive? They never claimed to not-be-a-wire-service. But it's a non-cookie-cutter WS.

The orders sold directly by B Brooks go to their preferred florists; primarily the members they hand review for quality and design artistry.

Barbara Brooks first published her book reviewing and rating the top florists back in the 80's and revised it in the 90's. It was written for consumers to help them find quality local florists. Fine Flowers by Phone: ...Finally, a Way to Send Flowers Long Distance With Confidence... As one reader put it - "The "Zagat" for sending the best flowers around the world! As a connoisseur of flowers, this book is an invaluable source. It has made gift giving easy. People call me and rave about the flowers I send."

There's a passion for quality at the top of that company, and a respect and concern for local florists and their/our future. Sadly, I do not see it anywhere else in national scene leadership.
 
CHR said:
*sigh* Deceptive? They never claimed to not-be-a-wire-service. But it's a non-cookie-cutter WS.

The orders sold directly by B Brooks go to their preferred florists; primarily the members they hand review for quality and design artistry.
Click to expand...

B Brooks looks like a nice service, it's this grey area proxy part that's throwing me off. I'm not fully understanding their relationship with Teleflora. When they don't have a filling florist in a specific area, do they send it via Teleflora? If this is the case, then not only is the customer indirectly using the very wire service they were told they weren't using, but aren't they are dealing, as Joe put it, with two middlemen? :dunno:
 
Sean will be able to answer this better but here is my stab at explaining it.

The majority of orders go through members, and yes, when a member shop is not available to fill the order B Brooks will transfer it to a nonmember shop through teleflora. But if you have every been on the receiving end of one of their orders, it's easy to see why it's easier for the sending shop to have B Brooks take care of the order. They relay all of the specifics and they are very specific about what it can't be.

That saves us a huge amount of time from talking to other shops to prevent any complaints or refunds being needed. It's a big lifesaver when our clients are expecting our shop quality wherever we send flowers.
 
LJVF said:
When they don't have a filling florist in a specific area, do they send it via Teleflora?[
Click to expand...
Yes, just like 1-800's orders to areas that don't have members go through TF (and used to go through FTD). When I worked for TF, at one point their international orders were going through FTD/Interflora. There was a MERC at TF HQ. :>

So when 1-800 or TF or FTD claim to deliver across the US, they actually have to use non-members for some of the areas. Does that make then deceptive? ;)

If this is the case, then not only is the customer indirectly using the very wire service they were told they weren't using, but aren't they are dealing, as Joe put it, with two middlemen? :dunno:
Click to expand...
and

bloomz said:
Why does a customer need two middleman (bb/tf) when a florist can just call direct?
Click to expand...
They don't and I'm so glad you think middlemen aren't necessary. :> Aren't there two middle men when they call your shop, my shop, Joe's shop and Darrell's shop for distant orders? Us and the WSs.

And there are three or more middle men when the orders travel out of the US.

Hey, there's usually only one middle man when customers call TF, FTD or 1-800 direct. lol Are you saying that's a better choice?

It's not the middle men, it's the fees and net value to the consumers (senders & recipients) and the filling florists.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 person
CHR said:
Yes, just like 1-800's orders to areas that don't have members go through TF (and used to go through FTD). When I worked for TF, at one point their international orders were going through FTD/Interflora. There was a MERC at TF HQ. :>

So when 1-800 or TF or FTD claim to deliver across the US, they actually have to use non-members for some of the areas. Does that make then deceptive? ;)
Click to expand...

You have arguable valid arguments against 1800TFTD (was that proper sentence structure? ;) ),but in this case we're talking B Brooks. Are the customers aware of the affiliation between B Brooks and Teleflora, not that it's a bad affiliation, but are they aware?
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top Bottom
Back