Beware if you fill for Da Dot

[sfox]

And What About

While FTD is testing, what about all the extra money they will generate because of florists not willing to fill those orders. Everytime you get a Merc order you are charged the .95. If that order is cancelled you are still billed the .95.

Not bad, send a underpriced order and still make money from the florist who is wise enough not to fill it.

 

[BOSS]

sfox, I think it's an even $1.00 now-a-days....

All the more reason to call them up and tell them NOT to send them in the first place, thats what I did, and have not received one since Feb 12th, 2005...

Wish I would get just one, so I could see if you can forward them on Merc Direct...but someone else will have to test that one...

 

[theRKF]

Thing I don;t get, and never did, was that if it costs them $30.00 (industry estimate) to gain a new customer, and they are selling a $29.95 product, and then have to give away 73% of that sale to the filler fools...how the hell do they ever expect to make a profit (not that I worry about that part) ....

It's all about customer acquisition. The first order is only to capture the customer. Too many florists make the mistake of evaluating a customer based on the current transaction.

If you can get a customer to order 4 times per year, average of $50 / order, and retain that customer's loyalty for 10 years - that's $2,000 for $30. If you market well, you can increase the annual value. How about ten times at $30? Affordable gifts, easy for the customer to shop, $3,000 a year for FTD. Another advantage a national marketer has over a retail florist is that even if the customer moves anywhere in the country, the national site seems equally accessible as a good shopping option. Fewer customers will maintain their buying with a retail florist after moving out of the area. Perception is weird - it's always ok to order through the website of a company half a country away, but it's silly to order from a florist in the town you just moved from. Much easier for the dot to attract, capture and retain customers, so the $30 / head is acceptable.

Ryan

PS - Can't forward dot orders on MD either.

 

[CHR]

The order requested two products: FTD 06-V6 and "1 chocolate ($15.00)." ... We asked for $7 delivery. Rounding the chocolates up to $15 the total should be $71.99... 800-SEND-FTD cancelled, saying that "7.00 dollar delivery is included in the price."

Tom -

Have you taken a look at what FTD is telling its consumers on http://www.ftd.com/350/catalog/product.epl?product_id=06-V6 ?

The freshly cut red medium stem roses arrive wrapped with greens and ready for the recipient to arrange in their own special way.

Approx. 16H x 11W

Delivery is included in the price of the arrangement. A $11.99 service charge will be added.

Emphasis mine.

You are supposed to wrap up the 40cm roses and hand the recipient the vase so she can do it herself. Now how impressed will she be with both the presentation and the size? Is this what Joe Consumer expects when he puchases from a florist?

Chances are, you would never have received that order were it not for the chocolates because the item is primarily designed to be sold 'direct-ship'.

You're also supposed to be thrilled to take $3.65 to deliver a discounted product on the busiest day of the year. Sounds like FTD did you a favor by cancelling the order.

 

[Tom]

Well, now isn't that interesting. I hadn't looked at the FTD website. Yup, I'm sure the recipient would be thrilled to receive the roses in one package and the vase in another. The chocolates must be to pacify her while she arranges them "in her own special way." Somehow I think she would look at them and conclude that the florist didn't have time to arrange them, so just sent them seperately. In any case, only by visiting the FTD website does one discover this. The FTD catalog (a/k/a "Resource Guide") shows V6 with a $49.99 US SRP. It also says,
We pick the most opulent blooms and send them in our gorgeous scroll design vase."
Nothing on the order we received said anything about sending the flowers as a kit to be assembled by the recipient. While the 800-SEND-FTD website says that $49.99 is "delivered" (not including the $11.95 service charge kept by FTD), the price we florists have been shown is $49.99 plus delivery... and we are to arrange it in the vase, as well. As far as I can tell, FTD is selling the consumer one product (the unarranged roses) for $49.99 including delivery. They expect us to sell it to our customers for $49.99 (arranged) plus delivery. If we receive the order from FTD we should arrange the flowers in the vase and absorb the delivery charge. This way, 800-SEND-FTD will exceed the customer's expectations courtesy of the unwitting local florist.
Tom

 

[BBJ (Big Bad John)]

It's all about customer acquisition. The first order is only to capture the customer. Too many florists make the mistake of evaluating a customer based on the current transaction.

If you can get a customer to order 4 times per year, average of $50 / order, and retain that customer's loyalty for 10 years - that's $2,000 for $30. If you market well, you can increase the annual value. How about ten times at $30? Affordable gifts, easy for the customer to shop, $3,000 a year for FTD. Another advantage a national marketer has over a retail florist is that even if the customer moves anywhere in the country, the national site seems equally accessible as a good shopping option. Fewer customers will maintain their buying with a retail florist after moving out of the area. Perception is weird - it's always ok to order through the website of a company half a country away, but it's silly to order from a florist in the town you just moved from. Much easier for the dot to attract, capture and retain customers, so the $30 / head is acceptable.

Only works if.........you can retain the customer, and I don't think FTD can when they are sending low-ball orders that can't be filled to look like the product as advertised (maybe that's one of the reasons FTD sales were down 4% at Christmas)

 

[CHR]

Tom - you got it... all the work and all the service for less dollars.

I hope every florist that chooses to fill those orders considers including a card that says "FTD says you will enjoy arrange these roses in your own special way."

Or better yet, just say 'no' to these complaints-waiting-to-happen.

BTW, I glanced at your shop's website and marveled at the photo of your storefront and greenhouse. Gorgeous!

 

[carol]

PS - Can't forward dot orders on MD either.[/quote

We used to be able to forward .com orders to another florist (we used domestic retrans number).. but since I chose not to fill for them I do not get them so I can't try.
Forwarding to Dom Retrans makes a lot of sense to me.. I don't have to pay the $1 for an order I am not going to fill,, and it sends the order back to the same building it came from (well not sure now that the call centers have expanded south..but it is the same company) and FTD now has to find a florist who will accept it.
anyway it used to work..

 

[David]

BTW, I glanced at your shop's website and marveled at the photo of your storefront and greenhouse. Gorgeous!

It's even better in person. Love the inside loading for delivery vehicles.


So FTD wants to give you 49.99 for the item which translates into 35.49 after commission and incoming penalty tax. Now the florist stands at 35.49. If you buy the roses from FTD at there advertised price of 14.70 and the container at there advertised price of 9.76 including shipping. That would leave 11.03 for delivery, design, overhead and guarantee. Better they drop ship item.