Bloom Net

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Sher

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Oct 31, 2002
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Seems they are romancing big time in my area and have some new slants on their offerings. Anybody currently using them that can give me some good/bad/ugly input?.They are coming to the shop at noon and so far what they have to say has been pretty interesting but would like to hear from anyone who is activley using them or who may have dropped them in the last 4 months or so and why...thanks
Sher
 
our area Bloomnet Rep is former FTD guy and he knows I want nothing to do with it. He calls with questions about area shops. But Teleflora called this week. Offered 6 free months and when I told him they already had two shops with Teleflora in this town of less than 5000, he was kind of dumbfounded for just a quick moment. Just say No!
 
Sher said:
Seems they are romancing big time in my area and have some new slants on their offerings. Anybody currently using them that can give me some good/bad/ugly input?.They are coming to the shop at noon and so far what they have to say has been pretty interesting but would like to hear from anyone who is activley using them or who may have dropped them in the last 4 months or so and why...thanks
Sher
Click to expand...

It's been more than four months for us, but I can tell you why we dropped them. Their operators harassed us continually for order confirmations we'd already confirmed two and three times before. They constantly send us items that were grossly undervalued. They routinely forgot to send us a delivery fee. There computer 'program' was an interface using Netscape Communicator and it was a proper pain in the butt to use. On top of that, every 20 minutes, it would pop over on our screen - didn't matter what you were doing (really frustrating in the middle of an order).

We've been out of them for 11 months and they STILL haven't taken us out of the book and they're still sending the stupid books to us too. It goes straight to recycling. Good riddance.

Audra
 
Just curious how the meeting went, I am a member and I do very well with them. Depends on what you are trying to accomplish being in it. If you are wanting to send, it's great compared to the other 2, if you are wanting to beef some new clients up you have to watch what you fill. They are low cost because all of their customers are first time buyers or in a new home situation and do not know where the florist are. At first I couldn't get the hang of it, but you have to confirm all your dels. before 10am the next morning then you get reinburst for the transfer fee and they do not call to bother you either. The more you confirm it seems like the orders get higher in $ value. When I first started $34.99 was the norm, that was Jan of this year now my orders incoming average $95-$125, and yes I still do get the $34.99 but once in awhile now. On the average daily incoming runs about 6-8.
The 1 thing I like about the whole service is you only pay your monthly fee for the amount of activity you do. Example: 1-9 incoming = $10 and so on and the most is $49.99 so if you are very small you are not paying the same as the larger shop.
The other item I like is they have the buy fresh flowers just like FTD but they are so much cheaper along with they buy from same farms I noticed too,as well as the containers some are too tuzzy for me but the majority are very nice and unusal. It's all computer based so no one mis understands or takes up chat time on the phone unless you call and want that.
Good Luck in your decision!
Cyndi
 
Rhonda at work said:
our area Bloomnet Rep is former FTD guy and he knows I want nothing to do with it. He calls with questions about area shops. But Teleflora called this week. Offered 6 free months and when I told him they already had two shops with Teleflora in this town of less than 5000, he was kind of dumbfounded for just a quick moment. Just say No!
Click to expand...

Funny, both TF and FTD have been calling me this week to offer membership deals. No calls from BloomNet yet. I know one florist who likes BloomNet a lot, but he has just started with them.
 
bluebonnet said:
Just curious how the meeting went, I am a member and I do very well with them. Depends on what you are trying to accomplish being in it. If you are wanting to send, it's great compared to the other 2, if you are wanting to beef some new clients up you have to watch what you fill. They are low cost because all of their customers are first time buyers or in a new home situation and do not know where the florist are. At first I couldn't get the hang of it, but you have to confirm all your dels. before 10am the next morning then you get reinburst for the transfer fee and they do not call to bother you either. The more you confirm it seems like the orders get higher in $ value. When I first started $34.99 was the norm, that was Jan of this year now my orders incoming average $95-$125, and yes I still do get the $34.99 but once in awhile now. On the average daily incoming runs about 6-8.
The 1 thing I like about the whole service is you only pay your monthly fee for the amount of activity you do. Example: 1-9 incoming = $10 and so on and the most is $49.99 so if you are very small you are not paying the same as the larger shop.
The other item I like is they have the buy fresh flowers just like FTD but they are so much cheaper along with they buy from same farms I noticed too,as well as the containers some are too tuzzy for me but the majority are very nice and unusal. It's all computer based so no one mis understands or takes up chat time on the phone unless you call and want that.
Good Luck in your decision!
Cyndi
Click to expand...
Basically the same info was presented here. They have a large fulfillment center nearby and my impression is that the really want florists to fill orders, of course florists seem to help eveyone bottom line. There are ways to make it very cost effective, you can use their images as long as it is not on another ws sponsered site and I think you may need to rename them but not sure. You are correct on the del cons..same info here. The can give you projections on holiday orders and have a buyback program, they have a slightly better rebate standard, but this was the first time EVER that I spoke with the competetion and he did not discuss the other ws's in a negative manner...I really hate when all they can do is tell you what the other guy does...this fellow was very professional, low key, answered every question I had and I had a list....I had called about 10 of my guru's from FC, and he presented an interesting case.He said I must "really be connected" to know this many people....lol Little do they know, right?
I probably will give it a whirl and see how it fits us. I did like the idea of selecting my zip codes....I normally deliver all of the county but in this case I can limit it to my main zips so I am not running out for low end. They do get their panties annoyed if you reject a lot so that was bothersome but if the value coming in meets the criteria then it should be ok. You do have to be codified but very little...listen, I am always open to something new and if it turns out to be cost effective then I can drop one of the other ones. Who knows unless you try.
Sher
 
bluebonnet said:
my orders incoming average $95-$125,
Click to expand...

I don't think this figure is correct. When I filled for them it was much lower.
I would guess there average order is $60.00. Perhaps others could chime in.


Sher said:
Seems they are romancing big time in my area and have some new slants on their offerings.
Click to expand...

Why do you want them? Is it for incoming, outgoing, web images etc? I think you need to place a value on what they are offering you and see if it’s worth it for your shop. I think many shops just use them for incoming. If it’s just incoming you should guess at
The number of orders and do some math. Divide the number of orders into the cost to get them. Include all fees Bloomnet, bloomlink, non sending, incoming transmission charge, directory fee etc. Take that $ figure and subtract it from the 71% to get an accurate figure of the cost and determine if it works for your store.
 
We do ok with them. However, I will say that they have a lot of codified product that they want you to carry and if you do not they tend to send you less orders. The more you reject (which we do for the $29.99 orders) they penalize you by decreasing your orders. In addition, they base orders you recieve on an average, so though you may get several small orders and a couple of large ones, your area rep will always quote the average of all your orders to make it seem as though you are getting volume. My advise is just beware... if there are a lot of shops in your area filling orders for them and they carry a lot of the codifieds and you don't, your orders recieved will be small.
 
Would you all...

...just READ each other's posts???

With 9+ years under our belts with 800 here are some points to remember:
- They will wine and dine you till the cows come home to get you signed up.
- You BETTER be SENDING your min. amounts! If not, you WILL get LESS 800 orders. (not to mention be charged for it...)
- Fufillment centers: NEWS FLASH!!! Do you guys & gals know how they work? Let me enlighten you: they are CONTRACTED to get X-dollar volume of orders DAILY...once they hit thier quota, then the excess starts getting spread around to the "partners"...loose term there, as you are required to sign a contract with them.
- You REJECT a CODIFIED item, you will LOSE codification for that item until you contact your BBC or re-order the item. (nope, this is not printed anywhere that I am aware of...)
- As stated by 'specialoccasion', you don't carry the codified items (and I'll add ALL of them) you don't get the orders for ANY...or, very few.
- Holiday Projections: the BEST we could ever match was 75% correct.
- Buyback program: only on UNOPENED FULL CASES of containers, must be returned within 10 or 20 (?) days of the holiday... Depending on the product, you may pay a 15% restocking fee. UMMM: question...are you gonna' wait until the 23rd of December to open that last case of 800 specials??? Don't know about you folks, but we green and flower ALLLLLL our specials WAY ahead...
- The "$.75 Confirmation Credit" is all it is. You are actually charged $1.50 per order, and get a credit of .75 for each DLC sent by 10am next day.
- Monthly Fee: Sorry Cyndi - $49.99 is NOT the max. That is if you only fill up to & including 20 orders per month. If you fill 71 or more orders/month (like we did), it's $199.99 a month... NEWS FLASH! That's more than FTD or TEL !!!
PS - Bloomnet's fees also include up to a $59.99 "Optional Low Sending Fee" if you recieve 30 or more orders, and send Less than 20... (yikes! take that off your bottom line!)

If you want to try Bloomlink with filling for 800 - go ahead. Then show me your monthly statement after filling for 2 or 3 months. I'll bet you're losing $, or breaking even. I went over 16 months of statements for us...only TWO months we made $. Now if you are NOT filling 800 orders, then Bloomnet might be for you as a good w/s for sending orders...all depends on your biz.

- Herb

PS - don't forget that all those BMT orders need to be re-keyed into your POS systems if they don't interface!
 
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You Know Sher,
You are a intenlligent woman.....
OFTEN, MANY POST we hash and hash All the wire service and we always come back to the same response.
If you have more than 1 wire service you may not be making money.
If you have more than 1 wire service you have more money to dish out
If you have more than 1 wire service more quotas to meet, more this or that ....
Come one guys...and girls....
THe offers are just that to entice you for now....
The answers should be NO thank you....
You will be much happier
For Freak sakes....
Luc
 
I will just add, then I'll be done:

Few stats from my Nov. 2005 statement (our 2nd to last month) Yes, these are REAL numbers folks...

Avg. 1-800 Order amount: $52.08 (not bad, eh?)
But wait...

We filled 103 orders totalling $5375.43 gross over BMT.
96 of the 103 were from 1-800. So, we'll just use their gross $ amount of 4999.93 to make it easy.

After doing the math, taking out the 29% comm, COG's at 30%, Labor at 20%, leaves you with $1049.79.

Subtract BMT fees (old scale & NOT publication charges, since these vary greatly) of $333.48 gives you $716.31 "profit."

But what about delivery costs? Gotta work the numbers: OK - avg. of MY COST to make a delivery is $5.00 (accounting for the pool, and local delivery). Times that by 96 orders - $480 in deliv. cost.

Leaves me with $236.31. But I have yet to think about replacement order costs, overhead, etc....

Not much left...

- H.

PS - we seemed to ALWAYS have just a WEE BIT over 100 orders inbound monthly...hmmm.... Can you say "ORDER TRACKING"...
 
PhillyPhlorist said:
PS - don't forget that all those BMT orders need to be re-keyed into your POS systems if they don't interface!
Click to expand...

re-keying is a timely matter and bloomlink will not interface with the majority of Teleflora or Ftd systems. The ones they do interface with I suspect will go away soon as the word from my rep is Bloomlink is trying to become more of a wire service and will be offering it's own POS system soon. They are also offering a new program to all florist where they can become a florist to florist fulfiller, but will not recieve any orders directly from 800flowers. I don't know all the details so I am not sure of the fees, but I am diffently sure there will be some.
 
PhillyPhlorist said:
...

Leaves me with $236.31. But I have yet to think about replacement order costs, overhead, etc....

Not much left...

- H.

PS - we seemed to ALWAYS have just a WEE BIT over 100 orders inbound monthly...hmmm.... Can you say "ORDER TRACKING"...
Click to expand...
Coincidence? I sincerely doubt it. It's great that you have run the numbers...the 1-800 beancounters probably have long ago calculated the break-even point, and try to keep florists they *need* to keep with just enough gravy to cover the meat.

Congrats, H., you made the cut!
 
12BucksFor2Dozon said:
Coincidence? I sincerely doubt it. It's great that you have run the numbers...the 1-800 beancounters probably have long ago calculated the break-even point, and try to keep florists they *need* to keep with just enough gravy to cover the meat.

Congrats, H., you made the cut!
Click to expand...

Thanks Mark...but, I confess...I'm still FTD! (AHHHH!!!!!)

(I can hear your blood pressure rising!)

<:)

- Herb
 
specialoccasion said:
re-keying is a timely matter and bloomlink will not interface with the majority of Teleflora or Ftd systems. The ones they do interface with I suspect will go away soon as the word from my rep is Bloomlink is trying to become more of a wire service and will be offering it's own POS system soon. They are also offering a new program to all florist where they can become a florist to florist fulfiller, but will not recieve any orders directly from 800flowers. I don't know all the details so I am not sure of the fees, but I am diffently sure there will be some.
Click to expand...

Nothing new there...we had that option last year. F2F orders run 7% and 800 orders run 9% clearing fees (plus the 20% comm...)

As I recall, back in the day, BMT was trying to use AFS Eagle as their POS of choice...

- Herb
 
OK... I'll add...

Yes, MAS fully interfaces with Bloomlink...no rekeying necessary....

They have IMHO the best **idea** for a fee structure in the industry, based on orders received...they do allow you to select from 3 various incoming programs...F2F only, 800F only and F2Fand800F...oh and SFO too I think...

In Sher's case, I would bet they are more interested in her outbound volume than her filling incomings since they have an LFC right there, generally LFC's get 80+% of an areas orders, so in her case if she's in it for sending the rate;s the lowest available in the biz...
 
BOSS said:
They have IMHO the best **idea** for a fee structure in the industry, based on orders received...they do allow you to select from 3 various incoming programs...F2F only, 800F only and F2Fand800F...oh and SFO too I think...

In Sher's case, I would bet they are more interested in her outbound volume than her filling incomings since they have an LFC right there, generally LFC's get 80+% of an areas orders, so in her case if she's in it for sending the rate;s the lowest available in the biz...
Click to expand...

I would agree, Mark - their sliding scale is a good idea - especially with smaller shops. But, once you hit that 71 orders recieved, NO MATTER THE $ AMOUNT, you're in to them for $199.00/month + BMT fees. This IMO makes them more costly than FTD.

They do need a POS system. They actually HAVE a system used with their LFC's. Have not seen it, but they offered somthing to us when we were considering doing an LFC.

- H.
 
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