Bloomnet Fees on the Rise

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PhillyPhlorist

PhillyPhlorist

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Feb 7, 2004
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Well, I suppose BMT is the first this fall to raise their fees...didn't waste time either!

For whatever reason, they STILL think we're members and still get their mailings...haven't filled an order for them in 8 months...

Very crafty - while many of the fees themselves didn't go up, the CUT OFF numbers and ratios have changed. So, now you only have to get 71 orders a month via BMT instead of 100 to pay the $199/month fee. To me, this just broke "the bell curve" on the number of florists getting that 2~3 orders a day number...you used to pay 149/month...now it's 199.

You now need to send more too (in order to avoid their "optional Low sending fee") based on how many orders you recieve.

If I were a Bloomnet member, I would REALLY be looking at my statement now and running the numbers!

...cause it just got a whole lot more costly...especially if you fill for 1-800...

- H.
 
Well... it took them 6 months longer to raise the fees than I thought it would, but is anyone surprised?

1-800's stock is trading below $5 a share. Profits need to come from somewhere and they're unlikely to raise prices to consumers. (Too much price-based competition and too much discounting.) $600/year in added fees just to received more than 70 orders a month?

Thanks for the info, Herb. Let's see how many shops even notice the change or do something about it.
 
Well I live up here in the woods just before the end of the earth and I am lucky to get 6-10 orders from BL/800 per month and I probably send about 6-10. I went with bloomnet because they were so much cheaper and it was less of a headache than trying to track who did what on the company credit card. Now I'll have to run the numbers again... For those of you who don't have a wire service, how do you send orders? How do you find florists on other areas? Is there a listing here on flowerchat where I could look someone up?
--Iggy
 
IggyFlowers said:
Well I live up here in the woods just before the end of the earth and I am lucky to get 6-10 orders from BL/800 per month and I probably send about 6-10. I went with bloomnet because they were so much cheaper and it was less of a headache than trying to track who did what on the company credit card. Now I'll have to run the numbers again... For those of you who don't have a wire service, how do you send orders? How do you find florists on other areas? Is there a listing here on flowerchat where I could look someone up?
--Iggy
Click to expand...

Iggy -

If I had only the need to send 6 - 10 orders a month, I would call each and every one of them out, using my c-card, and look up shops via the net. Hopefully, many would accept direct orders...more and more shops are doing that. I would not pay a fee to get only 6-10 orders a month...but that's just me... You just need to run some numbers, and I suppose figure in the Rebates as well.

- H.
 
IggyFlowers said:
Well I live up here in the woods just before the end of the earth and I am lucky to get 6-10 orders from BL/800 per month and I probably send about 6-10. I went with bloomnet because they were so much cheaper and it was less of a headache than trying to track who did what on the company credit card. Now I'll have to run the numbers again... For those of you who don't have a wire service, how do you send orders? How do you find florists on other areas? Is there a listing here on flowerchat where I could look someone up?
--Iggy
Click to expand...

Iggy,

We aren't WS members. We call out each and every order that we receive. Before the flower chat directory...which I can't seem to find right now, we used the SAF member directory to find florists. Now we have a pretty hefty call/do not call list that includes most of the cities that we send to.

We call out between 10-20 orders/month depending on the season. We use FC members whenever possible.

:) Heather
 
Iggy, remember that big paper back door stop nobody needs, get one from a friend, also for the florists just in the town your going to locateaflowershop.com. This will get your prefered list started, with that few outgoings it's very easy to get the ones that have a clue.
 
PhillyPhlorist said:
Hopefully, many would accept direct orders...more and more shops are doing that.
Click to expand...

Actually, for me, I had to go back to sending through a service because I became so frustrated with florists telling me that the only way they accept orders from other florists is through TF or FTD. Not even 100% orders. I'm not talking once or twice - more like 30 times in Dec 05 and Jan 06 for a dozen orders.

I'm not trying to scare anybody from doing it. Maybe others will/do have better luck. I send through flowershopnetwork.com and IFA is another option.

Above all, it is not a bad thing to dump the WS's.:thumbsup
 
We have neen WS free for just a little over a year now and have had wonderful luck on sending orders direct using the credit card set up for just transferring orders.
Have met some wonderful florists and talking with them over the phone like we use to do years ago. It has given us an opportunity to start our own direct order data base for shops we use and also get the other towns the shops deliver to and what their delivery charges are. Yes it did and does require a little time in searching the net for a shop that has a nice looking website(not the cc style)and does work simuliar to ours. It has also given us the opportunity to spread the word of this board and other info and most seem very receptive.
We charge a $7.00 service fee and add the filing shops delivery charge to the amount of the order and the recieving shops are very appreciative of this.
Our customer is charges for the amount of the flowers+delivery and the $7.00service fee.
I am happy to report that our sales are up and the bottom line looks real good
and do not have to worry about filling amy WS orders.

The shop listing here on FC has been a great help in finding good shops to transfer orders to and have used it a great deal----only wish MORE shops would take the time to list their info.
 
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I have a question about when you send an order direct to another florist. Since you aren't on a wire service and don't have pictures of the other florist's arrangement, how do you show the sender what they will be sending? Is it just a verbal description of what they want given to the other florist? Hoping that they will understand what the customer wants?
 
Bringing this post alive again, I see...

fairfield said:
Actually, for me, I had to go back to sending through a service because I became so frustrated with florists telling me that the only way they accept orders from other florists is through TF or FTD. Not even 100% orders. I'm not talking once or twice - more like 30 times in Dec 05 and Jan 06 for a dozen orders.
Click to expand...

Well, just like me, those florists better wise up! We used to think that way - until a couple FC members here knocked some sense into me.

Plain stupidity to refuse to take a direct order via C-card. Now, if you are insisting commisions be given (i.e. Here's a $100 order, but only charge my card $80) then I would have an issue with that...discounting is done through the w/s. When calling, just give me the amount of the order you want charged, and we'll fill it to that value. You decide and handle whatever you want off the top on your end...

In the RARE occasion I call a direct order out, it is for the full 100% amount, and I keep the $8.00 relay fee I charged the customer. To me, a 5 min. phone call is no big deal. But, if I had to do it 100 times a month, it WOULD be a big deal...hence, the need for a w/s for us.

- H.
 
Petalson41 said:
I have a question about when you send an order direct to another florist. Since you aren't on a wire service and don't have pictures of the other florist's arrangement, how do you show the sender what they will be sending? Is it just a verbal description of what they want given to the other florist? Hoping that they will understand what the customer wants?
Click to expand...

The same issue happens with a 'designer's choice' order on Wire services. If you have something specific, then you need to be very clear in your description to the other florist. Also, you have to have trust in the other florist that they will do a good job for you.......this goes back to the first days of wire services...trust that the other florist will design a professional arr. for you.

- H.
 
I understand the part about trusting the other florist. What about your customer though? Do you just ask them to trust the other florist? Or do you find that your customers feel okay not seeing a picture of what they are sending?
 
Petalson41 said:
I understand the part about trusting the other florist. What about your customer though? Do you just ask them to trust the other florist? Or do you find that your customers feel okay not seeing a picture of what they are sending?
Click to expand...

Whenever a w/s picture is not used, we refer to the cooler. At any given moment, there are 9~15 different designs there. We use those as a "basic" style, and build on them. Everything is noted on the order: if they want a cobalt blue vase, then that is put down. Also, a 2nd choice is always asked for from the customer. 99.9% of the time, our customers trust that we will choose a florist who will do a good job. Look, if the customer does not trust you and your professional services, then why are they there in the first place???

- H
 
Petalson....
If your customers trust you, then they will trust your judgement to meet their needs.. you can assure them you will be handling their order personally. When you find a great florist to deal with, your enthusiam & confidence in the found florist will be contagious.
 
Yeah.... but a picture is worth a thousand words so you might want to either create your own selection guide from photos, web images, etc (respecting copyright laws) or purchase a few catalogs from John Henry.

The existing customers will generally trust your judgement, but the new ones need a tool to help visualize their order. You can then describe the overall aesthetic to the delivering florist.
 
John Henry has image CD's specifically for use on your website. Then use the books in your shop.

Most importantly - don't make promises another shop can't/won't keep. Different cities have different flowers, minimums and delivery charges. Have someone (employee or friend etc.) 'pretend' to give an order for flowers. Use a selection guide or their imagination and then practice relaying that order to a third person or back to them. This could be training for direct (or any) order relays. Your 'score' could be based on the important details remembered and knowing when to tell the customer to give a second choice or that their choice is above the price they are thinking etc. Think like a customer and do it occasionally for practice. Might sound like grade-school speech class, but grade-school knowledge is often overlooked. Some call it back-to-basics.


What about the Bloomnet fees?
 
In the RARE occasion I call a direct order out, it is for the full 100% amount, and I keep the $8.00 relay fee I charged the customer. To me, a 5 min. phone call is no big deal. But, if I had to do it 100 times a month, it WOULD be a big deal...hence, the need for a w/s for us.

- H.[/QUOTE]

We don't send 100 per month usually more like 25 to 35 average. We do use TF. and call them out. WE took out the dove because of cost. But say you do send 100 per month. If you are open 6 days per week X 4 weeks per month thats 24 days . Thats only slightly over 4 phone calls per day. Avg. 5 min per call. I still don't think it would be worth it to me to get the Dove or merc back with the associated cost. Now if you were sending 300 to 400 hundred per month that might me another matter.
Just thinking out loud again.
 
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