Bloomnet ?
- Thread starter Ken
- Start date
- Status
BOSS
FlowerChat Administrator
LORRIE
New Member
We have
been with them for 3 years now. My initial reaction wasn't great and we struggled with filling their stuff for a while but I have taken more control and it seems to be working a little better now.
I must take a very hard look at each order to determine if it will be profitable for us-
They can be very difficult to deal with when you need to shut down your system.
We carry NO codified containers for them. When we started with the the fact that they had no codified containers was a plus and now they have started with codified containers and it is a big pain.
They do have filling centers , so what they send us is only stuff that is just out of their area, which really means we get few in- town orders and tilts the delivery fees way off.
Despite those negatives, there are a few plusses and while it must be watched very carefully it helps out in the summer when things are very slow in this area. Their membership fees are the most reasonable, based on how much stuff they send you. How long that will last is anyones guess.
I hope soon we will not have to have any wire service but by keeping very close tabs on them it is adding to our income while we build our local base(only in business 4 years).
been with them for 3 years now. My initial reaction wasn't great and we struggled with filling their stuff for a while but I have taken more control and it seems to be working a little better now.
I must take a very hard look at each order to determine if it will be profitable for us-
They can be very difficult to deal with when you need to shut down your system.
We carry NO codified containers for them. When we started with the the fact that they had no codified containers was a plus and now they have started with codified containers and it is a big pain.
They do have filling centers , so what they send us is only stuff that is just out of their area, which really means we get few in- town orders and tilts the delivery fees way off.
Despite those negatives, there are a few plusses and while it must be watched very carefully it helps out in the summer when things are very slow in this area. Their membership fees are the most reasonable, based on how much stuff they send you. How long that will last is anyones guess.
I hope soon we will not have to have any wire service but by keeping very close tabs on them it is adding to our income while we build our local base(only in business 4 years).
Rhonda
Well-Known Member
they continue to send to me through Mercury but if I move my shop back home, I may be ditching FTD anyway, so how would they send orders? Can it be by internet? I don't think I'd want to actually join, I've had enough of joining. I had a question on an order for Mother's Day (the recipe actually) and I have called and left messages at two of their "expediters" and one with the "rep" in this area, so far, not one returned call and apparently all those numbers I called, no one is able to take my phone call at that time, please leave a message. Hmmm
Bloomnet
They Are Doing A Big Membership Push Right Now. Our Old Field Service Rep From Ftd Now Works For Them
I Am Not In Her Territory But I Am Considering It Also.
They Believe In The Florist Not Og
They Are Doing A Big Membership Push Right Now. Our Old Field Service Rep From Ftd Now Works For Them
I Am Not In Her Territory But I Am Considering It Also.
They Believe In The Florist Not Og
Audra
New Member
CLAIRVOYANT said:
One of our old reps worked for them, we tried them out. We quit for a variety of reasons - the orders they sent us were frequently under valued, their order transmission system used a very old version of Netscape that liked to randomly pop up regardless of whether you were using another program or not, their delivery verification methods were a pain - we frequently got harassed about delivery confirmation on orders that we had already confirmed two or three times previously. The service and their order system just didn't work for us, we dropped them like a hot rock.
I don't believe that 'florist over an OG' crap either. They have a full page ad in our phone book, "We're your neighborhood florist" - riiiight.
Audra
Bloomnet
I was a Bloomnet member for 15+ year until last year some time. It was great in the beginning (before Proflowers), their orders were very nice....the 1 diz rose price I recieved was always more that what I charged. Not so now, Bloomnet along with FTD is trying to compete with Proflowers by tweaking down the arrangement flowers to a level way below a florist's price....not including the discount you are loosing on it. I spent an hour discussing the matter with my phone rep (before they hired some Teleflora reps), and they had all sorts of way to "spin" their costing of an arrangement. For a while I was calling to ask for money, but then they got tired of me calling (they keep track of it)....and I said fine, I can fix this problem permanately. That plus all of the non-send out fee and other "wire service" fees, it was not profitable for me. Now days they mostly end up selling and/or giving you the arrangement version that is smaller than picture...not like the old days. Anyway, just one florist's experience and thoughts.Ken said:
Eric S
Demoted Webmaster
At Sunday's meeting, one of the 'lifer' florists and a former ardent FTD supporter said he'd quit both TF and FTD and was now solely a member of Bloomnet. He did mention a recent fee increase.
Right now, Bloomnet has less baggage because they don't have a history of promises followed by feelings of betrayal. They are the true original order gatherer so there are no surprises.
On the surface, their fees appear to be less - and that may be very well true for some. Knowing the management at the top, I wouldn't expect that to last for long.
IMO, their biggest plus to florists is that they're NOT FTD. It's similar to the bounce TF got after Norton came aboard FTD and instituted many of his infamous policies.
Right now, Bloomnet has less baggage because they don't have a history of promises followed by feelings of betrayal. They are the true original order gatherer so there are no surprises.
On the surface, their fees appear to be less - and that may be very well true for some. Knowing the management at the top, I wouldn't expect that to last for long.
IMO, their biggest plus to florists is that they're NOT FTD. It's similar to the bounce TF got after Norton came aboard FTD and instituted many of his infamous policies.
BOSS
FlowerChat Administrator
Thats cuz they are THE OG in their case...CLAIRVOYANT said:
I was told up front, I could sign up for Florist to Florist ONLY and bypass their company orders with no questions asked...time will tell....
Tracy D'Amico
Well-Known Member
From your hot little fingertips to my doorstep (dont ya just love when a rep just "pops in" 
) ... the rep just left here. On paper it sounds good ... membership fee based on order volume, rebates from order #1 ... it just makes me feel like I need to shower to take on yet another service who is selling directly to my neighbor. But how can you beat someone with so much $$ in advertising, web presence, etc etc.
Boss, is that something they offer to only higher volume shops - the florist to florist thing, with no 1800 arr's? This rep didn't tell me anything like that ... I dread the 29.99 orders that always show up to us when the holiday is hot and heavy, and no one else will take them.(which we promptly ask for $ increase or cancel)
I asked him at what point they think there is enough representation in any given town. He said there is no set formula, he just didn't want to have too many so that the incoming orders were too spread out. Also said they are at about 10,000 members, with a cap of 12,000, they don't want an FTD/Teleflora type situation. Think that's true?
I would never have considered them, but maybe ..... :dunno:
) ... the rep just left here. On paper it sounds good ... membership fee based on order volume, rebates from order #1 ... it just makes me feel like I need to shower to take on yet another service who is selling directly to my neighbor. But how can you beat someone with so much $$ in advertising, web presence, etc etc. Boss, is that something they offer to only higher volume shops - the florist to florist thing, with no 1800 arr's? This rep didn't tell me anything like that ... I dread the 29.99 orders that always show up to us when the holiday is hot and heavy, and no one else will take them.(which we promptly ask for $ increase or cancel)
I asked him at what point they think there is enough representation in any given town. He said there is no set formula, he just didn't want to have too many so that the incoming orders were too spread out. Also said they are at about 10,000 members, with a cap of 12,000, they don't want an FTD/Teleflora type situation. Think that's true?
I would never have considered them, but maybe ..... :dunno:
Eric S
Demoted Webmaster
By accepting any WS you will be accepting orders to be filled in your area. Who cares if the florist down the street is doing it. If you are marketing your business then the consumer is finding you. The options for advertising today are abundint to keep your cost down. For any florist to contribute 27% to 29% of each order plus fees because they think its cheaper then to invest the same money into website deveopment, directory listings, ppc, yellow pages, radio, or even tv makes no since.
The last 6 months there seems to be shift of more florist looking into switching ws instead of getting rid of. Even in our area I see a handfull of floirst that have just switched ws. Does it make me think that getting rid of the $10,000 to $20,000 in orders every month two years ago was a mistake? No way because now I see those orders replaced by my own customers. Two years ago I saw 30% of our sales incoming. Today it is 100% ours. Even the checks to the State of California for Sales tax is higher then I have ever seen. For those that keep saying well this is how I am going to build my business and get the word out. B>S I have looked and there is not one customer out of thousands of incoming orders that are repeat customers from those orders today at out store.
I remeber our first year with bloomnet and we had customers calling telling us that the arrangement they recieved from us was beautiful and that they were glad that "1800 flowers had found a good florist because my husband only orders from them!" 800flowers thats great they didn't say Everyday Flowers they still said 800flowers. Even though business cards, post cards, the card greeting, and the carry out box had our name on it and website address it was still an 800flowers product and brand.
It is their customer and always will be until this madness stops..
The last 6 months there seems to be shift of more florist looking into switching ws instead of getting rid of. Even in our area I see a handfull of floirst that have just switched ws. Does it make me think that getting rid of the $10,000 to $20,000 in orders every month two years ago was a mistake? No way because now I see those orders replaced by my own customers. Two years ago I saw 30% of our sales incoming. Today it is 100% ours. Even the checks to the State of California for Sales tax is higher then I have ever seen. For those that keep saying well this is how I am going to build my business and get the word out. B>S I have looked and there is not one customer out of thousands of incoming orders that are repeat customers from those orders today at out store.
I remeber our first year with bloomnet and we had customers calling telling us that the arrangement they recieved from us was beautiful and that they were glad that "1800 flowers had found a good florist because my husband only orders from them!" 800flowers thats great they didn't say Everyday Flowers they still said 800flowers. Even though business cards, post cards, the card greeting, and the carry out box had our name on it and website address it was still an 800flowers product and brand.
It is their customer and always will be until this madness stops..
Tracy D'Amico
Well-Known Member
Eric S said:
um, emphasis mine.
Forgive me Flowerchat, for I have sinned. I have committed the sin of complacency in trying to sit back and let others market their business under my roof. My penance will be 10 ice cream soda arrangements.
Thank you Eric, for the inspiring words, they were like cold water in my face.
tracy
BOSS
FlowerChat Administrator
:dunno:Tracypieface said:
I don't know, I said that I would not accept $29.00 nor "company orders"...
I'll know more after "lunch" after MD...
NavyBrat
Well-Known Member
What the????
Hey Mark,
Am I missing something here? Why are you considering filling orders for Bloomnet? I thought you were against OG's??? I thought you were my role model? What is a REAL FLORIST?
BOSS said:
Hey Mark,
Am I missing something here? Why are you considering filling orders for Bloomnet? I thought you were against OG's??? I thought you were my role model? What is a REAL FLORIST?
Not so bad
I know most of the florist on here just want to laugh at me or yell at me for defending Bloomnet, but I have had them for a year now and really like them. I haven't the big fees that my florist friends pay with FTD, I can order product IF I WANT (not forced) and it is pretty good quality, even the fresh. I carry only a small amount of the codified containers but there are cute and I can sell them in shop as well.
NOW the one bad thing is they often do not include enough money for delivery once you have subtracted the cost of flowers, the container and the wire service, but I have been pleased with them granting me price changes when I ask for them. We are the only shop in my county with Bloomnet, but the counties to the north and south have 2 Bloomnet shops in each of them. I was told by my rep that they will never put more than 3 in a county. I was called by telefloral last month asking for me to join them, I asked how many shops in my town had them and how many orders they sent that shop, it was 1/3 what I get from Bloomnet and if I were to join them, I would be splitting that with the other shop in town. NOT!!!
So say what you will, I get a check EVERY month from them not like most shops having to write a check to the wire company.
I know most of the florist on here just want to laugh at me or yell at me for defending Bloomnet, but I have had them for a year now and really like them. I haven't the big fees that my florist friends pay with FTD, I can order product IF I WANT (not forced) and it is pretty good quality, even the fresh. I carry only a small amount of the codified containers but there are cute and I can sell them in shop as well.
NOW the one bad thing is they often do not include enough money for delivery once you have subtracted the cost of flowers, the container and the wire service, but I have been pleased with them granting me price changes when I ask for them. We are the only shop in my county with Bloomnet, but the counties to the north and south have 2 Bloomnet shops in each of them. I was told by my rep that they will never put more than 3 in a county. I was called by telefloral last month asking for me to join them, I asked how many shops in my town had them and how many orders they sent that shop, it was 1/3 what I get from Bloomnet and if I were to join them, I would be splitting that with the other shop in town. NOT!!!
So say what you will, I get a check EVERY month from them not like most shops having to write a check to the wire company.
David
Well-Known Member
Did Mark say the rates are more appealing then TF/FTD? I think the individual florist would have to decide who's rates are truly better.Infinite said:
David
Well-Known Member
slcummins said:
I would conclude they will if they have the chance. No different then TEL/FTD. Just for fun ask the rep to put it writing.
Tracy D'Amico
Well-Known Member
I also asked the rep about saturation - there is one member in our town of 16,000 residents, and three in the immediate town south of us with 27,000 residents. All within the same county. I didn't ask about the other towns nearby. His explanation was that there is such demand for their products here, but he could not give a definitieve answer about how they deicde it is necessary to keep adding shops, or when they have enough coverage. Why are they so secretive about who members are? I had to guess at the shops that were members, he would not say. Weird. When I said I really had to think on it, speak with my husband (classic stalling technique I recently learned ) he said we could sign up right now, and post date the forms ....... salesman speak really turns me off, as soon as it becomes pushy shove-y, I tend to run the other way.
tracy
) he said we could sign up right now, and post date the forms ....... salesman speak really turns me off, as soon as it becomes pushy shove-y, I tend to run the other way. tracy
- Status