Did you suspend your Mercury or Dove?

[ivygreen]

Three people have stated they turned off their machines...but only one person has voted YES.

Verrrry interesting indeeeed...

Maybe I should have voted yes, but I don't consider being down 1/2 hour early quite the same. We are a HEAVY filling shop at the holidays, and I don't have staff that can handle the rejects. I rejected only the worst of orders, and treated the rest llike my own. By mid day, when we normally close on Saturday, I shut them off to stop the stupid that started with objects we weren't coded for, and out of the way deliveries. I felt that the were rejects other area shops couldn't wouldn't handle. I turned down nothing by phone, after that, wire or not. I also finished my day by delivering myself 12 orders that were way out and it took well over two hours. Finished at 9:30. And 11 of them were wire orders. I think I did my fair share for my fellow florist.

 

[TOTO]

YES, back in 2004!

Yes, we did suspend our Mercury (rather small bob did) back in April of 2004) and after we Telegraphed our punch that, we bee leaving FTD just after Mother's Day of 2004. And, that was after WEE BEE FTD ONLY! since 1994! (20 years) And so, so much for Allegiance in THEIR WORLD! It comes down to EVERY REAL FLORIST for THEMSELVES!

Rejoined Teleflora, only to quit them TOO, in February of 2007 after they fired Gregg Coccari, the last of the REAL FLORISTS' FRIENDLY fore profit corporate CEOs.

This Mother's Day, we answered every customer call which came into our shop and filled every customer order which came through our Internet site. And, all at a full 100% in our coffers plus our $ervice charges, and NOT ONE COMPLAINT! We've always been THAT GOOD since 1969!

That, my Dear Friend, is called: TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS, albeit OUR OWN!

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm?

Let MEE SEE HEAR ANDY? Answer our Telephones and fill our customer's orders, at a full 100% plus our $ervice charges, or waste our time trying to triage out the JUNK ORDERS, sent via the Mercury or Dove from their OGs and DOT.CONs, at net seventy cents from their dollar, less NOTHING for our cost of delivery, LESS their annual dues and fees, thus equating to an additional incoming WS order acquisition charge, thus resulting in a net fifty cents from their dollars, thus resulting in CHUMP CHANGE to us, thus resulting in a LOSS on OUR SPREADSHEET!

OMG! I just don't know what I should doo? Please help mee understand what my priorities should be? That's a rhetorical question, YA THINK?

So, LET IT BE WRITTEN! So, LET IT BEE DOO-ED! lol

 

[shannonlovesflowers]

and see navy, as we are the only TF shop, the orders that we also politely refused with the same message just spins in TF que and gets sent right back to us. It's done over and over and over and over. Can drive the calmest of florists crazy.

BTW, when we found a florist with their dove off we would call the shop, and ask if they would take the order, most of the time they would because we are considerate to our fellow florists and we get a decent amount plus an open order aka designers choice.

/quote]

Shannon,

Agreed! The other shops in our town always shut down. If I receive the same order twice-I send "REF" message stating clearly that if the order is sent to us a third time, I will "REF" at my leisure. I don't play games. I understand your frustration, Shannon. We just choose to handle it differently. You don't have to keep justifying your position to me. Whatever works best for you is the way to handle it. I believe in keeping my machine turned on for florists who have legitimate orders. There's nothing more to it than that. This isn't a battle of who's right or wrong. You should run your business the way you see fit...bottom line.

oh I know, and I'm not justifying to you, just didn't know if you, or anyone else for that matter, knew that they pulled that crazy stuff on us one tf shop towns. I think it's great that you have the capabilities to never have to shut it down, That's awesome. You go girl!!

 

[NavyBrat]

Hello all,
Seems I must be lost, as I wound up here, in this thread !!!!!!!!!!!

OK only kidding !

Think we're all frazzled and tired.
I know I am, as we just now closed the doors, signed out the last driver, and actually gonna walk outa here soon.

I ran full out with all three WS until late last night. 800 orders were not ever in the picture for today, and we kept the other two on.

DIANE------------I'm alive ! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
As NavyBrat can tell you all, it was a tough holiday week for us.
We took serious hits due to staffing in all areas, as a result of attitudes, sickness and employee family member deaths.
Figure we ran on 50-60% of normal staffing.

I got quite ill, maybe had a minor ticker wake up call, and had to pick up a lot of slack, make unpopular decisions, and quite honestly work my staff like dogs until 7:30 tonight. At 47 I'm not quite ready to kick off so I figured the big guy upstairs was just sending me a message to WAKE UP, so I kept on going !
( Staff, including drivers all mutinied at 11:30 yesterday morning, as one "PRO", undermined the whole thing.)
Without boring you with the details, I ignored their pleas, told everyone that they were underestimating me and their abilities, and reminded each and every one where the door was.
No-one packed and left !
Every order that came in was filled, every delivery that could be made, was made, every confirmation that the 5 friends that ( just showed up to help) is complete, and the bad addresses etc ( which were the worst I've ever seen ), are 80% complete. ( hours on bad AD's etc....)

Walkin started at 7 AM and the bursts were almost too much to handle.
Stronger than in the last three years I think at this point.
A big surprise in this economy IMHO !
Many orders over 75, which made me quite happy.
Sold out on most, including the doggie TF and FTD codified things that didn't generate orders.

In short............we, ( all ), made it through, we're alive, have a lot to be thankful for, and need each other to be strong, to face the tough times ahead.

Proud to be an FC Member !

PS Thanks TOTO I saw what ya did for me ! Sempre Fi brother !!!!!!!

Kev,

Rock on, good buddy! I've been worried about your state of health! Glad to hear you are alive and kickin'!!! Hope Tiki is feeling well, too. Will chat one on one next week. Now...go rest and give that pup a hug from Di!

 

[CHR]

I certainly could have spent this time more productively, but we are a large sending shop and I feel I owe the courtesy to other florists to ~stay on!~

And I'm guessing that's a big part of the reason why you and Twila-JB leave yours on. You also need to be able to receive INQs and D-Cons from the outgoings.

What's your ratio of Outs to Ins via WS sending systems?

Since MAS can't send via Dove, we call or re-type into it. Either is a real pain, but - hey - it's my choice. As of yesterday, we only called out since since the idea of our orders bouncing to B-grade shops (or worse) via Dove was unappealing. (I know we can set 'Z', but the bounce back is slow.)

Anyway.... I guess the perspective has a bit to do with the ratio of outgoings/incomings via the system.

 

[shannonlovesflowers]

Shannon,

Thanks so much! May I now inquire why you don't do this yourself to prevent the problems you mentioned?

I do my dear, and as i stated above, somehow they keep getting through. I've called TFHQTS and asked WTH. They don't care. It filters some but not all, I haven't shut down TFHQTS yet though!!lol

 

[MANORVILLE]

Heck Diane, ya know me better than that !
Still chuggin along, and watching this thread while I work.

Just wish that everybody was happy !

Feeling better by the way, but Tiki is 50/50.

 

[MANORVILLE]

Though not appropriate for this thread...............

'
Hope all that are viewing had a great holiday, and those that are Mother's had the opportunity to enjoy a part of the day with their families.

 

[TOTO]

Hey KEVIN, be careful my Friend!

Hello all,
Seems I must be lost, as I wound up here, in this thread !!!!!!!!!!!

OK only kidding !

Think we're all frazzled and tired.
I know I am, as we just now closed the doors, signed out the last driver, and actually gonna walk outa here soon.

I ran full out with all three WS until late last night. 800 orders were not ever in the picture for today, and we kept the other two on.

DIANE------------I'm alive ! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
As NavyBrat can tell you all, it was a tough holiday week for us.
We took serious hits due to staffing in all areas, as a result of attitudes, sickness and employee family member deaths.
Figure we ran on 50-60% of normal staffing.

I got quite ill, maybe had a minor ticker wake up call, and had to pick up a lot of slack, make unpopular decisions, and quite honestly work my staff like dogs until 7:30 tonight. At 47 I'm not quite ready to kick off so I figured the big guy upstairs was just sending me a message to WAKE UP, so I kept on going !
( Staff, including drivers all mutinied at 11:30 yesterday morning, as one "PRO", undermined the whole thing.)
Without boring you with the details, I ignored their pleas, told everyone that they were underestimating me and their abilities, and reminded each and every one where the door was.
No-one packed and left !
Every order that came in was filled, every delivery that could be made, was made, every confirmation that the 5 friends that ( just showed up to help) is complete, and the bad addresses etc ( which were the worst I've ever seen ), are 80% complete. ( hours on bad AD's etc....)

Walkin started at 7 AM and the bursts were almost too much to handle.
Stronger than in the last three years I think at this point.
A big surprise in this economy IMHO !
Many orders over 75, which made me quite happy.
Sold out on most, including the doggie TF and FTD codified things that didn't generate orders.

In short............we, ( all ), made it through, we're alive, have a lot to be thankful for, and need each other to be strong, to face the tough times ahead.

Proud to be an FC Member !

PS Thanks TOTO I saw what ya did for me ! Sempre Fi brother !!!!!!!

That was a warning to you Kevin! Get yourself checked out real soon!

Back in 1980, my neighbor, who lived across from our home, had a warning too! One day, he couldn't catch his breath, and sat in his kitchen, until the episode passed. He did not go to his Doctor.

A few days later, and according to his wife, he could not catch his breath again, ran out of the house into his driveway, and simply DROPPED DEAD! The really sad part was that, he was a LIFE INSURANCE SALESMAN. In fact, he sold me a whole life insurance policy, and according to his wife, HAD NO LIFE INSURANCE for HIMSELF! OMG!

Anyway, your help scenario was a HORROR, which resulted in a ridiculous amount of pressure put on you! That, in turn, resulted in added ANXIETY, which sent your blood pressure through the roof, which resulted in your ticker sending a message to your brain that, any more pressure from you, and I'M GOING TO QUIT TICKING!

Being FOREWARNED is FOREARMED, and let it be a WARNING!

You can't do everything for everyone, and the more you try, the less you can doo!

Ask yourself the one big question? If Kevin was GONE TOMORROW, what would happen to Kevin's business?

If there is NO ONE to CARRY ON, then my friend, you had better take better care of yourself and concentrate on the BUSINESS which is most valuable and PROFITABLE TO YOU!

WEE TOO, and back in the day (pre-1984-skimmer, og, and dot.con) were most proud, in the fact that, we NEVER TURNED OFF our MERCURY! We filled EACH and EVERY ORDER from every other REAL FLORIST which was printed out on our side.

In retrospect, and looking back at OUR MISSION now, the Lovely Linda and I, have to ask ourselves the question: And, what did our devotion to duty, get us in the end and after all of OUR DOO WAS DONE?

NADDA, NOTHING, ZIPPO, my friend! No awards, no extra dollars, no plaques, and no kudos or accolades, from the WS we LOVED and SERVED SO WELL!

And so, my advice to you is SIMPLE! Cut your level of grief and aggravation while lowering your blood pressure, to ensure that, KEVIN will be ALIVE and WELL to service his customers with their 100% sales and your $ervice charges, and triage out the JUNK from your daily routine, otherwise, the price you pay, will be paid DEARLY!

On the flip side, I personally delivered your floral tribute to your dispatcher who had the broken femur, due to his accident with his trail bike. I told him that, Kevin sent me, and you didn't care what his problem was since, you needed him back in your shop for Mother's Day!

His Dad was by his side, and I told both of them that, both Linda and I hated BIKES since, they are too dangerous, and we know of too many people who have died, or suffered MAJOR personal injuries from riding them, to include AMPUTATIONS of LEGS, or other body parts.

Our own son, a POLICE OFFICER, insists on riding them, and both of us hate the fact that, he does! We know of two other Police Officers, one who died, and another one who lost part of his leg, in recent bike accidents, where they were driving safely, only to be hit by automobiles, who just didn't see them!

Semper Fi!
John and Linda

 

[Tom Carlson]

Preserving our Cornerstone, exchanging orders

We never turn down orders unless we are out of stock or do not have design and/or delivery staff. I don't design, but I can deliver, I can dress up a plant. If what we can do will satisfy the sender, we do it.

Here is my perspective. Although wire orders are a small percent of our total sales, they are the cornerstone of the retail florist industry. Poachers are doing everything that promises to be destructive to this side of the flower industry. Greed is taking a toll. Therefore the Real Florist has to do everything within his/her power to preserve the cornerstone which is the ability for consumers to have flowers delivered outside our delivery area via our exchanging orders.

Saturday morning, I gave a customer the name and phone number of a florist in Salem NH and seized the opportunity to tell her about Order Gatherers. I said if she felt a need for help, she can pay us our $6.95 fee and we would service her needs. And I added that when it is this late it is better for her to deal directly with a Real Florist who can tell her exactly what they can and will do. SHE WILL BE A SOLID CUSTOMER FOR OUR SHOP.

DON'T DELETE, FILL FOR THE FUTURE.

 

[MANORVILLE]

Ya know people, this is what it's all about !

Maybe that's why I'm here, in the shop, still working, so committed to everyone, but me !

TOTO, ...........my friend,......... who one day I will meet...............Thank you !
You...........................made my night !

Every now and then I make a quote, which is so much a part of life, that so few realize, I think, in these times.
"Sempre Fi",,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

It means a lot to those of us that lived the life, and the flame never goes away, and it never will !

TOTO............YOU ROCK !

 

[shannonlovesflowers]

for the person who just gave me a red dot and said "chill out it's not all about you in other's minds" obviously didn't understand my post. It goes beyond just me and the shop I manage, I was speaking up for the other shops who are in the same boat as me and are too afraid to speak up.
I even had one lady pm me and tell me that comment insulted lots of people. I know not everything is about me, But for all of us who did have to shut the dove down we still feel we are real florists. and I'm sure Navybrat didn't mean to insult anybody. Neither did I.

But if you give a red dot, sign it.

 

[bloomz]

Hello all,
Seems I must be lost, as I wound up here, in this thread !!!!!!!!!!!

I bet you got autoforwarded here.

Shannon,

Thanks so much! May I now inquire why you don't do this yourself to prevent the problems you mentioned?

I was wondering that too - you have it, why not use it? Many of the problems I've read in this thread could be solved with it,their orders would no longer forward to you.
But I think many more enjoy griping about it - that's ok too. I enjoyed griping about the jf order I got 6 times. Bbut when you suspend to shut down FU Flowers, you also shut down your fellow florists. And, possibly disappoint flower customers. Mother's Day is a huge wire holiday. It's the way it is. And I am a firm believer if you suspend incoming you should suspend outgoing too, ethically. (remember the puke I mean guy Twila mentioned a the top member deal who had such a great VD because he suspended a week early - yet still sent all week?)

And I'm guessing that's a big part of the reason why you and Twila-JB leave yours on. You also need to be able to receive INQs and D-Cons from the outgoings.

No you still get all those messages even if the mercury is suspended. It only suspends incoming orders.

Unless one is one of those that thinks turning off the computer suspends them (yes we've encountered those). Even had one once that just shut off the printer. A better choice would have been to just put head under pillow I think.

:ssmoke

By the way - I'm with Navybrat - if you belong to wire services and suspend at holidays, well.....?????

 

[CHR]

Ya' know, the Ritz Carlton shuts off Travelocity and Orbitz when they've reached discounted room capacity.

Does that mean they're not a real hotel?

 

[clay]

For the first time since I have been at the shop, we did not have to shut it/them down for Mother's Day.

 

[bloomz]

Ya' know, the Ritz Carlton shuts off Travelocity and Orbitz when they've reached discounted room capacity.

Does that mean they're not a real hotel?

I think it means they do good math, and understand capacity and allowed profitable percentage of discounted business.

Way above most florists heads.

Don't you agreee?


I'll go a bit out on a limb here and make one of my usual controversial statements:

Mother's Day is a huge wire holiday, the biggest we have in our industry - it's the way it is.

Are you a part of helping customers, flower consumers (and the industry) by making sure Mothers get their flowers, or not?

Incoming wires and outgoing wires are serving flower consumers, and our industry - no matter where they order them.

Are you part of the solution or part of the problem?

Suspending to stop FU flowers is part of the problem.





by the way - our incoming wire sales were up 24% - the only order refused was the JF order 40 miles away.

 

[CHR]

for the person who just gave me a red dot

Is the new litmus test for FC that the Merc/Dove has to stay on to be a 'real florist'?

 

[shannonlovesflowers]

Ya' know, the Ritz Carlton shuts off Travelocity and Orbitz when they've reached discounted room capacity.

Does that mean they're not a real hotel?

WHOO HOO!!! GO CATHY!!!!!

and bloomzers,
I explained that I have put 'em on the list but SOMEHOW they still get through.

 

[CHR]

No you still get all those messages even if the mercury is suspended. It only suspends incoming orders.

I don't believe it's the same for Dove, is it?

 

[Knife's Wife]

Question to those who shut down mercury or dove.... Do you also shut your front door and take the phones off the hook? I personally see no difference?? If you can't handle anymore, than you can't handle any more! Not trying to be confrontational....

Joan