Do you help your competitors?

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busybee317

busybee317

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Jan 26, 2007
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3 Times in the past month, including ON MOTHER'S DAY, my competitors (I don't know what else to call them), who sell out of basement, one of they right across the street, came to my store and asked me for the following:

1. flower wrapping materials - because their's ran out;
2. my John Henry designer's hand book (I spent hundreds $$$ buying them), because they are only going to use it as a reference book, and do not want to keep it, so they want to borrow it for free.

What nerve!!! This bothered me so much to the point I couldn't sleep! Heck, I'm still shaking now typing this question to you all.

Do you lend your resources to competitors??

Does it make a difference if they weren't selling out of their basement, that would make them a fair competitor, right?

My husband thinks I should not discriminate against them not having a store because there are plenty of consultants that works out of the home. I don't think my problem is with them having or not having a store, but to think they are entitled to my help while competing for the same crowd.

Please share your thought & advise. Thanks a million.
 
Yes I help my competitors...

However, consulting is one thing, retailing is a whole other gig...
 
We loan vases and other stuff to a couple of flower shops nearby, but the expectation is that they would do the same when we need something. I don't see that happening in your case.

I don't think you should loan them anything. Sell it to them (the wrapping materials) at something approaching retail.

As far as loaning out one of our books -- that would never happen--period.
 
Loan books- NEVER. They don't leave the store period. Too much $$ wrapped into those babies.

Do I help out my fellow florist in our area. Yes, I Have a great group of friends in this biz that we buy together, trade back and forth and are there when we have emergencies.
 
I always try to help another florist if they need a few roses or lilies or whatever. Other shops' delivery drivers have asked if we could help them out when a ballon popped in the van, or a card got wet, etc.-always happy to help out.

I would never loan out my design books to anyone, basement betty or retail florist, brides, employees, anyone. I can't even believe they asked you to do that, they have some... uh, gumption.

Wrapping materials? I think I'd crack up laughing if they asked me. Maybe I'd sell them it but give it? No way. Professionals don't run out of wrapping supplies on a holiday.

Guess I'm hard too but a lot of thought and planning goes into capturing weddings and making holidays successful, they shouldn't expect to be bailed out by a professional who has done her planning.

Mary
 
I don't lend any books..wouldn't think of it.
supplies? well, if it's a 2 way street.. I have lent and borrowed extra greenery or smaller things as our supplier is a couple hours away and sometimes everyone gets in a pinch now and then..
Your case sounds like it's all you doing all the giving.. I would nip this right away or it may escalate to them asking for who knows what!
 
Basement Betty never.....

I charge Basement Betty full retail price for anything they call searching for, my theory is a bucks a buck. Unless it's a busy time and I could possibly short myself by letting a quantity of anything go.
As for other florists. If they are willing to scratch my back, I'll scratch theirs. about 50% of the florists in our city are willing to give and take, the rest just never have anything you need to beg, borrow or steal. Kinda funny. So the few times they have called me I had none of the things they wanted either. We have had suzy homemaker call and ask if she could buy the stuff to make corsages for prom cuz she had the flowers (Walmart specials) She just wanted the other stuff. I told her I didn't have any to spare, and that she might try walmart-- She said she didn't want to buy the quantity of each individual items that they sold, she just wanted to buy enough to do the job. I just wanted to reach thru the phone and strangle her. People are pretty cheap aren't they. We had another lady, call to see if we by chance could get 100 pink gerbs by the next day as the ones she had ordered online had come in dead. she needed them for her daughters wedding the next day and then she wasn't sure if she could get it together if we could even get the flowers. How much would we charge her to put them all together.??? When I told her what it would cost her she offered to have her sisters and older daughters come and help us to cut the cost, because that was way more than they had budgeted. I declined her offer of assistance and reaffirmed the price. she said she'd call back and I've never heard from her since. Gotta love people, don't ya..
 
I also would never lend a book to anyone.

Flowers and supplies only to florist. Most around here borrow back and forth.

Price Chopper has called us a couple of times. IF we can spare something we charge them RETAIL price.
 
I would help another REAL FLORIST -- and they have helped me many many times. It's a give & take world.

I am, however,NOT the lending library! If they need the books, they need to buy the books!

We, as florists, are some of the kindest & most generous people in the world -- our personalities are generous to a fault sometimes. That is why it is easy for some individuals to take advantage so easily.

However, if I borrow something, I always pay it back or replace it or make sure that I cover someone else in need.

It's a PAY IT FORWARD kind of approach -- you never know what you might need.

Regards,
Cheryl
 
I have traded back and forth with some of the shops here but there was one that was forever coming to get baby's breath, leather leaf, tree fern, a few stems of daisies...you get the idea. After the first few times, I sold them to her at retail and she was very perturbed with me. I politely told her I was not a wholesaler, the trucks were through that day, she should make sure she has flowers and supplies on hand.
Other shop decided to trade back some styro forms (that was years ago) that they had tried to make look like they were new (they had picked them up from the cemetery) No more trades with them...
Never, ever my books, design or handbooks.
 
I would agree to sell them what they need but not loan your resource books. Helping other shops when their driver needs a replacement vase or fix a broken rose I think thats great.

But what you discribed no!

Hey Ted you know if you need an emergency repair stop down here your more then welcome to come by. That includes any FC members out here in Orange County.
 
Of course, we scratch the backs for a lot of florists. We usually never need anything from another florist. This year was the first time in a long time. After Mothers Day we didn't get our rose shipment on the right day and we didn't want to go buy a whole pack from our wholesaler. So we called our neighbors, and they let us buy the roses wholesale from them :)

As for "basement" people, we would sell them stuff at full retail but never at wholesale like we do for florists.

Loan anything? We have never had to do that, always just purchasing.
 
There are several shops in my delivery pool that we ~buy~ and ~sell~ when needed. I just call and ask for their "wholesale department!" It's to everyone's advantage to have shops near you that work together.
 
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I don't have a problem helping another florist even selling them flowers or containers if needed. I would hope that if I ran out of something they would help me too. That is why I like this forum, so we can all share information & learn from each other. We cannot learn in this biz if we are afraid to reach out & share. I have even had prospective flower shop owners quiz me for my ideas & philosophies of the trade. In the big picture we are all in competition, the web places us everywhere. My customers may want flowers in your area, please share your talent with me! :)
 
I think I title the thread "do you help your competitor" for lacking of a better wording. I have no problem sharing my ideas & experiences with pretty much anyone, as much as I can anyways. I was just really bothered that they just come in to my store and almost demand to have my resources on the spot and for free. If I ever need help, I always ask non-assumingly, and prepare to leave at the 1st hint of no. The last inquiry that came in asking for John Henry books actually said that if I don't trust her to return the books, she can even leave a deposit and get her $ back when she brings the books back. I don't even know her!

Anyways, sorry for all the venting, no more of this stuff. I want to offer positive brain juice when I'm at FC, I thank all of you for your time/sharing/advise, you have helped shape me into a better florist.
 
Like most of you I would help a REAL florist, and have done. But the backyarders as we call them pay at least retail, more if I can get away with it. As to asking to borrow your book -what cheek!

I think it can actually be quite beneficial to help out your competitors - some people can be real nasty and this makes them less likely to @@@@@ about you to their customers (something I would never do - so unprofessional!). And you never know when you might need something from them.

I love it when you get the emergency call from someone who thought they could do wedding flowers when they know nothing about it - I get so smug hehe. Charge them top dollar and they wind having paid a heck of a lot more than if they'd just gone to a professional in the first place.
 
I agree, no, on the books. supplies, flowers and greens-- yes, we do if we can spare it till they can replace it. (sometimes, when I'm moody I do say no! because I feel like someone else said "i'm not your wholesaler" )
 
We hada shop in their final year or so, that was doing stuff like borrowing a single vase or 2 red roses at a time from us - yes we became their wholesaler cuz none of the wholesalers would deal with them any more (stung financially)

The handwriting was on the wall, and now they still operate, sort of, from their garage - they get their flowers at Costco, arrange them and do a couple deliveries a day.

they were a big incoming shop, LIVED for those 800 orders and used to brag to us about how many they were gettng. But this is the same shop that told me they got so many complaints on value on them, that they took to delivering in an unmarked van with unimprinted cards.

Yeah that's a sure formula for longevity. But they totally confused business with making a living.

No computer system - they could NOT figure out why they were going broke with all those orders - took the phone off the hook at VD too busy filling 800's kinda shop.

oh well.....

We have another one now that is completely stagnant, just waiting for them to give up the ghost of the shop it once was (since 1915 or something like that, once THE shop in town) They also often call us for single or 2 or 3 stems of flowers. We gladly help out.
 
I help out many florists in my area...with greens, flowers etc....Books on the other hand, they can buy them themselves...Crap on that, those babies are a lot of money and I keep up with the times. I am the only one in town with the new JH prom book and I'll be @@@@ed if someone else would borrow it to get the ideas out of it and give it back....

No way, no how....
 
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