Flower Shop License - What do you think?

[anytimeflowers]

My sister told me about this segment several months ago, but I never had time (or remembered) to hunt for it.

I don't really know how to get a clip from this clip, so I just am pasting the link to the whole episode.

I would imagine there are going to be several different opinions.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0JGu4tlmmk

 

[Rhonda]

I saw the women in Louisianna who were "highlighted" on that show on a news program one night. They complained about taking the test and having competitor's judge their scores therefore failing the exam. The State of LA does have licensing mandatory I still believe..... And yes, some ways I can see it (consumer protection?) and some ways I can't.... It is unfair to compare an architect to a florist though - way too much dramatic from John Stossell (and I like him)...... you can't compare the two professions - one is concerning people's welfare the other is judgmental design pleasure.

 

[lori042499]

I can agree to a point on licensing because there are just so many people out there that just don't know their ass from their elbow regarding flowers...Those woman in particular probably wouldn't know how to make a cascade bouquet, but they would probably never try to sell one either, they sell what they know, it doesn't make them bad, just less knowledgable than others, I deal with many florists in my neighborhood that are one trick ponies and many customers don't know it until they get the same arrangement for years and want something different and they cannot do it....
I don't think licensing would get rid of the bad florists, bad florists will always be around, just like there are bad doctors and bad hairstylists, they have licenses and still practice...but it would help thin the herd and keep all the useless people from buying cooler and opening up shop with little to no training, maybe...It may help keep silly competition to a minimum..

 

[conchandler]

Yes, I agree with Lori that it could thin out the field, but will not eliminate all bad florists (?). Not to derail, but just last week, an out-of-state customer called who was told by her local florist to order a "european garden" for a funeral in town. She called me after speaking with another florist in town, who she said she had no confidence in, when he asked her if she would need mulch with that. To be fair, he's run a nice garden center for years, and only recently jumped into the wire services to sell flowers/arrangements, but just doesn't have the floral training. Good for me, though, I got a nice sale.

 

[BOSS]

While I think a program to teach and train future florists would be a very good thing for the industry, I'm a little leery of licensing as we do doctors and such these days. Many good designers would likely fail the written test. (Myself leading the pack)
________________________
BOSS<<<<Devils advocate

The wire services will fight this at every turn, they would lose too much coverage in small town USA, as many would simply throw in the towel rather than try to gain accreditation to further their craft.

 

[sophiejs]

Or, just like a lot of 'licenses' and degrees, sooner or later you could just buy them on the internet...

 

[Carol Bice]

Just think about all the really bad hairdresser out there that has a license .....

The same thing would happen in the floral industry. When I used to inspect shops for FTD, years ago, I went into some real desperate situations with the worst possible designers. If I did not pass them, then FTD would let them in a few weeks later (after they supposedly improved their shop)

Some of the other wire services would sign up any body that was still alive and breathing, no matter where they had their business.

 

[RWK]

What we really need to do.....( and i have no clue in how to start ) ..... is to get certifications....like AIFD, like TMF, like PFCI.....to not only mean something to the florist, but also to the consumer.....so that they have some sort of quality recognition to help them choose a well managed, well run, true professional florist.

You could liken it to a product having the 'good housekeeping seal' for example. Something like that to give the customer a mark to see....a mark of excellence.

 

[Eric S]

I think that our industry should never be regulated. My wife started out working for a flower shop 20 plus years ago. She has never wanted to get any type of certifications because she feels that she doesn't need some one to tell her what she should sell.

Customers tell us what they want and it's up to us to listen to them.

 

[Eric S]

I think that our industry should never be regulated. My wife started out working for a flower shop 20 plus years ago. She has never wanted to get any type of certifications because she feels that she doesn't need some one to tell her what she should sell.

Customers tell us what they want and it's up to us to listen to them.

 

[OB1]

I'm not so sure that licencing is a bad idea.
There's no doubt that there would still be bad florists. Just like bad plumbers or whatever. Like any new idea, it would probably take a generation to weed out the grandfathered in people, before it would be mandatory for a florist to recieve a certain education before being legally allowed to purchase a florist licence.etc., there would be a distinction between the pro and the basement betty wanna be.
But where it may help is to put a restriction on the basement betty who buys a coke cooler, and puts it in her basement, and calls herself a florist.
If there were some sort of licencing, then she could still buy the coke cooler, and tell her friends, but she could not call herself a florist. So when it would come to, say the venue, perhaps the venue would decree that only licenced florists could provide the flowers.
My biggest problem is with people who present themselves as florists, but in reality work from their home, and do not pay all the associated taxes and fees that the rest of us must pay. In my case, that would be Provincial sales tax, federal sales tax, Canada Pension Plan, Unimployment insurace premiums, Federal accident insurance premiums, Commercial Property tax, Commercial Garbage Pick up fee, Commercial mortage rates on mortaged properties, legal minimum wage regulations,
and probably more than I can think of. If licences were mandatory, it would help to narrow the gap between the fees paid by legitimare business vs. an underground illegal businesses. It would also help colleges and universities understand the necessity of providing full education, as per the european model, for people wanting to enter the floral BUSINESS world.
JP