FTD and A New Paradigm - One Consumer's Opinion

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CHR

CHR

Design matters
Nov 28, 2002
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This blog post made today's Google news feed. A couple excerpts:
So let me make sure everyone, off the bat, understands one thing. FTD doesn’t sell flowers. They don’t make flower arrangements, they don’t deliver flowers, and they don’t own any flower shops. They are only one thing: an order fulfillment service.
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FTD takes their credit card info, for a $50 arrangement, tacks on $10-20 in fees, plus a $10 delivery fee, and sends the order to one of the florists in their network. They don’t particularly care if the florist is wonderful or simply adequate, they’re just looking to pass along an order and get their commission. As a consumer, you’re getting a $50 arrangement for $80, but since you don’t know the florists in California, you know you’re getting an adequate product, but without having to know the reputation of the florist you’re working with.
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Five years ago, before the internet had reached its current level, FTD was an indispensible tool in sending flowers to someone across the country. Now, it’s a wasteful middleman who serves no purpose. It will take a couple years for that message to reach down to the average person like me, who– without having a friend in the business– wouldn’t have had a clue about the flower industry, but it is something that can easily change over time.
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Some will say this is 'airing dirty laundry' and 'bad for the industry' except it's written by a consumer, not a florist.

Would love to know who the Best Man at this guy's wedding was.
 
THis type of stuff will continue to spread, and the thing is, it'll gain speed too....
 
Except it's not all factual ...

1) FTD does delivery flowers. So many here are complaining about the fact that FTD does drop-ship.

2) This may have changed, but last I checked on FTD.com there was an $11.99 service charge, but no additional delivery charge unless you ask for special service. The customer's estimate of "$80 for a $50 arr" should be more like $61.99 for a $50 arr inclusive of delivery.

Before the anti-WS crew gets fired up (You five know who I'm talking about!) I'm not defending anything, just trying to deal with facts.

Ryan
 
No they dont

Infinite said:
Except it's not all factual ...

1) FTD does delivery flowers. So many here are complaining about the fact that FTD does drop-ship.

Ryan
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Ryan disagree with you. Retail florists and supermarkets that are members of FTD deliver flowers.. Unless they now have a flowershop I don't know about

Hal
 
FTD does sell direct to the consumer, delivery through overnight carrier (as we all know).

But, I see this as bad for the industry. Yes, this thinking IS spreading - get customers calling us directly all the time! But, I see this type of message over stating the middleman "fees" as an issue. Yes the fees are there, and not clearly explained to the consumer by MANY og's. But over exaggerating them in any way, shape, or form does no one good - FTD or Florist - since many consumers equate one with the other. The FTD of years gone back worked fine. Now the company is damaging the very industry that it relies on to exist.

- H.
 
So let me make sure everyone, off the bat, understands one thing. FTD does’t sell flowers. They don’t make flower arrangements, they don’t deliver flowers, and they don’t own any flower shops. They are only one thing: an order fulfillment service.

Ha...and such is verification of my new favorite acronym, order transfer system (OTS)

Five years ago, before the internet had reached its current level, FTD was an indispensable tool in sending flowers to someone across the country. Now, it’s a wasteful middleman who serves no purpose.

Jesus, who wrote this, me??? I don't know how many times I've evangelized about this exact issue here on FC...yes folks the times-are-a-changing!
 
Can you link us that blog Cathy?

Hal, I agree with Ryan, where ya been? Do you not know I've been posting FTD's Drop ship business, which is filled by a Miami compnay named Glacier Gardens starting 2 years ago? GG also fills for the other big boys minus Proflowers. FYI - www.butterfieldblooms.com Hal.

Or maybe you pass over my long winded gibberish that can't be true.

THis type of stuff will continue to spread, and the thing is, it'll gain speed too....
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Agreed Mark1 (Mark2 is 12ducks). FTD knows it too, hence such practices as BFB and super markets.

But, I see this as bad for the industry.
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Maybe for your industry Herb, for mine... WOOOoooooHOOOOOO!!!!! Whoever wrote that helped my florist. Down with FTD and their sickening ways to our industy! I prasie the day FTD falls to their knees and pays for their poor Karma to its members and our industy. Customers evolve, as capitalism and as I have said in the past, the term middleman will be a word my grand children will study in a business history class.
 
Infinite said:
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The customer's estimate of "$80 for a $50 arr" should be more like $61.99 for a $50 arr inclusive of delivery.

Before the anti-WS crew gets fired up (You five know who I'm talking about!) I'm not defending anything, just trying to deal with facts.
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Well, CHR left out another juicy tidbit from the blog...

And the individual florists have ample reason to try to game the system, because they’re spending boatloads of money to be a member of the FTD network, and want to ensure it generates a positive cash flow.
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And let's not call the blogger simply a customer, but rather someone...

...(who) spent several years working for FTD (along with one of it’s subsidiaries, Flowers All Hours). Since we regularly chat about business, and the various business models our companies followed, I have a more-than-rudimentary understanding of how FTD works. Thankfully, he’s moved on to greener pastures, so if I illuminate people as to how their business works, it’s no skin off him.
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This individual obviously has first hand knowledge of the all-to-common practice of under filling orders to keep the sale profitable, so simply condemning his informed opinion is not fair to all of us Independent "Real Florists" who see the wires as an competitor, not a partner.

Thanks for the link, CHR...will be using this as the first article in my shop's blog to help remind my customers that calling direct is the only way to go...
 
what

Dazeal said:
Can you link us that blog Cathy?

Hal, I agree with Ryan, where ya been? Do you not know I've been posting FTD's Drop ship business, which is filled by a Miami compnay named Glacier Gardens starting 2 years ago? GG also fills for the other big boys minus Proflowers. FYI - www.butterfieldblooms.com Hal.
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MENTAL GYMNASTICS... DROP SHIP IS SIMPLY THAT DROP SHIP... Trust me I'm not sticking up for FTD but they don't physically deliver flowers. THEY Provide a SERVICE FOR THEIR CUSTOMERS whether it be drop ship or retail florist. Unless of course they own the company. I have known about Butterfield Blooms since its inception.
 
Infinite said:
1) FTD does delivery flowers. So many here are complaining about the fact that FTD does drop-ship.
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I definitely agree with Hal and the blog's original statement. FTD is a drop shipper - they 'deliver' nothing and assume no responsibility for any retail inventory until product is sold. "They are an order fulfillment service."

2) This may have changed, but last I checked on FTD.com there was an $11.99 service charge, but no additional delivery charge unless you ask for special service. The customer's estimate of "$80 for a $50 arr" should be more like $61.99 for a $50 arr inclusive of delivery.
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Ryan, the lack of itemization is so consumers think the 'service charge' is paying for delivery. We all know that florists deduct their delivery charges from the $50, reducing the product by $6-10 so now we're down to a $40-44 arrangement for $62 spent on FTD.com. Let's call it a "$70 for a $50 arr".

Also, what about the tax deductions Canadian florists have to take off each order prior to fulfillment? How much does that reduce the flowers per arrangement?

Before the anti-WS crew gets fired up (You five know who I'm talking about!)
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Hope you're not talking about me. I'm not anti-wire service, I'm pro-florist and pro-truth in advertising.

12Bucks - the author didn't work for FTD, the Best Man at his wedding did.

Brandon - I put the link in my first post but here it is again: http://www.thelibertypapers.org/2006/06/13/a-new-paradigm-replacing-the-old/ .

Herb - Misleading consumers by hiding fees, misrepresenting services or locations, or displaying products that won't be filled as shown are doing damage every day. Didn't you mention yesterday how 1-800 tells members it's OK to sub a clear vase on the $29.99 version of their Plum Crazy arrangement? Don't you think they should make it very clear to the consumers as well?

All these issues boil down to trust. That's what a brand is supposed to be all about - a trustworthy symbol that stands for something. The writer is asserting that the FTD.com brand in its current form stands for bloated middlemen. I think he well made his case.
 
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yes !!!

CHR said:
All these issues boil down to trust. That's what a brand is supposed to be all about - a trustworthy symbol that stands for something. The writer is asserting that the FTD.com brand in its current form stands for bloated middlemen. I think he well made his case.
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This is and always will be the absolute bottom line...
 
And for FAH at that - it's a call centre, making minimum wage. Hardly insider knowledge.

Oops, that's second hand minimum wage call centre knowledge.

Ryan
 
Infinite said:
And for FAH at that - it's a call centre, making minimum wage. Hardly insider knowledge.
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Well now wait...it was said his best friend/man worked BOTH directly for FTD and FAH, and no mention of the wage or employment level, so I think that's a little unfair. Also, the guy is obviously pretty bright, as his analogy and analysis of the changes in the travel industry are both insightful and aligned very well with current state of things in the out-of-area floral order world.

He is both bright and articulate...sorry his thinking so destroys the WS paradigm.
 
They don’t particularly care if the florist is wonderful or simply adequate, they’re just looking to pass along an order and get their commission.
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Were that statement untrue, there would be only a few members in each community - and none in some. Minimum wage call center help (only doing what they're told) or exec level (instructing the minimum wage help to do as they're told), that 'insider' knowledge is true.
 
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Trust

CHR said:
All these issues boil down to trust. That's what a brand is supposed to be all about - a trustworthy symbol that stands for something. The writer is asserting that the FTD.com brand in its current form stands for bloated middlemen. I think he well made his case.
Click to expand...

Cathy, I agree 100%. Unfortunately things will get worse before they get better.
 
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