PhillyPhlorist
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The planets must be in some kind of weird alignment 'cause we're agreeing on TOO many things...
- H.
FTD delivers quality?
- Thread starter Bigted
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The planets must be in some kind of weird alignment 'cause we're agreeing on TOO many things...
- H.
I know it and those last 2 posts of yours were both most excellent.
I find it reall funny too - people gonna quit if they make them be professional in their order handling. How dare they??? Next thing they're gonna be demaning we use quality flowers too.
Geez, don't let the door hit you in the ass - K?
I find it reall funny too - people gonna quit if they make them be professional in their order handling. How dare they??? Next thing they're gonna be demaning we use quality flowers too.
Geez, don't let the door hit you in the ass - K?
Jon, I really think you've gone off the deep end here. We will see how this plays out next week--but I seriously doubt if the program turns out to be good overall--even if it does address some bad practices by a few bad florists. Overall, this is a scam and will hurt the FTD system--and you can take that to the bank.
BOSS
FlowerChat Administrator
Um Herb, that ASK would make it sit at the originating shop that's collecting 20%+rebate for doing next to nothing... and by the way, FTD.com is THE WORST at answering ASK's...
Some of those ASKs are sent to clarify info about funeral services, hospital patients and bad addresses.
Now every florist in town can lay eyes on a order, know it's wrong and make it someone elses' problem, too.
Now every florist in town can lay eyes on a order, know it's wrong and make it someone elses' problem, too.
PhillyPhlorist
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Ahh, the hypotheticals ....
All I'm sayin' is that the ASK should be used instead of an instant REJ. If you don't get the needed info, either call the shop or REJ the order. If you FORward the order, you can change the address info, I believe, and the new shop will get the new info on the order. Not sure on this, since so rarely done, but I think this is the case. (yes, you must REJ a .com order...but, that's how they want to play the game, so....)
BOSS-dude - totally agreee, .COM is the worst. SOOO...if you accept their orders in the first place, know that you may be REJecting it upon receipt. Geeze, we've been doing that for months now - especially when order doesn't give enough $$$.
- H.
All I'm sayin' is that the ASK should be used instead of an instant REJ. If you don't get the needed info, either call the shop or REJ the order. If you FORward the order, you can change the address info, I believe, and the new shop will get the new info on the order. Not sure on this, since so rarely done, but I think this is the case. (yes, you must REJ a .com order...but, that's how they want to play the game, so....)
BOSS-dude - totally agreee, .COM is the worst. SOOO...if you accept their orders in the first place, know that you may be REJecting it upon receipt. Geeze, we've been doing that for months now - especially when order doesn't give enough $$$.
- H.
It wouldn't be the first time, and please tell me how I'm gonna take that to the bank, unless you would be talking about the customers it may save me (and you).
Overalll I still think this is a great idea - in execution it may and likely will have its foibles, and I DO think an ask should stop the clock. But I coulda used it several times alread this month (I know, biggest wire month of the year)
But I'm taking a lesson from what you already said - asks will now get a time limit. And I will be more hair triggered on forwarding as well.
But I'm not one sitting around waiting for the mercury to bring me business, like a zillion shops are (not talking about you Ted). Those shops will be the ones that need to pay attention - but I got a funny feeling that those zillions didn't even read the letter and most of them probably won't even notice it on their statements.
Ahhh but somebody is gonna be sitting there waiting for it, and are glad to have orders period.
Sad but true statement. They let everyone else do their marketing for them.
Whatever I don't want I forward to another shop here in town and they never come back to us so it's safe to assume they love them.
It is a plan with some merits, that can't be denied. It just too da@@ bad it came from the fox sitting in the hen house.
Philly, unless I read my notes all wrong - you will be penalized now also for the amount of rejects you send. IMHO the best thing to do would be to send an ask for something crazy like $30 more for the order and let them cancel it.
And...in this day of the internet it sounds like alot of you are relying on the sending shop for information that could easily be gotten from the internet. Is it fair that you have to look up a recipients phone # or time of a funeral? No. But unless you're getting 100 incoming a day, what's the big deal?
I don't always send phone numbers with our orders, customer doesn't always have them, and quite frankly often they aren't needed. BUT, it's worse for the filling shop to send me an ask for the #, when most often they can go to www.yellowpages.com and look it up themselves. Same goes for funerals, just check your local paper online.
I think this program is going to divide the 'wheat from the chaff'. jenny
And...in this day of the internet it sounds like alot of you are relying on the sending shop for information that could easily be gotten from the internet. Is it fair that you have to look up a recipients phone # or time of a funeral? No. But unless you're getting 100 incoming a day, what's the big deal?
I don't always send phone numbers with our orders, customer doesn't always have them, and quite frankly often they aren't needed. BUT, it's worse for the filling shop to send me an ask for the #, when most often they can go to www.yellowpages.com and look it up themselves. Same goes for funerals, just check your local paper online.
I think this program is going to divide the 'wheat from the chaff'. jenny
BOSS
FlowerChat Administrator
Well sure, but you still get charged for the REJect....good gig if you can get it...
I'll be removing myself from the filling of .coN orders come Monday...again...and that will leave them with no electronic end point in my zips.
More like $49.95 additional....:jester
It may separate it out, but more likely it will create a sittuation where REJects will grow in number, and SUSpended machines will also grow in number...since they do not honor minimum codifications, this will be a mess.
From what I have been seeing FTD is losing florists at a pace that if it continues FTD would be down to only the MAS members in less than 3 years. I think many florists are reading those letters and studing their statements and are quietly leaving. FTD has a serious problem.
PhillyPhlorist
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Mona, I cannot disagree with you more. You MUST get a phone number on ALL orders - weather you need it later or not is irrelevant! Having as much info on an order as possible is SO important in this day and age... Case in point: if I have the phone # of a delivery come in WITH the order, and the driver is on the road, BIG dog growling in front yard by door, Driver can simply call the recip. right there. No phone number - no delivery. Also, TIME is so valuable these days - don't assume it's "not a big deal' everywhere to go on yp.com (or on national 411) and get a phone #...when we are super-bizzy, the LAST thing we want to spend time on is getting a phone number that you could have gotten MUCH more easily at the POP. And, TOTALLY - TOTALLY disagree - MOST customers HAVE that phone number - they are either looking at their address book, or on their PDA for the address...
No - no charge for sending a REJ. You get charged for receiving the order...1.25
And, yes - many times we do an ASK, then ask for the CAN...
-H.
Boss, spoke to my rep yesterday. 'They' agreed not to send me anything I'm not coded for and nothing under my minimums. I think this is going to be a huge headache for the reps. I know I'm all over mine whenever another shop makes a mistake.
Philly, I'll work on those phone #'s. Your point is taken.
Philly, I'll work on those phone #'s. Your point is taken.
Mikey the Flower Guy
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actually we ALL have a serious problem!!
In the past, until not too long ago, FTD ALWAYS lead the pack in decision making, technology advances, and florist networking.
FTD has done a lot of things, for a lot of florists, in an attempt to "try" and better their businesses, and has been very generous in supporting florist driven events, conventions, products, and "disaster aid".
Many florists have "conveniently" forgotten...some have NOT!!
Through it all, FTD has let many of us get away with things, that MOST other "end point systems" would NEVER allow, and THAT "seems" to be the "problem".
NOW, FTD has come down hard...some wonder why??...maybe it has to do with selling to a company that HAS "rules" about being a "member", and sees NO problem in enforcing those rules, and believes that a few good shops that "understand" is MORE preferable to a pile of shops that DON'T.
Many things have "changed", the BIG corporations saw these changes coming long ago, BUT, MOST florists are not comfortable with change, and would rather run, than fight...so it appears.
Is FTD our friend.....NO
Is GM your friend, or Toyota, or Honda, or American Steel??
When your car breaks down repeatedly, do you SWEAR, never to buy that "brand" again??....THAT, in a nutshell, is what FTD is saying, I think!!
So many orders reached end points that were "broken" that many consumers have probably sworn off, buying that product, that a once might "brand" used to represent...WE ALL have that problem now.
Some of the very best shops have either left, or ARE leaving FTD, BUT, are ALSO leaving TF, 1800, and more...much of it stems from economics.
IS there a growing "problem"...yes, many of us have spent a zillion years building a client base that "relies" on us to get ALL their orders OUT, and it's becoming a true chore to find a shop that theorizes the same business model!!
When a company like FTD "prices" itself out of the marketplace, THAT'S when internal fear takes a grip, and starts a chain reaction of bad decision making..but, FTD is NOT ALONE!
We just "think" it is.......opinions DO vary!!
Mickey, I hate to disagree with you, but FTD quit leading the pack the day FTD was sold. And that day is in past history. Since then everything FTD has done was for FTD's benefit. The florist ceased to be part of the equation. That is fact, not opinion.
Second they developed their technology, the same as the other wire services......the plan was and is that they would use their technology to lock the florists to their system and insure that they had a steady revenue stream from which to operate. That is fact not opinion and you can see that from the statements the most recent buyers have made. They bought the revenue stream.
Third, all the donations FTD has made was done to benefit FTD's image. Don't confuse the money they spend on grooming their image as caring. They are all about money and they only give it away to put more of it into their pocket in the future. That is fact not opinion.
And your comments about "endpoints" makes it seem that it is the florists fault. Over the last 10 years, FTD has run rough shod over it's florists. Many of those that cared about the product they put into customers hands realized that FTD was bleeding them financially and left. Those florist that never cared stayed. Why should they leave. They never really worried about quality when it came to wire in orders back then and why should they change today. They never left FTD because they just adjusted the product they put out to compensate for the increases FTD imposed on them. The problem FTD is facing is the direct result of pushing the good florists out. You as a remaining FTD florist have fewer "good" end point florists to send to thereby increasing the probability that your order will be mishandled. That is fact not opinion.
The part you should be very worried about is that they are shrinking in numbers at a alarming rate and the moves like they are putting into place will only speed up the process. If you are a good FTD florist you are paying a healthy amount of dues and fees and will be hampered when it comes to getting your customers orders filled.
uuuummmmm
Why does MAS keep getting put in your FTD discussions? Our MAS users are leaving at a faster rate than you can imagine. You obviously feel they must set policy of some sort..Please remember they(FTD and TF) don't want our users...Please stick to the thread and leave the daggers in the sand...
You missed understood the post Hal. The point I was making was that if florists keep leaving at the pace they are only the MAS users would be left. No stones, no daggers, just an expression.
Sfox -
I too will ask you to leave MAS and its users out of this. Like Hal said, MAS users - real local, hard-working florists - are leaving FTD at what should be an alarming rate to FTD.
And some of us aren't even FTD members.
The better and more accurate assessment would be that the primary folks left will be Mercury POS users, since their contracts commit them to a relationship for 5 years.
Everybody else can pretty much move their order volume at will.
I too will ask you to leave MAS and its users out of this. Like Hal said, MAS users - real local, hard-working florists - are leaving FTD at what should be an alarming rate to FTD.
And some of us aren't even FTD members.
The better and more accurate assessment would be that the primary folks left will be Mercury POS users, since their contracts commit them to a relationship for 5 years.
Everybody else can pretty much move their order volume at will.
How did that differ from what you said the first time? I read it 3 times and it says the same thing.
I think we got your mistaken point the first time.
MAS is just a dirty word to you cult members I guess.....
But the reasons are quite transparent.
TOTO
New Member
I'm with SFOX on this one.
The new owners, having no clue and STUCK ON STUPID, are still trying to placate the BIG SENDERS.
No matter if some of them are REAL FLORISTS thrown into the mix with the dOGs, OGs, non local phonies, or floral dot.cons.
Having to figure out a way to ensure system order integrity, their solution is to FINE the receiving shops for not acting upon the order in a timely fashion, even though it was a DISEASED DOA JUNK ORDER sent through their system with someone else's POS inherent problems.
And so, it's $10 bucks in two hours, and more fines down the road.
Our problem (with both of them) was in the fact that, no one was willing to pay us for the time we had to waste on TRIAGING OUT the SKIMMER JUNK ORDERS from the viable REAL FLORIST ORDERS.
The answer was always NO ONE and since we grew tired of wasting all of our valuable time in those futile efforts, they forced us to leave.
The lovely Linda, and on a February 13th back in 2004, was forced to send her usual (ask) (p) (mo money) on 40 of their 60 dot.con orders.
In turn, that useless and unpaid for effort, resulted in no less than three hours of her wasted valuable Holiday time, and forced us into having to work until 2:00 AM that morning, and when we needed to rest.
That was the final straw which broke our backs and when we both decided that, their partnership had turned into OUR LIABILITY.
Which was why, I posted on their (small bob defunct) bulletin board that, WEE BE GONE right after Mother's Day in 2004.
They are loosing members faster than they can replace them now.
And, only because, they all forgot who their best customers were!
TOO BAD, SO SAD, don't wanna bee ya!
lol
The new owners, having no clue and STUCK ON STUPID, are still trying to placate the BIG SENDERS.
No matter if some of them are REAL FLORISTS thrown into the mix with the dOGs, OGs, non local phonies, or floral dot.cons.
Having to figure out a way to ensure system order integrity, their solution is to FINE the receiving shops for not acting upon the order in a timely fashion, even though it was a DISEASED DOA JUNK ORDER sent through their system with someone else's POS inherent problems.
And so, it's $10 bucks in two hours, and more fines down the road.
Our problem (with both of them) was in the fact that, no one was willing to pay us for the time we had to waste on TRIAGING OUT the SKIMMER JUNK ORDERS from the viable REAL FLORIST ORDERS.
The answer was always NO ONE and since we grew tired of wasting all of our valuable time in those futile efforts, they forced us to leave.
The lovely Linda, and on a February 13th back in 2004, was forced to send her usual (ask) (p) (mo money) on 40 of their 60 dot.con orders.
In turn, that useless and unpaid for effort, resulted in no less than three hours of her wasted valuable Holiday time, and forced us into having to work until 2:00 AM that morning, and when we needed to rest.
That was the final straw which broke our backs and when we both decided that, their partnership had turned into OUR LIABILITY.
Which was why, I posted on their (small bob defunct) bulletin board that, WEE BE GONE right after Mother's Day in 2004.
They are loosing members faster than they can replace them now.
And, only because, they all forgot who their best customers were!
TOO BAD, SO SAD, don't wanna bee ya!
lol
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