FTD: "Free shipping or no service fees on unlimited orders for an entire year"

[Simon Says]

FTD "just" (?) launched the head-lined offer and applicable if you pay $29.99, become a "Gold member", buy through their website/e-mails and not applicable with 3rd party award miles, for example, with other restrictions apparently applicable.

On the face of it, if the consumer makes a few on-line floral (or gift) purchases on an annual basis, this does appear, at least to the consumer, to be good value.

It also has more than the faint sound of internal FTD panic about it - clearly people not hitting their sales $ targets, or why else do this? When will TF, 1-800 et cetera start offering similar/specials? I see TF has their current service charge @ $14.99.

It also makes it just that bit harder for us to compete if some-one is shopping on $ basis only.

 

[anytimeflowers]

I doubt the others will follow suit. FTD has been hammered with bad publicity, starting with the post-transaction debacle and ending with the latest consumer report as posted by CHR.

They need to do something to capture business for the Mother's Day sales. If they are marketing to the thousands who had a terrible experience with them, I don't believe they are going to experience the surge of business they will need. I see this as a desperation ploy. If it doesn't net the results they are hoping for, they will probably go to a 95% drop-ship.

 

[Simon Says]

What bothers me is that the general public -men in particular when it comes to flowers- just don't appear to understand or even know of all the bad publicity and commentary about the WS/OG/DSs. Our problems are then compounded when the TV media make comments, noticeably on national programming, stating that this WS or that DS is the best over-all value. Such comments are then, perhaps even taken out of context, used as strap-lines in (on-line) advertising. Therefore, when the un-suspecting member of the public realises they have to send flowers to some-one and goes on-line and sees such a strap-line, who can blame them for using this WS or that DS or OG?

And what does "best over-all value" actually mean? Well, to everyone reading this topic, it probably means different things and is, therefore, utterly useless - apart from the fact that some inane media personality with little intelligence to be sure of spouted the phrase and enables a WS/OG/DS to ram it down the throat of the nation.

As for Consumer Reports comparison, notice that they bother to only examine nationally available drop-shippers and they blithely ignore what to us is the seemingly obvious - your local florist. In many ways, it is the media/journalists that help perpetuate the life of the WS/OG/DS

 

[Rhonda]

L.L. Bean started it last week... free shipping on all orders..."forever" so the ads say...

 

[CHR]

And to all you florists who are delivering incoming orders for $3.55 - $4.95 per stop: Are you crazy? If you can do it for a WS, then DO IT for your own customers. Don't make YOUR bread and butter full paying-customers subsidize your competitors. With gas prices what they are today, you cannot afford to service consumers with those ridiculous WS reimbursements. Think past the gross dollars on an incoming to recognize the full cost.

 

[BOSS]

As for Consumer Reports comparison, notice that they bother to only examine nationally available drop-shippers and they blithely ignore what to us is the seemingly obvious - your local florist. In many ways, it is the media/journalists that help perpetuate the life of the WS/OG/DS

I disagree [in bold above] with this thought, it IS the filler fools that perpetuate the ongoing decline in local order volume by filling gathered orders. Over the weekend I heard from a florist, angry because someone down the street from him (a regular customer), ordered through FTD.coN. He found out when his shop got the order and he recognized the sender on the card.

Like Cathy said, why do you discount your work, talent and delivery service for the gorilla's when you won't do it for your cash customers. In fact, many here have complained for years about people/groups seeking donations, yet they gladly hand over a donation to the wire service every time they fill an order. Make no sense to me.

 

[theRKF]

It sounds like FTD is copying Amazon's successful "Prime" service (ya, I'm a member). For a flat rate just a bit more that what you'd pay on a single purchase you get free shipping / service fee for a year - and I will attest that this does impact customer loyalty.

So, as with other threads, let's ask the question: Why can't a florist do this? Answer: No reason! Amazon has also introduced extra perks for Prime members in addition to the free shipping. And now, FlowerChat is very close to announcing a major partnership with a similar program that will equip florists to offer the same kind of perk ... but more! Instead of complaining about FTD's actions, we have an opportunity to leapfrog them and offer the same but more so, for less.

 

[Mikey the Flower Guy]

It sounds like FTD is copying Amazon's successful "Prime" service (ya, I'm a member). For a flat rate just a bit more that what you'd pay on a single purchase you get free shipping / service fee for a year - and I will attest that this does impact customer loyalty.

So, as with other threads, let's ask the question: Why can't a florist do this? Answer: No reason! Amazon has also introduced extra perks for Prime members in addition to the free shipping. And now, FlowerChat is very close to announcing a major partnership with a similar program that will equip florists to offer the same kind of perk ... but more! Instead of complaining about FTD's actions, we have an opportunity to leapfrog them and offer the same but more so, for less.

you gave me goosebumples......

 

[bootcampguy]

It sounds like FTD is copying Amazon's successful "Prime" service (ya, I'm a member). For a flat rate just a bit more that what you'd pay on a single purchase you get free shipping / service fee for a year - and I will attest that this does impact customer loyalty.......................

That's what I was gonna say, great marketing in taking someone else's success and giving it a spin/run for yourself. There will be people who find value in it, like others said, bad press will haunt them...................

 

[CHR]

I agree with Ryan about the advantages of Amazon Prime. It definitely makes shoppers more loyal.

One quick point about FTDs program: deep in the fine print is an explanation that the deal cannot be used for 'groups' and is for individual use only.

FTD Gold Memberships are for individual use only and may not be used for purchases by or on behalf of others including group purchases

This means a secretary of a company or a member of a club cannot sign up and then use the discount offer to send flowers from the business or group. FTD will be auditing the orders and will void the offer if the flowers are from more than just the inidividual who signed up.

It will be interesting to see if/when they enforce that condition of membership.