Had two interesting calls late Saturday

[theflowersmith]

Perhaps some of you have experienced this, but it was a first for me. One man asked if I had a 1-800 Flowers delivery for so and so. (I don't fill for them, but asked the recipient's name and checked my POS anyway).

Another asked if I had a Teleflora order for so and so. I checked the POS again and did not. I told both customers to call their local florist directly explaining that they would get better service and a better product. I also gave them two other florists' phone numbers they could check. They both thanked me even though I couldn't help them much.

I guess people are still definitely using the OGs, but perhaps we real florists are making some small gains. I still do wonder if their loved ones ever got their flowers.

 

[Rhonda]

Sue, we had two mothers looking for deliveries (neither of which we had) and one who had ordered from florist.com who called her and told her they couldn't get her order filled. Maybe there are more shops not taking gatherer orders....seems like that in my town because Weasley shows on my caller id again this morning after showing on my id 3 times Friday night (they never called during the day on Saturday). I imagine that is an order that didn't get filled either.

 

[Connie]

We had a lady from PA who called us to see if we could make a design that she was looking at on another florist's website. It turned out that she was looking at an dOG site, and we gave her the phone# of the real Pendleton Florist. I'm still not certain why she called us in the first place because we are not Teleflora, and we are quite a distance from Pendleton, SC. I advised her that two clues that she was not talking to a Real Florist were that only a toll-free phone# was shown, and no physical address was shown.

 

[Mikey the Flower Guy]

we had no fewer than 15 calls of a similar nature, BUT, here's the kicker, in all but 2, the callers actually KNEW that they were looking at non florist websites, but, happened to like a particular selection.
3 we sent phone direct to florists in their respective towns, 9 we filled our selves, of which 2 were long distance, and the rest chose to go back to the internet, and find REAL FLORISTS on their own.
I want each and every florist on FlowerChat to realize, that we are at or near the point where we CAN and MUST re-organize ourselves into the TRUE face of the florist industry....customers ARE catching on, and the wire dogs, are starting to chase their own tails.
IF you fill for OG'S/dOG's, you ARE an enabler...pure and simple.
IF you feel you MUST fill for OG's/dOG's, you're in trouble.
IF your business model RELIES on OG's/d'OGs, shame on you!!

 

[sosas]

consumers aren't as clued up about relay companies in the UK, we often get irate customers at the peaks demanding their flowers that they assume we have the order for. We have to explain that if their relative has placed the order with a relay company any number of local florists could have their order.

 

[BOSS]

I want each and every florist on FlowerChat to realize, that we are at or near the point where we CAN and MUST re-organize ourselves into the TRUE face of the florist industry....customers ARE catching on, and the wire dogs, are starting to chase their own tails.
IF you fill for OG'S/dOG's, you ARE an enabler...pure and simple.
IF you feel you MUST fill for OG's/dOG's, you're in trouble.
IF your business model RELIES on OG's/d'OGs, shame on you!!

Yes Mike, your coined term... The FlowerChat Nation...is alive and well....

More and more, in every cranny of the planet, Real Florists are connecting, tuning in here and dropping the wires... the dawn of a new era is rising over the horizon and our time to rule is returning.

The FLOWERCHAT NATION is alive and well, and on top of that it is growing, expanding and gaining strength through the membership, fellowship and camaraderie of fellow florists. We will survive, we will go forward, and we will eliminate order gatherers eventually.

Now more than ever, the RealFlorist BLOG is becoming more and more important. Every FlowerChat member should have their shop listed, stand up and be counted. It was built for YOU, it's maintained FOR YOU, and it's waiting FOR YOUR contributions.

Everytime you take the time to share FlowerChat with another florist is a bit of time devoted to taking back our industry, removing deception from the art of flowers and educating someone else on the real issues facing us today.

Rise up, be counted... be an integral part of the FlowerChat NATION! Together we can do anything...and ya know something else...

THEY AIN'T SEEN NUT'N YET!

 

[Connie]

A customer just called me after having left an irate phone message to complain that his order had not been delivered to his mother Sat. for Mother's Day. He really went balistic when I told him that we do not accept orders from Blooms Today, and we had refused the order when it they called us to ask us to take the order. To him. WE were at fault. It was OUR fault because he knew that we had a contract with BT. He would barely let me get a word in. BT had given him our phone #, and had told him that we were supposed to have delivered the arrangement for him. Nothing, absolutely nothing, that I tried to say would satisfy him. I guess that I was the one available to hear his torrent.

Geez! What a way to start the week! I'm still shaking.

 

[Clarabella]

I just got one order thru FTD from Just Flowers asking me to deliver a 35.00 arrangement of daisies to a city (rural area of it) for a total of 35.00 with a note attached apologizing for being unable to complete delivery on or by Mothers Day, I am copying and pasting my response....here it is as follows....
"we do not send apology notes and confuse a customer on something that would indicate we screwed up unless we .....did screw up...they won't know who "just Flowers " is but they will remember us...sorry we are unwilling to deliver this order, it also would have needed pc to cover distance of delivery"
so a SIGN OF THINGS TO COME FOR THE OG'S? I THINK SOOOOO!!!!

 

[Clarabella]

I don't know how I missed the blog but I just filled out the form.....thanks for the reminder boss

 

[CHR]

He really went balistic when I told him that we do not accept orders from Blooms Today, and we had refused the order when it they called us to ask us to take the order. To him. WE were at fault. It was OUR fault because he knew that we had a contract with BT. He would barely let me get a word in. BT had given him our phone #, and had told him that we were supposed to have delivered the arrangement for him. Nothing, absolutely nothing, that I tried to say would satisfy him.

Connie -

Unbelievable. Can you re-contact that consumer or the recipient?

I'll help you craft a letter to politely explain why your company does not fill for Blooms Today. They have incredible nerve to dump their problem on you and try to ruin your reputation for failingly to 'co-operate'.

Honestly, this warrants a letter to your state Attorney General's office and to SAF!!!!!

If BT really cared about getting the order delivered, they could have called the sender, canceled his order and had him call you direct.

Do you recall the item, the value including delivery and the amount BT was willing to pay direct over the phone?

Is BT advertising in your local phone book under a bunch of different names, (Blooms Today, American Florist, Lauren's Flowers, etc...) like they are here? Are there no WS members in your town?

If theses dOGs want to play hardball, it's time florists play hardball back.

 

[BOSS]

A customer just called me after having left an irate phone message to complain that his order had not been delivered to his mother Sat. for Mother's Day. He really went balistic when I told him that we do not accept orders from Blooms Today, and we had refused the order when it they called us to ask us to take the order. To him. WE were at fault. It was OUR fault because he knew that we had a contract with BT. He would barely let me get a word in. BT had given him our phone #, and had told him that we were supposed to have delivered the arrangement for him. Nothing, absolutely nothing, that I tried to say would satisfy him. I guess that I was the one available to hear his torrent.

Geez! What a way to start the week! I'm still shaking.

I just got one order thru FTD from Just Flowers asking me to deliver a 35.00 arrangement of daisies to a city (rural area of it) for a total of 35.00 with a note attached apologizing for being unable to complete delivery on or by Mothers Day, I am copying and pasting my response....here it is as follows....
"we do not send apology notes and confuse a customer on something that would indicate we screwed up unless we .....did screw up...they won't know who "just Flowers " is but they will remember us...sorry we are unwilling to deliver this order, it also would have needed pc to cover distance of delivery"
so a SIGN OF THINGS TO COME FOR THE OG'S? I THINK SOOOOO!!!!

Exactly the reason NOT TO ACCEPT ANY COMPANY ORDERS!!!

You say it was Blooms Today...sorry...never heard of them.............:rofl:

 

[Clarabella]

connie did the order come thru as an ftd or teleflora order? Just wondering what their avenue was to get you to deliver.....

 

[makescents]

IF you fill for OG'S/dOG's, you ARE an enabler...pure and simple.
IF you feel you MUST fill for OG's/dOG's, you're in trouble.
IF your business model RELIES on OG's/d'OGs, shame on you!!

I preach and preach this to my customers. They are just so uneducated in this ... If there was only some way to let consumers know what the OG's are doing -
Obviously if a florist feels they have to fill orders for the OG's they are also uneducated! They are not doing the math!

The only real ligit reason for a florist to fill ALL of those orders - is if they are new and need to get their product out! Although - I figure that just giving away arrangements is all the same! Florists DO NOT make a profit on wire -ins... unless you are filling 100's a month!

Of course as everyone else I had many of the same type of calls. AND - I always take the opportunity to educate the person calling! Then I ask them to keep my phone number and to call me direct... I would be happy to help them in anyway I can.

BTW - I always ask for the address to look up the order - In about a week I will send them a little card with a note - Telling them I hope everything worked out with their delivery and I hope their mom's day (Valentines' day - whatever day.. ) was great. AND - I give them a $5 gift card and several business cards.. YOU know..

We must do what we are best at - WE GOT CUSTOMER SERVICE! The og's SUCK at customer service! My customers have names! NOT Numbers! I bank at a little bank... Why? Because they know my NAME! They ask me how my kids are... They know me!

I make it a point to know my customers! I know their buying habits, their face, their name, First and Last - I know where they live and how many children they have! If I can't remember - It's in my computer! Any Details - even their voice on the phone... OG's cant do this - guys!!!

I will now get off the BOX!!! :spintongu

 

[Connie]

Connie -

Unbelievable. Can you re-contact that consumer or the recipient?

I'll help you craft a letter to politely explain why your company does not fill for Blooms Today. They have incredible nerve to dump their problem on you and try to ruin your reputation for failingly to 'co-operate'.

Honestly, this warrants a letter to your state Attorney General's office and to SAF!!!!!

If BT really cared about getting the order delivered, they could have called the sender, canceled his order and had him call you direct.

Do you recall the item, the value including delivery and the amount BT was willing to pay direct over the phone?

Is BT advertising in your local phone book under a bunch of different names, (Blooms Today, American Florist, Lauren's Flowers, etc...) like they are here? Are there no WS members in your town?

If theses dOGs want to play hardball, it's time florists play hardball back.

Thank you, Cathy. :yourock:

After we had refused the phone order, it was sent to us via Bloomnet (which we're trying for a while). It was sitting on the printer when I arrived at the shop at 6:00 a.m Saturday, and I recognized the order and immediately rejected it, stating that we did not have the flowers to fill the order. That was true, but we don't fill orders for BT anyway, most especially after this incident.

In the phone book (actually "Yellowbook"), AmericanBlooms, BloomsToday, FTD, and FromYouFlowers have 1/2 page ads. Florist.com has 1/4 page. In regular AT&T phone book's yellow pages, BloomsToday has a full page ad, stating same day delivery by your local florists, 50% off all products, rush delivery available, friendly agents available 24/7, and "We dleiver to all hospitals & funeral homes nationwide."

I have the recipient's name, phone #, etc., but not the sender's, although he declared that I did, and if I really cared about my customers, I would have been professional enough to call him. Etc.

 

[Lizi]

FTD and 1800 both called after business hours Saturday and even on Sunday after we had already left the shop. No calls from them on Monday though. I am not FTD or 1800 but they always call on the holidays. I had 3 people that kept calling on Saturday looking for their flower delivery, of which we did not have. I guess those are the orders they were trying to call to me after hours.

 

[Chezbloom]

That is an outrage. BT is a shameless parasitic blight on the entire floral industry.

 

[Clarabella]

I had one call today that I turned from a lemon to lemonade and got paid by credit card to deliver...she had ordered a TF order thru hsn, and when they called us we said its a longgggg haul out there we would need 15.00 del and a minimum of 40 dollars for the flowers to remotely duplicate that, we were not codified for the container they were asking for either (gag me) anyway I explained the whole .com thing across the board to the mom that got no flowers....seems after we refused the order on the phone they sent it anyway and for some reason it printed this morning??? I apologized to the mom then asked for the daugters number....explained it all to her and what happened and she ordered and paid cc this morning we delivered she was thrilled and will be calling us direct in the future......one customer at a time and just to reinterate....I am only wire service cause I am the new kid on the block but they are finding me and I will eventually be wsf................yeahhhhhh