BOSS
FlowerChat Administrator
Works fine for me...Comes up as invalid. You gotta figure out how to let us open it because now we HAVE to see it!
Have you ever refused to do an ugly design?
- Thread starter Mocha Rose
- Start date
lori042499
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- May 3, 2006
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Knife's Wife
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- Apr 16, 2005
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conchandler
Well-Known Member
invalid for me too. Mocha, I would probably would have done it too. Beauty is in the eye of the CUSTOMER!
Well, as far as I know she was happy. It was a very odd situation and the bride was running an hour late (for a noon ceremony and 1pm reception). I was to arrive at 11 and met the groom and bridal party who loved everything. The bride called and she was very late and I had another delivery to get out so I had to leave and didn't actually get to see her reaction to the bouquet. I didn't receive a call back that there was a problem and everyone reacted positively to it.
This whole wedding was the smallest I've ever done and the most nervewracking!
The replies here were very helpful! I will keep them in mind for the future.
This whole wedding was the smallest I've ever done and the most nervewracking!
The replies here were very helpful! I will keep them in mind for the future.
Quick question Cathy (CHR) because I always respect your opinion:
What if the corsage that you made was published in a magazine/ news/ website and gave your company credit? What if it received negative publicity? What if someone mentioned your company AND mentioned that it was ugly?
Obviously, this is very subjective, on a larger scale than my original post and full of "what ifs".
What if the corsage that you made was published in a magazine/ news/ website and gave your company credit? What if it received negative publicity? What if someone mentioned your company AND mentioned that it was ugly?
Obviously, this is very subjective, on a larger scale than my original post and full of "what ifs".
twiggy
Well-Known Member
I would like to hear Cathy's opinion on this too-
I think the answer to all your 'what if's' goes back to beauty being in the eye of the beholder. .. so 'what if' that design was featured in a bridal mag? my first thought is at least one person at the mag thought it was good enough to publish (probably an entire team)
..or what if it was mentioned in a blog- and there were negative comments? I would say for every one negative comment- there are probably 2x as many who do like it (to some degree) but just don't say anything-
not all people are going to like everything you do(like me )- right now they're are people who may be looking on your blog at one of your bouquets and thinking YUCK! (nothing against you --it's just not them)
we as creative people take this chance every day don't we- the more our own style/personality shows up in our designs the more chance we take with a certain % of people not liking it- that's just the nature of an artistic business such as ours. Play it too safe and nobody notices- it's a tight rope.
I think the answer to all your 'what if's' goes back to beauty being in the eye of the beholder. .. so 'what if' that design was featured in a bridal mag? my first thought is at least one person at the mag thought it was good enough to publish (probably an entire team)
..or what if it was mentioned in a blog- and there were negative comments? I would say for every one negative comment- there are probably 2x as many who do like it (to some degree) but just don't say anything-
not all people are going to like everything you do(like me
)- right now they're are people who may be looking on your blog at one of your bouquets and thinking YUCK! (nothing against you --it's just not them)we as creative people take this chance every day don't we- the more our own style/personality shows up in our designs the more chance we take with a certain % of people not liking it- that's just the nature of an artistic business such as ours. Play it too safe and nobody notices- it's a tight rope.
Mocha and Twiggy -
Good questions.
Life is full of 'what if's'. Every single arrangement we deliver has the potential for applause and/or disaster - from unhappy customers writing negative user reviews to folks taking unflattering photos and publishing them on blogs, FB or Twitter - or bigger.
As much as we all liked the gardenias in the hair of this year's Best Supporting Actress Oscar, some of the catty gossip sites made total fun of them. There are always people who don't like something.
Think of all those reality shows where contestants put their abilities on the line - and how we all love to be critics - and how we often disagree with the judges. We do what they do every day, but on a smaller scale.
No guarantees anyone will love anything we do. We just have to meet/exceed the expectations of our clients and then hope sanity prevails. If it doesn't (and your work gets dissed in the media) just smile and remember most florists never get into any news article in the first place.. Then run out and create a banner for your website proclaiming 'featured in This Magazine' and wear it like a crown.
I've been loving Preson' Bailey's blog lately. Occasionally he throws in stories about some of his floral disasters (toppling centerpieces, etc...), talks about his lessons learned, and then adds how he grew to become a better designer from the negative experiences.
Good questions.
Life is full of 'what if's'. Every single arrangement we deliver has the potential for applause and/or disaster - from unhappy customers writing negative user reviews to folks taking unflattering photos and publishing them on blogs, FB or Twitter - or bigger.
As much as we all liked the gardenias in the hair of this year's Best Supporting Actress Oscar, some of the catty gossip sites made total fun of them. There are always people who don't like something.
Think of all those reality shows where contestants put their abilities on the line - and how we all love to be critics - and how we often disagree with the judges. We do what they do every day, but on a smaller scale.
No guarantees anyone will love anything we do. We just have to meet/exceed the expectations of our clients and then hope sanity prevails. If it doesn't (and your work gets dissed in the media) just smile and remember most florists never get into any news article in the first place.
. Then run out and create a banner for your website proclaiming 'featured in This Magazine' and wear it like a crown. I've been loving Preson' Bailey's blog lately. Occasionally he throws in stories about some of his floral disasters (toppling centerpieces, etc...), talks about his lessons learned, and then adds how he grew to become a better designer from the negative experiences.
Sarah Botchick
Well-Known Member
One off the wall thought here - how much damage would it do to your reputation when you refuse to do an ugly design, and the client goes and tells all her friends that you are a "snot" (or some other less tasteful word)? Maybe some of her friends LIKE her taste (birds of a feather flock together) or perhaps she has friends with better taste that just don't like snobby stores? That would scare me more than anything.
OB1
Joanne Plummer AIFD,CAFA
For what it is worth, the attatchment doesn't open for me either.
The question, to me, is, "Is it poor design, or is it just not to my taste?).
Lots of stuff I sell is not to my taste, and I would never have it in my home.
But, if it is a quality design, with quality ingredients, but just not to my taste, yes, I would sell it.
On the other hand, if it was a poor design, and it was going to die, and give us a bad reputation for quality, of design or service, then I would have to pass.
Personally, I didn't like the bouquet. However, from a design point of view, I'm not sure there was anything wrong with it, it was just ugly, in my opinion.
I've made more than my share of wedding bouquets that I didn't like over the years, where the bride has sent glowing thankyou notes. So who is right? Me or her? Who knows? And really, who cares? Except that the referrals keep on coming in....
I think it is usually best not to pretend that we have better taste than our clients...that will just come back to bite you.
JMHO.
Joanne
The question, to me, is, "Is it poor design, or is it just not to my taste?).
Lots of stuff I sell is not to my taste, and I would never have it in my home.
But, if it is a quality design, with quality ingredients, but just not to my taste, yes, I would sell it.
On the other hand, if it was a poor design, and it was going to die, and give us a bad reputation for quality, of design or service, then I would have to pass.
Personally, I didn't like the bouquet. However, from a design point of view, I'm not sure there was anything wrong with it, it was just ugly, in my opinion.
I've made more than my share of wedding bouquets that I didn't like over the years, where the bride has sent glowing thankyou notes. So who is right? Me or her? Who knows? And really, who cares? Except that the referrals keep on coming in....
I think it is usually best not to pretend that we have better taste than our clients...that will just come back to bite you.
JMHO.
Joanne
hope this attachment works
View attachment 12642 Did this as brides request last year. She was delighted.
View attachment 12642 Did this as brides request last year. She was delighted.
Don't know why this comes up like this. It shows a pic when I upload. Probably need a Kodak program to open.
Carrieann
New Member
Just showed my 10 year old daughter the pictures without telling her anything about the conversation about them to see what her thoughts were.
The first pic she said she liked the top and the bottom if they were not together. She didn't care for them together however. She did like the second bouquet. I knew she would like the peacock feathers, she is a feather nut.
The first pic she said she liked the top and the bottom if they were not together. She didn't care for them together however. She did like the second bouquet. I knew she would like the peacock feathers, she is a feather nut.
Palms
Well-Known Member
I have had brides with hideous colour schemes and i say something like, "that sounds great for you and me who can appreciate all kinds of colour schemes, but i am not sure your guests will understand, you have to have a real eye for colour and not everyone has", patronising? Hell yeah but i have got rid of a few nasty designs with that old line.
Would i have done it if pushed? for sure, money in the till is better than me sat at home with a beautiful portfolio and no shop.
Would i have done it if pushed? for sure, money in the till is better than me sat at home with a beautiful portfolio and no shop.