Holden's has embarked on a NEW era...

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Mikey the Flower Guy

Mikey the Flower Guy

It's a GREAT DAY to live, and love!
Nov 10, 2002
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Dundas, Ontario, Canada
www.hamiltonflorists.com
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We've decided to DROP any service fees for sending orders, within the North American marketplace, and am negotiating overseas rates as well.
Never realized how fast word gets around....we haven't even put up the banners yet!!
I'll keep you posted on the results, although BOSS already reports a very successful transition to this program for sending!!
Mike
 
It will, IMHO, help anyone in their market gain market share on the sending side of the biz....

GOOD PR as well !
 
Mikey,

Based on the advice of BOSS and others, we discontinued the service fees for wire-out orders last year. We found our customers happier and more willing to wire-out order through us than ever before. I think it is a great idea!

Frank:)
 
Yup! Us too. We don't charge for wire outs and it is pretty amazing how first time customers react when they find out that we are'nt going to charge them for it. We don't do a lot of sends to begin with but we are steadily gaining in that area. What we have gained from it is more local customers that order from us because they feel that we are giving them a value for their money overall.

Jim
 
If ya want..try this...

FTD's Scent FREE !

That was what I used in all advertising getting this concept going...

Some folks would call, to tell us our ad was spelled incorrectly, that the paper made a mistake, which gave us the opportunity to EDUCATE the CONsumer....

It will work, but ya gotta stick with it !

When I first started, I did it for Thanksgiving, and marketed it as a Thank You to our customers, which in trun brought us more customers...

I do have some, that use me only for wire outs, but buy their flowers down the road...thats OK with me, I'm getting part of their biz, and maybe some day, all of it...
 
Boy, that was a long time ago...10+ years....did not need to look at the numbers as closly back then, as the money was coming in faster than it could be spent...UNlike today....

I do know, at the time we were charging 3.00/order...and had about 50% marketshare (back when FTD used to send out those neat little reports on each city) by the time we went from Thanksgiving thru MD, we were up to 75%+, and after the second TG (thanking our customers) we hit 85%+, now days, we hover around 90%, while the percentage is remaining steady, the numbers are droping....

The rebate (scourge of the industry IMHO) covered the lack of SC...

IMHO again, I DO feel that a 90/10 split, with 5% CH fee, with 2.5% from each would be fair in todays world...but alas, neither FTD or TF will listens to US !!!

All my best K........
 
90/10 will never happen in our lifetimes, because it would require both TF and FTD getting on the same page at the same time.

No one will send 90/10 when they can send 80/20.

The same applies to the split CH fee - only if both sides do it together. I don't think Bobby or Greg have that in mind.

Small wire services can try it, and people might even line up to fill at 90/10, but who is going to send to them?
 
The only way it can......

Originally posted by Infinite
90/10 will never happen in our lifetimes, because it would require both TF and FTD getting on the same page at the same time.

No one will send 90/10 when they can send 80/20.

The same applies to the split CH fee - only if both sides do it together. I don't think Bobby or Greg have that in mind.

Small wire services can try it, and people might even line up to fill at 90/10, but who is going to send to them?
Click to expand...

It can only happen with a member owned wire service!!
 
Re: The only way it can......

Originally posted by BBJ (Big Bad John)
It can only happen with a member owned wire service!!
Click to expand...

Been there, got the free headache
 
When hell freezes ove, I'll be first in line for that 90/10 split.

boss, does that 90% figure still come from FTDs market share report? I know that mine remaind about the same from yr.to yr. prior to leaving. while experiencing a decline in outgoing orders. I'm wondering if those presantages are squed(sp) over the last couple years because of the upheavel in the industry?

The scarry part about droping the service fee in todays market vs. 10 years ago is the real possibility that one may never really increase the outgoing volume sufficently to re-coop the loss of revenue the service fee brings in. I would think that it would be tough to gain market share while the market itself for that service is decreasing.

Now there is one thing I think you are in a good position to do. (you sneeky fella you) Is to add a small service fee that in the end would still be very competitive in the market while the proceeds go directly to the bottom line. even one dollar per order could add up to a mity nice vacation and then some? No need to turn us green with envy there either buddy.

Have a happy.
 
I concur K....Nowadays it could be much harder to do, but not impossibe,,

My 90% number comes fromtalking to the other owners in town, and comparing numbers, IF what they say, I can believe...and also, form FSRs...and me comparing the two...

BTW...I no longer have an FSR...seems they have not hired one for my area...Hmmmm....

It may be harder to re-cop the loss, in todays market, as you suggest....

As to the SC, YES, I have been toying with the idea to return to charging one, since most in town are at 3.50 to 5.00...basically I was waiting for next year, as although I am no longer in the YPs, folks still tend to use old ones for a year or so....

Its a tough call, My thinking (possibly flawed:eek: )is that I could charge a fee, and get it, with little complaint, at first, but there again, with the votility of the industry, there may no way to judge the effect....more thought needed, for sure...
 
Originally posted by Frank
I love the 90/10 idea! May it can catch fire if more florist talk it up.

Frank
Click to expand...

Here at BNFS we promoted the idea, and the majority of shops, were not for it. When we at BNFS have the numbers, we'll promote the heck out of it again (90-10)you will see TF and FTD change their mind.
 
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