If the WS POS was a non-issue, would you, could you?

[inferno63]

From interest in Nicole's thread, wondering how many of you that are locked into POS contracts with a WS would fire the WS if the POS were paid off or if the contract was null and void? If you didn't have that POS chained to your ankles, would you fire the WS?

 

[JCT]

Finished paying for my FTD POS in December.

Quit the wire service end of FTD in October (for December cut off).

Still process credit cards through them, still using the POS.

My server needs a 'refresh' so they say, to the tune of $5,000. Not going there with FTD. I will run this system until it dies, in the meantime I'm slowly switching over to Quickbooks POS and looking at Floristware.

 

[master J]

We finished paying off TF Eagle POS about a year ago($12,000 investment including the training), and dropped them and the POS after the 5 yr payments were up!

We are now using Floristware and have never been happier!:tunes:

 

[mikec]

We've also payed off our Dove POS, are wire service free and using Floristware. It was a great move for us.

 

[herndonflorist]

Would leave in a heartbeat, but what do you do about all those mothers day wireouts. it would be a pain to look up each one and send by phone like the old days.
Anne

 

[Sher]

I have a merc 10-1 with FTD...Lately that is the only thing I care for from FTD...however, with that being said, the system does a great job...I have instant access to tech support , limited issues etc...now if your poll was broader and included a way to rapidly get orders sent out to each other, reasonable credit card processing etc, I'd give greater consideration to reviewing my options...As much as I dislike bothe TF and FTd for some of their antics, I do apprecite any advertising that I am able to ride their coattails on...sorry for the ramble but I didnt vote as it didnt offer me an alternative...just quitting without a real solution is, in my case not a factor.

 

[inferno63]

Would leave in a heartbeat, but what do you do about all those mothers day wireouts. it would be a pain to look up each one and send by phone like the old days.
Anne

Believe it or not, I sit someone down and that is exactly what they do for a few days. I offer this service for a flat $5 (sometimes free) but always encourage the customer to order direct and will give them a phone number for a florist in their desired area. If not, I dedicate one person to find the florist and call them out. It is still less expensive that being a member of a WS. Some florists have an ecommerce site that can complete the order just as quickly as a pos. I believe the WS websites give 100% of the order to florist off their own website, less a transmission fee? Not sure of that, but usually if I see a WS website, I just call. Once you have a system in place, it works better because I don't deal with rejects, re-routes, questions, etc. When I hang up the phone, I am done.

 

[inferno63]

I have a merc 10-1 with FTD...Lately that is the only thing I care for from FTD...however, with that being said, the system does a great job...I have instant access to tech support , limited issues etc...now if your poll was broader and included a way to rapidly get orders sent out to each other, reasonable credit card processing etc, I'd give greater consideration to reviewing my options...As much as I dislike bothe TF and FTd for some of their antics, I do apprecite any advertising that I am able to ride their coattails on...sorry for the ramble but I didnt vote as it didnt offer me an alternative...just quitting without a real solution is, in my case not a factor.

I would say that your answer would be no in this case. You are happy with your system so it is not standing in the way of you firing the WS.

 

[goldfish]

Those who would dump the WS are more likely to participate in the poll, especially when the poll uses the emotive words like "fire." The result of this poll would be biased and meanigless IMO.

 

[inferno63]

Those who would dump the WS are more likely to participate in the poll, especially when the poll uses the emotive words like "fire." The result of this poll would be biased and meanigless IMO.

The poll is seeking to see how many are staying with the WS just because of the POS they have a contractual obligation to....AND, it seeks out those who are not staying with the WS because of the POS obligation.

I hoped you answered. The answers are not meaningless to me. Start your own meaniful poll if you don't like mine......IMO.

 

[ivygreen]

My tf system is paid off and I have no contract with them.

I will be staying with TF for several reasons:

*I do enough wire outs monthly that I would not want not want to use my credit card to pay for the orders I send out. I would not want to pay for these orders up front at this time.

*I really like sending electronically vs. calling each shop.

*I buy TF product for the Christmas season and do well with it in my town. I am in a heavy filling area, and the products do well because customers like to see what they are sending, and we do lots of repeat business from year to year from certain shops and for certain customers. Some of these recipients have become clients and there is always room for more of that.

*Having one wire service is currently working for me, so I will keep it and work at making money off a system I paid lots of money for.

 

[Isabella]

Would leave in a heartbeat, but what do you do about all those mothers day wireouts. it would be a pain to look up each one and send by phone like the old days.
Anne

We send them through Flowersoft. It interfaces with Teleflora and FTD and it does not cost anything to interface, it is part of the program.

 

[PhillyPhlorist]

From interest in Nicole's thread, wondering how many of you that are locked into POS contracts with a WS would fire the WS if the POS were paid off or if the contract was null and void? If you didn't have that POS chained to your ankles, would you fire the WS?

No, I wouldn't. The main reason is that the POS is not the only tool I use the w/s for. Also, I am a firm beleiever that you make out of the POS what you put into it. If you use all the features, know the system, and MAKE it work for you, there should be no problems.

I will say, that on the other side, the w/s has a LEGAL obligation to make the POS work in the way it was advertised, and intended. IF it does not do what you "want it to do" then, you need to find where the process broke down. Did the w/s Sales Rep. mislead you? Did you not totally understand what the POS' limitations were?

Much there is about POS systems and problems have we.

- H.

DISCLAIMER: Yes, I run Merx X.1 No, am not a FTD cheerleader. No, am not totally satisfied with the feature set of the POS system. Yes, I am in constant contact with FTD, relaying my fixes to them. Yes, some of the fixes HAVE been fixed.
Hmmm...you seem to get more done for you & more help by being nice!

 

[BOSS]

Did you not totally understand what the POS' limitations were?

Yes, I am in constant contact with FTD, relaying my fixes to them. Yes, some of the fixes HAVE been fixed.

I never understood why anyone would by a system with limitations built in in the first place :hammer:


:rofl:

 

[ivygreen]

'cause some of us thought MAS was just bad abbreviating for the state??

Too be honest, many of us purchased our POS systems with out realizing what else was out there, or believed the W/S options were the only ones, or a lack of information to some other degree. Also W/S financing made POS available to many who couldn't have funded the system otherwise. Pleading ignorance or selling your soul to the W/S is probably not the answer you want to hear but it is the truth.

I believe cash flow is responsible for many staying with the service they have. Also, once you have spent goood money on a system, you do need to make it work for your shop.

Having said that, it is true (to paraphrase Maya Angelou), when I knew better, I did better.


Purchasing a shop with a huge reliance on incoming wire orders was a shortfall on my part. I didn't know the W/S math, I'm not sure the previous owner did, and I am not sure many other florists do either.
What I will say is that the w/s dependence is a hard habit to break. At several points along the way my shop has been in three w/s at a time, and it has been a long road out of that woods. It has taken me years to reverse those numbers, and by no means did waking up one day and saying I am going to be wire service free make that happen.

In the same vein of not believing all the w/s publicity, you can not just buy into the grand idea of giving up the w/s and bibbidity - bobbidy - boo- you're a successful florist too.

A shop that is wire service heavy is dependant on those orders, in ways that include, purchasing power, payments, and "sense" of being busy. There is no yellow brick road, and no magic wand that will fix this. Dropping w/s in an instant would also mean for some shops immediately cutting staff, probably cutting shop hours, and possible closure.

Being intelligent in your choice of services is certainly a worthy cause to promote, and the future of the industry surely looks like it is moving away from the w/s. But simply suggesting that dropping the services will cure all the evils of the industry, or even just someone's shop, is not accurate. There is lots of work to be done behind those pronouncements, and anyone wanting to turn their shop around should be doing some of that work first.

 

[sfox]

I never understood why anyone would by a system with limitations built in in the first place :hammer:


:rofl:

But Mark, wasn't this the same system you installed for some florists?

 

[sloan]

I have 3 more years to go on our FTD POS payout, then I'm out. The system is mostly good, although we are having trouble since we upgraded, but I'm sure that will work out ok.

 

[BOSS]

But Mark, wasn't this the same system you installed for some florists?

Um no sir, no way and NOPE!

I installed Advantage, a text based system that runs on Linux, not Mercury 10.1 that Herb's referring to, that silliy thing uses WindoZ and a mouse.

 

[lori042499]

I would vote not necessarily if that was a choice...My system is paid off in 7 more months...but I also have a website that I have put a lot of work into and really don't want to start over again...after my system is paid off I will rerun the numbers and see where I stand...I will be dropping one, I believe it will be 800, but I am still not 100% sure...there are certain things I like about each company and lots of things I don't like about each company...

But I will still have some sort of wire service after my system is paid off...besides, even after my system is paid off, if I leave TF I cut off the whole cc section of my POS and I lose support, so they still have me by the short and curlies...

 

[inferno63]

I would vote not necessarily if that was a choice...My system is paid off in 7 more months...but I also have a website that I have put a lot of work into and really don't want to start over again...after my system is paid off I will rerun the numbers and see where I stand...I will be dropping one, I believe it will be 800, but I am still not 100% sure...there are certain things I like about each company and lots of things I don't like about each company...

But I will still have some sort of wire service after my system is paid off...besides, even after my system is paid off, if I leave TF I cut off the whole cc section of my POS and I lose support, so they still have me by the short and curlies...

I believe if I understand right then your answer would be no. The question is IF POS was a non-issue, would you fire the WS? In your case you would not because of other factors. I appreciate your input. Thanks.