Important V-day Question

[Excptnl]

How many of you guys felt it was ok to deliver v-tines day orders on the 15th, without contacting the sending shop and asking if it was ok???

I was shocked at the responses i recieved from shops across the country that felt it was totally fine to deliver our orders anytime, any day they felt like it....

Doesnt anyone care anymore?

 

[Tracy D'Amico]

Would never deliver V-day flowers on the day after, without consulting the sender - whether it's another florist, or a real live customer.

People do care. I care!

 

[Excptnl]

Would never deliver V-day flowers on the day after, without consulting the sender - whether it's another florist, or a real live customer.

People do care. I care!

well, Flowers unlimitted in chicago doesnt....Not only did they deliver on the 15th, they delivered at 5pm

 

[Carrieann]

The thing is, I think we forget that weather the order comes from one of our customers, another florist, a wire service headquarters, or even a dOG there is a REAL LIFE PERSON on BOTH ends of that order. One who ordered it, and one who will receive it. So, handle each order as if YOU placed the order for a family member. Would you want it delivered on the day after Vday "just because" it came in over a wire service??
If you can't get it there on the day it was intended for, let the sending florist or sender know ASAP!!

 

[Excptnl]

The thing is, I think we forget that weather the order comes from one of our customers, another florist, a wire service headquarters, or even a dOG there is a REAL LIFE PERSON on BOTH ends of that order. One who ordered it, and one who will receive it. So, handle each order as if YOU placed the order for a family member. Would you want it delivered on the day after Vday "just because" it came in over a wire service??

We do care as well.....i was racking my brain trying to get all of or orders out...we cover 62 zips....I wish i had the same attitude that many of the florists have..."if they dont all get delivered today, theres always tomorrow..........and the next day, and thd day after that.

 

[RWK]

At the last shop I was with before the advent of the new owner - if an order came in for delivery after the holiday - We always confirmed that it was indeed acceptable to deliver. As to how it is handled now.....I do not know.

 

[TOTO]

WOW! Talk about DOA!

Thank goodness, we don't have to deal with that Dilemma anymore and once we became WS FREE!

In reality, the OGs, DOGs, and even the WS DOT CONS, will continue to accept ANYTHING and EVERYTHING, regardless of the reality that, their CUSTOMER-SHOPPERS are JUST TOO LATE!

After which, all of them try transfer THEIR POS PROBLEM over to the backs of WEE FLORISTS, while sitting back and waiting to see, JUST HOW WE WILL TRY AND FIX THEIR PROBLEM which began, at THEIR POINTS OF SALE!

Sorry pal, but you're just not able to pay me the kind of money, which it would take, TO TRY AND FIX YOUR MISTAKES!

Not to mention the fact that, WE WOULD NOT ALLOW OUR NAME TO BE ASSOCIATED with DELIVERY AFTER THEIR HORSE HAS LEFT THE BARN!

All of OUR CUSTOMERS got their VD DAY deliveries made in a timely fashion on VD DAY. Our system is simple: FIFO! First in, first out! Those customers who ordered early, GOT IT EARLY! Those who ordered LATE, got it late! And those who paid our SPECIAL MESSENGER DELIVERY $ERVICE CHARGES, got put on our SPECIAL MESSENGER DELIVERY VEHICLES, 'cause they paid for that $ERVICE!

And, our phones were OPEN all of VD DAY to $ERVICE the last minute procratinators, albeit at our SPECIAL MESSENGER DELIVERY $ERVICE CHARGE OPTIONS which went from $19.99 to $24.99 per delivery, coupled with our LIMITED MENU and a MO of $75.00 and up.

Trust mee when I say that, WE MADE SOME SERIOUS MONEY on our SPECIAL MESSENGER (LATE) DELIVERY $ERVICE OPTION FEATURES for VD DAY! And, rightly so, since what wee doo ain't no F-R-E-E-K-E-N hobby and it's how we feed our family for the rest of the year, and when we don't get their calls.

And, EVERYONE got their flowers on VD DAY, and we closed on February 15th, as we usually do, for a well earned day of rest, and after working the usual seven days straight, pre Valentine's Week CRUSH RUSH!

Clean up someone's else mess on the DAY AFTER VD DAY, and at CHUMP CHANGE, NO LESS? NAW, not at a discount of 30% to 40%.

H-E-L-L, I know of some illegal day laborers who work for more than that, and YOU HAVE TO BUY THEM LUNCH! lol

 

[keith]

we closed on February 15th, as we usually do, for a well earned day of rest,

One of the odd quirks of the flower business is this idea that you can close your store on a day after a major floral hholiday. Hello, anyone home? you may not know this but there are people born on the 15th of February. There are funerals, births, deaths, anniversaries, etc. Please treat your business like a real business! Stay open on non national holiday days! If you are a true business that treats your business like a real retail business then step up and say so. Why is the "flower" business allowed to take "time off" because we worked so hard? You will be a cottage industry until you show the powersa that be that you are not to be discarded or trifled with. Nuf said, be a business first, and a florist second.

Keith

 

[bloomz]

I´m home and I´m totally with Keith on this one - I think we HAVE to be there to clean up any possible messes.

 

[TOTO]

You gotta be kidding us, RIGHT?

One of the odd quirks of the flower business is this idea that you can close your store on a day after a major floral hholiday. Hello, anyone home? you may not know this but there are people born on the 15th of February. There are funerals, births, deaths, anniversaries, etc. Please treat your business like a real business! Stay open on non national holiday days! If you are a true business that treats your business like a real retail business then step up and say so. Why is the "flower" business allowed to take "time off" because we worked so hard? You will be a cottage industry until you show the powersa that be that you are not to be discarded or trifled with. Nuf said, be a business first, and a florist second.Keith

Don't know about you Keith, but wee been DOO-ING this do since 1969 and before that, I worked for another florist when I was I was 16 years old, and for another two years, until I enlisted in the Marine Corps at age 18, and when I graduated from High School.

That's a TIME IN GRADE of 41 years.

Were you even born back in 1964?

Sorry my friend, but I have a list of priorities.

1: My Wife, 2: My Family, 3: Our Home, 4:Our Business

When I was Young (and stupid), and perhaps, LIKE YOU, I worked seven days each week. Monday through Saturday. Our shop was open from 9:00 AM until 6:00 PM, and we went home for dinner. And then, reopened from 7:00 PM until 9:00 PM for wedding appointments. Sunday, we were open from 10:00 AM until 5:00 PM.

At least twice each week, I would drive down to the old NYC flower market located at 28th street (not really there anymore) leaving at 4:00 AM in the morning, arriving at 5:00 AM, and making the rounds to all of the floral wholesalers, while finishing up at 8:00 AM, and back at the shop at 9:00 AM.

You figure out those hours my friend and tell mee that, wee didn't pay our dues while putting our customers first!

And, what do I have to show for it forty one years later?

NO TROPHIES, NO SPECIAL CUSTOMER ACCOMODATIONS, and surely, NO MILLION DOLLAR PENSION PLANS and LIFETIME FREE MEDICAL INSURANCE COVERAGE, like even our local TEACHERS enjoy!

In the end, we have just decided to LIVE like other HUMAN BEINGS are allowed to live, and enjoy some quality family time together.

And NO, we feel NO OBLIGATION to be on call 24/7/365 for our customers, and unlike perhaps the FUNERAL DIRECTORS, who, in our area, have an average funeral sale of $10K, when all is said and done.

What I can tell you, and perhaps other NEWBIES, is that, iffen my average sale was to be $10K, you would surely have my utmost attention, and despite the fact that, I would have one of my hired underlings pick up the body at the hospital morgue, and in the wee hours, for which, I would only be paying that subcontracted driver, a mear $80 for the night trip while charging that family, $400.00 for the REMOVAL OF THE BODY!

And then, I would've hired the embalmer, the beautician, the florist, the pall bearers, the keepsake card makers, the limo(s), the limo drivers, the church, the church organist, the church volcalist, call the cemetery, do the paper work, and hold the umbrellers over the heads of the family, on the day of, should it rain. And, low and behold, the BODY BABYSITTER who is at my funeral home from 2:00 PM until 4:00 PM and then from 7:00 PM until 9:00 PM, is a steal at only $10 per hour.

For the most part, I would be wearing a suit, calling all the shots, shuffling the paper work via my PC FD POS system, and never break a sweat, and all of this $ERVICED and for only TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS a POP!

And, you suggest that, what US WEE BEES NOW DOO is a QUIRK? And you really have the nerve to ask us, if we deserve TIME OFF?

Perhaps on YOUR PLANET and in YOUR WORLD, your LIFE counts for nothing?

However, and IN MY WORLD and ON MY PLANET, there is A TIME TO WORK and A TIME TO PLAY! And, never the twains shall meet!

Now, don't misunderstand mee! TOTO TOO, can be bought!

If someone offered me $10K to come in and work on a SUNDAY or the day after VD DAY and when I've already put in a seven day work week and logged in 80 hours, they will have my utmost $$$$$ attention.

But, failing that offer, BEGONE, YOU CHUMPS offering CHUMP CHANGE for a piece of MY LIFE, just ain't gonna get it, and so, BEGONE!, You have NO POWER HERE!

Sure, people have birthdays, anniversaries, and even die on February 15th.

But, SORRY, but I can't help them because, I've already paid my dues DOO-ING THEIR DOO, for a whole seven days through!

I'll let other folks, much like yourself help them out. After all, and when you have NO OTHER LIFE, you would be in a much better postition to help them out, more than I!, EY?

Or at least, and until, YOU GET A LIFE! lol

 

[Connie]

Don't be so hard on TOTO, Guys. We have a local florist who closes on the 14th. I don't know if she makes VD deliveries on the 13th or 15th, but she's closed on The Day.

 

[ivygreen]

Would never deliver V-day flowers on the day after, without consulting the sender - whether it's another florist, or a real live customer.

People do care. I care!

Same here. I care, and I would never ever do it without calling, and then with an upgrade.

 

[RWK]

Don't be so hard on TOTO, Guys. We have a local florist who closes on the 14th. I don't know if she makes VD deliveries on the 13th or 15th, but she's closed on The Day.

Then this florist is clearly missing the boat. It is as I have said before. On the holiday itself.....WE, the real florist... are the hot commodity on that day.

You better believe that if I ever have a shop of my own......come Valentines day itself......I'll be there with bells on.....even if I have to tatoo a smile on my face....I'll be "sold out" of my lesser expensive items.....All I'll have left to sell will be my higher dollar items.

We are the hot commodity on that day. We can and should make the day profitable for us.

 

[TOTO]

Yeah, well then, When you have a shop of your own.....

Then this florist is clearly missing the boat. It is as I have said before. On the holiday itself.....WE, the real florist... are the hot commodity on that day.

You better believe that if I ever have a shop of my own......come Valentines day itself......I'll be there with bells on.....even if I have to tatoo a smile on my face....I'll be "sold out" of my lesser expensive items.....All I'll have left to sell will be my higher dollar items.

We are the hot commodity on that day. We can and should make the day profitable for us.

I have heard of many a story about FLORISTS who have chosen to CLOSE DURING VALENTINE'S WEEK!

Their decision was based on nothing more than, A QUALITY OF LIFE ISSUE!

After spending 20 or 30 years of their past in trying to $ERVICE their customers for VD WEEK, and after continously being vilified for their OVERPRICED ROSES, since their customers held them responsible, rather than the usual market conditions of supply and demand, those old timers chose to CLOSE rather than be subjected to the ABUSE and OVERWORKED scenario.

We're still working the VD WEEK, but we do insist on taking R&R on the day after. And fortunately for us, we don't have to clean up the mess of any other third party middleman OGs, DOGs, WS.DOT.CONS, or 800 vendors.

In fact, and while our goal is always 100% VD WEEK CUSTOMER COMPLAINT FREE, this year, we did have ONE CUSTOMER COMPLAINT.

A woman called us on February 15th and left voicemail indicating that, her son had sent her 12 Red Roses in a vase, but she only counted 11.

I called her back on February 16th, and asked her to please count the stems, which she did. Fact was that, she had 12 stems but only 11 rose heads and 1 stem having no rose head. I apologized and suggested that, one of those heads must've broken off in our delivery process. And so, we offered to deliver the other single rose to her at her convenience.

And that ONE COMPLAINT was the extent of our entire VD Week clean up process after the fact.

What you choose to doo and when you get your own shop is, of course, what you choose to doo. However, and as time goes on and you become older and wiser, the rules you choose to implement will be subject to change.

As I've stated earlier, and when you have NO OTHER LIFE, your shop becomes YOUR LIFE. Afterwards, and when you have a wife and you begin to raise a family, your order of priorities begin to change.

And wonder of wonders, all of a sudden, and before you know it, 30 or 40 years have passed, and then, you begin to wonder just where, all that time went to. Both you and your wife are older now, and your kids have turned into adults. As you begin to look back in time, you start to ask yourself, the question of: What was it all about, and did I spend enough time with my family?

Our answer has always been YES, WE DID, and we made that decision early on.

We always took time off and on the day after EVERY MAJOR FLORAL HOLIDAY to spend QUALITY FAMILY TIME together. In fact, and left up to YOUR CUSTOMERS, you would never be able to have a day off, let alone, a family vacation. And so, it is up to you to TAKE THE TIME OFF rather than wait until they decide to give it to you, which of course, THEY NEVER WILL!

And, every Summer, we closed our shop for TWO WEEKS and took a wonderful FAMILY VACATION to someplace very special. When our boys were young, our favorite place was Disneyworld, and we vacationed there eight times. The first week was always spent at a luxory condo in Orlando and the second week was spent ON DISNEYWORLD PROPERTY at the Polynesian Hotel Resort using their ALL INCLUSIVE WORLD KEY program, which inlcuded three full meals each day at their sit down finer restaurants only, NO FAST FOOD! Other family vacations included Alaska, Hawaii, Las Vegas, Bermuda, and cruises to the Eastern and Western Carribean. This family did real good in that arena, and rightly so, since, and as I stated early on, "THERE IS A TIME TO WORK and A TIME TO PLAY!"

We only worked on one Christmas Day back in 1970 for a rather large Jewish Wedding. And after that, I swore that, THAT WOULD NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN, since the money we made was just not worth the trade off for our Holiday, to design their Hawaiian Themed Wedding.

So now, we're closed CHRISTMAS DAY and the DAY AFTER TOO!

We now close on Thanksgiving Day since, the amount of those sales have dropped off, and to the point where, it no longer pays for us to open. And we close the day after Thanksgiving as well, in order to DIGEST THE FEAST from the day before.

Also, we close on February 15th, and the Day after Mother's Day too!

All this is a direct result of working SMARTER, NOT HARDER!, and since we no longer have to do the clean up for any of the Middlemen, this becomes a goal which we now relish, and after 41 years, we've earned.

For all of you NEWBIES, I'm passing along my words or wisdom, but sadly, and based on human nature fore what it bee, you'll probably just have to learn for yourselves, THE HARD WAY! lol

 

[RWK]

The critical component here is the 14th of Febuary, not the 15th of Febuary. I don't see a thing wrong with AFTER the holiday.....I was speaking about closing ON the day itself.

Until she retired.....the old boss at the shop never took the chance to be off and celebrate her birthday.....because it fell on the 15th of Febuary. We tried till we were blue in the face to get her to close and take the day for herself......She never would.

 

[vikki]

ToTo, I too have been in the biz a long time, 27 years this August. My girls were 3 and 6 when I bought the shop, I worked hard those first few years, thank goodness I had wonderful parents who helped me raise them through that time, as I was a single mom.

I soon realized that what you are saying is right. The public would have me working everyday of the week, 16 hrs a day if I let them. I choose my children instead. I was open Mon - Fri. 9 to 5. I closed Sat. at Noon. Of course there were exceptions to this, but it had to be a really good reason for me to stay late, or be here on the weekend. My customers got used to it pretty fast when I explained that I wanted to raise my girls, not put it off on my parents. I haven't had a complaint about my hours in years. Everyone is used to it, and they leave me alone unless it is an emergency. The funeral directors in town will not even schedule a funeral on a Mon. as they know I would have to come to work on a Sun, ocasionaly when it does happen they are so apologic. Of course I always do come in for them. I am so lucky we have such a fantastic relationship, and that they value Family time too.

Life is just to short. My girls are now 34 and 30, they have families of their own, but you better believe that I am a part of that, and we still have great family times. My 4 year old granddaughter and I have a standing date every Sat. After I close the shop at noon, she and I go out to lunch together. I wouldn't miss that for the world.

I don't close the day after Valentines, but I do give all my employees the day off, even the delivery driver. I work it by myself, and it really isn't to bad. No complaints this year to deal with at all. 10 or so late orders that come in, and a small funeral. I was still closed by 5. My employes bust their a$$'s for me and I think they deserve to be home with their families and recuperate. But I totally understand why you close the day after.

Now that my father has had a stroke and I am doing alot of the care giving, I am so glad that I have the time to be there for him and my Mom.

I realize that I might miss a few sales, but someday when I am old and frail, I don't think I will ever be sorry that I took the time for my family.

 

[Frank]

How many of you guys felt it was ok to deliver v-tines day orders on the 15th, without contacting the sending shop and asking if it was ok???
QUOTE]

That is not O.K. We would contact the sending shop and ask for permission.

 

[TOTO]

You, MY LADY, have discovered THE MEANING OF LIFE!

ToTo, I too have been in the biz a long time, 27 years this August. My girls were 3 and 6 when I bought the shop, I worked hard those first few years, thank goodness I had wonderful parents who helped me raise them through that time, as I was a single mom.

I soon realized that what you are saying is right. The public would have me working everyday of the week, 16 hrs a day if I let them. I choose my children instead. I was open Mon - Fri. 9 to 5. I closed Sat. at Noon. Of course there were exceptions to this, but it had to be a really good reason for me to stay late, or be here on the weekend. My customers got used to it pretty fast when I explained that I wanted to raise my girls, not put it off on my parents. I haven't had a complaint about my hours in years. Everyone is used to it, and they leave me alone unless it is an emergency. The funeral directors in town will not even schedule a funeral on a Mon. as they know I would have to come to work on a Sun, ocasionaly when it does happen they are so apologic. Of course I always do come in for them. I am so lucky we have such a fantastic relationship, and that they value Family time too.

Life is just to short. My girls are now 34 and 30, they have families of their own, but you better believe that I am a part of that, and we still have great family times. My 4 year old granddaughter and I have a standing date every Sat. After I close the shop at noon, she and I go out to lunch together. I wouldn't miss that for the world.

I don't close the day after Valentines, but I do give all my employees the day off, even the delivery driver. I work it by myself, and it really isn't to bad. No complaints this year to deal with at all. 10 or so late orders that come in, and a small funeral. I was still closed by 5. My employes bust their a$$'s for me and I think they deserve to be home with their families and recuperate. But I totally understand why you close the day after.

Now that my father has had a stroke and I am doing alot of the care giving, I am so glad that I have the time to be there for him and my Mom.

I realize that I might miss a few sales, but someday when I am old and frail, I don't think I will ever be sorry that I took the time for my family.

Yes Vickki, both TIME and LIFE go by all of us, much too quickly!

What WEE REAL FLORISTS DOO is tough enough and the hours we put in are, for the most part, UNHEARD OF!

In Westchester County, the average pay scale for our TEACHER'S is $75,000.00 per year and in certain school districts, they earn $90,000.00. Add to that, annual pay increases, steps, and should they get their Master's Degree, fo-get-a-bout-it.

Remember too that, they only work 185 days each year or for only 37 weeks while the rest of us log in 50 weeks per year.

They start their day at 8:00 AM and bee gone by 3:00 PM. That's a 35 hour work week not to mention any free periods they might have. OH, I almost forgot! They all complain about having to correct their student's paper's at home on their time in the evenings, with their feet up while watching TV

And so, they cost wee taxpayers $58.00 per hour plus FREE MEDICAL BENEFITS plus FREE RETIREMENT PENSIONS since they PAY NOTHING INTO OUR STATE'S RETIREMENT PENSION PLAN.

The ICING on THEIR CAKE is that, when they do retire, they get 80% of their last year's salary as a LIFETIME PENSION plus their LIFETIME FREE MEDICAL INSURANCE POLICY.

And, NO, they are not the exception! Most other Federal, State, County, and City and Town employees do pretty well too in that arena.

The real funny part is when, I read or hear them, or their UNION LEADERS complain that, they DON'T HAVE A CONTRACT AND THAT, THEY ARE ALL OVERWORKED! They make it sound as if, they're not getting paid when they don't have a new contract.

Trust me when I say that, NONE OF THEM have any real clue as to what, REAL WORK IS ALL ABOUT!

Us WEE BEES work like DOGS, and we, (more than them) deserve to take time off to be with our family and loved ones, whenever we choose!

I think the biggest joke on US WEE BEES is when, those very same teachers come into our shops and have the gaul to ask us for A DONATION for THEIR STUDENTS, and only because, THEY HAVE DEEP POCKETS and SHORT HANDS!

 

[lori042499]

As for the question of delivering a val order on the 15th, If the delivery date was for the 14th you bet your bottom dollar it would go out on that date. If for some reason it couldn't, the sender or selling florist would be called to make that decision, not I. Some florists are not that keen on following delivery date, not sure why, but I feel it is part of the job and if you can't do it when called don't accept it.

As for closing on the 15th or any other day for that matter, if you need the time do it...No one ever says on their death bed, " Gee, I wish I had worked more hours." Family time is very important, Money is important too, but family is much more important. My dad just passed away and the things that I remember about him is that he was at every dance recital, and every holiday, and every hockey game. He helped me with every class project. My father was not absent from my life one bit. He owned his own business, but made sure that he was also available for his family. And for that I am truly grateful for because I have wonderful memories to look back on and not regrets that my dad worked all the time and was not there for us.