Inflorescence (honestflorist.com)

Status
Not open for further replies.
Rhonda

Rhonda

Well-Known Member
Nov 1, 2002
5,925
2,788
113
124
Millinocket
www.millinocketflorist.com
State / Prov
Maine
Employee took an order while I was out from Inflorescence (TF order) for "Make-A-Wish" bouquet total $25.00
I looked at the caller ID and it was Honest Florist.
I looked up the order on their website and it sells for $29.99 (not sure what delivery charge they followed with).
I called them and asked why $25.00 instead of at least the $29.99 on their site? I was told it was because the customer wanted to spend only $25 including delivery.
Told them it would be small and 3 sided.
Needless to say, I probably won't be filling those orders again, that is a problem waiting for complaint.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Tracy D'Amico
They do have a pay less option that lets the consumer opt for a smaller arrangement at a lower price point.

Ryan
 
That option was avail for this item and we took it down because it made it to cheap. Don't jump to the quicket conclusions on this site. There is lot's of things going on behind the scenes. We are not cutting orders and invite ANY OF YOU TO TEST US.

Aro
 
When I owned Florist.com we were Flower Concierge. I have always liked the word Inflorescence, and that what my LLC was even before we thought of the honest florist name.

Aron
 
Aron,

Honest transparency to the local filling shops would dictate that the shops know where the order was sold based on the name associated with the WS code number.

You and I both know that the worst of the worst deceptive marketers and skimmers use different consumer facing names from the ones they use in WSs. That alone has helped cloak everything from shady practices to downright illegal activity.

The only way to really get wire service orders back to a respectable honesty level is to make transactions as transparent as possible - throughout the entire chain. That helps keep the system in check.

The opaqueness of the past has helped taint WSs, local florist (caught in the middle between thieves and angry consumers) and the choice of flowers as a gift.
 
  • Like
Reactions: mikec, Kristine, Tracy D'Amico and 2 others
Aronb said:
That option was avail for this item and we took it down because it made it to cheap. Don't jump to the quicket conclusions on this site. There is lot's of things going on behind the scenes. We are not cutting orders and invite ANY OF YOU TO TEST US.

Aro
Click to expand...

Well, to me if you are sending out a TOTAL order of $25, and showing them a picture of a "$29.99 design" you are doing your customer an injustice.

You should know, that a $25 LESS a $8-$10 delivery charge will yield nothing like what you "picture" to your customer - even if it is "smaller." Yes, you did the correct thing in removing that item, but still - offering it in the first place is just wrong.

Sell UP, not down. If you want lower price point designs on your site, then fine - but picture them accurately. Create a small bouquet vase or something, sell it for $10 for all I care. Just make sure you include enough $ for the delivery on the FILLING FLORIST'S end. Not doing so is just as bad as skimming an order - because in effect, you are doing just that.

- Herb
 
  • Like
Reactions: mikec, CHERYL BAKIN, Kristine and 3 others
It concerns me that Aron in his newest venture is selling his customers a $25.00 anything...much less expecting a florist to fill that order.

If it is listed for 29.99, then there should be delivery added to that, period.

My shop would refuse the 29.99 order with delivery added because our minimum is 39.00 plus delivery. Just like with the big three WS's if you can't respect my business model, how do you expect me to respect yours.

I see troubled waters for Honest??Florist.com

It's simply crazy and bad business to sell down, if you want the order filled at all, much less filled well. This is a complaint and refund waiting to happen. Aron, why would you want to sulley your reputation from the get go?

After all the discussion of this new venture on this forum, I'm dissapointed!
 
This mixed vase went out with one of my "disclaimer" notations regarding "..... We attempted to fill this order as close as possible to the senders request. When you thank your sender for your floral gift, please pass along our 800# and website information"

Thanks but no thanks and on a pre-holiday week (flowers aren't cheap right at this time). The recipient is a good customer of mine, as a matter of fact I have a dozen roses going to her next Saturday...from her husband, also a good customer, which is the only reason I didn't reject the order after seeing what was requested.

BTW Aron, if you're going to offer discounts, do what the big guys do, absorb it yourself.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Kristine, roysecityfloristand gifts, Tracy D'Amico and 1 other person
I'm not endorsing the process - but let's stay clear on what happened. The customer said: "I like that design, but I only want to spend $x, so make a smaller one."

Honestly now - which florist on this board has not had a customer look at a pic and say: "I want that style, but in my budget." It's not a discount if they are ordering a smaller version.

Ryan
 
  • Like
Reactions: Toddxxx, Bigted and bloomz
For a local delivery yes, but not to send elsewhere - I abide by SRP + delivery in the WS books or by looking at their websites. I would never, never ever send the "Basket of Cheer" listed on a website as $29.95 SRP + delivery and ask the florist to deliver it for $24.95 delivery included.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Tracy D'Amico and roysecityfloristand gifts
I agree that it is less than SRP. But if that is all a customer can afford, and if we are telling him on our website, why should he not be able to find something that he likes the look and feel of. We are very clear that when you choose to downgrade the price, the shop will create something within the budget you choose. This is all new for online flower buying, I would be more than happy to share the results with anyone that is interested in the conversion rates of people that downgrade vs upgrades.

There are others things we are trying and will share results with, we have nothing to hide from anyone.
AB
 
  • Like
Reactions: bloomz and (deleted member)
Infinite said:
The customer said: "I like that design, but I only want to spend $x, so make a smaller one."
Click to expand...
That could easily be handled by typing 'smaller version of ______" on the Dove or Merc or saying it when placing the order over the phone.

It does not sound like that's how the order was presented to Rhonda's store.
 
Thank you for pointing this out to me. We have only been open since Monday and are dealing with tons of technical issues. Any arrangmenet that has a lowered priced the employee giving the order or merc or dove should say the following. Our customer has paid less and knows the flowers will be smaller or somthing close to that.

If any florist see's that the order they received is lower than srp and they did not get this tag, I want to know about it. I just walked out and told the three people training the same thing just now.

If anyone would like to pass on constructive ideas like the one above to me they are welcomed anytime.

AB
 
Aron, my first suggestion is to add a delivery charge to orders you are taking.
I am at the check out line and the $24.99 order I placed shows no delivery charge for the filling florist. Of course, it shows your $12.99 handling charges.
Why did your staff just not offer my piddly $4.00 delivery charge so the customer could have received what they saw? (or close to it anyway, your prices seem a bit low on some things) Instead of "hemming and hawwing" (which the operator did).

Gift 1 (Sku HF-1853): $24.99
Handling Charges: $12.99
Standard Delivery: Change To Express Handling $4.99 $0.00


Order Total: $37.98

BTW, the State of Maine requires you to collect sales tax and send it to them as fulfillment of orders sent into the State of Maine for delivery. Now if there is another page which states the Maine Sales Tax and Delivery Charges added on, please indulge me.

I know you are trying, but the above are a few facts you have not addressed.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Tracy D'Amico and roysecityfloristand gifts
First off, that item having the lower this price piece was a mistake, you don't see any other items that inexpensive with it and that one should not have had it. So let me ask you, if someone wants to send flowers to someone and all he wants to spend is $25 and it's his choice where he chooses to buy flowers, should he see nothing, nothing at all in his price range.

We have sold a few of these since opening for business on Monday. Monday was our launch of our marketing campain. And I would say that almost 70% of the time we have put more on the order than the customer spent, because we we don't want to have to call the customer back saying we can't fill it. So we make less and we retain a customer.

Rhonda, I am sorry you are dissapointed, but It is necessary for me to eventually turn a profit. And sure, there is lot's of stuff you will hate about what I am doing. Maybe you will see in time, that we are at least going up and beyond what any other og is doing to try to work with florists. I can't make everyone happy, and I can't try.

All I can do is do my best and sell the most flowers I can making my customers happy.

ab
 
Aron, you did not answer the question regarding delivery and sales tax. This has been discussed over and over again and you have read the threads. Most every shop has a delivery charge, yet you show no delivery charges on your site? You collect the $12.99 but no delivery?
If my customer wants a $25.00 arrangement out of town and posted minimums on their listings is above it, I give the phone numbers to my customer and suggest they call direct with a credit card. Plain and simple. I won't disappoint my customer either.
And I will not respond anymore. You can call me - you've got my number!
 
  • Like
Reactions: roysecityfloristand gifts
Aronb said:
First off, that item having the lower this price piece was a mistake, you don't see any other items that inexpensive with it and that one should not have had it. So let me ask you, if someone wants to send flowers to someone and all he wants to spend is $25 and it's his choice where he chooses to buy flowers, should he see nothing, nothing at all in his price range.

We have sold a few of these since opening for business on Monday. Monday was our launch of our marketing campain. And I would say that almost 70% of the time we have put more on the order than the customer spent, because we we don't want to have to call the customer back saying we can't fill it. So we make less and we retain a customer.

Rhonda, I am sorry you are dissapointed, but It is necessary for me to eventually turn a profit. And sure, there is lot's of stuff you will hate about what I am doing. Maybe you will see in time, that we are at least going up and beyond what any other og is doing to try to work with florists. I can't make everyone happy, and I can't try.

All I can do is do my best and sell the most flowers I can making my customers happy.

ab
Click to expand...

all he wants to spend is $25 and it's his choice where he chooses to buy flowers..most consumers who go online expect to pay a delivery fee...everyone that I have ordered from charges some kind of fee...unless it is a bigger order....free shipping on orders over x amount of stuff and since you are using a WS to send, the florist is not even getting paid the 25....that is a very unequal expectation on your part...
sell the most flowers ...actually you mean "collect the most orders"
but It is necessary for me to eventually turn a profit....Florists would like to do that as well...
So far Aron, IMHO, your plan needs some tweaking especially if you are going to send low end orders for which we get paid at about 70%...now if you told me that I had to pay a certain reasonable amount of money to get order in my door then that might be different...and if they came direct from your site to mine without WS intervention, giving me 100% ( less your fee) then I might be interested but so far this is not floating my boat...
I also would like you to answer Rhonda question on tax in her state...what are your plans to meet that requirement..I think Fla is going to head in that direction this year and I'd like to know where that puts us all. Thanks for listening...and hopefully answering...
Thanks
Sher
 
  • Like
Reactions: Tracy D'Amico, roysecityfloristand gifts, Dorothy and 1 other person
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top Bottom
Back