Interesting review of ftd.com

[bloomz]

You have to read down to the "first problem" part of it. Two things I noted were of mention. 1, consumers are more and more expecting delivery confirmations (glad MAS has that)
and 2 - even tho they were unsatisfied and unhappy, the filling florist got the blame and they said they will still order and recommend ftd.com.
Read it yourself, open to comments

http://www.epinions.com/content_137058750084

 

[BOSS]

Sad state of affairs indeed

 

[sfox]

That's The Beauty Of The System

The beauty of the FTD.COM system is that they get to blame the florist. So FTD makes florists look bad, not themsleves. The problem I have with the sender is that while she seems a very intelligent person, why not just go direct and cut out the mideelman, FTD.

 

[bloomz]

The beauty of the FTD.COM system is that they get to blame the florist. So FTD makes florists look bad, not themsleves. The problem I have with the sender is that while she seems a very intelligent person, why not just go direct and cut out the mideelman, FTD.

Sad but true. That intelligent person has no intention of blaming FTD - somehow the consumer is led to believe that we all work for FTD. I've had a call before for a late delivery, and when I told them it no one in the area could do it (it was after 6 PM) for same day, she just said "Well I'll just call FTD then". I told her they would use the same florists I would but she wouldn't hear that, so, O-K, you do that.

Don't think we can change this perception as much as I wish we could...

 

[Connie]

Sad but true. That intelligent person has no intention of blaming FTD - somehow the consumer is led to believe that we all work for FTD. I've had a call before for a late delivery, and when I told them it no one in the area could do it (it was after 6 PM) for same day, she just said "Well I'll just call FTD then". I told her they would use the same florists I would but she wouldn't hear that, so, O-K, you do that.

Don't think we can change this perception as much as I wish we could...

Bloomz, I've had those same types of experiences. Customers think we work for FTD, that we're a franchise. I also had a family come in on Saturday afternoon to order funeral pieces for Sunday, and one of the ladies became furious with me when I told her that I would have to use the flowers that were already in the shop because all of the wholesalers had closed hours before. She also said, "I'll just call FTD. They'll take care of it." When I told her that I'd be receiving the order because I was the only FTD florist still open that late on Satuday afternoon, her family finally calmed her down. I tried to gently explain how the system works, but it was not an easy thing to bear, that this woman had more confidence in FTD than she did in me.

 

[BOSS]

this woman had more confidence in FTD than she did in me.

Back in the day, when the wire services were born, it was obvious to the consumer who did the work, and who was the professional. Now-a-days the line is so blurred that the consumer does not have a clue as to how the "system" works (or doesn't work) and the only thing that is going to change this is a new model, for florists, run by florists, with BOTH the florists and consumers best interests at heart...

We have seen nothing yet really with regard to the BIG2, things are going to change more in the future, and we already know who's best interest the BIG2 have in mind, and it certainly is not the florists.

 

[CHR]

Customers think we work for FTD, that we're a franchise.

Even franchises are free to select their own array of products and offer them at their own prices.

Ever been to a McDonald's in an airport or in Midtown Manhattan? They rarely, if ever, offer the nationally advertised discounted menus because they can't make money on them with their high overhead.

That's why all the phony product markdowns and 'free delivery' ads by OG's are a scam. What they are offering are brokered sales to independent businesses. Since each business may set its own prices for products and delivery, there is no established price from which to be marked down.

If Loblaws charges 25% less and sends 25% less dollars through the FTD network to another florist for fulfillment, then their customer is likely getting 25% less product and services. The customer is only 'saving' 25%, because they're getting 25% less.

Requiring independent businesses to offer products at set rates is called price fixing and it is highly illegal. Any attempt at such a scheme would bring the Justice Department right back to FTD's door.