Is it me or are ftd orders non existent

[Excptnl]

I'm not bragging and not being serious, but rather trying to make a point.

We all would like to regulate, legislate, and certificate our competition out of business, but if you're so good and they're so bad why not simply run them out of business?

RC

I dont have to run anyone out of business...they do it themselves...

 

[Lizi]

I take offense with the pen and paper thing, I can probably write faster that most can type. Just because some one still uses pen and paper and is from a small town doesn't mean that we can not accept change.

I have always said, if you think you know everything there is to know about the floral industry its time to get out. Most owners I know are constantly eager to learn new things.

The problem with standards within the floral industry are many. For instance, all wire services required that before you could put their name on your product, you had to show them what you could do. In other words you had to design for them. You also got pop inspections. That doesn't happen anymore. Wire services will let anyone in as long as they pay the fee, it does not matter if you do quality work or use quality product, just pay the money.

I don't think that there is a way for standards to be set within the floral industry. I wish there was, I hate to see substandard design and poor quality flowers.

 

[ivygreen]

I call ::BS on a good bit of this.

The economy is slow, some areas affected more than others.

Granted there are some poor quality florists, but give it a break already.

Everyone is not just sitting around on upside down shop buckets filing their nails and waiting for some incoming order.

 

[duanermb]

The problem with standards within the floral industry are many. For instance, all wire services required that before you could put their name on your product, you had to show them what you could do. In other words you had to design for them. You also got pop inspections. That doesn't happen anymore. Wire services will let anyone in as long as they pay the fee, it does not matter if you do quality work or use quality product, just pay the money.

I don't think that there is a way for standards to be set within the floral industry. I wish there was, I hate to see substandard design and poor quality flowers.

The problem with Standards in the Floral Industry is trying to have "Standards" in the first place.

It is very clear that to me now that standards have never worked on the whole, and they still don't. An unmanaged WS site makes it almost impossible for the smaller shops to maintain the amount of inventory it would take to fill those orders propery. There is just too much selection, and painting a broad brush has got the industry where it is today.

The solution to the issue. ELIMINATE STANDARDS FROM THE INDUSTRY!

Although you won't find it everywhere yet, many towns, certainly the bigger ones will have florists with their own managed sites. Use their site to find what you need to send. If it is on their managed site, I would hope that they have it available. It becomes their order with the customer, not your order with your customer that way, as it should be. Charge a flat fee to find a good florist, and let the customer develop a relationship with their own provider "locally" where they are sending.

This is where we as a group can differentiate ourselves in this industry.

Change the way the game is played, like they did.

Thought I would add: This wasn't possible, 5, 10 or even 2 years ago, but it is now.

 

[cherrie]

I'm thinking that this is where the Michigan Program Certification program could come into play. If we could get states to adopt the need and concept of making their florists take a standardized test - THEN - to promote the importance of the certification to their communities.

On a legislative level - don't think certification will fly.
I've sat on a Colorado board that mandated all state project landscapers be certified and couldn't get the state to accept a certification plan.
The "certified" landscapers were brought in from California. When government gets involved, rules get twisted.

 

[TGDragonfly]

Everyone is not just sitting around on upside down shop buckets filing their nails and waiting for some incoming order.

Preconas work better for me, it puts me closer to the spitoon.:handball:

 

[Eric S]

Just what we need people.

More Government and More Regulations.:buttkick

 

[goldfish]

Although we all consider ourselves professional florists,I don't know of too many industries where one is considered a professional without having some form of certified training (mechanics, meat cutters, accountants, etc.).

(Professional) Journalists, Musicians, Athletes. There's no certification for these profession. As long as they make money, they are a pro. With that standard, many florists aren't a pro.

As to the industry standard, I would rather let Darwinism to take care of it.

 

[CHR]

We personally cover 55 zips and we've been getting almost nothing from ftd.... we are weighted the top in every zip and still nothing...

Maybe you asked for too many price changes? (I'm not being sarcastic, just wondering if FTD sends the most orders to the least squeaky wheels.)

OG-ing primarily works only where local florists aren't paying attention and doing what needs to be done.

Sorry dude, but I disagree. None of us know how many shoppers get diverted by false promises of savings - $10 off, 50% off, 'free delivery' and the like, nor how many get diverted through geographic misrepresentation.

It's darn hard to cut through and reach consumers, especially via Adwords or IYPs, when you've got ad after ad saying 'Florist in 'My Town''.

Another thing...I dont think they are better marketers than i am...If you recall, chr had thought i had a whole army of workers spamming reviews and so forth...It was all me.

Well...uh...OK. How this could be nominated for thread of the week is beyond me.

.I have many ideas and come for 2 generations of business owners....I dont sit idle all day and piss and moan on a msg board ( only sometimes =)....if we all did our share in our own little part of the country, we'd be fine.

Part of 'doing our share' is refusing to help the SERP perps. The biggest part is doing great work in the best interest of our own businesses.

too many of the florists in this country are terrible

See below.

I call ::BS on a good bit of this.

The economy is slow, some areas affected more than others.

Granted there are some poor quality florists, but give it a break already.

Everyone is not just sitting around on upside down shop buckets filing their nails and waiting for some incoming order.

What she said! :>

 

[theRKF]

all the new fangled marketing ie, internet, facebook, adwords, etc.

Facebook: founded in 2004 (5 years ago)
Internet: widely accessible in homes in 1994 (15 years ago)
AdWords: launched in 2000 (9 years ago)

Please, someone, tell me what is "new fangled" about any of the above items?

In fact, I'd wager that the Interwebz have been popular longer than 40% of FlowerChat members have owned their shop.

Ryan

 

[bloomz]

and how many still aren't "with the program"?

Those stats would be dismal I'm sure.

Let me rephrase my statement for Ms CHR

OG-ing works primarily in areas where shops aren't paying attention.

It's candy from toddlers for those areas where they aren't "With the program".

 

[marigold]

Preconas work better for me, it puts me closer to the spitoon.:handball:

I so see it! I knew you chewed!

 

[TGDragonfly]

QUOTE=marigold;232687]I so see it! I knew you chewed![/QUOTE]

But do you think my tractor's sexy?

 

[marigold]

QUOTE=marigold;232687]I so see it! I knew you chewed!

But do you think my tractor's sexy?[/quote]
Well, I haven't seen your tractor....

 

[sandytf]

(Professional) Journalists, Musicians, Athletes. There's no certification for these profession. As long as they make money, they are a pro. With that standard, many florists aren't a pro.

I think it's difficult to standardize or certify a creative industry. 'Beauty is in the eye of the beholder' applies often in this industry.

 

[cherrie]

You're right, floral design is definitely a subjective experience.
What wows me, might not you.

But, bad is bad. Dead flowers are dead flowers. Ripping off the consumer is a not nice thing to do for all of us.
There really should be some sort of industry standard that we all have to adhere to be able to call ourselves "florists" or "floral designers" .

I believe in Holland there are such standards and requirements to be able to call yourself a florist. Someone who knows about Holland's standards, please chime in.
Thanks,

 

[Chezbloom]

Preconas work better for me, it puts me closer to the spitoon.:handball:

And it makes it easier to play yer banjo.

 

[LOTAKIDS]

i love the shops that insist on taking your order by pen and paper....they are usually the ones in the sticks that refuse to adapt to changing times

Now, Now, be nice, we write our on pen and paper as it is faster than imputing in the computer while we have them on the phone.... does not make us backwards and not keeping up with times. :tongue:

 

[CHR]

And it makes it easier to play yer banjo.

With yer kissin' cuzin'.

 

[Brittanyflowers]

I don't receive many wire orders at all any more, I think I've received maybe 10 this month, might be even less? It is crazy, to be paying all these membership charges, in my opinion. I continue to be a member because I haven't had the time to make the switch. All of my customer's go direct, or if they are willing to pay me a $10.00 service fee, I will gladly find them a florist who does as nice as work as me! I do not encourage then to go direct, I always offer to take care of it for them,but they honestly want to call someone direct because they feel that when they order via wire services they get bad flowers. In my case, it is the OG's that are responsible for this impression. I'm so irritated by the whole OG thing, I am more than happy to spend my time on more profitable things, like taking care of my clients. Last week was a perfect example..this is for real... my customer called wanting to send flowers to LA for a funeral " Tomorrow" . The lady was sobbing on the phone and my emplyee, freaked out and said...yikes, please take this call. So I take the call, and she says "you have to do the flowers for my mom's funeral cuz you are amazing, can you get them there tomorrow"? I laughed to lighten the conversation, and I said, " well since you probably aren't planning on paying my airfare to LA I think you are meaning that you want me to find a great florist like me in LA, right"? She said.. " You mean you can't do the flowers?"

Am I crazy? Why do people think I can do this in LA, or PA from Seattle? Is it the fake ads by OG's that promote this idea? I've started being funny and flip about it and saying..of course, I'll be happy to fly down to LA and take care of this for you, are you willing to pay for the air fare? This sounds a bit rude, but what am I supposed to say? I've tried explained the whole wire service process but it doesn't seem to work. I just think the days of wire services are gone, and it more about networking with folks in our community and our fellow florists and growers and wholesalers. Does anyone else have an opinion about the changing face of the market?