Is this new?

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
In recent years, we have seen a dramatic shift in the consumer and business dynamics of our industry. Consumer expectations are high, and our ongoing commitment to delivering on these expectations is important. So in taking aggressive measures to protect and promote the retail florist we recently launched Teleflora's Network Quality Program.

Teleflora's Network Quality Program is designed to address a number of key issues facing florists today: issues that hinder productivity, affect overall business efficiency and greatly influence customer satisfaction. Teleflora's Network Quality Program focuses on:
From myteleflora.com's members Network Quality Program:
Consumer audit - meeting/exceeding customer expectations
Order skimming control
Incorrect substitutions/late cancellations
Deceptive advertising on the Internet


This program marks the industry's most comprehensive effort to ensure quality and trust for both florists and consumers. This enhanced program is largely based on your feedback and suggestions on how we can address the problems that face the floral industry.

Teleflora has been and continues to be 100% committed to you, the florist. This program reaffirms that position and underscores Teleflora's commitment to superior quality and best-in-class service.

The above italicized statement comes from Teleflora's website for members. I wonder if they consider some of the actions on the internet by those such as Wesley Berry's pages stating "they deliver in my town"...
I also note that on that same page there is no place to contact anyone regarding deceptive advertising or skimming practices.
 
Got a letter from them recently, with the same info. I'll check it over again, "for your feedback..." info and where to send the feedback and get back to you later today.
 
Rhonda at work said:
Dang, new players showing up alot this week, here's another
And this one, if you scroll down to the bottom of the page states
"Order fresh flowers today from our online Millinocket florist shop"
http://www.flowerscanada.com/cgi-bi...n/index.pl?Country=222&Province=33&City=22604
Click to expand...

Rhonda at work said:
trying to attach WB's Google presence where they state "Master Florist"
here's the link instead
http://www.google.com/search?source...lz=1T4GZHZ_enUS226US226&q=flowers+millinocket

Note on the page that opens it says "We Deliver to these zip codes near Millinocket" (no they don't)
then it says "We send flowers to these cities"
Then further down "We deliver to these states" (no they don't)
Click to expand...


Hey Rhonda,
Happy New Year, although seems like the same old year after reading your posts.
Ah.........my most favorite subject,..........deception !

Wanted to really dig into this one but realistically speaking there's just no point, so I'll keep it simple.................

Teleflora..............., and FTD................, have been repeatedly notified that the deceptive advertising has gone too far. Each day their respective
gravytrain shops intensify their efforts and further saturate the listings.
Each day more and more pop up as you've noted.

Neither has done anything about it and if silence is an indication of their response then we know what their answer is, and why.

In allowing paying members to prominently display their respective WS logos, designs and related information, while portraying themselves as being physically located, in many cases in hundreds, or thousands of areas, they are violating their agreements with the rest of the honest shops.
They know exactly what they are doing, and are betting that no-one will take on the task of fighting them.

They do not take any action whatsoever as you know.

All we can say is keep posting, calling, blogging and writing about their obvious sanctioning of deceptive practices. Eventually, maybe sooner than anyone thinks, something is going to hit the fan, and when it becomes a worthwhile media issue, which it will, sit back with a nice bottle of wine and watch the fallout.
They are going to get caught up in a world of poop, very very soon !

My interest right now is which one of them will make the first move, as that will be the one that may just escape with minimal collateral damage.
The ones that follow suit will sustain much heavier damages.

Stay tuned !
 
Bigted said:
Rhonda, this statement and a similar one by the other WS are in response to the anger of the quality assurance fee. This statement really says "Hey, we're charging you a monthly fee, but here is what we are doing for it."
Click to expand...


And I can see they are really going great guns at all of that....That is supposed to ease the angry minds of florists who are paying 20 buck for them to do nothing about any of that list. I have never heard of anyone getting even reprimanded for making a bad arrangement, you have to skim for 3-4 years and have law suits coming out your butt for them to even begin to investigate, if you call someone about deceptive advertising chances are it is coming from one of their send onlys and we know they won't even upset that apple cart.....It is a big fat hairy joke!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ok, now back to my checking statemnets ad tax crap......
 
Hey, Kevin.......
yeppers and yeppers...
The WS know we "peon fillers" have no clue and blindly fill for anyone who calls or sends us an order...NOT. Well my reps know my thoughts, didn't do much good as we all know.
I guess my main question is WHO do I report the deceptors too? Where do I send a link or page of the deceptive lister? (other than FloristDetective)Geez, maybe I'll ask my Customer Service Rep?:dunno:
 
Rhonda at work said:
Hey, Kevin.......
yeppers and yeppers...
The WS know we "peon fillers" have no clue and blindly fill for anyone who calls or sends us an order...NOT. Well my reps know my thoughts, didn't do much good as we all know.
I guess my main question is WHO do I report the deceptors too? Where do I send a link or page of the deceptive lister? (other than FloristDetective)Geez, maybe I'll ask my Customer Service Rep?:dunno:
Click to expand...


In a recent conversation with someone I trust and respect that has been associated with this industry for many years, it was suggested that all florists that have an issue with the WS position on deception do the following :

Have someone with a keen sense and understanding of the situation draft a letter to the corporate offices of any service that seemingly is in violation of their own standard agreements by enabling " certain member florists "
to bend the rules in favor of misdirection of orders.
In that letter draw attention to as many of the individuals that are actively portraying themselves or their situations in a derogatory way to the actual florist businesses in specific geographic areas.
Politely ask the executives in charge to immediately seek out such violators
and take positive corrective action, behind the scenes, so that the integrity of their service will not be compromised and the public opinion will remain high and untouched by damaging negative publicity.

It was also touched upon that any service that is enabling such unethical and counterproductive activity, especially before 2 major holidays, be reminded that public opinion can at times cause swift changes in any industry, and can always be avoided.

The accomplishment :

A large group now has created a paper trail.
A large corporation, who does not want negative publicity, has no choice but to respond.

As it was told to me, it would make no sense for any large corporation to disregard a properly worded document calling for immediate action.
The next follow up step would create far too much damage and negativity.


As far as quality assurance and reciprocity fees are concerned, everyone that still pays these fees should get on the phone and make them go away.
There is no need for these fees !


IMHO
 
Don't strain too hard looking for the contact info in the fine print from Teleflora....

THEY DO NOT WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!

TF is fully aware of the scams, scums and games...they do not care!

It's just text to placate the uneducated!
 
TF is fully aware of the scams, scums and games...they do not care!
Click to expand...

Actually, TF does care! They care about getting as many OG orders into the TF network as they can. Tom Butler's philosophy is they can't stop OGs from existing, so they may as well be sending their orders via TF.
 
I like the idea of a positive statement to these ES companies, if there is amovement to this area, then they must take some action, small or not, it would be something.

Things are gettng out of hand with these deceptive practices, doing something positive, shows a certain level of professionalism and strenght.
 
RJD said:
Actually, TF does care! They care about getting as many OG orders into the TF network as they can. Tom Butler's philosophy is they can't stop OGs from existing, so they may as well be sending their orders via TF.
Click to expand...




But, they can stop enabling them to deceptively advertise if they are members.
It violates the infrastructure of their relationships with honest florists that are essentially enabling them to enable their OG's. The end result is the demise of the foundation of the business as we know it.

Do they know,....yes, do they care,....No, I totally agree with BOSS on the issue, but........
knowing that does not change the fact that well known global footprints are getting away with undermining this industry and turning their backs on it's very core.

Can they be made to listen.........?
Not if we accept everything they throw at us !

Sorry if my passion exceeds rationality at this point but I see the progression toward extinction rapidly approaching and hate the thought of honest, hard working shops having to close their doors because the mother's of the industry sold them out.

While there is still hope, this voice will always remain strong and devoted to all that choose to fight on.

OOOOH RAAAH



:headbang::headbang::headbang::headbang::headbang::headbang::headbang::headbang::headbang::headbang::headbang::headbang::headbang::headbang::headbang::headbang::headbang::headbang::headbang:

 
Back especially to Weasley Berry (as Mark does so love to call them)...
They tried to send us an order yesterday for a service. They went through a bunch of questions BEFORE telling me their shop name. Immediately told them we don't fill for them and poor girl seemed stunned with those words.
The service was for a gentleman who hasn't lived here for 30 years and all his family live in NC or FL. We had some savvy consumers who checked or called the Funeral Home for florist info, 2 others came by real florists, 3 tried to send through OG. When WB called, I checked their placing in Google and Yahoo and noticed they're getting closer to the top - again but it really po'd me when I saw "Master florist in Millinocket"
That just ticks me off to no end. THEY are NOT the "Master Florist", I am!!

Okay, off the soapbox:soapbox:
 
I don't belong to a ws.don't want to.And I have survived very well for 14yrs.Invest in a great independant web site(I haveone),spend the rest of the money(that you now pay ftd/tf) and advertise locally(I do).You can and will survive,.Yes it will be a big change,but you will survive. I talked to a fellow florist ,she had her accountant figure out if she made any money on her wire service.Even using the ftd rebate and taking in $33,000 from the ws...she lost $7,000! I am just AMAZED.After the intitial shock wears off she is going to restructure and drop both her ws. She will have to lay employees off ,and she feels really bad about that,but she would have had $7,000 more in her check book.Now...to me that is not chimp change!
 
Let It Roll !!!!!!!!!!!! Now Ya"ll Talking !!!!!
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top Bottom
Back