Just one example of what is wrong with our industry

[CHR]

I would like to introduce a new term to this board "Floral Profiling". Floral Profiling assumes that all OG's are guilty of some sort of dishonest business practices regardless of how they operate or their standards. Proof of deception, skimming, dishonesty, or anything not above board is never required, after all they must be guilty of something as they are OG's. As well it will be assumed that OG's underlying goal is to undermine the "real" florist.

Doug, I agree about the false assumptions.

Millions of consumers purchase through national OGs because 1) they're convenient and 2) they market very effectively.

Some (many?) also provide too few $ for the delivering shop to execute the order as shown. This may be due to competitive low pricing or it may be due to high costs of local delivery or it may also be due to wholesale skimming.

With the order described in the OP, we do know it was not delivered until a day after it was requested and that delivering florist said they had not received it until the same morning.

Orders do bounce around from shop to shop if they're poorly sold, especially in areas where there are few shops.

Note the many delayed deliveries during MD due to florists refusing and OGs not getting around to resending until they'd missed deadlines. (Joe Mioux's tale of the sunflowers comes to mind.)

What we do know is the order failed and left at least 6 parties dissatisfied.

 

[Doug Munro]

Congratulations Boss

That's because they are guilty Doug... the advertise outside their delivery area, they claim "fresh from the field", they claim they deliver, they...

Boss, Congratulations on being the first to use "Floral Profiling" and providing such a classic example of it right from the start.

Your post incorporates virtually all the elements in one sentence, a great example for others to follow. Not only does it make assumptions, provide no evidence to back claims, but it also makes little sense with unfinished thoughts. I suspect your logic on this must be to get the reader to "fill in the blanks" with their own perceptions of the evils of OG's. A brilliant strategy!

Once I figure out how to do so, I think I will nominate your post. After all I couldn't have provided a better example if I had tried.

 

[prestonway]

Doug, I agree about the false assumptions.

Millions of consumers purchase through national OGs because 1) they're convenient and 2) they market very effectively.
Some (many?) also provide too few $ for the delivering shop to execute the order as shown. This may be due to competitive low pricing or it may be due to high costs of local delivery or it may also be due to wholesale skimming.

With the order described in the OP, we do know it was not delivered until a day after it was requested and that delivering florist said they had not received it until the same morning.

Orders do bounce around from shop to shop if they're poorly sold, especially in areas where there are few shops.

Note the many delayed deliveries during MD due to florists refusing and OGs not getting around to resending until they'd missed deadlines. (Joe Mioux's tale of the sunflowers comes to mind.)

What we do know is the order failed and left at least 6 parties dissatisfied.

And this is what I don't get.

The sale is made through convenience and/or effective marketing...NOT ON PRICE.

Post a price so the chance for rejection is minimal. Then the propensity of some to skim, undercut, not provide sufficient funds for delivery...is eliminated.

Further, a simple policy of "two Mercs & you're out"...meaning two rejects & you're on the phone...would virtually eliminate this type of delay. Ascertain whether the order can be filled for the funds provided and put it "through on the system" if the filler wants a paper copy.

This whole thing of sending out...reject...sending out...reject...sending out...reject...........WTF?

Too lazy?? Too reliant on the technology??

And if it can't be filled you've underpriced so dig into your own pocket.

And if there continues to be a problem getting this particular arrangement filled, ya' better up the price.

But it's a "dogs" life...so WTFDIK?

 

[Queen of Weddings]

What I see from this post is all about the OG what about the person who was to get the flowers or the person who ordered them , also if you don't want to fill the darn things then get out of the burdon of doing it at all, . I just don['t get it , Maybe cause it is Monday, lack of caffine, sleep or way more than that, But if you get the orders just do them, and that is it, if you don't want to then do something about it, Does this make sense at all,

 

[prestonway]

Boss, Congratulations on being the first to use "Floral Profiling" and providing such a classic example of it right from the start.

Your post incorporates virtually all the elements in one sentence, a great example for others to follow. Not only does it make assumptions, provide no evidence to back claims, but it also makes little sense with unfinished thoughts. I suspect your logic on this must be to get the reader to "fill in the blanks" with their own perceptions of the evils of OG's. A brilliant strategy!

Once I figure out how to do so, I think I will nominate your post. After all I couldn't have provided a better example if I had tried.

Here...let me do it for you!

lol

 

[BOSS]

Boss, Congratulations on being the first to use "Floral Profiling" and providing such a classic example of it right from the start.

Profile this....

www.floristdetective.com

OR THIS

I think the evidence presented is pretty clear...

BTW, I thought these statements were finished...

the advertise outside their delivery area, they claim "fresh from the field", they claim they deliver,

 

[CHR]

Further, a simple policy of "two Mercs & you're out"...meaning two rejects & you're on the phone.

That would make a bunch of sense, but time and again, some of the bigger dOGs just rely on machines (or call centers where English is the second language.)

if you don't want to fill the darn things then get out of the burdon of doing it at all.

The system permits under-priced, over-promised orders to be rejected - for good reason. Virtually everyone here rejects those types of orders (where the choice is to lose money by giving more product & service than the $ provided or to look bad by actually filling to value.) There's no 'win', so rejection makes sense, IMO.

 

[duanermb]

Here...let me do it for you!

lol

I find it interesting that the 2 biggest Canadian OGs on this board are getting together on this one.

 

[BOSS]

I find it interesting that the 2 biggest Canadian OGs on this board are getting together on this one.

Maybe they've met their match and have to tag team...

Maybe I should dedicate a page to them on FD...

 

[Doug Munro]

Profile this....

www.floristdetective.com

OR THIS

I think the evidence presented is pretty clear...

BTW, I thought these statements were finished...

Boss,

Your original quote was
"That's because they are guilty Doug... the advertise outside their delivery area, they claim "fresh from the field", they claim they deliver, they..."

(I have hilighted unfinished train of thought in red)

The reason I suggest that this is a classic example is that no one has even given the name of the sender in this parrticular thread. However it is assumed they are guilty simply due to the fact they are perceived as an OG.

I have been and always will be a firm believer that if anyone is dead set against senders that they perceive as OG's, don't except the orders. However for anyone to just assume that they can categorize a sender as an OG and as such being some sort of evil entity is just wrong.

I would be curious to know the support that a tread on here would get listing the names of perceived poor flower shops. We have all had experiences with bad fulfillers, so lets start a thread listing names.

Now , once we have this thread, who qualifies the listings or do we just assume that if a shop is listed it must be bad? .


__________________

 

[Doug Munro]

I find it interesting that the 2 biggest Canadian OGs on this board are getting together on this one.

Duanne,

I find it interesting that you peceive me as an OG. As I recall we have over 50 locations of our own that fill most of the orders we get.

This is a classic example again of someone making assumptions that suit their own perception. Congratulations, you are in second place for the use of Floral Profiling, right behind Boss

 

[prestonway]

I find it interesting that the 2 biggest Canadian OGs on this board are getting together on this one.

Maybe they've met their match and have to tag team...

Maybe I should dedicate a page to them on FD...

"Met their match"..."tag team"..."getting together"???

Didn't realize I was part of a wrestling match.

Are you really only interested in views which support your own?

Was hoping for a continuing discussion...but you're both right...you win...I stand chastened...so muzzled...:grovel:

 

[Doug Munro]

Maybe they've met their match and have to tag team...

Maybe I should dedicate a page to them on FD...

Boss,

So it appears that as an administrator on this board that if an opinion does not agree with yours "you dedicate a page on FD".

So much for open discussion. Smacks of Mccarthism

I notice that my suggestion for a thread on naming poor fulfillers was simply ignored. Interesting

Very disappointing

 

[CHR]

I'm guessing Boss was kidding.....

There have been loads of sweeping generalizations here at FC - assumptions (some quite false) about large senders, small florists, floral designers and everything in between.

Would not be too keen on listing bad fillers all in one thread since everyone makes mistakes - so we'd all have to be listed in there at one point or another. :>

As far as listing dOGs goes - the companies who repeatedly short customers and fulfilling florists are fair game. Same with the OGs who label a service charge as 'delivery' and then pocket the funds. They set local shops up for FAILURE.

I do wanna go on the record of saying that just because a company has a high volume of sending, that does not necessarily make them an 'OG'.

 

[duanermb]

Duanne,

I find it interesting that you peceive me as an OG. As I recall we have over 50 locations of our own that fill most of the orders we get.

This is a classic example again of someone making assumptions that suit their own perception. Congratulations, you are in second place for the use of Floral Profiling, right behind Boss

Sorry, I assume that your stores weren't getting 100% of the orders from GrowerDirect.com which appears as their sites for local listings.

If that is the case, then I apologize and stand corrected.

 

[BOSS]

FD...

Jeez... did you guy's miss the above... I was kidding...

And BTW, FC and FD are totally separate entities... my administration here, has nothing to do with content on Florist Detective.

As for the poor fillers thread, you have full ability to start threads...but I would think you would want to include examples (ie images) to substantiate the claims...

I stand by my opinion, that any business that advertises locally in an area they do not directly deliver to is an order gatherer.<period

Preston, and Doug or anyone for that matter... will you refute the above statement? If not, there's not much to discuss, and I bow out of this thread.

I concur with Cathy, volume has little to do with it. And I do not believe that I called either of you gentlemen OG's or otherwise.

 

[bloomz]

That's because they are guilty Doug... the advertise outside their delivery area...

So advertising nationwide delivery = guilty of deception?

OK send me to the "lectric chair - nice knowin y'all. :walking:





In a word Mr Smith - horsesh*t.

In a phrase...

opinions vary



Top of the week to ya and thanks for proving the TOTW theory preston!

 

[Queen of Weddings]

I have a stupid question, about the FLorist Detective site, it hasn't been updated since 2007? How can one get listed on that site, sorry don't know whose site it is??

 

[BOSS]

So advertising nationwide delivery = guilty of deception?

In a word Mr Smith - horsesh*t.

EXCUSE ME SIR...Mr. Boundy, road apples to your too Sir!

You know what I mean, you're a gatherer, freely admit it, and have your local address on your site/pages in plain view...in your case it's up to the consumer to decide...

Take your address off, and then we have a problem...

 

[sandytf]

The fact is that without a complete investigation no one on this board can say for certain what caused the time delay.

Bloomz is correct in saying that OG's are not known for sitting on orders, In fact I suspect that most get them out faster than the average florist, simply due to the fact that they have to deal with a much higher volume and that is all they do.

Why is it generally assumed that when an order that originates with an OG goes astray it is automatically the OG's fault and no doubt due to their "dishonest" business practices.

I would like to introduce a new term to this board "Floral Profiling". Floral Profiling assumes that all OG's are guilty of some sort of dishonest business practices regardless of how they operate or their standards. Proof of deception, skimming, dishonesty, or anything not above board is never required, after all they must be guilty of something as they are OG's. As well it will be assumed that OG's underlying goal is to undermine the "real" florist.

If this sounds anything like the disgusting practice of "racial profiling" that immigration and law enforcement officials are sometimes accused of it is simply coincidental. After all we are all open minded, unbiased individuals on this board, aren't we?

If you are referring to my post, you should note that I said "possibly". I am not an OG basher-if you look back on all of the posting I have done, I think you will find that I am a independent thinker and no kind of "profiler".

My point is that a flower buying customer has been disappointed-and not just one person either. I believe I was looking at the situation fairly. The order was taken on Tues and didn't get filled until Thursday. Someone is responsible for this. Yes, it's possible that a filling florist sat on the order for longer than they should have-shame on them if they did. But even if that happened, either that order was not transmitted right away on Tues (which I agreed was unlikely) or the order was bounced to at least 3 florists. I stand by my statement that "whoever" ("whoever" was identified as an OG in the opening post) took the order overpromised and underdelivered.
I simply think they should look at why that order was rejected by 3 florists. Just as any shop that takes an order should ask the same question if they can't get an order filled in a reasonable amount of time.

By the way, I feel as though I've been profiled as an "OG basher" because I made one statement that referred to them negatively.