not sure how I could have handled this better

[lori042499]

I got a call for the pumpkin spice arrangement on my website...the sender liked the arrangement but wanted it made in a taller vase...

and wanted to spend 45.00, I put it into a green glass gathering vase...it was 3 types of fall poms, butterscotch cremons, peach stock, statice, orange alstro, yellow spray roses, yellow hagaroo paw a few fall leaves, lemon and myrtle....designed in my style all around.... these are the same flowers in the cube minus the lily,

I get a call last night at 5pm, the recipient was very unhappy with the design, she was disgusted by the arrangement and she just wanted me to know....she was quite nasty, but I understood she was unhappy and wanted to make what ever she was unhappy with right, I apologized and asked a few question about what exactly she didn't like...she said it looked like 2 shaws bouquets plunked in a vase....I immediately thought, something happened to the vase and told her I would remake it and replace the one she got...

I used a different vase a shorter wider one, simply because sometimes those gathering vases give a stiffer plunked look to flowers....and I got rid of the peach stock because she said it was pink and didn't match and used yellow gern=minis, I also nixed the statice because people tend to think more of grocery store bouquets with that, i added in seeded euch to give more flow to the arrangement, all in all the vase was fuller looking and softer around the edges....the recipient still insisted that the new arrangement was just as appalling as the first and I just didn't know what to say or do...I knew I was never going to make this woman happy, she just didn't like my style at all....and I understand that....I asked her a few more questions and told her that I could not see that it looked anything like a grogery store bouquet and that if she could explain what she didn't like in more cncrete terms, I could try again...she couldn't, she just didn't like anything about the arrangement at all to her in her eyes it was the equivilent of 2- 7 dollar grocery store bouquets just chopped and dropped in a vase...I told her that if she could recreate that arrangement out of the flowers from Shaw's I would give her my shop and she could have my job...(not the best comeback, I know but i was totally frustrated)...

I totally expected the call from the daughter today....I let her know that I was sorry for the complaint and what I did to try and rectify it...I told her that I would not try to make her mom happy because I didn't think she liked anything that I had to offer, but I would give her a full refund and let her mother enjoy the flowers even though she didn't like them...I did plead my case and stood by the fact that the flowers were not appalling and/or disgusting by any means and explained that it was a style issue and that maybe her and her mom's style just didn't jive...I did let her know that it was very similar to the style of my other arrangements on my site and that I made it, She let me know that I came really highly regarded as a good florist...and said she would meet me half way and appreciated the full credit offer....but felt bad because her mom did get a gift and it wasn't my fault that she didn't like the style....upon that i offered to keep a 10.00 credit on her account for a future purchase if she wanted to try again....and try a different more stylized design something that she could never get at a grocery store...I let her know that I am an award winning designer and a trained designer and that I needed to stand behind the fact that my flowers and my design in no way looked anything like Shaw's, but that I could appreciate that her mom just didn't like the style....and we left on that note....

Now as far as going above and beyond, I think I accomplished that...I do not feel bad that I could not make this one recipient happy because I don't think she was a happy person, just by the words she was using she was already upset about something else and it had nothing to do with my flowers, my flowers just were the last straw in her day...dhould I have just left well enough alone or was I within my rights to defend myself, my shop and my designs and still understand the customers plight....I think I handled it OK, but these days I am just not sure if you are better to just give in and shut up or give a little background and help pleade your case...any constructive crit will be noted and learned from...Thanks

 

[Tracy D'Amico]

as for the complaint - you handled it fine, trying to accomodate. You already know where you messed up (sassy girl, you!), but sometimes .... we're all human. I've sassed at the wrong time too.

as for the sale - Did you ask the sender what she liked about "pumpkin spice"? Your description sounds very pastel fall (peach, yellow, butterscotch) instead of the vibrant tones in your pic (orange, bronze, rust).... I find it easier to make suggestions when I ask what they like about the arr. Uniquely chic is the best example - can't tell you how many times we've made changes to the flower varieties, keeping the hot color scheme & style that the senders said they liked. We'd change roses to sprays, or vice-versa; carns to mins or vice versa, depending on what we had in stock.

hth

 

[Rhonda]

Lori, I do know that what I've seen in the grocery stores lately from Key Floral have been $12.99 bouquets with alstromeria, germinis, solidago or monte, spray roses, and a couple stems of poms.
With Key using alstro and gerbs, it's giving those flowers a "cheap" name.
Not sure you could do anything more as you said, the florists' premium flowers are now being cheapened by jobbers like Key. Yes, it brings awareness of new varieties but those are flowers we think were "novel" are now becoming everyday.
When they start selling birds, anthurium and ginger at $12.99 then we'll really be in trouble (and I foresee this happening as they continue to try to gobble up the cash and carry market)

 

[JCT]

Lori, I've learned over the years that no matter how good 'my case' is - it's not relevant. I don't think you need to 'give in' as you mentioned, but I do think you need to 'shut up'.

Yes, we've all encountered the customer you can't make happy. Trying to talk our way out of it never works. As you mentioned, so often it's not about the flowers/design style at all. There's something else totally unrelated going on and you are the target of their anger. jenny

 

[minorgrey]

When they start selling birds, anthurium and ginger at $12.99 then we'll really be in trouble (and I foresee this happening as they continue to try to gobble up the cash and carry market)

I've been offered anthurium and ginger everyday bouquets for our chain. I'm not selling them because tropicals don't sell real well out here but I think some of the other shops are (ones closer to Chicago). The bouquets range between 9.99 and 15.99. I'm pretty sure they're sun valley bouquets but I can't remember.

 

[lori042499]

as for the complaint - you handled it fine, trying to accomodate. You already know where you messed up (sassy girl, you!), but sometimes .... we're all human. I've sassed at the wront time too.

as for the sale - Did you ask the sender what she liked about "pumpkin spice"? Your description sounds very pastel fall (peach, yellow, butterscotch) instead of the vibrant tones in your pic (orange, bronze, rust).... I find it easier to make suggestions when I ask what they like about the arr. Uniquely chic is the best example - can't tell you how many times we've made changes to the flower varieties, keeping the hot color scheme & style that the senders said they liked. We'd change roses to sprays, or vice-versa; carns to mins or vice versa, depending on what we had in stock.

hth

The sender liked the fall tones, it turned out that she wanted something very different than the actual arr pictured, she wanted tall not short, she wanted a more traditional mixed fall arrangement with space rather than the clumped tight look depicted in the picture...

 

[Erlene]

When they start selling birds, anthurium and ginger at $12.99 then we'll really be in trouble (and I foresee this happening as they continue to try to gobble up the cash and carry market)

Hannaford had bouquets of pin cushion protea today. I didn't catch the price, I'll make it a point to next time though. I can't imagine it would be for more than their usual price points though.

 

[Kristine]

The sender liked the fall tones, it turned out that she wanted something very different than the actual arr pictured, she wanted tall not short, she wanted a more traditional mixed fall arrangement with space rather than the clumped tight look depicted in the picture...

this was my thought right away. The sender ordered a bouquet that she would like and the MOM likes more traditional.

when ever this happens to me, I offer to replace the flowers with the style the MOM likes and explain to the daughter that Mom preferred a little something different. [don't these kids know what MOM likes???] and smooze with making the daughter look good. If that didn't work then nothing probably would.

I have a customer who did this to us ALL THE TIME. Grand kids would order trendy and Grandma would promptly call and complain because said bouquet was not all around in a low bowl, with carnations, daisies and BABY BREATH. that is the only thing she would accept.

 

[Rhonda]

I have noticed lately that the kids sending to Moms & Grandmoms always say "she likes baskets and baby's breath" or " she likes garden style vases, lots of variety". So the kids are asking for what their recipient "likes".
Gratefully FloristWare offers me the chance to keep notes and lets me look at what I've sent before.....
I think although the daughter wanted to get a vase, maybe Mom appreciates table or baskets? In that case, also, you did your part.

 

[Connie]

Lori, you handled it well.

 

[FloralFantasies]

Lori, I too think you handled it well. Sometimes it doesn't matter what you say or what you do - some people are determined to be unhappy. Stop beating yourself up over this. You went above and beyond in handling this.

 

[Sprout]

I'm so sick of ungrateful gift recipients!!!! Didn't anyone's mom teach them to say thank you and be grateful, or has that gone completely out of style?!

Geez louise, they're flowers - if you don't like them, wait a week and they'll be dead. It's not like a sweater you have to wear or a tschotchke they have to dust.

 

[Snapdragon Studio]

I'm so sick of ungrateful gift recipients!!!! Didn't anyone's mom teach them to say thank you and be grateful, or has that gone completely out of style?!

Geez louise, they're flowers - if you don't like them, wait a week and they'll be dead. It's not like a sweater you have to wear or a tschotchke they have to dust.

I gotta say I agree with this... seriously, I can't imagine a universe where I would complain about a gift!

I think you did the best you could with the circumstance. Yes, you got frustrated and hopefully can overcome that next time. But I really don't think you could have made that woman happy...

 

[CHR]

Lori -

This sounds like one of the cases where photos of the delivered designs could really help.

We had an issue on Monday where a secretary called to order a sympathy arrangement for the home and selected this from our site. We made the arrangement even larger than the photo and delivered it within a few hours. (photo below).

On Tuesday afternoon, I received a call from the secretary saying family members of her boss told him the arrangement delivered was 'minimal and insignificant in size'. (He was on the East coast and unable to attend the service.)

We offered to replace it with an even taller design in a more open style and did so on Wed. morning (no one was home Tuesday afternoon to make the replacement.)

In the mean time, I Googled the boss' name and learned he had recently sold his company to Donald Trump. No wonder some of the family members weren't impressed with a $99 arrangement. More likely, they were expecting something along the lines of a hotel lobby piece.

We photographed both the original design (it was 23" tall and not the 15" indicated in the product description) and the taller replacement and emailed them to the secretary.

The recipient was puzzled about the replacement since she was pleased with the first one.

According to the driver, she also had 4 easels standing in her living room. Wanna bet they made the vase look even smaller?

Ultimately, the secretary thanked us for our extra efforts.

I hate when we get caught between the taste and style of one person (the secretary) and the expectations of folks who weren't even the recipients. Not much we can do but CYA and give our best efforts.

 

[Flowerchatter03]

if it makes you feel any better.....

A few weeks ago, I actually took a Saturday off! On that particular Sat. we received a wire order for an arrangement in a vase fall mix to be delivered on Sunday for a funeral visitation. When I went to work on Sunday morning, as I was taking everything out of the cooler, I noticed this particular arrangement that my part-timer made.

I looked at the order and it was for a total of $35.00. We have a $6.95 delivery fee to that city which would have given the designer $28.05 to work with. I remember thinking that I needed to talk with her about making these inexpensive arrangements so large. Now the money was there but she tends to make her arrangements as large as possible (taught to her by her former employer who is now out of business). This type of style make the arrangement look airy. I went ahead and delivered it, even though I felt that she probably put to much money in it.

The next Tuesday, I get a call from the sender and she lets me have it about the arrangement. Says that it was for her daughters funeral service and she paid $35 and it looked like an arrangement she could get from Walmart for $5. She said that several times.

I explained to her that we DO have a delivery charge and actually she spent $28 on this arrangement. I went on to say that 1. Walmart does not employee trained skilled designers and 2. Walmart doesn't deliver to a funeral home on a Sunday morning.

She asked me if I have ever been embarrassed sending an arrangement. I told her honestly no because I know if I want something of any size, I would need to spend more than what she did. I told her that I wasn't going to argue with her, if she didn't like the arrangement, that's fine.

I went on to tell her that since she was unhappy she will need to contact the shop where she ordered the arrangement for her money back. I also called the other shop and told them what happened. I also told them that they would need to send us a cancellation since this was 2 days after the fact, we are unable to cancel on our end.

I am sure that the arrangement was just the tip of the iceberg that this woman was going through but that doesn't give someone permission to treat you in a disrespectful manner.

 

[Johan]

I had a recipent that hated every bouquet that was ever sent to her by us from her son. Her son liked to send cottage garden flowers for her birthday in summer. Pinks, lilacs, creams very pretty and girly. The first time we sent the flowers she rang up to complain and told us they were dead. They weren't but I replaced them anyway no question asked. The following birthday same again - this time she said she didn't like the flowers. So I asked her what she disliked about them. She said the colour. I told her these were the colours and type of flowers ordered and if she didn't like these she must tell her son this as he obviously didn't know - but I would exchange them. The next year her son tried to order the usual, I told him the colours she liked, he told me she didn't so I had to explain she kept complaining. So he agreed to have the colours of her choice sent. Surprize, surprize she complained again. There were no roses in her bouquet and she wanted roses in her bouquet. So following year we put roses in. She complained again - she wanted all roses. I did at this point actually ring her son and tell him 'thank you for his custom' but we were no longer happy delivering to his mother as no matter what we did it was never going to be right. He said thank you for our honesty. He would get her a voucher in future and she could please herself. I asked him what type of voucher was he going to get. He promised where ever it was for it wouldn't be right but he could change it every year so she couldn't complain about it. (I bet she could).

Don't worry about it, some people don't deserve to be your customer.