Not up to par but they loved it

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SpringCity

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May 19, 2008
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This is the opposite of the threads where we talk about how we create these works of art but customers didn't appreciate it... no... I was freelancing and helping deliver some weddings. This was one of the most elegant and beautiful venues in our town. The centerpieces were arrangements of assorted misc bright things; one might have: 1 gerb, 1 glad, 1 dendro, 1 rose - all in different colors. The next might have 1 dendro, 1 lily, 1 tulip, some statice. I have to say I was not happy to be showing up with these things. Half were on eiffel towers and half sat on the table, with the container being a 4" plastic liner which you was not completely hidden at certain points.
Anyway I was just appalled, thinking the complaints would be coming, but alas no. They LOVED them.
Go figure.
 
Sounds like the money went into the venue and food with nothing left over for flowers so they ended up on a shoestring budget, trying to get a big color impact for next to nothing, I've never seen liners used for the containers.
 
As the saying goes and holds true time after time, beauty is truly in the eye of the beholder. ;)

V
 
The customer loving it one thing....

But what did all the guests there think?? Seriously, people will ask "where did you get your flowers" even if they didn't like them, just to be sure NOT to go there. If they needed a cheap container a green disposable utility design dish would have been better.

Glad "They" loved them, but my rep is more important to me than a halfassed job.
 
I think I know what Studioflora is getting at ...

Yesterday, I was tidying up the cooler, checking water levels and such. My eye kept going to one particular arrangement of alliums, casablanca lilies and green pinnochio mums. There was just something about it that bothered me. Visual balance, maybe. Finally I decided to take it to the workbench and do something about it. As I reached for it, a customer said "Oooh, that's perfect. I love it! I'll take it!"

Ka-ching. Have a nice day.

(Yes, I could've told her that it didn't quite meet all the standards of design principles, but to what end? To make her feel that her own aesthetic sense was suspect, or inferior to mine? To negate a sale? I'm all for elevating our quality of product, and I'm on a mission to ensure our products are better and more distinctive than WS or grocery store standards, but sometimes the less-than-competition-quality product is a perfect match for a customer.)
 
I sometimes think I haven't a clue what the customer wants or likes and get surprises often.But you know what- maybe we can't see the wood for the trees and think the work isn't up to scratch but the customer in this case and the guests probably thought the arrangements were lovely.Why do we always have to think everyone notices or even cares about the flowers just because we care so much .Strange world .
Teresa
 
Sometimes it doesn't matter what you think, it is up to the customer,hate to say this but that look is ever where in the books for 09, so it will be here for a while.
 
To Shannon: I have to say I was embarrassed about them (even though not my creations or my company; I just knew that they weren't up to my standards) but the MOB said to the lady who picked up the eiffels "everyone was raving" about how beautiful. I guess it was the variety of colors.

To Gracie: I've had that happen in shops where you are putting short stems (aka schnibbles, yep, that is a technical term, haha) in a vase and some eagle eyed customer spots it and asks how much.

To everyone else: Yup my hubbie said the same thing. Not everyone notices or cares like I do. I notice and critique the flowers anywhere I go. For some others maybe it's people's hair or something else that they judge.
 
Iris Eyes said:
I sometimes think I haven't a clue what the customer wants or likes and get surprises often.But you know what- maybe we can't see the wood for the trees and think the work isn't up to scratch but the customer in this case and the guests probably thought the arrangements were lovely.Why do we always have to think everyone notices or even cares about the flowers just because we care so much .Strange world .
Teresa
Click to expand...
people are much more savvy than you think.... Especially the 30 somethings crowd and younger. Who just happen to be the majority of people getting married.

Have ya ever done prom flowers?? People do notice, not everybody, but a lot do notice.
 
I believe that to be successful and have a good reputation does not boil down to only creating modern / designer pieces that YOU are proud of. It has a lot more to do with how you have been able to reflect the Customers tastes and style. This then will create your reputation. That's what you should be proud of.

Not all consumers/Brides have great taste ( with some it is clearly up their bums) BUT I am paid to Bring THEIR " vision" to reality.

I think that if we push OUR visions onto someone who is not ready to commit to an "upgrade" of style then we are leaving ourselves wide open for complaints.

These "Visions" can of course should be and would never leave my shop without being of a High standard, but clearly, especially with Wedding flowers - " Beauty is in the eye of the Bouquet HOLDER"

I have in the past created some really tragic bouquets in Horrible colour schemes - one in particular was a Cluster posy of different coloured Varegated Sims - Ughh - BUT This Bride came to me with this and only this in mind - I did it - (Hey she was paying me, I'm a professional)..... Well... SHE LOVED IT - She could not rave over me enough, She sent me photos and a really lovely letter telling me how much she was impressed and how she would reccommend me to her friends Etc Etc.... I DID get other Wedding bookings from this wedding - It's not that you created what YOU think is horrible BUT how you treated and respected their Wishes - I created what was in this bride's Mind - That's what matters.!

A Florist's reputation is based on how they adapt to meet their customers needs.
 
Slightly off topic... but whenever we get those beautiful requests for something awful like 3 red carnations, 1 yellow rose, 2 blue iris etc. we enclose a little card that reads "this design was specifically requested for you by_______". I got to the point where I had fielded 1 too many complaints regarding stuff that the sender had to have. Haven't had one since.

I also just put up a huge sign over the wrapping table saying that the person wrapping an arrangement is just as responsible as the designer for making sure nothing below par leaves the store. No one wanted hurt feelings, so occasionally, crap would leave the store:hammer:
 
I like that idea for the tag saying it was specifically chosen. You're right, this is not the original topic (mine had more to do w/mechanics than taste though the design was a bit weird) but it is related. Have you ever had someone stand in front of the cooler and pick out individual blooms and agonize over them but not really want your input? They can come up with some "interesting" combos! Another story on this, I had a bride once who LOVED blue roses with light blue hydrangea, bb and red roses. No, not for 4th of July, haha. She had sentimental reasons for each flower. Of course I did it but that one didn't go into the portfolio, let me just say.
 
Studioflora - Mechanics is a whole other thing - Gee, I would of been embarrassed too....

Wild flowers - That is a great idea....!

I tend to think that Weddings and normal day stuff are different in that, you can have more control over design on the normal stuff...if you set minimums with price and style for delivery, this can then help with the quality of design that is sent out. Bridal flowers are a bit more personal. Hope that made sense.?

But, Yes, I have had a Few things " designed" by the Customer that didn't quite fit to my Normal design style - But, again I will deliver.... They are the Customer..! - But I must admit, I do wonder what the recipient thinks.... Havn't had a complaint yet (fingers crossed) but I think I will adopt (steal ;)) your idea Wildflowers..! - Ta for sharing....:)
 
That's true--the reputation is based on how the florist adapts to the customer. But the mechanics should NEVER be sub-par!

Whenever I'm working on a request for a customer where I don't care for the flower or color combo they've chosen, I make my boyfriend critique it. He has an artist's eye, but doesn't really care that much about flowers, so he can see past what I'm hung up on. Having someone who's not so close to the creations review them reminds me that not everyone sees flowers like I do. :)

--Thea
 
We used to have a customer who wanted a tea cup of babies breaths with one large red rose in the centre. That's it. We hated doing it but she loved it. She has now changed it to a dozen carnations in a vase with one red rose in the centre and lots of babies breaths and a big bow. She's happy. Gudrun
 
Had a bride come in for a consultation and wanted blue tipped roses. I did one for her as a demo, don't want any surprises for her on her wedding day, needless to say, she loved it. The designer talking to her said "What do I do, I don't tip roses like that" told her I would do what ever the bride wanted, even if it's not my taste.

As for the original post in this thread, the look of all the different blooms is a popular look in the mags, especially in bride bouquets, it was the mechanics that surprised me. I occasionally do this, has more of a just picked garden bouquet, more of a free form look, less designed.
 
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