OGing Bloomnet florist

[Knife's Wife]

Wow, Just received my Verizon book for 2008, it is filled with order gatherers toting the bloomnet sending capabilities.

They seemed to have disappeared last year but are back with a vengeance.

Here are a few:
Full page ad
Blooms Today, claiming rush delivery service available, 30 years retail experience, 50% off ALL products by phone or online, and 100% satisfaction, no questions asked.

Full page
Flowers sent today
Full page
American blooms

Half pages:
Funeral flowers / www. order sympathy flowers . com
Laurens Flowers/ Laurens flowers.com

All actually are Flowers sent today. All show FTD and Bloomnet logos in ad except the Blooms Today ad they also show TF logo along with the others.

5 ads from one order gatherer, I love the flower business!

Knife's wife

 

[bloomz]

That sure shows us something - I've long thought yellow pages is dying and know many of we florists are giving up on it.

But they keep buying more - so they are trying (and succeeding obviously) to get every person that picks the dang book up.

Seeing that and brainstorming it recently I changed my mind at giving up on the yellow pages completely.

 

[lori042499]

Blooms today is great.....

I do not under any circumstances fill for them...

That rush delivery they talk about, they charge 7.99 and forward nothing to the florist for it except for the time that it needs to be there by...the also charge for large card messages and don't forward...they take 10.00 off the top of arrangements before sending them on to a florist...they are awful... I found this out the hard way...before I was hip to it...then in one week I got 3 different complaints were the sender lived with the reciever and they were pissed about how much they spent and how much they got. I reported them to 800 and was told that they would watch them but not much they could do because they made them alot of money.....

Thanks but no thatnks, now 2 years later the orders have been coming cloaked by 800-flower....my patience is running thin with this crap...

With all those hidden fees, I could probably afford a full page ad too....

 

[wrdlady47]

There are two reasons people don't do the proper thing. One is they are lazy, the other; they are idiots. OG's go after these people. And brick and mortar florists (hopeless romatics that we are) go after the people who want quality and service.
Unfortunately, the balance has shifted and more and more people go after the quick fix because it is easier and they don't have to think about anything. Pick a picture, pick a price, fill in the blanks and hit a button.
One of the ways to combat this is to get a group of florists together to take out a full page add. Let's say there are 20 towns in your county. Each town has 1-3 florists. If each florist has a advertising budget of $100 month for print advertising-pool the money of 15 to 20 florists. That's up to $2,000 for a decent full page add.
As far as I am concerned, the WS's and OG's take away the choice of the consumer. This idea gives it back.

 

[RC in Dayton and Cincinnati]

I have a different view.

I don't think the consumer is lazy or stupid. If florists had done a good job at making the consumer happy he wouldn't have wandered off in the first place.

Looking at it from the consumers point of view Flowers Sent Today is indistinguishable from the local florist. Both will generally disappoint if the sender actually sees what was sent. If the sender doesn't see what was sent and the delivery was made on time, both the OG and local florist will somewhat satisfy.

So instead feeling entitled to the customer we should be trying to earn back the respect of the consumer.

As for the Yellow Pages, if you are willing to play hardball with them they will give huge discounts. This is my policy with them. I will buy no more than a bold listing, but if they are willing to throw out a deal to me I will entertain the thought of a double page ad. Invariably when deadline comes around, and they don't meet their expectations they come back willing to deal. If not, I'm happy with a bold listing.


RC

 

[Joe Mioux]

As for the Yellow Pages, if you are willing to play hardball with them they will give huge discounts. This is my policy with them. I will buy no more than a bold listing, but if they are willing to throw out a deal to me I will entertain the thought of a double page ad. Invariably when deadline comes around, and they don't meet their expectations they come back willing to deal. If not, I'm happy with a bold listing.


RC

It works. I do this as well.

joe

 

[LJVF]

I have a different view.

I don't think the consumer is lazy or stupid. If florists had done a good job at making the consumer happy he wouldn't have wandered off in the first place.

Looking at it from the consumers point of view Flowers Sent Today is indistinguishable from the local florist. Both will generally disappoint if the sender actually sees what was sent. If the sender doesn't see what was sent and the delivery was made on time, both the OG and local florist will somewhat satisfy.

I agree with this. I'd also like to add that good marketing will usually appeal to the general public.

There seems to be an assumption that the customer will always get burned by an OG. While I agree that the odds of getting better service and a better product are better dealing with a real local florist, there is still a chance the customer will get decent service from an OG. What if 1 in 15 customers get burned by an OG? That's a pretty high unsatisfactory rate, but there are still 14 who were satisfied. Unfortunately there are still plenty of florists who will fill the OG's skimmed orders to full value and provide good service. The OG, not the florist will get the accolades from the sender.

 

[wrdlady47]

Didn't specify customers. Said "people". All other excuses: I was tired, I didn't know, no one told me, I'm too busy, I forgot, fall into either of those two catagories.

Do you poll consumers? Is this how you know whether they can distinguish between og's & brick & mortar?

I'm going to out on a limb here and say that when a customer orders a $30 arrangement form a B&M florist they get the shop's value of $30. That the delivery fee goes towards delivery. And if it is a wire order. The money goes towards deferring the cost of belonging to a wire service.

Does the customer have an inkling about OG's. That a $45 order plus $10 delivery usually winds up at $40 value to the receiving florist and that they have just paid a "service fee" to get ripped off.

If the small flower shop is guilty of anything it is believing that the wire services maintained the integrity they started with years ago and were still working with and for the florist. If the WS actually enforced the rules and regs that are written in each and every contract. If they used the $20 monthly, quality fee for weeding out the "bad" florists. Maybe the small shop could stand a chance

And not for nothin',Let's just say: I'm a consumer, I work 40 + hrs a week, I have kids, A house, I commute. Mom's birthday,she loves flowers but she lives states away.I leave for work b-4 the local shop opens and get home after it closes. I'm on-line. I type in my town and 3-5 listings pop up that say "local delivery". Got lots of work to do. forgot the name of the shop on main st. OH, Look one says "free delivery" I'll use them. Send the flowers pay for arrangement (I'll get the delux). Hey, there's a delivery fee. I'm here anyway. Plus, service fee. And tax. Mom gets flowers. They look like crap. OG sent for less than quoted. Mom's doesn't want to upset Me Won't use the florist that sent them. I keep going on line because I don't I was ripped off.

And the small local florist, with a limited budget, minimal knowledge of the internet, who trusts the WS with their advertising money is the reason.

I could go on, but those who can get it will and those who can't, won't

 

[Mikey the Flower Guy]

customers are neither lazy, nor, stupid!!
We've managed to "convert 11 customers since Christmas, to "direct purchase" clients with "super size me service" from the OG's.
With many orders going to unserviced areas, we have complete control over, and go overboard, on customers who take the time to search us out, when the OG's fail to deliver!!

 

[ivygreen]

This is not a lazy or stupid problem. Let's take a look outside our industry. When your searching the web for anything where do you look first? They don't call it the golden traingle for nothing, it's where most people look and buy first. Why are they searching the web? For fast, convenient, useful info. Is your life busy, full, and in need of the quickest means to the end? Mine is.

The question is what are we doing to get where people are shopping? And making ourselves the quickest, most convenient, best value, place to buy flowers? The OG's are beating us to the finish line. The dOG's are cheating. I need to be getting in the race, and learning to win.

 

[wrdlady47]

And if the product customer isn't happy with the product the local florist gets the "bum wrap". If someone isn't happy they tell 10 others. If they are pleased they tell 1 or 2.
Perspective: An OG collects $55 from consumer (inc. del) for Item #XXX. Your min. is 35 & 5 del. You get the order for $42. You don't have all the Product but according to WS rules & regs you can substitute. Customer doesn't know this.You proudly put your business card in order. Cust sees the arrangement. Your name is all over it. What are the chances that they call you and ask what monetary value you were given? What are the chances they will call you and ask why you used the wrong flowers? What are the chances they will tell everyone they you did a terrible job?
What are the chances they will still us and OG and not you?

sure 1 in 10 doesn't seem that high a number. What about 10 of 100? or 100 of 1000? 1000 of 10,000? Multiply that by a conservative 8 people told not to use a certain flowers. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link. And Corrupt practices hurt the industry as a whole.

 

[wrdlady47]

"We've managed to "convert 11 customers since Christmas"

Exactly, you converted them. They did not convert themselves!

 

[LJVF]

And if the product customer isn't happy with the product the local florist gets the "bum wrap". If someone isn't happy they tell 10 others. If they are pleased they tell 1 or 2.
Perspective: An OG collects $55 from consumer (inc. del) for Item #XXX. Your min. is 35 & 5 del. You get the order for $42. You don't have all the Product but according to WS rules & regs you can substitute. Customer doesn't know this.You proudly put your business card in order. Cust sees the arrangement. Your name is all over it. What are the chances that they call you and ask what monetary value you were given? What are the chances they will call you and ask why you used the wrong flowers? What are the chances they will tell everyone they you did a terrible job?
What are the chances they will still us and OG and not you?

sure 1 in 10 doesn't seem that high a number. What about 10 of 100? or 100 of 1000? 1000 of 10,000? Multiply that by a conservative 8 people told not to use a certain flowers. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link. And Corrupt practices hurt the industry as a whole.

I agree and understand with what you are saying, I just don't think they're lazy or stupid. BTW, I changed the number to 1 in 15, but it's just a number I threw out there with no foundation. I'm just trying to make a point that not all OG orders go sour.

 

[wrdlady47]

But, even if one does, it hurts the entire industry. There is a need to look at the numbers exponentially. All I ask, is that we join forces for make the WS enforce the rules that already exist. Look at the whole picture. We invest not only money, but blood sweat and tears into our businesses. Who has the right to damage our industry?

BTW I never called the consumer "stupid". I believe I used the word "idiot"
And for the record, these are the terms I use myself for not doing the right thing and I have taught my staff and husband to also use it.
Once you get past the emotional attachments to the words, it actually makes sense. And believe it or not it avoids more confrontations that you would think.
COME ON! TRY IT. I DARE YOU!

 

[bloomz]

I agree and understand with what you are saying, I just don't think they're lazy or stupid. BTW, I changed the number to 1 in 15, but it's just a number I threw out there with no foundation. I'm just trying to make a point that not all OG orders go sour.

It's really way closer to 1 in 100 or even less. I speak from experiece. Most if not all OG's have Preferred Florists lists that are Golden. I know mine is.

They don't want complaints or lost customers either. Remember they're the ones spending the long green to get those customers.

Anyone want to guess what FST spends annually on their yellow pagees bill? Or their internet advertising bill?

Their problem, or rather their filling florist's problem is that they undersell. I *heard* they undercut all the SRP's by $5, and that's where the dissatisfacton comes from IMO.

 

[LJVF]

There are two reasons people don't do the proper thing. One is they are lazy, the other; they are idiots. OG's go after these people. And brick and mortar florists (hopeless romatics that we are) go after the people who want quality and service.

BTW I never called the consumer "stupid". I believe I used the word "idiot"

I stand corrected you did use the word "idiot".

And for the record, these are the terms I use myself for not doing the right thing and I have taught my staff and husband to also use it.
Once you get past the emotional attachments to the words, it actually makes sense. And believe it or not it avoids more confrontations that you would think.
COME ON! TRY IT. I DARE YOU!

Ok I'll try....nope it still doesn't make sense to me, maybe I'm the "idiot"?

All sarcasm aside, I do get your point and agree with the gist of what you're saying.

 

[LJVF]

It's really way closer to 1 in 100 or even less. I speak from experiece. Most if not all OG's have Preferred Florists lists that are Golden. I know mine is.

They don't want complaints or lost customers either. Remember they're the ones spending the long green to get those customers.

Anyone want to guess what FST spends annually on their yellow pagees bill? Or their internet advertising bill?

Their problem, or rather their filling florist's problem is that they undersell. I *heard* they undercut all the SRP's by $5, and that's where the dissatisfacton comes from IMO.

1 in 100 is actually a pretty decent rate.

I don't have a guess on the yellow page bill, but I would bet it's high, but less than we think. Do you know the actual number?

 

[wrdlady47]

Could you please post the actual numbers and statistics from you experience concerning the multitude of OG"s out there. I would really be interested in your factual data.

Do you keep in constant contact with "them". Really, one can only speak for oneself.
But, thank you for making one of my points. The OG's are spending the big money for the long haul and if they short the monetary value on an order they know the small shop will get the "rep" for undervaluing. Please speak only for yourself and your reputation.
Back in the day, if a Florist got caught shorting an order. Word got around and honest florists refused their incomings and didn't send to them. has this industry changed so much that bad behavior is accepted simply because there is money to support the bad behavior? I HOPE NOT. The smaller shop is riduculed and put down because they don't have the money, staff or support to fight the big companies and trying against the worst odds to maintain their own identity.
PLEASE stop blaming the small shop for what is wrong with the industry. What they do with limited resourses is amazing.

 

[paullmcintosh]

I like what ivygreen says. Doesn't matter, we are the losers or we get it together and start winning. We need to deal with the reality given to us. My wife learned the hard way also. She now asks for more money and either gets it or the order gets cancelled. Now the challenge is to get to the customer before they order from the OGs. There are some really good ideas here and that is why I am here. Thanks all, Paul

 

[SpringCity]

customers are neither lazy, nor, stupid!!
We've managed to "convert 11 customers since Christmas, to "direct purchase" clients with "super size me service" from the OG's.
With many orders going to unserviced areas, we have complete control over, and go overboard, on customers who take the time to search us out, when the OG's fail to deliver!!

I agree 100%. It is my job as a florist to educate my customers.