Okay.. So I have let this play out before my post.

[makescents]

Wednesday July 8th 8:31 AM - Received call from Angela inquiring the price of a dozen roses..
9:23 AM Angela calls back - orders roses to be delivered to her Mother for birthday..
1:38 PM Flowers successfully delivered to Mom by yours truly.. Mom says "oh this must be from my son.. he told me to expect a prize today!" I say "you maybe surprised"... In the meantime UPS pulls up... With an FTD box... I say.. HHMMM Flowers in a box.. (Keep in mind my dozen was red royal majasties.. big and beautiful in a large vase)

AHH HAA I think to myself.. The son.. is so not looking as good as the daughter at this point. ... Go my merry way! Happy I dont deliver flowers in a box in 107 degree heat!

Thursday July 9th 9:05 AM - Call from sons wife.. (the one who ordered from FTD) "May I speak with the owner please? I get on the phone... "May I help you?" She then asks me if I am an FTD Florist.. I say yes.. We go thru who she is and who the flowers went to... she had sent tulips.. so I knew what was going on.. we had delivered roses...

She was calling to complain about the tulips... Okay - I told her she would need to call FTD -
I explained to her that I had nothing to do with her order.. she continued that I would need to send out a replacement because the tulips were dead.. I said well that is to be expected when you order flowers that are delivered UPS in a box... in Texas summer heat.. But I am not FTD.. Call them. :loopy

It did take her a while to get that just because I am a member of FTD does not make me FTD.. she actually thought that I could refund her money???... BTW (MY MEMBERSHIP ENDS SEPT 1 2009)

End result.. She will never, ever order from FTD again.. I sent her
mom in law a lovely mixed bouquet today after explaining that for me to send flowers she would have to place an order with me directly.. and pay me directly...

Do y'all think that most consumers have this thought??? That essentially we ARE FTD or 1800?? That we are some how owned by them?? I just could not believe she had the idea that I could fix the problem...!

 

[SpringCity]

Yep, I do think that most consumers think they're all one and the same and get confused when you try to explain, like happened w/your customer.

FTD has spent many years and many millions making their name synonymous with flowers and have succeeded in that. People do ask "are you FTD" 90% of the time when they mean, do you wire out flowers. Wire is such an outdated term, but I digress.

Since there is no quality control and they compete against their own member shops I don't see associating with them as an asset, like it was in the olden days.

 

[bloomz]

It did take her a while to get that just because I am a member of FTD does not make me FTD.. she actually thought that I could refund her money???...

End result.. She will never, ever order from FTD again.. I sent her
mom in law a lovely mixed bouquet today after explaining that for me to send flowers she would have to place an order with me directly.. and pay me directly...

Do y'all think that most consumers have this thought??? That essentially we ARE FTD or 1800?? That we are some how owned by them?? I just could not believe she had the idea that I could fix the problem...!

Yes and I do absolutely believe a huge number of consumers have that thought.

And this is why I wince when people shout from the rooftops about all their complaints, blogging about it etc.

As a name synonomous with flowers - when they look bad we all look bad.

Like it or not, and I most certainly don't, they represent the entire floral industry in the minds of way way way too many consumers.

 

[alisonm1215]

Yes. Just a couple of weeks ago a woman came into the shop and wanted me to wire out a teleflora gourmet basket, but wanted to see one in my shop first. I tried to explain to her that I wasn't teleflora and that I don't belong to any of the big wire services. Tried to educate the customer and was glared at like I had 3 heads. She informed me that the woman that used to own the shop was teleflora. Well, that was six years ago, so you can tell she was a super loyal customer. I told her I could locate a filling teleflora shop for her at no charge, but she wouldn't have it and wanted to know of a local competing shop that was TF.
I think it is funny that consumers think that every shop in the country has the exact same inventory and baskets and that no one is independently owned.
My question is, how do we combat this?

 

[makescents]

Yes and I do absolutely believe a huge number of consumers have that thought.

And this is why I wince when people shout from the rooftops about all their complaints, blogging about it etc.

As a name synonomous with flowers - when they look bad we all look bad.

Like it or not, and I most certainly don't, they represent the entire floral industry in the minds of way way way too many consumers.

They SUCK with a capital SSSSS at "representing" - TULIPs for heavens sake.. not a drop of water... in a box in 107 temps... that is just STUPID!

 

[makescents]

My question is, how do we combat this?

I wish I knew.. I suppose one customer at a time.. I understand what Bloomzie is saying about bad mouthing FTD and other boxed flower idiots makes people lump us all together... But... we have to educate that we are independant.. just as any other business...

Do we think that most people think that ALL small bizs are somehow owned by bigger bizs?? Or is just our industry?

But how do we set ourselves apart from those guys??? I wish I knew a way!

 

[Rhonda]

I have no logos on my windows or on my walls....only IFA Independant Florists Association..........
I rarely get anyone asking to FTD or Teleflora an order, most just say they want to send flowers out of town but I've been educating my customers for a great many years as to how "flowers by wire" works.

 

[mperry]

flowers in a box

My experience with people ordering the flowers in a box is that most don't know that is what they are ordering. They see a whole lot of flowers in a "free vase" for a very low price and are sucked in. They assume that this is florist delivered and is a great deal until it arrives on their porch dead.

 

[TOTO]

Yes, there was a TIME!

Do y'all think that most consumers have this thought??? That essentially we ARE FTD or 1800?? That we are some how owned by them?? I just could not believe she had the idea that I could fix the problem...!

Back in the DAY (pre 1994), WEE REAL FLORISTS were THE BRANDS. And so, DA CONSUMERS are still CONFUSED unless wee take the time to educate them, which you did!

The consumers (back in the day) could depend upon US WEE BEES to fulfill their floral needs and meet, and usually exceed their expectations.

Once DA MAIN BRAND became a private FORE PROFIT entity onto themselves, all the rest either mimicked, or followed suit with their own consumer middleman DOT.CON's, and even more DROP SHIP alternative gifts, thus ELIMINATING THEIR OWN MEMBER FLORISTS from the primary profitability spectrum.

I refer to their short sighted business strategy as COAT TAILING for the sake of SHORT TERM profits for themselves at the loss of LONG TERM GROWTH for ALL OF US! It's a formula for DISASTER, and they will eventually have to pay the piper, sung to the tune of Will Ye No Come Back Again?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETbyJmU4lGs

And now, they continue to try and COAT TAIL the reputations of WEE REAL FLORISTS while circumventing their own member delivery force with their MIAMI DIRECT drop ship do-it-all-yourself JUNK IN A BOX.

Reminds me of a DOG chasing their TALE! (just words)

Suffice it to say, there's only so much time left for them to continue to doo dat since, sooner or later, their own DOGs and DOT.CONs are gonna all come around and BITE THEM ALL IN THEIR A-S-S!

You stood your ground and turned THEIR LOSS into YOUR WIN!

Good fore YOU!
:yourock:

 

[CHR]

They definitely don't get that the flowers have to be arranged by the recipient and that the resulting look is not-like-the-picture.

Call last week:

Customer: "Hi - You're close to my boyfriends' work. I want to send flowers for our Anniversary today but the online site I like - FTD - won't allow me order for today's delivery. Can you deliver today?"

Me: Sure. What was the product you liked from FTD?

C: (Red, White and Blue of roses, spray roses & gerberas FTD Drop-ship product) I only want to spend $44.95 like the price says.

M: Are you aware that arrives unarranged and your boyfriend would have to put it together?

C: I'm always so disappointed. They never look like the picture and are so much smaller than I expected.

Um... OK... (to myself)

I explained about how leaving the stems longer to make the design more interesting and impressive would solve part of her issue, but that also requires a professional designer. FTD keeps there prices low by letting the recipient assemble the gift.

We got the order. She clearly had not been happy with her shopping experiences from them in the past, so why would she start there first?

Price! They look cheaper than professional florists. Ugh.

 

[sandytf]

I wish there was a law that made them say "assembly required".

 

[Carrieann]

Yesterday afternoon I had a lady call and ask if we were a FTD florist. I tell her no we are not. She asked if anyone in this town was, I said, I don't think anyone here is a member of FTD. I asked if she was from another shop? She said no, I'm trying to send flowers. I told her I could send flowers out of our area, not a problem at all. She became angry and asked why I told her no. I told her I was not a member of FTD but do have the technology to send flowers out, she aked me what the difference was. I tried to explain it to her, but I don't think she cared. She gave me her order.

 

[marie g bushnell]

I wonder if FTD thought UPS was going to water their tulips !!!

 

[BOSS]

I have no logos on my windows or on my walls....

Me either...

IMO the best plan is to distance yourself from *their brand*, since it has nothing to do with truthful advertising or ethics.

 

[texasflowergirl]

somehow or another, we have to get the word out re: what consumers should expect when they order from "the middle-man". Short story(hopefully), my daughter @ college calls & asks who to use to send flowers--her roommate wanted to send flowers home to Mom. I asked her if she used a florist when she lived @ home & yes, she did, but---it was easier to do it online using 1800.....I explained what she was actually doing(to the entire market, etc.--plus, she worked here when she was younger), & she said "ok, thx, but it's easier.." so, here lies our problem(I feel). Consumers think when they spend $100 for an arrgt., they are gonna get the $100 arrgt.; not the $50 that was given to the small-town florist (the kids live in a large city, but roomie came from small town..) As a wholesaler, of course i don't have to deal w/these issues, but when I got that call from my own kid, I knew as an industry we have a problem. I may get slammed for this, but I'm curious, do ya'll really still need wire services?

 

[BOSS]

As a wholesaler, of course i don't have to deal w/these issues, but when I got that call from my own kid, I knew as an industry we have a problem.

No you don't...directly. But everything that affects the local florist eventually flows downhill, and the wholesaler is next in line

I may get slammed for this, but I'm curious, do ya'll really still need wire services?

Um...not so much... but just like the crack addict, many can't shake loose...

 

[texasflowergirl]

and, again as a wholesaler, my favorite verbage is "leap-froggin'". The entire chain of from field to consumer has become nothing but a leap-froggin game.

 

[twiggy]

In my experinece "are you FTD" means can you send flowers for me? I don't explain why I'm not but simply answer with "I'm not FTD but can send flowers for you" they are just happy that I can take care of it for them. these are the people that will probably never look for a florist themselves- despite all the education from us.

a few years ago a dear older lady called the shop where I was working and asked if we had her flowers- she had been tracking it on UPS and it had indicated that it was in yerington ...she didn't have it yet , did we? (an FTD shop)

 

[NPFloral]

No you don't...directly. But everything that affects the local florist eventually flows downhill, and the wholesaler is next in line


Um...not so much... but just like the crack addict, many can't shake loose...

WSA Wire Service Anonymous.

Hello... my name is Tim and I was a Wire Service Addict.:alcoholic
All: HI TIM!
Back then I thought, "How can I survive without all those orders?" ::BS
All: AMEN!
But then it hit me one day when looking at my P & L, "HEY! I only made $1.47 on that $40.00 arrangement from Teleflora!"
ALL: IT'S CRIMINAL!
Then I met my friends Rob & Dennis at Fabulous Flowers and they SHOWED ME THE LIGHT!:squish:
ALL: HORRAY FOR ROB & DENNIS!
I've been clean and WS free for almost 3 years now and I feel such a relief! So does my checkbook!:blowkiss:
ALL: KA-CHING!!:bouncy:


Ok.. I'll stop now

Tim - North Port Floral

 

[inferno63]

We need to come at this problem from all sides. We need to educate customers one on one, in groups, and at every opportunity presented to us. We also need to brand ourselves and give superior customer service and product for our direct orders. The customers are noticing the difference more and more every day. Then we need to let the WS big three continue to do business as usual because with their ethics and business philosophy will be our greatest ally in the fight. No matter the hardcore we-cannot-change florists with their shrugging shoulders, WS IS BECOMING OUTDATED and they know it. That is why they are ever so slowly switching their product to consumer method to drop-ship. They know they are losing florists. They are cutting prices and becoming "cheap" because they know they are losing consumers. And the more florists they lose by pulling fees out their behinds, and the more consumers they lose by drop shipping stuff from their behinds, the more elevated the real florist becomes. Hallelujah! Amen!