our failures

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sklepikova

sklepikova

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Jun 5, 2007
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ok..... i've been thinking a lot before starting this thread...... and i don't know if many of you will take it right..... anyway.....
today i spent the whole day at work with the horrible headache, not hte worst one, but still...... very annoying........and it was getting bigger and bigger and bigger...........i was one foot in a car when an order for late pick-up came from the customer i take care of.........i won't explain what feelings i had going back to the shop and making that arrangement......... oh well...........none of what i did today was good........and this last one...........it screamed "COME ON!!!!!!!!!!!!! LEAVE ME ALONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'M SICK TODAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" ...... so.......... i saw perfectly well what i was making today.......... and as soon as it was done and on the table for deliveries, not once i took another look at my today's arrangements..........that's how ashamed i was of them and myself........and you know, it's not for the first time................ i had before arrangements with all kinds of different names: "the florist haven't had days off for the last month", "it's my worst day of the year", "i had a fight with my husband", "i hate Valentine's day" and so on........
and i see arrangments form other florist with the same names.... and their quantity gets bigger and bigger as a holiday comes.......
so....... i guess behind this long story i have just one short and simple question............ARE YOU EVER ASHAMED OF YOUR ARRANGEMENTS?????? ...or........like one FC member posted "everything that leaves your shop is STUNNING and FABULOUS"....... ???????
 
I think everyone can relate to this situation.

I can look at a designers work (one that I don't know) and tell you so much about that designer. If they are mad, it shows in their work. If they are happy, it shows in their work. If they are depressed...that one is really easy.

In fact, I think if you gave me 25 arrangements of 25 different designers, I could give you a personality profile on each one and be very close. That's why we can recognize certain artist's paintings...their personality shows in their work.

Of course, we all have horrible days over the years and yes it will show in what we do. You have to get some good balance going so you can return to your creative self. Sometimes an aspirin and a really good night's sleep will make you return to normal.

The sun will shine again. Hang in there.

Carol Bice
 
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sklepikova said:
... i have just one short and simple question............ARE YOU EVER ASHAMED OF YOUR ARRANGEMENTS?????? ...or........like one FC member posted "everything that leaves your shop is STUNNING and FABULOUS"....... ???????
Click to expand...

Gee..."ashamed" is a harsh word. I've seen pictures of your work and you are very talented. I'm sure what left your shop was sellable but not necessarily up to your usual high artistic standards. It's happened to me and I wish I could redo the arrangement. I could kick myself but sometimes it's just not in me to create the best I can do all the time. It's always sellable but not always the best I can do. Possibly, some FC'ers will be appalled at this - but most of the time I'm really good...just not all the time. And I accept that.
 
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Well because we are not WS affliated and I am not forced to make dorky stuff like the smiley mug...no. Simple answer...no. I have a motto, ya'll can use it if you want but I believe in it. I will never send out something that I would not want to receive. No matter how simple, I will give it an extra touch and make it special. Now, it is quite possible that you were feeling like crap today and you were not really "seeing" the arrangements and that they were actually just fine and lovely. The only time I was unhappy was when I had a "britch" that is my new term for a certain crossbreed of brides, that wanted spray painted Callas, she hated them and I refunded her. Lesson learned-no spraying wedding flowers if it all possible. I did'nt like them, she did'nt like them, it was a lose lose. Never again!!!
 
Katya, It sounds like you need some time for yourself.

I think in every shop, every day, there are things that we wish we had done better or differently. Sometimes we are trying to do more than is physically possible in our work day.

Our business is like baby sitting a 100 whining kids everyday. Like kids, our customers, demand the impossible, expect us to fix their personal problems with flowers, and in general they do it will little regard if any of how we feel.

We work with the flu, headaches, our own personal (sometimes tragic) issues, which we keep to ourselves and just keep on smiling.

We treat every customer whether in person or over the phone with respect and a smile (even when they can't see it). We, as a group, are a gift to the world. We are father, mother, bestfriend, counselor, advisor, miracle worker all rolled into one person.

Give yourself a break, You went back in and helped the customer. That makes you #1 in my book.

Blessings Girl!!!
 
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An antidote on how our moods affect our designs.

Several years ago, about six AIFD designers would go on a weekend to each other's shop and design all their Christmas in one day. This worked exceptionally well for several weeks.

One week, someone brought us in some wine to drink as we worked. You can't believe how absolutely beautiful the design work became. Then the next morning, we went in to finish and looked at the wine inspired designs and each and every one looked like crap and had to be totally redone.

So, if your customers are drunk when they get the bad designs...you can still wow them. lol

Carol Bice
 
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I agree with Carol as well as everyone on here, it is a true fact, Heavens we all have made things we didn't like but the customer loved the darn things,,,,It is tough right now with the weather and crapola here, it is so darn hard to even think of what we have been sending out, but folks are loving them, I think we both need a sun lamp over our work station, Dear it will work out, I feel as you do on your post, some days, and have to bite my tongue, and the head aches get bigger every day, So I decided after talking to a dear one on here yesterday, That I would go home early, and it did help some, they were right, Sometimes we all need to do that,,,,I myself, need about a week of quite,,,,,,HUgs to you dear.
 
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thanks everyone for support :0). i really appreciate it!!
but i guess my point was slightly different (sorry for my bad english ;0)
it's just........ don't get me wrong - i have nothing against normal self-respect and self -confidence........ but when i read posts describing bad job the OTHER florist/flower shop did, ugly things GROCERY STORES sell......it's like...............it's always somebody.... not us..............i just wanted to see how many of you are more critical to your own designs than the ones of your competitor, or your neighbour???????????
...and i'm sorry for being sli-i-i-i-ightly grumpy :0)......... though not for being honest
 
everything I ever made, all 3 or 4 of them...
 
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Katya,

It's just human nature to critique our own work, and with perhaps a harsher eye, than we would do others.

Every shop carrys different product, so where a shop in a high end area of town may use orchids, you may not because your customers won't pay the price. So being critical of your own work in comparison is not fair to you. Apples and Oranges.

Have I ever seen a lovely arrangement and thought that's lovely, sure.
But at the same time I've thought I like that design, let's do one too, and it's very possible other shops have said that about our work.

My own hubby who was delivering for a large funeral years ago, came back to the shop and said you know McShans had a really pretty easel over there. I said oh really what was in it, and he could not tell me and he knows his flowers, he just "saw it" as pretty.

Other times I see other shops work and think how could they have let that out of the shop...it needs this or that.

There are way too many variables for you to be critical of your work or others even, since maybe they did the best they could with what they had in the cooler, or the time allowed, or the money received.

I hope this helps.
 
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There's an old saying... "Mama said ther'ed be days like this"
It's one of those truisms......
No matter how hard you try, you can't push string!
We are our greatest critics,,, and I think it's a good thing, as what we sell is emotion and not shoes...
/when you have a day that you KNOW your best work hasn't been forthcoming.. cut yourself some slack ,,, take a breath,,,and believe the sun will come up tomorrow!
You are a professional, NOTHING would ever leave your bench that is not up to "snuff'...but somedays... we can't bat homeruns ALL the time?
Believe... that's why the flowers talk to us! :)
jeannie
 
I'm sure even on your worst day you blow your competition away!!! Sometimes you just have to let things go. I just got a compliment on an arrng. of latin lady roses that was truely hideous, there was just nothing I could do that day to make it look right. It happens!
 
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