RE: Order Gatherer Websites

[Tom Carlson]

Why aren't all you WS members livid, outraged, angry, mad, upset with the WS for allowing the enormous number of OG websites?

I did not read all the posts, but did not come up with a sense of ANGER.

And all of this is because WS members are subsidizing the WS just to get a few incoming orders that they will fill at a loss.

Yes, some WS members are going to say they need the WS to send orders. Hey, the consumer doesn't need a wire service. They are not having a problem getting flowers delivered. SO WHY DO FLORISTS THINK THEY NEED A WIRE SERVICE?

The longer florists subsidize the wire services, the longer will live the OGs. And the longer the OGs live, the more consumers will get ripped off and ultimately say "TO HECK WITH SENDING FLOWERS. FLORISTS ARE ALL CROOKS!"

Do you really think you should be contributing to the demise of the retail florist as it has been known for decades?

I'M ANGRY BECAUSE FLORISTS ARE ALLOWING THIS TO GO ON AND ON.

 

[Rhonda]

Then why don't you as a Real Florist come up with the answer to EDUCATE the public about OG's? The wireservices will never let them go, too much revenue.. Tom, you preach and preach IFA or FSI or whatever but you must realize that for a small town shop in the middle of no where just starting out, there is a need to network, that network IS a wire service. So as the "older established florists" realize what is being done to them, many more "new" ventures are seeking their services. And most of the time, do well with them!
As we educate ourselves, whether by FC, by networking at state associations and national associations, the OG's will not find a way to fill their orders. It is a long road ahead. When you talk to fellow florists, TELL THEM about what an ordergatherer is and HOW they get their orders fulfilled.

 

[BOSS]

Yes, some WS members are going to say they need the WS to send orders. Hey, the consumer doesn't need a wire service. They are not having a problem getting flowers delivered. SO WHY DO FLORISTS THINK THEY NEED A WIRE SERVICE?

One more time, yes Tom, I understand why a consumer that has 1-2 orders per holiday, od 1 for a get well in the middle of June does not need a "florist" or a wire service. However, that does not change the fact that a florist with 2-3-4,000 or more outbound orders a year DOES need an efficient means of complating the job given to him by consumers.

Double entry, fax machines, follow up phone calls (that waste time) to check if the fax worked, are all very inefficient, and counter productive to profitability.

I'd be curious as to how many outgoing orders the average IFA florist sends a year. Also how many can you call out an hour at Mothers Day when the phones busy on the other end...and how much this method costs in payroll, keeping in mind that some of us have 100-150 a day every day for the week...

It's not as simple as saying "florists don;t need a wire service" because the "consumer does not need a wire service". No the consumer does not, they have both the florists and the internet to solve their problems, and they have all the time in the world as well....

 

[Tom Carlson]

However, that does not change the fact that a florist with 2-3-4,000 or more outbound orders a year DOES need an efficient means of complating the job given to him by consumers.

OK, so I am small potatoes, send out less than 1,000 orders per year

Double entry, fax machines, follow up phone calls (that waste time) to check if the fax worked, are all very inefficient, and counter productive to profitability.

I am fortunate to have the FAS system which I like just as much as you guys who rave about MAS but many don't like it when someone raves about FAS. Having said that, I NEVER FAX, NEVER PHONE, NEVER HAVE TO CHECK on orders sent through IFA

I'd be curious as to how many outgoing orders the average IFA florist sends a year. Also how many can you call out an hour at Mothers Day when the phones busy on the other end...and how much this method costs in payroll, keeping in mind that some of us have 100-150 a day every day for the week...

I do not have that information because it is not relavant to the issue of alternate ways to send wires out. It does not cost me anything to phone out orders at M-day because it is not necessary to phone out our orders.

BOSS, the longer florists support the wire service, the problems created by them will go on and on and on like you said in so many words, "this is going to be a long drawn out process."

Those of us who use this fine message board do get bored by the same issues being reposted and reposted. However, and HOPEFULLY, there are new florists coming to this board every day.

Something very educational/helpful may have been discussed several months ago. That does not mean that subject should be off the table for today's discussion. There are probably new readers here every day.

Finally, and on a different subject that parallels the tv ad "but I stayed at a Holiday Inn Express last night" . . . . .

A customer came in today to buy one of our carry out flower specials and bought a $1,700 rattan dining set that she saw for the first time. That makes my day, like the $5,700 patio sale we had yesterday.

 

[BOSS]

Tom, I never meant to imply "small potatoes" only to expose the differences in operations large and small, what works for one, does not always work for another, hence the problem trying to build the "be all...end all" soloution that will work for anyone.

I realize you do not have to fax/phone, I was reffering to when I or another shop receives a faxed order from IFA that there is then a time wasting phone call to make sure I got the fax...

Yes, there are new florists joing out Community every day or so, thus these topics remain both relevant and important...it's ok.

And lastly....

Those are the biggest **ADD ON** sales I have ever heard of....Congrats!!:musical:

 

[briparke]

OK, so I am small potatoes, send out less than 1,000 orders per year




I am fortunate to have the FAS system which I like just as much as you guys who rave about MAS but many don't like it when someone raves about FAS. Having said that, I NEVER FAX, NEVER PHONE, NEVER HAVE TO CHECK on orders sent through IFA





I do not have that information because it is not relavant to the issue of alternate ways to send wires out. It does not cost me anything to phone out orders at M-day because it is not necessary to phone out our orders.

BOSS, the longer florists support the wire service, the problems created by them will go on and on and on like you said in so many words, "this is going to be a long drawn out process."

Those of us who use this fine message board do get bored by the same issues being reposted and reposted. However, and HOPEFULLY, there are new florists coming to this board every day.

Something very educational/helpful may have been discussed several months ago. That does not mean that subject should be off the table for today's discussion. There are probably new readers here every day.

Finally, and on a different subject that parallels the tv ad "but I stayed at a Holiday Inn Express last night" . . . . .

A customer came in today to buy one of our carry out flower specials and bought a $1,700 rattan dining set that she saw for the first time. That makes my day, like the $5,700 patio sale we had yesterday.

Tom, I too use IFA to send outgoing orders to many of the same florists I would have used before when I was in Teleflora & FTD. The only difference is now I'm not paying all those high fees and supporting some of their questionable practices. I like the FAS system and it works well around holiday time since it is web based and you don't have to use the phone and get a busy signal. I also like what I'm hearing from the FC Community about emphasizing RealFlorists and promoting them as such. It is nice to know other florists who want to do all they can to see good brick and mortar shops with an advertised address get their share of the business that they need and deserve. Keep up the good work.

 

[Joe Mioux]

Why aren't all you WS members livid, outraged, angry, mad, upset with the WS for allowing the enormous number of OG websites?

I did not read all the posts, but did not come up with a sense of ANGER.

And all of this is because WS members are subsidizing the WS just to get a few incoming orders that they will fill at a loss.

Yes, some WS members are going to say they need the WS to send orders. Hey, the consumer doesn't need a wire service. They are not having a problem getting flowers delivered. SO WHY DO FLORISTS THINK THEY NEED A WIRE SERVICE?

The longer florists subsidize the wire services, the longer will live the OGs. And the longer the OGs live, the more consumers will get ripped off and ultimately say "TO HECK WITH SENDING FLOWERS. FLORISTS ARE ALL CROOKS!"

Do you really think you should be contributing to the demise of the retail florist as it has been known for decades?

I'M ANGRY BECAUSE FLORISTS ARE ALLOWING THIS TO GO ON AND ON.

Tom, I am surprised by you being so provactive.

TF WS membership is what? .... 20,000 plus members. FTD is what? .....

OG's make up how many of those WS memberships?

Hands down, I receive far more incoming orders from other traditional - real- flower shops than I do from OG's

This is especially true for TF , not necessarily true for FTD.

As far as losing money on incoming orders, I think that Prestonway and I demonstrated in the previous long long long thread that a business can possibly improve their Net Profit by accepting incoming WS orders.

Rhonda and Mark both make very valid points and those points should not be dismissed.

Also, I would suspect that if a survey was conducted that most non-holiday WS orders are for Sympathy business. Many customers of outgoing wire orders needing to send a sympathy piece do not have the time to hunt up a florist in a distant city. WS membership allows for easy networking and ordering.

Don't get me wrong, I am not an advocate for WS membership, just trying to explain the realities of some flower shop owners that appreciate the networking capability and convenience.

Joe

 

[Tom Carlson]

Why I am persistant

Joe, Boss and others

It has been well documented by you and others that the wire services have served a useful and very beneficial purpose. The exchange of orders is what put the retail florist on the map.

But the wire services are infected with cancer known as rebates and non-filling members [order gatherers].

Commissions aren't really the equalizer they were intended to be. So they are now infected and should be taken out.

If your doctor diagnoses you with a cancer that is curable, would you let it stay? Or would you get it out? My guess is you would say "get rid of the cancer."

You can learn to live without some organs. Some people have to remove their gallbladder. Can they live without it? Certainly. Would they rather have a healthy gallbladder? You bet. But they are willing to accept the inconvenience of living without rather than see further deterioration with it in.

You and I know that the wire services are infected with non-filling members who are feeding on the rebates and commissions. As long as those elements are present, the infection is going to get worse. Should we wait for a miracle? It is a lot easier to decide to wait. The tough choice is deciding to do something about the problem. It is time for florists to make some tough choices and be willing to suffer some inconveniences.

That's why I make the case that the problems with the wire services should be fixed. I don't see waiting for that to happen by some miracle. There is life after the wire services. Will it be just as easy without them? No. Can we live without them? Yes. Will there be some inconvenience in life without a wire services? Certainly.

A whole lot of consumers have learned to live without using a wire service. However, some don't want to lean new ways, so they go to a florist. There is no reason why that florist cannot process an order without a wire service or a selection guide. Selection guides cause more problems than they solve. The consumer goes to a florist because he/she is a professional. Professionals should not have to paint by the numbers.

So from my soap box I say that florists need to take back the control of their business and don't subsidize the direct shippers and the wire services. This is a business war that we are in. War is no fun and ideally, it should never have to happen. But show me an enemy who plays idealistically.

When one asks for advice you don't expect the giver to implement the advice/solutions. One has to have the guts to implement the advice. Florists have got to quit waiting for someone to do something. They better find the courage to do something or they are going to get run over. It's already happening.

That's why I am persistent and provocative.

 

[Gilliland]

Stop Filling OG Orders

Tom I agree with you that something has to be done. However, I think we are gnawing at the wrong end of the bone by dropping the WS's. OG's only succeed because we fill their orders. Nothing in the WS rules require us to fill orders from Non Complying Senders. If these senders don't have a shop and advertise such, they are non complying. I reject their orders by saying "We don't fill OG orders". If they don't have a place to get their orders filled, they will go out of business. We as Real Florist need to fill for Real Florist only. Let's stand together an Stop Filling For OG's". I don't think any of us will see a real reduction in sales and just maybe those uneducated customers might start using our websites or calling our 800 numbers.

 

[Tom Carlson]

Rod, you are both right and wrong

Tom I agree with you that something has to be done. However, I think we are gnawing at the wrong end of the bone by dropping the WS's. OG's only succeed because we fill their orders. Nothing in the WS rules require us to fill orders from Non Complying Senders. If these senders don't have a shop and advertise such, they are non complying. I reject their orders by saying "We don't fill OG orders". If they don't have a place to get their orders filled, they will go out of business. We as Real Florist need to fill for Real Florist only. Let's stand together an Stop Filling For OG's". I don't think any of us will see a real reduction in sales and just maybe those uneducated customers might start using our websites or calling our 800 numbers.

Rod, the WS and OG are two separate problems. The perfect solution would be for the WS's to drop Sending Only memberships, get rid of rebates and maybe do away with the commission formula. Florists should not have to sort out betwen OG and Real Florists

But do you honestly think the OGs will ever go away? Do you think the WS will ever clean up their act? I don't, because it is not member owned and too many pockets are being lined. Not that pockets weren't being lined to some extent even when FTD was member owned. And I agree that because FTD, TF and 800Flowers are legitimate entities and I am not a part of their ownership, I have no right to tell them how to operate.

So what's wrong with your policy of just not filling OGs orders is that the excessive membership dues and other charges [quality assurance, for one] are being extracted from florists who cannot afford them and these funds are fueling the engine that keeps the WS going, and I should add, down the wrong track.

I would love a WS that has a POS and order relay system and offers educational programs, does national advertising, a credit card processor and some insurance power. We had that at one time. Could we have it again? I think so, but maybe not in my remaining years. It would probably have to be member owned. And by the way, IFA is essentially member owned. I volunteer to serve on the board without any compensation or expense reimbursement. IFA needs more board members. Any volunteers??

Rod, I applaud you and others for not filling OGs orders, but I wonder if most florists are aware of who the OGs are. Boss accurately points out that the system of sending and recieving orders has to be efficient. How efficient is it to watch all the incoming orders for which ones are Real Florists and then take the time to reject the OGs, only to have that process dumped on some other florist. THAT'S NOT EFFICIENCY.

I wish there was an easy answer, but I am firmly convinced that what we have now is not the answer.

Tom Carlson, Fairview Florist, Janesville, WI 608-755-7700 [email protected]

 

[tulips]

order gatherer

How would I have known "best floral" from Wisconsin was/is still gathering orders under the name 'A FLORIST IN QUINCY' with local phn number? I've been filling orders from them for months and it NEVER occurred to me that they were anything but a legitimate shop. At least the customer knows when they bid on flowers from ebay or sponsored links that the shop is not local but when you call 411 and ask for the first florist in your city and it's 'A FLORIST IN YOUR HOMETOWN" ,,,,Then the customer believes they are calling a florist from their hometown.....not from timbucktoo! My question is; is there a way of know from their codes that they are a sending only shop? If not, what should we do, everytime we get an order, call them and ask if we can come by to pick something up? I suppose that would give some enlightenment. And lastly, I would like to put a weekly ad in the local paper to start educating customers of this fraudulent practice. Any suggestions on how to make it understandable, the whole thing is SO convoluted; I even wouldn't believe it if I read it in the paper. Thanks for any suggestions. [email protected]

 

[Dazeal]

Why aren't all you WS members livid, outraged, angry, mad, upset with the WS for allowing the enormous number of OG websites?

WoooooHOOO!!!!! Because MONEY TRUMPS ALL Tom! No matter what they're doing to our industry! They can be mad all they want, but money cures all.. so they think. That and they are afraid of down sizing, changing POS they are hooked into, etc...

Come on Tom, we know the answers, and we know what these florists are going to say and we know the fight this will start.

It is sad to me that I see awesome florists here helping corps, such as the Floral Terrorist Division (FTD) destory our industry because of money.

 

[Tom Carlson]

WoooooHOOO!!!!! Because MONEY TRUMPS ALL Tom! No matter what they're doing to our industry! They can be mad all they want, but money cures all.. so they think. That and they are afraid of down sizing, changing POS they are hooked into, etc...

Come on Tom, we know the answers, and we know what these florists are going to say and we know the fight this will start.

It is sad to me that I see awesome florists here helping corps, such as the Floral Terrorist Division (FTD) destory our industry because of money.

Tulips' post, ([email protected]) just before Dazeal's post is proof right there in bold print that we need to keep airing this problem. Now one more florist is seeking more knowledge.

Donna has been unknowingly been enabling FTD to stay alive by filling orders for an OG and by paying dues into FTD.

Maybe I am reading Donna's post incorrectly, but there is no doubt in my mind that a huge percentage [90% maybe?] of florists do not realize what is happening when they fill orders for OGs and when they pay membership dues.

 

[Joe Mioux]

Tom....

FTD membership dues are not as big of a problem as the Low Sending Fees and the Reciprocity fees....

Tom, I do have a couple questions for you though as well as others who have been Anti-WS ...

Do you belong to any wirservice? if so why?

Do you or anyothers who complain about OG's have a solution? OTHER than reject these orders....

I really don't see that as a solution to the problem since this forum is a very small sampling of all 20,000 plus florists in the U.S and Canada.

Your very first sentence of this thread speaks well of the anti WS position without offering any real solutions other than "reject these orders".

I can't control any other business. All I can control is mine.

Joe

 

[Tom Carlson]

My answers

Tom....

FTD membership dues are not as big of a problem as the Low Sending Fees and the Reciprocity fees....

Tom, I do have a couple questions for you though as well as others who have been Anti-WS ...

Do you belong to any wirservice? if so why?

Do you or any others who complain about OG's have a solution? OTHER than reject these orders....

I really don't see that as a solution to the problem since this forum is a very small sampling of all 20,000 plus florists in the U.S and Canada.

Your very first sentence of this thread speaks well of the anti WS position without offering any real solutions other than "reject these orders".

I can't control any other business. All I can control is mine.

Joe

I am not aware of all the "other charges" assessed by the wire service because I do not belong to FTD, TF or 800Flowers. I used to and in fact belonged to several others.

As said above, I do not belong to any wire service unless IFA is considered a wire service. I belong to IFA because in no way, except commissions, does IFA resemble the traditional WS. As long as the WS exist, IFA would never succeed by eliminating commissions. I will cheer the day that happens.

Why do I complain about the WS when I am not a member? I guess it is a desire to get on a soap box and tell other florists why I think the WSs are a cancer that is ruining the wonderful and unparalleled concept of exchanging orders that results in same day delivery. I fight because I don't want that feature to become a has-been. It will if consumers get ripped off and a lot of them are experiencing that now and we get the blame.

Rejecting orders is not enough. And rejecting is not efficient unless there is an easy way I am not aware of for identifying OGs. The cancer of Rebates and the infection of commissions are being sustained by membership fees along with other assessments that I am not aware of, being that I am WS free.

I agree that this forum touches just a few. But it touches more today than a year ago and it will be more next year that it is now. I mention the two message boards to florists who call me with orders or with questions. I hope everyone on this forum does likewise.

Joe, would it be a fair statement to say that "you and I could let others control our business"? If you say yes, then you must agree that you and I can control other's business by making our strong and theirs weak. That is a two way street.

We have a fight on our hands. Are we going to succeed by saying that we're licked because we can't do anything? THE BIGGEST MISTAKE FLORISTS ARE MAKING IS THE MISTAKE OF DOING NOTHING.

THAT'S WHY I AM BEING PROVOCATIVE.

 

[Griff]

Tom, unfortunately no matter how many times the subject of OG's is brought up, the over all outcome will never be charnged. The reasons that the overcome will never change is because so many florists CAN"T CHANGE.

It isn't the they don't know what's going on. Most everyone does. But they just can't change. Some can't drop WS because they have invested in equipment that only works within a specific system. This equipment can't talk to other equipment outside the specific system. Many of these systems, even with their eloborate features and functions can't function unless there is a data base upgrade every quarter and without that upgrade, the equipment loses it functionality overnight. And most of these systems can't even communicate over the internet so inexpensive solutions are not available to them.

Many can't change because they send too many orders and they would lose money even if they picked any alternative system that didn't offer rebates. God forbid, if the alternative system offered less than 20% commissions to the sender.

Some can't change because they have become dependent on their system to provide them orders. To them, joining any alternative means less florists on the system and less potential for incoming. Just unacceptable.

Some think that the WS will wake up and realize the importance of the florist and this will all change back to the way it was, but they know that's not really going to happen. Others have taken to the idea that if you just refuse orders from those BAD OGs that they will eventually disappear. Problem is the WS are helping the OGs because it is the only way the WS can survive for now. The list of OGs continues to grow day by day and they are all REAL FLORISTS taking advantage of the system and other florists. This is necessary so the OG florist can keep their business running. Florists can't keep up with any lists of bad OG's anymore. There is just too many of them. Others will tell you that we must educate the consumer to weed out the BAD OG's and yet florists can't agree within the industry what is OGing and what isn't OGing. The consumer doesn't seem understand or care. They just want someone to deliver their flowers for them. Dissisfaction rate continues to grow and in some areas florists now rank right under used car salesmen and telephone marketing. And the WS continue to let this happen because as the consumer becomes more dissatiisfied with sending flowers, the same WS will offer alternatives that don't include florists. But again, the florists can't change, They want everyone else to change, just as long it is not them that has to change.

The bottom line is most florists are unwilling to change commsisions structure, they are unwilling or unable to change their sending equipment,want the consumer to change or their WS, but under no cicumstance do THEY WANT to change! This is like watching a house that is filled with termites, You can't see them from the outside, but all indications show they are there. They are now very rapidly eating the structure from the inside out. It is only a matter of time before the whole house collapses and florists are still telling each other they can't move out. Personnally, I think it's even to late to call TERMINIX.

 

[Joe Mioux]

Tom, unfortunately no matter how many times the subject of OG's is brought up, the over all outcome will never be charnged. The reasons that the overcome will never change is because so many florists CAN"T CHANGE.

It isn't the they don't know what's going on. Most everyone does. But they just can't change. Some can't drop WS because they have invested in equipment that only works within a specific system. This equipment can't talk to other equipment outside the specific system. Many of these systems, even with their eloborate features and functions can't function unless there is a data base upgrade every quarter and without that upgrade, the equipment loses it functionality overnight. And most of these systems can't even communicate over the internet so inexpensive solutions are not available to them.

Many can't change because they send too many orders and they would lose money even if they picked any alternative system that didn't offer rebates. God forbid, if the alternative system offered less than 20% commissions to the sender.

Some can't change because they have become dependent on their system to provide them orders. To them, joining any alternative means less florists on the system and less potential for incoming. Just unacceptable.

Some think that the WS will wake up and realize the importance of the florist and this will all change back to the way it was, but they know that's not really going to happen. Others have taken to the idea that if you just refuse orders from those BAD OGs that they will eventually disappear. Problem is the WS are helping the OGs because it is the only way the WS can survive for now. The list of OGs continues to grow day by day and they are all REAL FLORISTS taking advantage of the system and other florists. This is necessary so the OG florist can keep their business running. Florists can't keep up with any lists of bad OG's anymore. There is just too many of them. Others will tell you that we must educate the consumer to weed out the BAD OG's and yet florists can't agree within the industry what is OGing and what isn't OGing. The consumer doesn't seem understand or care. They just want someone to deliver their flowers for them. Dissisfaction rate continues to grow and in some areas florists now rank right under used car salesmen and telephone marketing. And the WS continue to let this happen because as the consumer becomes more dissatiisfied with sending flowers, the same WS will offer alternatives that don't include florists. But again, the florists can't change, They want everyone else to change, just as long it is not them that has to change.

The bottom line is most florists are unwilling to change commsisions structure, they are unwilling or unable to change their sending equipment,want the consumer to change or their WS, but under no cicumstance do THEY WANT to change! This is like watching a house that is filled with termites, You can't see them from the outside, but all indications show they are there. They are now very rapidly eating the structure from the inside out. It is only a matter of time before the whole house collapses and florists are still telling each other they can't move out. Personnally, I think it's even to late to call TERMINIX.

Griff,

Please give solid factual evidence for every assertion in your post.

I can't believe you typed this.

It all sounds pro-florist, but where are the facts to back up your thesis?

Since you are a non-WS member, how can you accurately define what today's WS-member florists experience? How do you know who sends what to whom? Since you don't participate you can't. You may have in the past but your experience is going to be different from others.

The picture you paint of WS-member florists is so so so far removed from my reality.

Your latest post appears to based on feelings and innuendo.

Please give me some facts.... I am not interested in hearing about "cancer or bugs or terminix"

I want to hear logic based on facts, not assumptions.

I am not trying to be argumentative here, but in my business I still see the majority of WS business being done florist to florist, not OG to florist.

Inquisitively pondering.....


Joe

 

[Tom Carlson]

Joe, what's in your crystal ball?

Griff,

Please give solid factual evidence for every assertion in your post.

I can't believe you typed this.

It all sounds pro-florist, but where are the facts to back up your thesis?

Since you are a non-WS member, how can you accurately define what today's WS-member florists experience? How do you know who sends what to whom? Since you don't participate you can't. You may have in the past but your experience is going to be different from others.

The picture you paint of WS-member florists is so so so far removed from my reality.

Your latest post appears to based on feelings and innuendo.

Please give me some facts.... I am not interested in hearing about "cancer or bugs or terminix"

I want to hear logic based on facts, not assumptions.

I am not trying to be argumentative here, but in my business I still see the majority of WS business being done florist to florist, not OG to florist.

Inquisitively pondering.....


Joe

Joe, I certainly enjoy dialog with you. You keep it sensible and clean.

Joe, do you really need someone to give you facts? Can't you see them for yourself?

Ask the wholesalers whether or not florists are doing well financially. I have gone through some tight times. It has not been easy. But I get things fixed when I am willing to make changes.

As I have mentioned, Some florists have asked me to help them with their General Ledger Chart of Accounts so that they can readily find out where they are making money and where they are losing money. I can honestly tell you that many don't know or have any idea of what is going with the wire service side of their business. Those are my facts.

PLease note my PS that relates to accounting.

Another fact comes from Marketing 101. You would not find an economist to try to convince you why you should be paying dues and fees to a competitor. It does not make economic sense. Those are the facts.

If I put money into an advertising fund, I want to make sure that a very high percentage of those dollars end up promoting flower buyers to come to my store, come to my website, call my phone number. Do you have any idea of how the wire service is spending it's ad dollars? Don't you suspect that some of it goes to perks for the top 100? Take an example some of the charities that you and I are asked to donate to. There is proof that the head executives are getting huge salaries and that is not what I call charity.

True, Griff and I are on the outside being wire service free. But I can say that has an advantage. We are not blinded by the forest that WS members are standing in. We have a perspective from the outside.

I talked to an ex Teleflora Rep last week. He lives in our city, I go by his house on the way to my daughter's home. He said, "Tom, I had to get out. When I saw what was going on, I could not in good conscience walk into a florist and push what I was being told to do."

He got out about 3 or 4 years ago when things were not as bad as they are today, or at least when they were not being talked about like they are today. He got out when it was relatively quiet.

Now I am going to respond to Griff's post next.

Tom Carlson

PS When I became totally bar coded in my store I was able to see immediately that I was heading for deep trouble. I had $299,000 in inventory. But now I could classify my inventory into 171 inventory groups to match with 171 revenue groups. I was into collectibles among other things [gifts] and my employees were begging for money to buy all the new Department 56 issues. And I had 34 months worth of Department 56 inventory. Now I have none. Was it easy? No. It took some hard moves to correct that inventory. Today my total inventory is less than half of that. I wish all florists could have all their hard goods bar coded for making sensible buying decisions.
end of PS

 

[Tom Carlson]

It's never too late

Tom, unfortunately no matter how many times the subject of OG's is brought up, the over all outcome will never be charnged. The reasons that the overcome will never change is because so many florists CAN"T CHANGE.

Griff, I don't think you are telling me to give up or to shut up because it is never going to change with florists.

Griff, IT IS CHANGING. Not fast enough, but every day another florist becomse enlightened. Maybe Joe is trapped by owning a captive system. I hope not.

Could this industry implode? It could or should I say "it will if the current wire service business model continues".

At least I do not intend to get caught without my local customers. And I do not want my customers being hood winked by an OG, having a bad experience and saying "That's it for me, I will not send flowers out of town any more."

What's going to make it tough to get through this revolution/transition is that the wire services are being funded by the filling florist who is already losing money on orders they fill. Sad. isn't it?

 

[tulips]

I agree with both of you re change or no change. I'm very new to this forum so my 2cents may be "senseless" One thing I can comment on is that the unsuspecting florist who is losing money by filling orders for OG's can only stay in business for so long before calling "Uncle" So if there's anyone listening out there, start calling your UNCLES before it's too late.....-You-Now-Can-Leave-Every-Service. Excuse the corney pun but I guess if it makes one more florist just think about it, then it's worth it.