Round one - Delayed response saved us a customer today

[bloomz]

Monday order rejected on Tuesday - hot customer (actually Twila handled it so this is second hand)

She called FTD and reaffirmed this qualified, so she refunded the customer's money and sent another order.

She said she changed a cheesed off customer into a raving fan.

Do I feel sorry for the other florist? Not really - everyone that runs software has the responsibility to know how to use it.

 

[Gilliland]

Do I feel sorry for the other florist? Not really - everyone that runs software has the responsibility to know how to use it.

Ain't it the truth..............

 

[Jerry]

I feel the sending florist who will recieve this new tax, should be giving it back to the customer. For all the mental stess all the FTD customers will be having, thru the next years.

Why should the sender get to keep the money?

 

[ivygreen]

Ideally the customer should get the money back, the florist should resend it, with the money from the penalty( the more severe cases) or with the lesser penalty, upgrade for the customer at no cost to the sender. That's for real florists. The more likely reality is that FTD.com will be shifting piles of money around, so they can make room for all those free vases they are stockpiling to give out to the filler shops.
Oops, my bad. Well at least the money part is true. :dunno:

 

[Bigted]

so she refunded the customer's money and sent another order.

Two things:
1. Nice customer service, but a full refund and an order is overkill at the filler's expense.
2. What would be the chance that the other big senders would refund and resend? I say zero. They will resend and keep the refund. Assuming that the filler made an honest mistake, how does that help us?

 

[bloomz]

I feel the sending florist who will recieve this new tax, should be giving it back to the customer. For all the mental stess all the FTD customers will be having, thru the next years.

Why should the sender get to keep the money?

Two things:
1. Nice customer service, but a full refund and an order is overkill at the filler's expense.
2. What would be the chance that the other big senders would refund and resend? I say zero. They will resend and keep the refund. Assuming that the filler made an honest mistake, how does that help us?

Not zero in our case Ted.

We did, do and will continue to refund the money to the customer AND send another flower order on.

It's exemplary customer service. What customer would say no to this?

I learned from one of the very biggest florists in the US that if a customer is unhappy with their flowers - they refund and send a new arrangement with the only caveat that they have to pick up the original arrangement - he said they would not allow someone to have on their table something they don't like.

Some people up in here act like this is a scam for the senders....

Well now what would we really rather have - a very happy customer or money back?

What we really want is for the order to be handled properly in the first place.

Like it or not, this is true for ftd.con just the same. Nobody likes to lose customers that are expensive to get, including (and maybe especially) them.

 

[goldfish]

Monday order rejected on Tuesday - hot customer (actually Twila handled it so this is second hand).

The other florist probably didn't know/understand the new FTD program. They should have just delivered it on Tuesday and hope that JB's customer woudn't notice.

 

[Erlene]

The other florist probably didn't know/understand the new FTD program. They should have just delivered it on Tuesday and hope that JB's customer woudn't notice.

Regardless of the new program, the order should have been filled or rejected the day it was due for delivery. That is something that should always have been done, even without DRP.

Now the florist is being held accountable, it really is as it should be.

 

[Erlene]

Two things:
1. Nice customer service, but a full refund and an order is overkill at the filler's expense.
2. What would be the chance that the other big senders would refund and resend? I say zero. They will resend and keep the refund. Assuming that the filler made an honest mistake, how does that help us?

1 - it is the ultimate in customer service, I disagree that it is overkill
2 - doesn't matter what the big senders do, we've always done it here at my store and just eaten the cost

If the filling florist made a mistake, honest or dishonest, we should not have to lose our customers over it nor should we be responsible for the cost of the order.

There have been a couple of times we've been the florist responsible for an order not being delivered when it should have been and we've always let the sending shop cancel the order so they could refund their customer and we've put the order out at our own expense and sent along another item with a note of apology.

 

[CHR]

There have been a couple of times we've been the florist responsible for an order not being delivered when it should have been and we've always let the sending shop cancel the order so they could refund their customer and we've put the order out at our own expense and sent along another item with a note of apology.

And that's the way it should be.

This new scheme from FTD means filling a $50 order properly might net a florist $10 for overhead, but screwig it up can cost them 10 times that - at $100. The risk to reward ratio for filling shops is insane.

Putting a $50 order out at your own expense would cost probably cost a shop around $25.

 

[ivygreen]

Two things:
1. Nice customer service, but a full refund and an order is overkill at the filler's expense.
2. What would be the chance that the other big senders would refund and resend? I say zero. They will resend and keep the refund. Assuming that the filler made an honest mistake, how does that help us?

I am telling you, without exaggeration, this scenario is what the FTD rep told me. This was the benefit from the plan, so that a sender can upgrade or replace if there is a problem with the arr. "For example" he said" if an order doesn't get there, and it's rejected the next day, the sender can refund the customer, and replace it for the customer, at no cost, due to the new policy and it's benefit to the sender." "This keeps a customer happy, and with the sender" "Well of course it benefits FTD.com, and there is a large issue with florists rejecting late. We have had problems with this area. But really it's a negative on the whole industry" "Now your recipient will be happy, and you can market to a happier customer, with the product you are delivering" I am sure FTD.com is giving back money and sending a new order, aren't you?

Emphasis and sarcasm mine. Sorry I just can't help it.

 

[ivygreen]

Not zero in our case Ted.

We did, do and will continue to refund the money to the customer AND send another flower order on.

It's exemplary customer service. What customer would say no to this?

I learned from one of the very biggest florists in the US that if a customer is unhappy with their flowers - they refund and send a new arrangement with the only caveat that they have to pick up the original arrangement - he said they would not allow someone to have on their table something they don't like.



Some people up in here act like this is a scam for the senders....

Well now what would we really rather have - a very happy customer or money back?

What we really want is for the order to be handled properly in the first place.

Like it or not, this is true for ftd.con just the same. Nobody likes to lose customers that are expensive to get, including (and maybe especially) them.

Bloomz


Regardless of the new program, the order should have been filled or rejected the day it was due for delivery. That is something that should always have been done, even without DRP.

Now the florist is being held accountable, it really is as it should be.
)Quote Earlene


You are both right, and it's actually what I do for my customer. I am just disgruntled. I don't excuse poor handling of orders, and it makes us all look bad. Fining sloppy florists into compliance is not a terrible idea and it should straighten up a few bad habits. There I admitted it. Again.
Two things would make me feel better. Someone please concede that the concern sprouts from ftd.com orders, not the common florist. And that fillers ought to get some respect,(why didn't they cover the ask, and resending of orders with this fabulous policy?) they are neccessary you know.

 

[goldfish]

Originally Posted by goldfish
The other florist probably didn't know/understand the new FTD program. They should have just delivered it on Tuesday and hope that JB's customer woudn't notice.

Regardless of the new program, the order should have been filled or rejected the day it was due for delivery. That is something that should always have been done, even without DRP.

Now the florist is being held accountable, it really is as it should be.

I agree with what you are saying, but I seriously doubt DRP will make already irresponsible florists become responsible. If anything, it will make things a little bit worse.

As I said above (sorry it was meant to be sarcastic), any irresposible florist who forgot to reject a wire-in order will do either of the two things:

1) Keep ignoring it, hoping that the sender won't notice. If the sender asks for delivery conf, they will insist it was delivered.

2) Or, they just deliver an undervalued arrangement after the promised date, hoping that no one complains. If the sender complains, they just ignore.

Even though we are a relatively new florist, we have dealt with enough of them so that I can say that they do exist. Many of them. I don't think that folks who sent us a stupid message like "Sorry, our reject order was stuck in the system" will all the sudden become honorable. If anything, this program will make them even more of a liar.

For already responsible florists, this program makes no impact, I think.

 

[ivygreen]

For already responsible florists, this program makes no impact, I think.

It just ticked a few off, immensely.

And I swear I am shutting up, I am getting on my own nerves with my complete irritation of this wonderful, thoughtful, beneficial program.

 

[bloomz]

For already responsible florists, this program makes no impact, I think.

There's the key, and if irresponsible florists choose to do any of those above deals you mentioned I hope they get fined out of FTD.

 

[goldfish]

Originally Posted by goldfish
For already responsible florists, this program makes no impact, I think.

It just ticked a few off, immensely.

I've got an impression that people who are critical of this program was already critical of FTD's way of doing business in the first place. They don't trust anything a "bad guy" does. In their mind, a bad guy like FTD can't do anything good for florists.

I am different. I think any bad guy could end up doing something good, even if that's not what they intended. In this particular program, however, I have some serious doubt.

 

[BOSS]

In their mind, a bad guy like FTD can't do anything good for florists.

HEY... I resemble that remark

But to Bloomz point... we have been Refundsending for years without the program, and yes it it good customer service!

 

[ivygreen]

I don't have a long term gripe about the wire services, or FTD in general. Really. This particular brand of benevolence just struck me the wrong way. Now I am shutting up. or not typing, or something. Carry on.

 

[prestonway]

Me don't think so...

I am sure FTD.com is giving back money and sending a new order, aren't you?

Emphasis and sarcasm mine. Sorry I just can't help it.

Given the acquisition cost of new customers, I'm sure the vast majority of big senders will refund & replace EXACTLY as expected, especially FTD.com.

The long-term value of customer retention is fully understood and appreciated, especially when it is acquired at little or no cost.

To think that their goal is short-term, nominal profits at the expense of long-term, multiple purchase profitability wouldn't make any sense.

Remember that FTD is not in survival mode, trying to squeeze a few pennies out of every order to simply survive for another day.

They are in this for the long haul.

They perceive themselves as industry leaders with this program, combined with their advancements with Merc X (thank you MAS) on the technology side.

Now if only each of us would have a similar long-term plan, including whether we want to be part of their system, is another question altogether...

 

[LJVF]

And that's the way it should be.

This new scheme from FTD means filling a $50 order properly might net a florist $10 for overhead, but screwig it up can cost them 10 times that - at $100. The risk to reward ratio for filling shops is insane.

Putting a $50 order out at your own expense would cost probably cost a shop around $25.

I could probably count on one hand the amount of times we've rejected an order after 2pm on the day of delivery over the last 25 years. So I think the risk to reward ratio is not as large as you made it out to be.

For extreme scenarios, I'm sure the sending florist will CAN instead of making the filling florist REJ.

On a side note, I wonder what would happen if the filling florist decided to send a price change for $0.00 instead of rejecting, would that bypass the penalty fees?