Here we go again. Another major floral holiday and it is slow. We will be busy doing prom work and some local business. Valentine's Day is the only true local florist holiday. The other holidays are "wire holiday's" and it shows. I guess that I should get a warm fuzzy when I think of the fact that the wire services and "order gatherers" are going to post millions in orders. They even get to go on a cruise once a year to show what great a "florist" they really are.
Let's define the word "florist": One who sells flowers.
Whether the wire service or the order gatherer sells flowers or floral orders can be debated elsewhere. I don't care what others think. I know. I also know that ANY REAL FLORIST who fills an order for these folks is doing the industry short and long-term damage. Short term if you are not a member of a wire service, and long term if you fill orders for one. This damage shows on the REAL LOCAL FLORIST such as our shop. There are recipients in our area that get their flowers from other wire service florists and shipping companies. These are orders where the majority of profit is made out of our state. This means the dollars are not here where all the hard work is being done. Many a florist believes they are making money on the wire-ins, but they negate the fact that the wire service is making more profit or the fact that they could make more without a wire service existence. When I hear that wire services are the only viable option, I know that florist is not very resourceful and would benefit from dropping their wire service. Then they would see just how resourceful they could be. They just don't envision customers calling direct to the florist. They feel they have to be a middleman. We will always have customers that insist we do it for them for one reason or another. More than that and you are an order gatherer.
You know, ethics are often mentioned in this forum. Are ethics really determined by others? If they are, then there are no principles in place to begin with. With children, this is called testing boundaries. The simple fact is that somebody advertising in my town when their business is 100 or 1000 miles away is unethical. They know that they will not be delivering the orders they receive. They will be gathering those orders to re-send them for a commission and a rebate. We, in the floral industry, call them order gatherers. These are the worst for the industry. If a REAL LOCAL FLORIST is also an order gatherer then they are no different than the one 10,000 miles away in an office. They are taking my local orders and claiming it is just business. Yes, I have every opportunity to do the same in this free country. But, I won't. I feel that my business should be conducted in my area. Opinions vary. If you want to conduct business in my area then so be it. It is not illegal, but unethical is different. I let you have your customers, so let me have mine. No, I don't own the customers in my area. My customer base can shop anywhere they like. Try this in your ad, though: "We are not actually in this town (contrary to what you imply or outright state), but we will send the order to a florist that is (not hand pick) and take some money off the top for selecting us to handle your order". Oh, that won't work... That means you must deceive people to get the order. Ethics? I won't define that one. I'm sure you need to sleep.
I think it would be a benefit to all REAL FLORISTS if customers placed all of their orders directly with the florist that would deliver the product. Will that ever happen? Probably not. It's like trying to stop crime permanently. Impossible when there is easy money to be made with just a little knowledge.
Jason
Let's define the word "florist": One who sells flowers.
Whether the wire service or the order gatherer sells flowers or floral orders can be debated elsewhere. I don't care what others think. I know. I also know that ANY REAL FLORIST who fills an order for these folks is doing the industry short and long-term damage. Short term if you are not a member of a wire service, and long term if you fill orders for one. This damage shows on the REAL LOCAL FLORIST such as our shop. There are recipients in our area that get their flowers from other wire service florists and shipping companies. These are orders where the majority of profit is made out of our state. This means the dollars are not here where all the hard work is being done. Many a florist believes they are making money on the wire-ins, but they negate the fact that the wire service is making more profit or the fact that they could make more without a wire service existence. When I hear that wire services are the only viable option, I know that florist is not very resourceful and would benefit from dropping their wire service. Then they would see just how resourceful they could be. They just don't envision customers calling direct to the florist. They feel they have to be a middleman. We will always have customers that insist we do it for them for one reason or another. More than that and you are an order gatherer.
You know, ethics are often mentioned in this forum. Are ethics really determined by others? If they are, then there are no principles in place to begin with. With children, this is called testing boundaries. The simple fact is that somebody advertising in my town when their business is 100 or 1000 miles away is unethical. They know that they will not be delivering the orders they receive. They will be gathering those orders to re-send them for a commission and a rebate. We, in the floral industry, call them order gatherers. These are the worst for the industry. If a REAL LOCAL FLORIST is also an order gatherer then they are no different than the one 10,000 miles away in an office. They are taking my local orders and claiming it is just business. Yes, I have every opportunity to do the same in this free country. But, I won't. I feel that my business should be conducted in my area. Opinions vary. If you want to conduct business in my area then so be it. It is not illegal, but unethical is different. I let you have your customers, so let me have mine. No, I don't own the customers in my area. My customer base can shop anywhere they like. Try this in your ad, though: "We are not actually in this town (contrary to what you imply or outright state), but we will send the order to a florist that is (not hand pick) and take some money off the top for selecting us to handle your order". Oh, that won't work... That means you must deceive people to get the order. Ethics? I won't define that one. I'm sure you need to sleep.
I think it would be a benefit to all REAL FLORISTS if customers placed all of their orders directly with the florist that would deliver the product. Will that ever happen? Probably not. It's like trying to stop crime permanently. Impossible when there is easy money to be made with just a little knowledge.
Jason
