Soenen Says

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BOSS

BOSS

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Oct 31, 2002
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"While we understand the importance of marketing your business during this
busy season and staying competitive, it is imperative that we by no means
compromise customer service and quality. We are committed to and focused on enforcing high-quality standards and will continue to remove florists from the FTD network who do not consent with the standards of their membership.

That said, I have made the decision to significantly expand our quality assurance program with a heavy focus on the one criterion most important to all of us –customer satisfaction. I will discuss this initiative further in the coming months.


In addition, I continue to monitor the “skimming” of orders closely and
assure everyone that I have a zero tolerance policy with respect to any florist – regardless of size – skimming orders through the FTD network. Discovery of such improper behavior will result in a removal of the florist from membership completely.

We will continue to support your businesses with 100% dedication to those who are upholding the high standards that are necessary to stay competitive today."

What a load of crap, sorry Mike, I don't believe you!! Zero tolerance policy ??? I see Lovn' Blooms is still a member...
 
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I didn't get the message

Maybe there is a hidden message he is trying to send, while sending it to a direct few. I have to admit, Even through I don't always agree with what boss is saying I really like this new style he has and the fact that on this time around he is backing up what he is saying.

Still get a little motivated about the whole thing everytime I read the post about how " even the school yard bully gets his @sskicked sometimes."

I don't know maybe I was picked on alot in school
 
I heard LB had their rebates nixed and they went to TF. Smart move for Soenen, since he gets to keep the monthly membership $$$ at least for the short term, but hits the OG in the pocket book.

Good news, if the rumour is true.

Ryan
 
SO I guess this means that

They are going to remove themselves from supplying order to us through Retrans and Domestic Retrans because they Skim on both. Or at least through Overseas Retrans.

Too much crap to digest.
Sorry Mikey, I still can't see the same FTD you are seeing.
Luc
 
CHR said:
Was this a Merc Message?

Wonder what prompted him to say that?
Click to expand...

Not a Merc... it is an excerpt taken for his monthly column inside the front cover of the FTD Newsletter that comes with your statement.

The full text is also available at FTDI.com.
 
BOSS said:
What a load of crap, sorry Mike, I don't believe you!! Zero tolerance policy ??? I see Lovn' Blooms is still a member...
Click to expand...

And Mike should take a look here!!!
 
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Mike should read his own email

Because I sent to him personally a complaint of skimming from Vancouver Flower Company and also gave his email address to the customer who was ripped off. To date.......no response except from my FBC (who knows better than to ignore my complaints).
 
I wonder if it applies to both ends, senders and fillers? There's quite possibly as many skimming fillers as there are senders. It's called two-tiered pricing.
 
George Simon said:
I'm sure lots of florists don't fill to 100% value. Maybe 80%
Click to expand...

I would'nt say "lots" but sadly tis ture for some...

My store, makes no difference, the other florist's customer is my customer, and I hope that those I send to feel the same way...
 
It's like a "cancer" George....

MOST florists are THE ONLY MORAL DENOMINATOR to this business, and some have thrown in the towel, and decided to follow an "unprincipled" deceit policy, not much different from the OG's and order thieves!
I'm pretty confident, that so long as we are alive and "kicking" (those of us that truly remember the "value" of VALUE) the percentage of florists that "steal" money from incoming orders are way in the minority!
That being said, our industry is being demoralized, is quickly becoming toxic, and WILL BE an industry non-grata from a buying public that just NOW is understanding the importance of flowers, as a GIFT.
This sickens me...I want to puke on the people that have helped ruin my beloved industry, those sicko bastards that have placed ME in a position where I HAVE TO DEFEND myself, in front of my own clients, that paint ME with the same brush, as VANCOUVER FLOWER COMPANY, or 1800Flowers, or FTD/TF for that matter.
I NEARLY FELL ON THE FLOOR today...had MORE than one customer come in "asking" IF I could help them get an order to another town, WITHOUT the use of FTD or TF....EVEN MY customers are pissed at the wire services!!
I am REMOVING my treasured "WE R FTD" plates from my main business vehicle...it means SO LITTLE now...I'm not even proud of these "plates" anymore.
I AM SO MUCH MORE pleased that we chose to leave Teleflora...all THAT organization has done is lift it's leg, and piss on the same people that gave IT ANY of it's credibility...now that IT TOO, has decided to play "crap on our member florists" game!!
 
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Mikey - ditto about the defiling of the biz. My guts have literally churned about this isssue for a few years now.

We received a similar TF letter about quality assurance today from Phil Kleweno. It outlines the Consumer Audit component and states "In the coming months, you will receive a complete packet of information detailing all the programs that comprise Teleflora's Network Quality Program."

Gee, after collecting three months worth of fees from 23,000 florists ($1.38 million) nice to know the information about it will be arriving in the coming months.

Oh, we're gonna get certificates to put in our windows if we pass the ratings tests.
 
George Simon said:
I'm sure lots of florists don't fill to 100% value. Maybe 80%
Click to expand...

And that is a lot of the problem, they are every bit as much the problem as the skimming senders.
 
It is the sending skimmers, the OGs with the rebates and WS FEES which have caused this problem. If the filler really made the money he thought he should, this problem would never come up. The filler makes one tiny dollar on each arrangement if he counts and recounts his stems and pinches pennies. Not 73% or 70%!!! So, some have figured it out and want more....like all the rest get. The fillers should get the rebates!

Judy
 
But who's to blame???

bloomz said:
And that is a lot of the problem, they are every bit as much the problem as the skimming senders.
Click to expand...

There may be some filling florists that skim.....but think about it, who's fault is it? In a very few cases it may be greedy florists trying to make (steal an extra buck or two) but in large part it is due to the imbalance of the send/fill ratio and all that goes with it (FTO, QA, Directory fees, etc.)

Many of the SO's don't pay half of the fees paid by the mom and pop shops that do all the dirty work and have a fraction of the volume that the SO's have, add to that the fact that the SO's are having a PRICE WAR in case you haven't noticed, so they're sending tons of under valued orders and orders without delivery charges added....................So now the order comes in for 12 LS roses priced at 10 - 20 dollars less than you charge your regular customers! (and there price includes delivery).

So now if an order comes in like that you have several options:
1/ REJECT BUTTON (costs receiving florist $.95 U.S.)
2/ ASK PRICE CHANGE (costs receiving florist $ time and paper)
3/ SEND SHORT STEM ROSES (customer got skr*wed paid for LS and got SS)
4/ SEND LESS FLOWERS (customer GETS IT AGAIN and you'll likely get a complaint too)

Options 3 and 4 could be considered skimming if your the sender, it really isn't skimming if your the filling shop (it's not a good idea and will never happen in my shop) but I would not call that skimming, it's an improperly sent order!)

Options 1 and 2 are the only recourse, and if it's an order from a real florist we'll always ask if we need more money and we'll only ask if we really need it, but if it's a known SO it's the REJECT OPTION and then a call to HQ to get credit for the REJ messages, all costing time and money!!!

So IMO the filling skimmers are few and far between, but the improperly transmitted orders that are the real problem and I'll bet 95% or should I say 99% of them are from OG's
 
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You forgot one:

Break the WS habit as we did.
Actually, it was not a habit since I crunched the numbers and figured it out in 8 months after buying the shop (11/02).
Probably would have done it sooner but everyone who was an "old" hand in the business told me that I would just LOVE the incoming wires and told me the Santa Claus myth about marketing to the receiptant. You should have seen the staff, like Pavlov’s dogs waiting for the machines to spit out orders!

Best thing to happen, a wholesaler and former TF salesman, told me about the board. Griff validated my numbers and the machines are gone and we are happily making more money with less work and hair-pulling stress. We are spending more time on growing our business and spending our WS dollars on other, more important things.


Because we dropped both WS, we increased PROFITS by 25% the first 12 months wire free and 9% more in the past 9 months wire free because we are GROWING our business!

Judy
 
Options 3 and 4 could be considered skimming if your the sender, it really isn't skimming if your the filling shop (it's not a good idea and will never happen in my shop) but I would not call that skimming, it's an improperly sent order!)
Click to expand...

Yes it is, I think that is beyond a shadow of a doubt skimming, and many seem to forget who's name is on it.
When there's a complaint, THEY get blamed, and the next time they call 800skimmer they say don't use Sally's, I didn't get a good arrangement last time, and 800 plays right along with that.

If you're a shop owner, you have the responsibility to fill to value, ask for more money, reject or get the hell out of filling incoming,

There's no excuse for skimming on the receiving end any more than on the sending end.
 
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