"Sweet treats a sourpuss can make"

[mlou]

I hate articles that knock someone just to make what they are saying look better!!!

http://www.star-telegram.com/living/story/448824.html
Fort Worth Star Telegram - Fort Worth,TX

Most men feel the same way. If retailers offered special Valentine's Day sales on tools and car parts, then we might semi-sorta-kinda-maybe enjoy the holiday. But restaurants and florists ... especially florists ... jack up their prices to stratospheric heights simply because they can.

.

 

[lori042499]

If they only knew that we actually make less profit at this holiday than any other because of the cost of flowers and the cost of extra help....and the inability to really charge what we have to to make the same money as regular times....Again the grass is always greener somewhere else.

 

[vikki]

It really gets to me, even my friends think that I am just rolling in money after VD. I try to explain that I actually make less profit over those 4 or 5 days, but I don't think anyone will ever believe that. Sometimes I would like to throw the #'s at the customers that complain about the price increase, but of course I cannot.

How do some of you handle the rude comments that people can make?

 

[lori042499]

It really gets to me, even my friends think that I am just rolling in money after VD. I try to explain that I actually make less profit over those 4 or 5 days, but I don't think anyone will ever believe that. Sometimes I would like to throw the #'s at the customers that complain about the price increase, but of course I cannot.

How do some of you handle the rude comments that people can make?

I usually let them know that the wholesale price of roses doubles at Valentine's day, but we do not double the price to the consumer. I also explain that to get their orders out all in one day we need to hire extra temporay help to get the orders made and delivered in a 10 hr span of time...If they care to listen..

 

[Flowerchatter03]

After reading the posted article, I sent an e-mail to the company to let them know what I think. I would strongly encourage others to do the same, especially if you are located in the town where this was published. They will be looking for advertisers.

As for what the public thinks, they are going to think what they think. It is our industrys responsibility to get the word out there as to why flowers are so costly during VDay. It shouldn't be an industry secret.

I tell anyone who questions the prices, that the growers cannot possibly cut enough flowers any earlier to fill the orders. Therefore, they will have to either pay overtime or hire an insanely large amount of people to cut all those flowers in a short period of time. This is where the price increase begins.

I also tell them that we puchase the very best in roses and other flowers so that their gift will last as long as possible and be the freshest than any place else. Also, flowers certainly last longer than a dinner. You can pay the same price for a dinner and it is gone in less than 2 hours. Flowers will at the least be there for a while.

I don't see anyone questioning 800flowers, Teleflora or FTD about their prices.

 

[Bigted]

I think the insane price increases will eventually kill or at least seriously wound this holiday. Granted, the huge demand does stress the industry--especially in overtime costs. But really, it's everyone in the chain "making hay while the sun shines". The growers, wholesalers, retailers are all in it.