Thanks FTD, SO glad to be your "Partner"!

[bloomz]

Makes me SO glad to be a member. Due to FTD's recent deal with HP, 4000 employees now in my town of 50,000 people who won't have to bother me with their flower purchases any more.

"HP employees in the United States receive a 20-percent discount on all phone and Web orders from FTD, a provider of floral arrangements, gourmet chocolates and other gift items. As part of the HP discount, delivery charges are waived on floral items delivered by a florist. Service charges are added to floral item purchases. Get more information on the HP Discount Programs site." (I have the url)

Guess bloomz gets to see what the rest of you saw for so long huh? I won't say you didn't tell me so. I guess you just USE them like the BE-ATCH you know they are. AND you see they're going to get us TO DELIVER FOR FREE!!! Wonder how they did that? Thanks FTD, this makes me just peachy glad to be a member!! I'll be just Thrilled to deliver those discounted orders FOR FREE for you!

I'm dusting off my soapbox, been under the bed too long.

Anybody gonna defend this crap? My new "partner" gets between me and 4000 customers. 4,000 people in a town of 50,000, that represents a pretty darn good chunk of the flower buyers in my town.

I found this out today while trying to analyze the reasons for soft sales this last week, and that email went out to all HP employees May 5! Timing, just like the taking 10 days to remove public access to FTD Fresh Flowers program, a 5 minute job.

 

[Peter1]

Bloomz,

I'm sorry to hear this. Shameful a company would do that to you. A good loyal top 100 member of FTD that you are.

Terrible when a company puts others first instead of the people who help build the company in the first place.

 

[bloomz]

See for yourself - how's this make US look?

They've been doing this to everybody for a long time, this one just hit close to home for me. And I knew when I joined I was like making a deal with my biggest competitor. Now I am starting to see what lots of previous members saw. How could I think otherwise? I really didn't. A scorpion will always be a scorpion, it's its nature

Click Here - take a look for yourself I see they give away OUR delivery but still keep THEIR 9.95 service charge.

 

[Peter1]

Originally posted by bloomz
They've been doing this to everybody for a long time, this one just hit close to home for me. And I knew when I joined I was like making a deal with my biggest competitor. Now I am starting to see what lots of previous members saw. How could I think otherwise? I really didn't. A scorpion will always be a scorpion, it's its nature

That's so true, like you have said, right in your own area, which as you say hits closer to home, affecting your bottom line directly.

 

[Rosey]

Bloomz
I do not belong/member FTD, I have not been in the business that long 4 yrs. July, but if it was me I would get togeather with all the other florists that are in your town, on this board, where ever, get a page togeather..and start signing petitions for what this corp is doing!!!! I know I would, maybe some would not want to do this ,as it may hurt thier business???? but sooner or later they are going to feel the STING of the scorpian anyhow...why not be one step ahead of them!
Rosey

 

[Dean]

Hey Jonathon,

Didn't you just brag about Bob coming by to see YOU! Ah, perfect timing. It's all just propaganda...er, p.r. Bet Bob knew the HP deal had just been signed.

I WAS going to the FTD convention, but after all the junk that's transpired with FTD this past year, I've decided against it. Had a ball at last years convention. The convention is just pr...er, propaganda, to make us florists think everything is warm and cozy and FTD cares about us florists.

When you get a visit from Bob watch out! When the FTD advisory board leaves Chicago watch out! When the FTD convention is over watch out! It happens every time, especially during the past year. Under the cover of these pr...er, propaganda meetings are really a sneeky attack against florists.

Can't wait to see what FTD comes up with after THIS convention. Wonder who they'll fire this time right after the convention? Wonder what fee they'll increase just after the convention is over with or all the great things they'll promise for FOL that never happens. And on and on and on.

Good luck Jonathon on your battle with your BIGGEST competitior. And you thought your competition was the flower shop down the street. Ha!

 

[theRKF]

Open your wallet and bend over.

End of the FTD story.

 

[sunny]

Bloomz , can you afford to reject all these orders that will be dumped on you by .com? They would have to drop ship em if it was me and see how long the free delivery would last. Keep you head up and your chin out and repeat after me **** em.

 

[Peter1]

Re: See for yourself - how's this make US look?

Originally posted by bloomz
They've been doing this to everybody for a long time, this one just hit close to home for me. And I knew when I joined I was like making a deal with my biggest competitor. Now I am starting to see what lots of previous members saw. How could I think otherwise? I really didn't. A scorpion will always be a scorpion, it's its nature

Click Here - take a look for yourself I see they give away OUR delivery but still keep THEIR 9.95 service charge.

Bloomz,

What stops someone that doesn't work at HP from clicking on that link, and getting 20% do they have to enter a employee code number or something at checkout? If it's wide open, anyone knowing the link could simply get a 20% off and proceed from there.

Peter

 

[Blue Oyster Cult]

I zipped right thru without a HP number

Ordered our Cat the Spring Blossom? anywho I saved 10.99 on a discount.
Went right thru the HP discount site..did not ask for an employee number or anything about HP.

I love the field that say's "Gift Messages and Signature" with an added bonus of...

e.g. "Happy Birthday! Love, Bob" as the example.

 

[K A Hall]

I am not going to defend what FTD is doing, but you can only fill the order to the value that they send. That is what we have always done and always will. We have been doing it for years with 800 flowers orders and will do the same with FTD. com if they start sending us discounted orders. We rarely have a complaint and it is a good chance to tell them about ordering direct from our web-site. We can offer discounts to if they ask. We used to get upset about things like this, but realized there is not much a florist can do about it. We just play the game and fill the order the best we can and still make a little doh!

 

[Blue Oyster Cult]

I need an Explanation

Originally posted by BonJonBovi
We just play the game and fill the order the best we can and still make a little doh!

How do you make Doh on an Incoming Merc order without curtailing the order that has already been curtailed? Isn't the order already being discounted by 20% of what you would charge your instore customer? Are you Members offering 20% off the price and sending out orders at full price and eating the 20%? No? well FTD.Com is on YOUR MEMBERSHIP MONEYS.

This must be that new math that everyone is talking about in Dowers Grove Illinois? *Fill the order the best we can*. That is not good enough in MY BOOK! that is what is WRONG WITH THE INDUSTRY!

I hear they have an excellent accounting firm..Dooee, Cheatem and Howe

 

[Peter1]

Yes, I just looked at it too, and the Love Bob was cute, a normal consumer wouldn't get it. Perhaps TF's should say something like
Love Greg hahahaahah


"We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give."
Sir Winston Churchill

 

[bloomz]

I guess again, I can say - this is a slimedog vendor - "just my opinion, as usual AGAIN adjusted downward".

All the great programs they are bragging about and touting are designed to make you a better florist - with ONE intention - filling THEIR orders for THEM. I have never lost my belief in Teleflora, they are WAY less intrusive to our businesses - WAY and INCREDIBLY less competition. The orders they manage to get are TEENY compared to what these guys hork.

TF allows OG's in? That's free enterprise. These guys ARE the OG? That's slimy, and a very big threat to all our business by our supposed "partner".

bloomz opinions, again adjusted downward, how low can they go?

PS Sure anyone can get in there, all those employees can tell their friends and relatives what a good deal they found too, and, and, and you can bet this isn't the only one of those discount sites.

 

[theRKF]

Originally posted by bloomz
TF allows OG's in? That's free enterprise. These guys ARE the OG? That's slimy, and a very big threat to all our business by our supposed "partner".

Hell, they actively go out and buy OG's to add to the family. And, add non-floral product to boost bottom line and by-pass the florist. Not only have we become the *****es, we're becoming less-used *****es.

 

[Mikey the Flower Guy]

Breaching the slime AND sublime....

boys and girls.....we have some stuff going on up and down our sleeves.
NONE of the traditional WS's or OG's will need you for much longer, NOT because THEY don't need YOU, but, because YOU won't need THEM!!
When you reach the lowest possible denominator, ALL it means is that either we fill for them, like good little boys and girls, we "whine" and THEN fill for them, we "whine" and "REJect" those orders that we don't want to fill, or we DON'T "whine" and just drop them!!
I have a theory about florists....almost EVERYONE dislikes the traditional WS's because of the ball and chain effect....we're working SO HARD that we're afraid to and have no time to, cut off the income stream produced by the WS's!!
The "STRANGE" thing, is that you're making little income from the incoming, and often, BECAUSE of the WS's,and their affiliate OG's, you're often LOSING money, and you're STILL afraid!!
BOYS and GIRLS....THEY only THINK they have the power, hopefully ONE DAY. YOU will realize, that reality is THEY are at YOUR mercy, and "blacklist" you, if you DON'T conform to THEIR way of doing business!!
I believe, that the "SLAVES" of the PROFESSIONAL florist family are cautiously rising up, and to the "traditional" WS's I say " Go ahead...DROP SHIP...make my day"...I WON'T pick up after you!!"
Mike

 

[Dean]

Trying to get rid of wire services is kinda like admitting your an acoholic- it ain't easy. I used to belong to 3 wire services. First got rid of AFS, then got rid 8 months ago of TF, so I'm down to 1-FTD.

Now I'm FTD only and presently getting rid of FTD services that I can get somewhere else and done better by the way. I'm not handcuffed to their computer system, don't depend on FTD Fresh Flowers, just this week dumped FOL (FTD's website), don't have 800 # listings in the book, took out my ads. I will only buy the minimum I need of the codified holiday specials, since I'm doing my own in house marketing, given that FTD advertising is more and more directed to FTD.com and not to the local florists.

I also will not be going to the FTD convention, which by the way I had a great time last year.

You've got to hit these guys were it hurts the most. IN THEIR POCKETBOOKS!

I don't suggest dropping everything at once, but gradually, since the dramatic drop in wire-in sales can cause you to have to high payroll and to much inventory. By doing it one step at a time lets you gradually adjust your shops expenses and budget. It was easier for me anyway.

Hopefully, soon they'll be an easy way to run a flower shop without wire services and some shops already are wire service free. AT SOME POINT THE TYPICAL MOM & POP FLORISTs WILL NOT NEED WIRE SERVICES!!!!!

LET THE OG'S DROP SHIP ALL THEY WANT TO, WE REAL LOCAL FLORISTS HOLD THE KEYS TO SAME DAY SERVICE AND THERE ARE BILLIONS AND BILLONS OF DOLLARS BEING SPENT FOR SAME DAY SERVICE.

REAL LOCAL FLORISTS WILL RISE UP AGAIN!!!!!

 

[Mikey the Flower Guy]

Dean....

what you ask for is soon on it's way...a BRAND NEW WAY of transferring orders at little or NO COST to you...
WILL keep you posted.....
Mike

 

[Dean]

Re: Dean....

Originally posted by Mikey the Flower Guy
what you ask for is soon on it's way...a BRAND NEW WAY of transferring orders at little or NO COST to you...
WILL keep you posted.....
Mike

The big problem Mickey as I see it in transferring orders is that so many shops are on different computer systems. I know the internet is out there, but who wants to manually re-type their orders into another computer system. Will the wire service computer systems be alowed to let orders be transfered if its not going through their clearinghouse?No Way!

Don't know were you're headed with this, but unless you've come up with a new wonder toy...I'm skeptical, but hoping for the best.

 

[BOSS]

Re: Re: Dean....

Originally posted by Dean
Don't know were you're headed with this, but unless you've come up with a new wonder toy...I'm skeptical, but hoping for the best.

Lots of cool "toys" out there, ya just have to know where to look...and there are some florists that are pretty dam* good programmers too