To all Bloomlink Members...

[shannonlovesflowers]

How do you handle these stupid orders for $29.99?

Or for any order you get that you flat cannot fill for what ever the reason....Like you don't have the same vase, not the exact vase, Flowers not fully bloomed, you don't have the exact flowers etc...

What do you do?

I'm serious, I need to know.

 

[lori042499]

I had found very early on that I needed to keep my delivery area small and remove places that I normally deliver to but have a higher than the 9.99 delivery that is included out, because all the 29.99 orders would always be for the farthest places out and become a giant PITA...that is first off...Second I found that certain items I just would refuse like the pleasantly purple, it was never available and it never looked like the picture, I got more complaints on it than it was worth, so refused(they have since changed the recipe and vase on that). Luckily they have pared down the vase option in recent years to a reasonable amount so i just carried an assortment of those vases and used them for all my jobs...and flowers were never fully bloomed from here, only got 3 complaints in 4 years about the "skimpy" look to the vase and when I told them to give the vase 4 days to mature and call me if they didn't like it then and I would replace it, and explained that the flowers would last them 4 days longer than if sent out like the picture. They actually appreciated it and I never had to replace one of them...

As for the recipes, you definately do not make the kind of money you are used to on arangements and you should be looking at those as full value orders...If I was making 4-10 dollars above the cost and getting sufficient volume from 800, I found that it worked out money wise...I was doing 50-80 orders a month with them and getting some really good funeral work, I was paying my rent with 800-flowers alone, that is until the FTD rep came on and signed 5 other florists and my volume went down to 20 a month...I just cut them loose after a solid year of 20 orders a month(slow learner) because I just couldn't afford them any more....I would say that your style and likes for lowers doesn't jive with the bloomnet stuff and is making it hard for you to embrace the arrangements or the prices, but in reality the prices are pretty close to reality especially when you factor in that a monkey can make the arrangements...there really is no design to any of them...at holidays I used to line up 6-8 of the same type and just whack them out 6-8 in a 1/2 hour...

As for exact flowers, I would sub if I thought the integrity of the arrangement wouldn't be lost, they are getting stiffer on the subbing...and that is another reason I got rid of them, they want way too much control over independent stores to strengthen their brand and it was hurting mine...that just doesn't make any sense in my head...hope this helps you sort it all out...

just a side note, 800-flowers can be a major downer to the creative florist...it can be stifling and monotonous and is not for everyone...

 

[BOSS]

How do you handle these stupid orders for $29.99?

Or for any order you get that you flat cannot fill for what ever the reason....Like you don't have the same vase, not the exact vase, Flowers not fully bloomed, you don't have the exact flowers etc...

What do you do?

I'm serious, I need to know.

Triage~! Reject~! Ignore~!

They are notorious for sending below codified minimums... they ignore us, so why not start a trend and ignore them ? When I filled for them, I never had a single issue with what we delivered, not once. We came as close as possible, and rejected anything that called for something like that stupid pewter picture frame...

 

[anytimeflowers]

Triage~! Reject~! Ignore~!

They are notorious for sending below codified minimums... they ignore us, so why not start a trend and ignore them ? When I filled for them, I never had a single issue with what we delivered, not once. We came as close as possible, and rejected anything that called for something like that stupid pewter picture frame...

.......and if you need any of those stupid picture frames, I've got em'! I finally ordered a whole case of them because they kept sending me orders for whatever it was, pretty in pink or something like that. Then, THE VERY NEXT WEEK, their Wednesday special was half off of......you guessed it! And.....I NEVER got another order for it! HATE THOSE PEOPLE.

Also, Lori said 9.99 is built in for delivery, but I was told it is $7.99. Check it out. You may need to adjust which areas you deliver to, but unless the design was in my town, I always rejected those low-ball ones because of the delivery. Sometimes I would call and ask for more for delivery, but they would argue and so I just rejected them after that, too much trouble for......21.89 LESS your delivery cost. Mostly those will go upside down, can't do it.

 

[sloan]

As of May 1st, we are no longer Bloomnet. Same problem as you, except they were always wanting delivery in the rural areas, and we already are in the boonies! Other problem is if we switched anything (always more expensive), we always got into trouble for it. So we finally just asked for absolutely every substitution and got permission to change stuff. Slows the system way down, but stopped the problems.

 

[BOSS]

Also, Lori said 9.99 is built in for delivery, but I was told it is $7.99. Check it out. You may need to adjust which areas you deliver to, but unless the design was in my town, I always rejected those low-ball ones because of the delivery. Sometimes I would call and ask for more for delivery, but they would argue and so I just rejected them after that, too much trouble for......21.89 LESS your delivery cost. Mostly those will go upside down, can't do it.

Why waste your time?

I have always taken out MY FULL DELIVERY CHARGE IN REAL DOLLARS on any incoming order...<period~! Why would you do anything less? You don't discount to your local customers, why would you discount to a pirate?

 

[conchandler]

How do you handle these stupid orders for $29.99?

Or for any order you get that you flat cannot fill for what ever the reason....Like you don't have the same vase, not the exact vase, Flowers not fully bloomed, you don't have the exact flowers etc...

What do you do?

I'm serious, I need to know.

Shannon, first of all $29.99 is below my minimum and automatically rejected for that reason. I make an exception if I'm already making another delivery to that address for which I'm getting a delivery fee. Clear vase sub I'm ok with, but they seem to be picky on the colored vases - I wouldn't sub unless you get permission. In a pinch, there's always Design Master. As Lori said, flower subs are easier as long as the integrity of the design is maintained. Fully bloomed can be an issue with lilies if they are the focal flowers in a sympathy piece or vase arrangement. If I can get them partially opened, I would consider filling the arrangement, otherwise reject.
BloomNet just starting making me crazy, after resigning in Dec '09, and then continuing with reduced fees for several more months, I just had to call it quits on April 30th. We're done!
I'm on 1800 e-blast list and all they're doing right now if enticing customers with drop-ship. Come Thursday or Friday, the emails will be for all Florist delivered items and you'll get dumped on - they're just too crazy to work with. But best of luck to you.

 

[conchandler]

How do you handle these stupid orders for $29.99?

Or for any order you get that you flat cannot fill for what ever the reason....Like you don't have the same vase, not the exact vase, Flowers not fully bloomed, you don't have the exact flowers etc...

What do you do?

I'm serious, I need to know.

Shannon, first of all $29.99 is below my minimum and automatically rejected for that reason. I make an exception if I'm already making another delivery to that address for which I'm getting a delivery fee. Clear vase sub I'm ok with, but they seem to be picky on the colored vases - I wouldn't sub unless you get permission. In a pinch, there's always Design Master. As Lori said, flower subs are easier as long as the integrity of the design is maintained. Fully bloomed can be an issue with lilies if they are the focal flowers in a sympathy piece or vase arrangement. If I can get them partially opened, I would consider filling the arrangement, otherwise reject.
BloomNet just starting making me crazy, after resigning in Dec '09, and then continuing with reduced fees for several more months, I just had to call it quits on April 30th. We're done!
I'm on 1800 e-blast list and all they're doing right now if enticing customers with drop-ship. Come Thursday or Friday, the emails will be for all Florist delivered items and you'll get dumped on - they're just too crazy to work with. But best of luck to you.

 

[shannonlovesflowers]

Why waste your time?

I have always taken out MY FULL DELIVERY CHARGE IN REAL DOLLARS on any incoming order...<period~! Why would you do anything less? You don't discount to your local customers, why would you discount to a pirate?

This is my thought too Boss.

This is my situation- Almost !00% of the orders are for Rio Rancho NM, An hour round trip Minimum with NO Traffic. We Charge anywhere from $15 to $25 for delivery to Rio Rancho For our local customers.
So I think to myself "how in the hell can we fill an order for $29.99 to Rio Rancho?" My conclusion- We can't.
But they get pissed if you just flat reject, Sooooo on just about every single order we get, I ask for a price change and also ask for subs. Then they cancel or send a Very nasty note, and then cancel along with their nasty note.
For instance...
Yesterday....
We get a note back and I swear it read like this "Can you expalin why you THINK you need $15 for Delivery? That is just way too much. We can give you another $7 but that's it" I was actually written more nasty than that, but I can't remember the exact words, just really crappy.

They've actually called and said Bettina needs to "grow a Backbone" That was ACTUAL WORDS they said to me. I couldn't believe it.

But anyway, they play these little games and just drives me nuts.

Bettina wants to promote us as being "High End" and she herself says to customers that we don't sell carnations, BB, etc.....But then I can't convience her that Bloomlink is not the style she is wanting to be. we honestly only get about 20 orders a month, all little $29.99 orders that no one else will fill and neither do we....at this moment.
We are doing so well. But I think she is afraid the rug will be pulled out at any moment, and honestly, I'm holding my breath too, just waiting for disaster to happen, It's going almost too good. And I'm not bragging, just a little scared about the summer. She said her summer last year was so horrible. But she also said that March for her was always terriable. We had a kick ass March and April, and it wasn't due to Secretaries day either.

Our Mother's Day is off to a great start, but our Valentines wasn't as good as I would have liked it to be, it was way beyond what they did last year in sales, but I over ordered. So I'm Holding My breath again, and just taking it day by day.

I scaled back on the flowers I ordered for Mothers Day as compared to Valentines Day, so hopefully I found a happy medium.

I don't know, I either need to convience Bettina that Bloomlink is not worth having, Or I need to find a way for it to work for us. This is Shannon out of her comfort zone,,,,I don't know what to do.

 

[BobbiR]

The only way we found was to DROP THEM--we even had a customer who refused to pay Bloomnet because we substituted spray roses for mini carns!!!!! Bottom line, we were told, THEIR customer must get what was pictured---MY customer I can talk to---THEIR customer only wants to complain and get a credit !!!
We are Bloomnet free as of April 30 HURRAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[BOSS]

Interestingly, I noticed that Blooms-Today is now sending through Bloomnet rather than FTD... I'm assuming they got a better rebate deal...

 

[lori042499]

Shannon, first of all $29.99 is below my minimum and automatically rejected for that reason. I make an exception if I'm already making another delivery to that address for which I'm getting a delivery fee. Clear vase sub I'm ok with, but they seem to be picky on the colored vases - I wouldn't sub unless you get permission. In a pinch, there's always Design Master. As Lori said, flower subs are easier as long as the integrity of the design is maintained. Fully bloomed can be an issue with lilies if they are the focal flowers in a sympathy piece or vase arrangement. If I can get them partially opened, I would consider filling the arrangement, otherwise reject.
BloomNet just starting making me crazy, after resigning in Dec '09, and then continuing with reduced fees for several more months, I just had to call it quits on April 30th. We're done!
I'm on 1800 e-blast list and all they're doing right now if enticing customers with drop-ship. Come Thursday or Friday, the emails will be for all Florist delivered items and you'll get dumped on - they're just too crazy to work with. But best of luck to you.

Yeah this sucks out loud...They push and push on the radio the drop ship crap until thursday then they start with florist stuff. all the while they send you those gen messages tellig you(the florist) how much advertising they are doing to support your shop...Does anyone fall for that?? Does any florist really think they are doing all that advertising for our sake??? Really, I am so glad I am done with them, so glad...

 

[Victoria]

[/COLOR]


Yeah this sucks out loud...They push and push on the radio the drop ship crap until thursday then they start with florist stuff. all the while they send you those gen messages tellig you(the florist) how much advertising they are doing to support your shop...Does anyone fall for that?? Does any florist really think they are doing all that advertising for our sake??? Really, I am so glad I am done with them, so glad...

I'm glad you're done with them too Lori.

Honestly I shake my head when I read these threads year after year after year. It's the same thing over and over again.

Dump them, do not fill for them, reject them. tell them to pound salt... and again, dump them... period, full stop.

V

 

[BOSS]

Dump them, do not fill for them, reject them. tell them to pound salt... and again, dump them... period, full stop.

V

Never heard better advice~!

 

[lori042499]

Unfortunately for Shannon, it isn't her call..she only plays the music she does not compose it...

Benn there done that.. I can remember working for a shop and after I made the 100th 29.99 xmas stupid vase for 800-flowers, I demanded that if I had to make one more I was going to quit..it was all I made all day long..I said if you still want me to show up for work tomorrow I better be making something else...the monotany is just so bad with those crappy arrangements...and its not even that the arrangements are so bad it is just the fact that you have to make so darn many of them...

 

[RWK]

Shannon - The only advice I know to offer is to approach your boss WITH THE HARD NUMBERS SHOWING HOW SHE IS LOSING PRECIOUS DOLLARS with the 29.99's and the like and how much of those precious dollars she is losing.

 

[CHR]

Shannon -

Why are you guys codified to deliver to a town that far away?

It doesn't sound like the product mix meshes with your shop's goal.

At this point, you are doing them a favor. If you're not getting local orders in your immediate area, your membership is only needed to service that town as far as they're concerned. Without you guys, could they service it all all?

And honestly, if a WS staffer gave us the 'lecture' as stated above, we'd be gone.

Work with folks where respect flows both ways.

 

[shannonlovesflowers]

it is so frustrating.

Get this...

I have been so very very careful to be dang sure to fill all these orders from Bloomlink to the "T"
Fully open flowers, the exact vase, blah blah, blah....Or I ask for subs, then they cancel...it's a game we play...

April 27, We get an order for Fields of Europe, and this gawd awful 3 STANDARD rose, italian ruscus, white satin bow corsage for delivery by noon. No prob, got it done, and even call the lady to let her know we were on our way to bring her her flowers, rushed them over at 10am before she left to the doctor.

Last thing today as I'm leaving at 7pm....I get a message to Cancel the order, and we can go pick up the flowers, the flowers only lasted one day, The corsage looked NOTHING like the picture, yadda yadda......

oh hell no! not today...

So I call the recipient. I introduce myself and ask her what she thought of the flowers.. She tells me she was really dissapointed. I ask her why. She says Well the arrangement only lasted 5 days.
Well, If you ask me full open flowers lasting 5 days is pretty freakin' good. If I didn't have to send out fully open flowers, perhaps they's last longer. Then she tells me, "And that corsage, it only had 3 big roses and some greenery with a ribbon."
So how do you tell a woman, "well that's the ugly ass corsage your son picked out"
Well you don't say that. I just expalined to her that that is exactly what he ordered. When I felt her getting upset, I shut it down. I told her That I didn't call her to argue or upset her in anyway. I just wanted to get to the bottom of the problem. I explained to her how we are forced to send out arrangements and products exactly as the picture shows, we have zero control over it. She told me also that the corsage was suppose to be a wrist corsage. No mention of that in the order, in fact in the picture it even shows the pins!
So I think we got off the phone with her sort of understanding why our hand were tied.
I told her I hoped she come into our shop and just see for herself the beautiful work we do.

But then I decided I'd run this past Bettina tomorrow...a good will gesture...I think I will send her a new arrangement tomorrow and a new corsage for mothers day in the same price range that her son was spending, just to show her the difference.
BTW- It was a Blooms Today order, every problem we have is with a blooms today order, every single one. (((sigh)))

 

[lori042499]

That would be because they also took a 6.99 priority delivery on top of all the other charges so the sender is thinking what a rip off it all is spending over 100.00 and getting flowers that lasted 5 days and a mom that is unhappy.. Blooms today got shut off by me within the first 6 months of having bollomnet...the problems were so large and stressful and ruining my local rep, no way I was standing for it....They are by far one of the worst offenders in OG world. I would let bettina know how many problems we have all had and the awful way they do biz and the extra charges the don't send along so she can make the decision not to fill for them, it is a start to sanity anyway.

 

[LOTAKIDS]

Shannon... It took me a few years but I am Bloomnet Free (and FTD) and loving it!!! No more garbage from them! (still rejecting the garbage from TF.... I hate FYF!).

Over the past 4 years, I have shrunk my delivery area with the wire services period. I don't get repeat business from those areas so why bother bringing my flowers there. I am focusing on my local area and it is paying off, after alot of hard work.

Just gentle show Bettina that these are not in here best interest of growing her business and find that reject key. Just continue to focus on the local customers as you are doing so well now. It took a year or so of reading the post here before I could let go and yes there is a fear, can't explain it, but it's there.. "What will I do with out those orders" is what I fought with and as I watch them dwindle and the fees go up, I knew that it was way past time.