warning for anyone with teleflora's answering service

[KABERS]

I gained a new customer yesterday, thanks to my compititions answering service. First she was annoyed with the long recorded message then the girl couldn't answer simple questions like opening time and Could a funeral order placed at 9:00 be delivered by 4:00 pm. I've had several customers complain lately about the rudeness there and now i'm wondering how often it was the teleflora service. It's pretty bad to pay someone to lose business for you.

 

[BOSS]

IMNSHO... I feel a shop is better off, just giving out a recorded message (what I do) or not answering at all rather than have a wire service do it for you.

 

[mperry]

I used to have the answering service with TF. They would sell things we didn't have at prices that we could not do. Have not regretted one minute dropping that service. And oh yes they took a percentage of the order.

 

[Luc]

The way I see it, Teleflora call center does not know what I have in my fridge on any giving day. Like Mark said, better to have your own recorded answering machine telling people to go to your web site.
That is why I have so many refuse during holiday time. THey sell anything, thinking small town florist has the product intheir fridge.

 

[BobbiR]

We had this when it first came out--my regulars would call and ask for a "Bobbi Vase"- they had no way to take an open order- tried to lock them in on a picture--I agree with Boss, better an answering machine with a message than even ONE frustrated customer!!

 

[autj]

We had this service until a customer wanted to pick up a casket spray and Teleflora couldn't tell them where we were, we lost the sale and Teleflora lost us

 

[BloomingFlorida]

We personally answer our phones 24/7. Was use Vonage, and there is a feature called 'Simul-ring', it rings the store phone and both of our cell phones at the same time. It gives us 2 free extensions in the store, and we never miss an order. It has been an invaluable feature for us. I've only had one middle of the night call, and that was from a bride I had spoken with earlier in the day, and she drunk-pocket-dialed me during her shower.