What is wrong with this picture?

[shannonlovesflowers]

This is always tricky. I always try to look at a picture and think about what it is that the customer is seeing - like Shannonloves said, what aspect of the arrangement is important to the customer? I think in this case I would either call whoever sent you the order or reject and hope whoever picks the order up executes it as requested.

My WS says substitution is generally not accepted unless there is no other shop that could execute the order as requested

Like I said with major subs, we always call too, If it's an e-order we always call, e-mail, what ever we can do... If we don't hear back from the customer, and it's getting close to the time it needs to be sent out, we feel it's better to send something than nothing.

 

[Johan]

If I didn't have the colour requested I would contact the sending florist to arrange an alternative or decline the order if needed. I will sub flowers/containers etc if I have to. I'm only a small shop and don't carry the widest choice in the world but I make it good quality stuff not lower grade flowers.

 

[CHR]

Now if the order said for second choice "as similar as possible" AND that's all the shop had to send, I say they did a pretty darn good job.

I'm 99.9% certain that WS fulfillment rules say subs must be of like colors to the original design.

Study after study have shown that when consumers respond to floral arrangements, the first element they perceive as 'right' or 'wrong' is color. The design style itself is secondary to color.

I can't think of a single florist who would sub (without permission from the buyer) a pink wedding bouquet or casket spray for a yellow one - and filling incomings is no different.

BTW, one of the reasons we finally stopped filling for OGs years ago is that we would follow proper procedures and get sub permission (container, flower varieties, etc) from OGs, but they would NEVER contact their customers. They would OK the subs and yet we would have a face angry buyers who expected the get exactly what they saw in the photo. (Those same buyers thought the OGs were actually flower shops in our city.)

My policy is that the colour and shape (design) of an arrangement is what gives the biggest impact, particularly for the sender looking at a picture.

An all pink arrangement is not a substitute for an all yellow one.

Agree 100%.

cell phone pictures are the bane of florists.

We love cell phone pictures. It's funny, I get at least a few sent to the shop each month with thank you notes.

If I didn't have the colour requested I would contact the sending florist to arrange an alternative or decline the order if needed. I will sub flowers/containers etc if I have to. I'm only a small shop and don't carry the widest choice in the world but I make it good quality stuff not lower grade flowers.

Johan, IMO your procedure is the professional way to handle subs.

In this day and age of distressed shops, unfortunately, some stores feel owed the orders regardless of whether they have the appropriate inventory to handle fulfillment, or not.

In the end, bad subs just costs them dollars, aggravation and local reputation.

 

[shannonlovesflowers]

I agree as well Cathy, BUT...

Like I said, if that's all I had, I would call the sending shop, let them know the situation, and do accordingly.

We have insane circumstances here,
#1, we are the only TF shop
#2, no wholesaler

What's a shop to do?

Like I said, if we got no response from the customer who order via internet, we'd sub using our own discression, unless it plainly said "no subs"

If it were a WS order, we would let the sending shop contact their customer and let them deal with it.

I think the sending shop SHOULD call the filling shop and say "hey can ya do this?" instead of blindly sending such an order. ESPECIALLY if there is only one T shop in the whole dang town!

Just felt I needed to qualify my response to this thread.

 

[sharron]

was someone colour blind?????

 

[Victoria]

I had a sad occcasion that required flowers out of town last month. I was unable to attend in person so the flowers needed to reflect my presence.

I chose a shop I'm familiar with and visited their website. I selected exactly what I wanted and continued with the ordering process. Near the end something just didn't sit right, so I stopped the order and picked up the phone... thank goodness.

The shop didn't have what was required to even give it a "similar look and feel". While it is a large centre they don't get deliveries everyday. Fortunately the visitation was a two day affair so I was able to get what I asked for on the following day.

The shop was great, the flowers according to guests were "perfect", and my lesson... I will always call instead of following through on-line for time sensitive orders.

I know I'm not the "average" flower shopper... in truth I'm not average in any thing I buy. However, I will always suggest to people I ask, call if in doubt.

V

 

[Kimber K]

This may not have been the filling shops fault:

My final straw with TF was them calling in an order to me for an ALL pink bouquet: Pink roses, pink alstro, pink pink pink.... ( I dont' remember off the top of my head the web design name) anyway.. I'm thinking that the sending customer wanted pink for a darn good reason... maybe new baby girl?
Anyway, when TF called, (on a Sat afternoon) I told them I didn't have the flowers to fill that PINK order. The only pink I had was a few pink spray roses. The lady on the phone told me to go ahead and sub the flowers.
O He-LL NO! who do you think would get the black eye for that one?
TF doesn't care, so long as they get their money!