- Dec 13, 2003
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Just spoke with a big downtown shop who had both TF and FTD, who dropped FTD because they didn't get many incoming orders from them. I'm interested in what made those of you choose one over the other?
What made you choose one over the other?
- Thread starter theflowersmith
- Start date
- Status
We had both for a while. Started out with TF then about 2 years ago we picked up FTD. I wanted to see if there was a difference in the two. We recently dropped FTD. To give you a comparison, our TF vs FTD out going wires were 6 to one TF over FTD. Our incoming wires were 5 to one TF over FTD. Of the last 100 incoming FTD orders 15% were from real florists. The others were all from FTD.com or other order gatherers.
In the two years that we were a dual ws shop. The ONLY complaints that we received on flowers that we delivered were on FTD.com orders. In both cases the orders were filled exactly per the FTD selection guide and in both cases the customers complained that they did not get their moneys worth of flowers.
In both cases FTD.com called and wanted me to eat the cost of the delivered flowers and in both cases I refused. I did however deliver a complimentary arrangement and extolled the virtues of calling a florist direct instead of using an order gatherer like FTD.com. In both cases I converted those customers to florist direct customers.
In my opinion, the FTD seletion guide sucks. The FTD codifieds are for the most part dogs and FTD nickel and dimes it's members to death. That is not to say that TF is much better on the nickel and diming but they do a much better job of marketing and their codified products sell.
We dropped FTD in January and did not miss them one bit for V-day. In fact V-day was much smoother not having to deal with the FTD.com orders.
Jim
In the two years that we were a dual ws shop. The ONLY complaints that we received on flowers that we delivered were on FTD.com orders. In both cases the orders were filled exactly per the FTD selection guide and in both cases the customers complained that they did not get their moneys worth of flowers.
In both cases FTD.com called and wanted me to eat the cost of the delivered flowers and in both cases I refused. I did however deliver a complimentary arrangement and extolled the virtues of calling a florist direct instead of using an order gatherer like FTD.com. In both cases I converted those customers to florist direct customers.
In my opinion, the FTD seletion guide sucks. The FTD codifieds are for the most part dogs and FTD nickel and dimes it's members to death. That is not to say that TF is much better on the nickel and diming but they do a much better job of marketing and their codified products sell.
We dropped FTD in January and did not miss them one bit for V-day. In fact V-day was much smoother not having to deal with the FTD.com orders.
Jim
Mikey the Flower Guy
It's a GREAT DAY to live, and love!
- Nov 10, 2002
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Money!!!.....
choose the one that costs you the least per order, and dump the other...whether you retain TF or FTD..you only need one.
Do not lament making this decision...make the decision.
It goes straight to your bottom line!!
IF you want to get a lot of wire service orders, chose Teleflora/
IF you want to SEND a lot of orders, and make money, chose FTD.
Both pay hefty rebates, both offer comparable services, both have electronic order transfer systems,and BOTH will cost you profitability in the end.
There ARE other options....there are ALWAYS other options, just depends on whether you are brave enough to "explore" them!!
By the way....buying a "system" from a wire service, BECAUSE you are a member, is a bad move....there are many choices....buy the one that DOES what YOU want, for the PRICE you are capable of sustaining!!
Jim is VERY CANDID in why he made his decisions...as it HAS to be!
Mike
choose the one that costs you the least per order, and dump the other...whether you retain TF or FTD..you only need one.
Do not lament making this decision...make the decision.
It goes straight to your bottom line!!
IF you want to get a lot of wire service orders, chose Teleflora/
IF you want to SEND a lot of orders, and make money, chose FTD.
Both pay hefty rebates, both offer comparable services, both have electronic order transfer systems,and BOTH will cost you profitability in the end.
There ARE other options....there are ALWAYS other options, just depends on whether you are brave enough to "explore" them!!
By the way....buying a "system" from a wire service, BECAUSE you are a member, is a bad move....there are many choices....buy the one that DOES what YOU want, for the PRICE you are capable of sustaining!!
Jim is VERY CANDID in why he made his decisions...as it HAS to be!
Mike
No WAY...I did that WS THING..
NO WAY! Florists are all *****ing about filling incoming orders at a discount and finding within themselves a ONE WS idea so they can save Money being LEAN? NO WAY!
WS anything means MONEY out of YOUR SHOP.
I Loves your input here Mikey! and you know it!
NO WAY! Florists are all *****ing about filling incoming orders at a discount and finding within themselves a ONE WS idea so they can save Money being LEAN? NO WAY!
WS anything means MONEY out of YOUR SHOP.
I Loves your input here Mikey! and you know it!
flowerknife+us
New Member
Knife's Wife
Left FTD because:
1.)Price was too high!
2)Made us pay for all our shops to have indiviual membership (and there was no discount for more than one membership) and we had five shops!!
3)Customer service went down hill dramactically. average wait on hold when you had a tech problem or any other problem was 35 minutes.
4) Got to the point we could not sell any of their specials from the cooler. Could only get rid of them by wire orders or over the phone.
5) Got tired of getting dozens of phone calls every holiday asking for the Teleflora container and not being able to convert them to another product.
6) Rep. became nonexistant.
7) Along cam tons of ordergathers and FTD.com orders and they would not let us reject with out good reason. Like they were competing with us was not enough of a reason!!!
8) When they launched FTD.con they call to tell us we had a web address but are rep. did not know what it was 3 weeks later when he finally gave us the address we it did not work. When they finally got it working it would work one day and then not work for a few days and on and on that went!!
9)Merury went down every holiday WITH OUT FAIL!!
10) About 10:00 the night before a holiday we would be done with the work and that merc would start spitting out 20-30 orders there was not going home.
11)Coverage was really getting to be a problem with us having so many orders going out.
12 , 13, I could go on and on...
When we left FTD we were in the Top 150, joined when it all began,we sent them a letter and they never so much as called us to ask us why. or offer us anything to stay...that's when we knew we were making a good decision.
What we like about TF:
Customer service has been outstanding
I have never waited on hold for more than 6 minutes and usually it's just a couple.
All we had to pay was one membership for all locations.
Their containers always sell themselves as a matter of fact we never buy enough and always have to reorder at least one and usually two of the specials about 4 to 5 days before the holiday.
Telefloral has no problem with us picking (or should I say excluding who we fill for)
There's no quality assurance fee that doesn't mean a **** thing!
So far are website is working for us!!
If Teleflora looses site of the florist to the extent that FTD did then we will leave them too. Right now it works for us but are Eyes are open now, finding this board and the Florist board helped us see some things we missed.
Oh best of all , I almost forgot... I know what it's like to enjoy a holiday now! Non holidays we send about 200 orders out. Holiday months around 400-500. We recieve only about 1/5 -1/4 of that in. We only had to reject 2 oders for VD that were from gatherers. I have very few, maybe 8 blocked the rest just have found the other suckers in town to fill for them.
When ordergathers would call on the phone we would just tell them with no apologies that we do not fill for anyone but real florist that do not compete for our local customers. They have all pretty much stopped even trying.
If you do not send alot of orders I would suggest getting out of both.
Go direct
Knife's Wife
Left FTD because:
1.)Price was too high!
2)Made us pay for all our shops to have indiviual membership (and there was no discount for more than one membership) and we had five shops!!
3)Customer service went down hill dramactically. average wait on hold when you had a tech problem or any other problem was 35 minutes.
4) Got to the point we could not sell any of their specials from the cooler. Could only get rid of them by wire orders or over the phone.
5) Got tired of getting dozens of phone calls every holiday asking for the Teleflora container and not being able to convert them to another product.
6) Rep. became nonexistant.
7) Along cam tons of ordergathers and FTD.com orders and they would not let us reject with out good reason. Like they were competing with us was not enough of a reason!!!
8) When they launched FTD.con they call to tell us we had a web address but are rep. did not know what it was 3 weeks later when he finally gave us the address we it did not work. When they finally got it working it would work one day and then not work for a few days and on and on that went!!
9)Merury went down every holiday WITH OUT FAIL!!
10) About 10:00 the night before a holiday we would be done with the work and that merc would start spitting out 20-30 orders there was not going home.
11)Coverage was really getting to be a problem with us having so many orders going out.
12 , 13, I could go on and on...
When we left FTD we were in the Top 150, joined when it all began,we sent them a letter and they never so much as called us to ask us why. or offer us anything to stay...that's when we knew we were making a good decision.
What we like about TF:
Customer service has been outstanding
I have never waited on hold for more than 6 minutes and usually it's just a couple.
All we had to pay was one membership for all locations.
Their containers always sell themselves as a matter of fact we never buy enough and always have to reorder at least one and usually two of the specials about 4 to 5 days before the holiday.
Telefloral has no problem with us picking (or should I say excluding who we fill for)
There's no quality assurance fee that doesn't mean a **** thing!
So far are website is working for us!!
If Teleflora looses site of the florist to the extent that FTD did then we will leave them too. Right now it works for us but are Eyes are open now, finding this board and the Florist board helped us see some things we missed.
Oh best of all , I almost forgot... I know what it's like to enjoy a holiday now! Non holidays we send about 200 orders out. Holiday months around 400-500. We recieve only about 1/5 -1/4 of that in. We only had to reject 2 oders for VD that were from gatherers. I have very few, maybe 8 blocked the rest just have found the other suckers in town to fill for them.
When ordergathers would call on the phone we would just tell them with no apologies that we do not fill for anyone but real florist that do not compete for our local customers. They have all pretty much stopped even trying.
If you do not send alot of orders I would suggest getting out of both.
Go direct
Knife's Wife
Or if you don't send a lot of orders, sign up with Blossoms Network. You get 365 days a year support, and almost 20 hours a day. If a Florist calls with a problem at 3:00 am in the morning,
I'm happy to take the call and help them anyway possible.
I bet Greg at Teleflora isn't as accessible as I am. Especially when he is or was known to be playing basketball on Tuesday nights, while he's playing basketball, Im working.
I'm happily married to my business.
I'm happy to take the call and help them anyway possible.
I bet Greg at Teleflora isn't as accessible as I am. Especially when he is or was known to be playing basketball on Tuesday nights, while he's playing basketball, Im working.
I'm happily married to my business.
Rhonda
Well-Known Member
Very small town here. Customers wanted FTD keepsakes (30 years ago) Customers wanted Teleflora containers 20 yrs ago.
Left TEL kept FTD...Teleflora came out with some great advertising, consumers wanted Tel containers again. Back and forth...Now Telelfora containers asked for 4 to 1 at holiday times. Teleflora advertises...FTD advertises itself and it's web presence (which shows more dropship than flowers) FTD costs me less due to small town discount. Teleflora costs me almost 3X/mo basic costs. Sending/Receiving fees about the same but Teleflora waives the "optional sending fee".
Credits? Complaints about shops....Teleflora Way Better.
Credit Card processing......less with FTD but found an even better way.......paypros.com
FTD full of gatherers and advertise in MY phone book.
Teleflora....I just reject from the gatherers and those who advertise falsely in my area with no repercussions or "rule breaking"......
Both are out for the money......to heck with the filling florist.
Tis the worst of two evils. Am weaning myself of one if not both soon. Will keep directory for my customers convenience.
I can always get containers from friends in the industry if needed at holiday times.
Been married to my business for 30 years...think I need a divorce LOL just for sanity
Left TEL kept FTD...Teleflora came out with some great advertising, consumers wanted Tel containers again. Back and forth...Now Telelfora containers asked for 4 to 1 at holiday times. Teleflora advertises...FTD advertises itself and it's web presence (which shows more dropship than flowers) FTD costs me less due to small town discount. Teleflora costs me almost 3X/mo basic costs. Sending/Receiving fees about the same but Teleflora waives the "optional sending fee".
Credits? Complaints about shops....Teleflora Way Better.
Credit Card processing......less with FTD but found an even better way.......paypros.com
FTD full of gatherers and advertise in MY phone book.
Teleflora....I just reject from the gatherers and those who advertise falsely in my area with no repercussions or "rule breaking"......
Both are out for the money......to heck with the filling florist.
Tis the worst of two evils. Am weaning myself of one if not both soon. Will keep directory for my customers convenience.
I can always get containers from friends in the industry if needed at holiday times.
Been married to my business for 30 years...think I need a divorce LOL just for sanity
Left FTD after 55 yrs because of poor representation and disagreement with their business practices.
Stay with TF because of great service, most cost-effective wire-transfer option, containers that sell - and they are flexible, willing to work with florists.
Best of all, *NO* non-floral, direct or drop ship crap piggy-back onto my industry.
Stay with TF because of great service, most cost-effective wire-transfer option, containers that sell - and they are flexible, willing to work with florists.
Best of all, *NO* non-floral, direct or drop ship crap piggy-back onto my industry.
Just Wait.....
It's a matter of Time before monkey see monkey doo.
I'll bet just before Christmas 2004 drop ship will be available from TF. Hummmm That Wysocki artifical christmas tree for 2003 was just a test and see product no one had to do anything with it but just SHIP IT!.
Originally posted by Infinite
Best of all, *NO* non-floral, direct or drop ship crap piggy-back onto my industry.
It's a matter of Time before monkey see monkey doo.
I'll bet just before Christmas 2004 drop ship will be available from TF. Hummmm That Wysocki artifical christmas tree for 2003 was just a test and see product no one had to do anything with it but just SHIP IT!.
Blue,
I'll take that bet! I've been hearing it for years - "Just wait, soon TF will be doing direct / drop-ship just like FTD..."
Hasn't happened yet, and I believe it won't for the foreseeable future.
Just to be sure, I've added a Public Event to the FlowerChat Calendar for Dec 1, 2004. At that point we'll revisit the issue and who is right
I'll take that bet! I've been hearing it for years - "Just wait, soon TF will be doing direct / drop-ship just like FTD..."
Hasn't happened yet, and I believe it won't for the foreseeable future.
Just to be sure, I've added a Public Event to the FlowerChat Calendar for Dec 1, 2004. At that point we'll revisit the issue and who is right
I'll bet....
Ryan that word is a figure of speach I used. Personally I could care less what TF will or is doing, I use too but they like to make it hard on those of us who waved the Pom-Poms for Years and then figured out that this Game is heading down the same path as FTD did in 2000.
The stage was set this past Christmas with the Socki tree and wouldn't you agree that all it would have taken was TF to tell the Members that this item can be shipped out for you by Them? The print out would say something like this..
'No need to store this product in your shop, we here at TF, will ship out this item anywhere for YOUR customers and you will receive a commish of blah blah. Shipped from our Warehouse so you have more time to spend on your busy Holiday.'...something like that..
Dec 01 2004? ok I'm in.
Ryan that word is a figure of speach I used. Personally I could care less what TF will or is doing, I use too but they like to make it hard on those of us who waved the Pom-Poms for Years and then figured out that this Game is heading down the same path as FTD did in 2000.
The stage was set this past Christmas with the Socki tree and wouldn't you agree that all it would have taken was TF to tell the Members that this item can be shipped out for you by Them? The print out would say something like this..
'No need to store this product in your shop, we here at TF, will ship out this item anywhere for YOUR customers and you will receive a commish of blah blah. Shipped from our Warehouse so you have more time to spend on your busy Holiday.'...something like that..
Dec 01 2004? ok I'm in.
BOSS
FlowerChat Administrator
Re: Just Wait.....
Shel, I know you know...but it would seem others are not looking...
Teleflora will have to in some way increase revenue and sometime in the near future...
YES, they do sell and have better "Branded" containers (for right now) but the will find the need in the short term to increase revenue... they can not do this with increased fees (TAXES) cuz they'll lose membership...
While they have the (currently) best "Branded" container program, they too are seeing declines in the number of units sold (even tho they sell out in the stores) simply a matter of economics...
Franklin Mint is tanking (outdayed product line, along with a decline in the collectables market, luxury ya know) and this too will put preasure on TF to generate more "profit" for the Resnick empire... Pistacjios can only produce so much...
I look for Teleflora to go "live" with a E-commerce (already built) site this fall before Thanksgiving (after the codification deadline for J-M directory)... its the only avenue left un_EXPLOITED for them...
Do they really have a choice...many would say not....
Ryan... I believe we still have a 20 riding on this ?
I could be wrong... I was once...
Shel, I know you know...but it would seem others are not looking...
Teleflora will have to in some way increase revenue and sometime in the near future...
YES, they do sell and have better "Branded" containers (for right now) but the will find the need in the short term to increase revenue... they can not do this with increased fees (TAXES) cuz they'll lose membership...
While they have the (currently) best "Branded" container program, they too are seeing declines in the number of units sold (even tho they sell out in the stores) simply a matter of economics...
Franklin Mint is tanking (outdayed product line, along with a decline in the collectables market, luxury ya know) and this too will put preasure on TF to generate more "profit" for the Resnick empire... Pistacjios can only produce so much...
I look for Teleflora to go "live" with a E-commerce (already built) site this fall before Thanksgiving (after the codification deadline for J-M directory)... its the only avenue left un_EXPLOITED for them...
Do they really have a choice...many would say not....
Ryan... I believe we still have a 20 riding on this ?
I could be wrong... I was once...
Re: Re: Just Wait.....
Hey BOSS,
Let's not forget a couple of others things not going well in the Southland either. Plus California has a new Governor who they can't ply with donations like the former Gov. Gray Davis, and the news is out on all the Water taking of California's water for the operations. If you want to read a copy of the report BOSS, I'll give you the URL.
Only thing that seems to be going well is POM Wonderful. (pomegranates and juices) Also Martha Stewart and Oprah loves POM Wonderful. Great to see all the birds of a flock flocking together.
Hey BOSS,
Let's not forget a couple of others things not going well in the Southland either. Plus California has a new Governor who they can't ply with donations like the former Gov. Gray Davis, and the news is out on all the Water taking of California's water for the operations. If you want to read a copy of the report BOSS, I'll give you the URL.
Only thing that seems to be going well is POM Wonderful. (pomegranates and juices) Also Martha Stewart and Oprah loves POM Wonderful. Great to see all the birds of a flock flocking together.
TOTO
New Member
Why WEE LEFT FTD about BEING AN ONLY!
It was a sad day when I had to wrestle with the reality of FTD morphing into MY BIGGEST COMPETITOR.
Had been a multi wire service shop (7) back in the 1970's when profitability was SOO HIGH that you just never noticed how they all COST and LOST you money.
Then, and in the early 1980's, I learned LOTUS, put em all on a spreadsheet, and REALITY SMACKED MEE in MY FACE.
So, I dumped em all save for the one that I owned.
Stayed ONLY even after the sale hoping that, the NEW FOR PROFIT TEAM would make all of us some serious money.
Went through the first TWO CEO's who couldn't make that happen and even became a BIGGER CHEERLEADER for the third, since he started out in Hawaii by telling us EVERYTHING WEE ALL NEEDED TO HEAR like giving us 80% for filling DOT.CON orders.
Continued to CHEER with promises of GIVING US GIFTS TOO when DOT.CON quarterly sales were enjoying DOUBLE DIGIT sales growth, each and every year and from THEIR DAY ONE!
Only thing WEE GOT was a JUNK LINE from Tamaya Zygmund which DIED due to NO BRAND, NO VALUE, and NO DROPS.
Continued to HOPE for some INCLUSION into a PARTNERSHIP with PROFITABILITY but wound up being EXCLUDED.
The last guy who was supposedly helping US WEE BEES reach our GIFTS GOAL was Tim Rassmussen. And then, he got fired along with many other folks who were trying for US! So, I began my EXIT STRATEGY in January of 2002.
Suffice it to say that, when you have had enough of THEIR LIES over ENOUGH OF YOUR TIME, it's YOUR TIME TO GO!
And so, I RE-JOINED TELEFLORA after being away since 1981 and having been with FTD since 1970, and an ONLY for 20 years.
As my dear friend sfox put it best; I have chosen another wire service based on the facts that, They are the least intrusive into my business at this time.
There is just no way that, I could continue to support a company whose prime objective became COMPETING WITH MEE in my own market and for my own customers and, AT MY EXPENSE.
And, NO MORE FIGHTING with DOT.CON over JUNK ORDERS with NOT ENOUGH MONEY, NOT ENOUGH TIME, and NOT ENOUGH OPTIONS to ENSURE that THEIR CUSTOMERS are KEPT HAPPY while they want to pay me seventy cents on my dollar.
My new deal now is to KEEP MY CUSTOMERS HAPPY while I gets 100% OF THEIR MONEY for doing 100% OF THEIR DOO!
Never again will I allow ANY SKIMMER to enter in through my back door under the guise of A PARTNER with them getting THE KUDOS and ACCOLADES for MY STUFF, while expecting MEE to accept their CHUMP CHANGE from THEIR SMOKE WAMPUM DOLLARS.
And, that's the way things turned out in their NEW LAND OF OZ especially, AFTER THEY KILLED THE FAMILY.
Of course, THIS IS ONLY MY OPINION, and I could bee wrong?
FORE! TOTO and KNOWING WHEN TO CUT A CORD! :beer
It was a sad day when I had to wrestle with the reality of FTD morphing into MY BIGGEST COMPETITOR.
Had been a multi wire service shop (7) back in the 1970's when profitability was SOO HIGH that you just never noticed how they all COST and LOST you money.
Then, and in the early 1980's, I learned LOTUS, put em all on a spreadsheet, and REALITY SMACKED MEE in MY FACE.
So, I dumped em all save for the one that I owned.
Stayed ONLY even after the sale hoping that, the NEW FOR PROFIT TEAM would make all of us some serious money.
Went through the first TWO CEO's who couldn't make that happen and even became a BIGGER CHEERLEADER for the third, since he started out in Hawaii by telling us EVERYTHING WEE ALL NEEDED TO HEAR like giving us 80% for filling DOT.CON orders.
Continued to CHEER with promises of GIVING US GIFTS TOO when DOT.CON quarterly sales were enjoying DOUBLE DIGIT sales growth, each and every year and from THEIR DAY ONE!
Only thing WEE GOT was a JUNK LINE from Tamaya Zygmund which DIED due to NO BRAND, NO VALUE, and NO DROPS.
Continued to HOPE for some INCLUSION into a PARTNERSHIP with PROFITABILITY but wound up being EXCLUDED.
The last guy who was supposedly helping US WEE BEES reach our GIFTS GOAL was Tim Rassmussen. And then, he got fired along with many other folks who were trying for US! So, I began my EXIT STRATEGY in January of 2002.
Suffice it to say that, when you have had enough of THEIR LIES over ENOUGH OF YOUR TIME, it's YOUR TIME TO GO!
And so, I RE-JOINED TELEFLORA after being away since 1981 and having been with FTD since 1970, and an ONLY for 20 years.
As my dear friend sfox put it best; I have chosen another wire service based on the facts that, They are the least intrusive into my business at this time.
There is just no way that, I could continue to support a company whose prime objective became COMPETING WITH MEE in my own market and for my own customers and, AT MY EXPENSE.
And, NO MORE FIGHTING with DOT.CON over JUNK ORDERS with NOT ENOUGH MONEY, NOT ENOUGH TIME, and NOT ENOUGH OPTIONS to ENSURE that THEIR CUSTOMERS are KEPT HAPPY while they want to pay me seventy cents on my dollar.
My new deal now is to KEEP MY CUSTOMERS HAPPY while I gets 100% OF THEIR MONEY for doing 100% OF THEIR DOO!
Never again will I allow ANY SKIMMER to enter in through my back door under the guise of A PARTNER with them getting THE KUDOS and ACCOLADES for MY STUFF, while expecting MEE to accept their CHUMP CHANGE from THEIR SMOKE WAMPUM DOLLARS.
And, that's the way things turned out in their NEW LAND OF OZ especially, AFTER THEY KILLED THE FAMILY.
Of course, THIS IS ONLY MY OPINION, and I could bee wrong?
FORE! TOTO and KNOWING WHEN TO CUT A CORD! :beer
TOTO your TF will eat you ALIVE ALSO and you too members!
Just go to Wal-Mart and get yourselves one of those $2.00 calculators and DOO the MATH.
I'll be waiting for you all on the other side of the fence! HAHAHAHAHA!.
Just go to Wal-Mart and get yourselves one of those $2.00 calculators and DOO the MATH.
I'll be waiting for you all on the other side of the fence! HAHAHAHAHA!.
Mikey the Flower Guy
It's a GREAT DAY to live, and love!
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BOSS
FlowerChat Administrator
Mikey, it's easy to explain!
It's pretty simple to really, IMHO. Teleflora with ever increasing payroll comitments, dropping "Branded" container sales and wanting to compete with FTD on their level had no real choice but to morph into a mirror image of them.
Everything that is happening right now, including the missing "find a florist" link is following the same path that FTD took 7 years ago. The posturing all points to the Resnicks eventually taking Teleflora public with an IPO, to either raise cash, or sell it off eventually just like Perry did with FTD recently.
Since FTD has set the precident, method, price, and all previously, if TF wants to do this, they MUST garner more of the 27% to cover operating expenses, put more cash into the kitty, and apprear to be a profitable company by Wall Street standards. They have now past'd the point of no return, and can not go back to where they came from. Their only hope for survival now is to compete with FTD, and the only way they can do that is to compete with their members.
Of course there is alot more to this, and sadly I do not have time this morning to lay it out, but I will get back to it perhaps tonight.
I see one viable option, and Ryan has already started "part" of it with the Link-share here on FC. Thing that would go along way to leveling the field would be for a florist directory, one where everything is above board, with members everywhere, all linked, and promotion to guarantee the top spot on sites like overture and google, and so on where this one site funded by the masses to become the biggest most highly ranked possible.
Of course there is more here to, but there's somethings for you to toss around til later...problem is, getting enuf folks to work together to make it work, but as more and more florists are suckered by those 2, that too will become easier....
Have a DAY!
It's pretty simple to really, IMHO. Teleflora with ever increasing payroll comitments, dropping "Branded" container sales and wanting to compete with FTD on their level had no real choice but to morph into a mirror image of them.
Everything that is happening right now, including the missing "find a florist" link is following the same path that FTD took 7 years ago. The posturing all points to the Resnicks eventually taking Teleflora public with an IPO, to either raise cash, or sell it off eventually just like Perry did with FTD recently.
Since FTD has set the precident, method, price, and all previously, if TF wants to do this, they MUST garner more of the 27% to cover operating expenses, put more cash into the kitty, and apprear to be a profitable company by Wall Street standards. They have now past'd the point of no return, and can not go back to where they came from. Their only hope for survival now is to compete with FTD, and the only way they can do that is to compete with their members.
Of course there is alot more to this, and sadly I do not have time this morning to lay it out, but I will get back to it perhaps tonight.
I see one viable option, and Ryan has already started "part" of it with the Link-share here on FC. Thing that would go along way to leveling the field would be for a florist directory, one where everything is above board, with members everywhere, all linked, and promotion to guarantee the top spot on sites like overture and google, and so on where this one site funded by the masses to become the biggest most highly ranked possible.
Of course there is more here to, but there's somethings for you to toss around til later...problem is, getting enuf folks to work together to make it work, but as more and more florists are suckered by those 2, that too will become easier....
Have a DAY!
Not at all Mikey ... almost the other way around, don't you think?
For the years that we were TF only, Teleflora did a decent job of supporting the independent retail florist, refusing to partner with certain OGs and limiting their own competitive efforts, while FTD was openly engaged in acquiring and developing Order Gathering operations and bribing others to use their services. Now that Teleflora has opted to become more like FTD the dividing line is greying and we are re-evaluating TODAY's options.
I think the question about explaining themselves might be better directed at the person with over 1500 posts on this board mostly talking about the plight of the Retail Florist while solely supporting one of the biggest competitors of independent florists in North America and years ago dropping the wire service that AT THAT TIME was supporting them.
Ryan
For the years that we were TF only, Teleflora did a decent job of supporting the independent retail florist, refusing to partner with certain OGs and limiting their own competitive efforts, while FTD was openly engaged in acquiring and developing Order Gathering operations and bribing others to use their services. Now that Teleflora has opted to become more like FTD the dividing line is greying and we are re-evaluating TODAY's options.
I think the question about explaining themselves might be better directed at the person with over 1500 posts on this board mostly talking about the plight of the Retail Florist while solely supporting one of the biggest competitors of independent florists in North America and years ago dropping the wire service that AT THAT TIME was supporting them.
Ryan
Mikey the Flower Guy
It's a GREAT DAY to live, and love!
- Nov 10, 2002
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was kinda talking about THIS....
http://www.flowerchat.com/forums/calendar.php?do=getinfo&day=2004-12-1&e=31&c=1
http://www.flowerchat.com/forums/calendar.php?do=getinfo&day=2004-12-1&e=31&c=1
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