What wire service do you belong too and why?

[mikec]

We bought our shop 11/2007 and "bought" into Teleflora and Bloomnet along with everything else we bought into. Dropped Teleflora December 2008 and just got out of Bloomnet at the end of April 2009. Picked up FSN and really like their support and quick turn around on OUR money. Its unbelievable to me that TF and 1-800 hijacks your money for up to 7 weeks. They are Gonzo and we are glad.

 

[PhillyPhlorist]

Actually, all of the above...no button for that one.

Why:
FTD - been FTD for over nearly 90 years, use their services of C-card processing, pos tech, and website provider. Historically, their FTD holiday branded product has been a better seller overall than TEL.

TEL - been TEL since 1976. Use them basically for holiday branded product, but that factoid is slipping as their product lines are losing consumer demand. Do use their holiday co-op ads, and actually generated enough coupons this holiday to pay for about 1/2 of the ad's I ran for M-day.

BBrooks - not really a huge factor, but since we're in a major market, felt opportunity was there to work with higher end orders. So far, avg. order value is about $75.00. Will see if we continue through the summer.

Bloomnet - this one is in experimental mode right now. Test results not complete, so future with them is not known.

How many do I really need? I would say just 2.

- H.

 

[CHR]

The aspect of WS membership which most fascinates me is the ever increasing cost to buy incoming order volume.

Seems the big 3 all have their moving targets

1-800: Preferred membership (what's the real name?) where a florist pays a higher monthly fee and is guaranteed a certain order volume. These shops cannot refuse any orders based on price.

Other shops in their area are not informed that order volume will be directed elsewhere by contract.

FTD: Preference goes to stores who have purchased the latest version of Mercury POS. There's also the Gold Star program - which may indicate preference in receiving company orders. I understand a shop will lose the star if they refuse .com orders and/or if they ask for more delivery $.

Other shops in the area appear to be discovering that a POS purchase by a competitor will ensure they not be listed as preferred.

TF: Pay additional $ for not only ABS, but for each zip code in your own town. Any other criteria for increasing incomings?

They are all decreasing in overall membership since there are fewer shops in each market and most shops are streamlining their dues expenses.

 

[goldfish]

FTD: Preference goes to stores who have purchased the latest version of Mercury POS. There's also the Gold Star program - which may indicate preference in receiving company orders. I understand a shop will lose the star if they refuse .com orders and/or if they ask for more delivery $.

We have always been a "Gold Star", and we refuse FTD.com all the time (FTD.com doesn't allow forward). I'd say we reject >50% of them.

I think the penalty for refusal happens only when the refusal resulted in the lost sale to FTD.com. That's what they say anyway.

Don't know about penalty for asking more $. We never done that. Actually the rule is that, if you don't feel like doing it with the $ sent, you should just reject/forward, not asking for more $. Makes sense to me.

For other .com OG orders we can't fill, we can simply forward them to another florist with no penalty.

 

[marie g bushnell]

Heather,

I have been with FSN for a few years and I like them. I'ts priced right for me ( a small flower business) and I actually speak to a live person with any number that I call. FSN does the web site for you, but you can send your own pics and info as well. If your interested in any info on them, let me know and I'll give you my salespersons name and her number.
I did have FTD and Teleflora at one time and it's just not right for me.

Marie

 

[Connie]

We have had TF, FTD, Carik, Red Book, and more. We were wire service free for several years, unless you count IFA as a WS.

A few months ago, after much deliberation and soul searching, and on the reading of some FCers' comments and talking with another florist friend who even showed me how he was making money, I decided to try Bloomnet.

Another thing which prompted the decision was that I had purchased a building, and the economy promptly went south, taking my largest tenant out also. Local orders had suffered from the move to the new location (there is a thread here which states that relocating a shop will cause that shop to lose 25%+/- in business and will take 3 years to recover.

I have actually been surprised that I'm not unhappy with Bloomnet. We get lots of orders from them, and if we need more $ to fill the order, they send it or they cancel. Either way is fine with me because I'm not going to fill an order on which we do not make money.

We seldom buy a container from them, and when we do, it's on sale. There are other reasons that we are staying with Bloomnet for now. I make no apologies for doing what is best for my shop and my employees.

I was a huge cheerleader for being WS free, but right now, Bloomnet is working for us. I am certainly no cheerleader for them, but, for now anyway, we will probably stay with them for a while.

 

[SpringCity]

What's up with the IFA selection guide? It's the one thing that's keeping me from considering joining. It looks outdated and what's the deal with the TF prefixes, are they Telefloria images?

Just wondering.

 

[CHERYL BAKIN]

Currently TF & BBrooks.

Formerly was FTD.

Had to pick one about 5 years ago...TF won because we have their technology (Daisy POS).

We opted to try BBrooks about 6 months ago, and frankly, we have not had enough volume to justify keeping it. It will be probably gone soon.
(Volume in or out).

We need a wire service because of our international sending to....england, Germany, Sweden, France, the Unkranian countries, etc.
We prefer to have someone more knowledgeable than me handle the language barriers and the currency exchange.
we send directly to Canada quite often.

We like TF education, support of local florists, and their technology.

It pains me greatly when they put up barriers to allow other providers to interface with them (cc processors, and web hosts). So, this is a constant re-evaluation.

We buy very few containers, and do not participate in the co-op advertising program. $10./coupon off is way too high on a $30.00 gross order!!

Cheryl

 

[TOTO]

Yes, PITHY and SUCCINCT!

Wow, that was a lot of reading to find this little gem.

Do you send any orders to Canada, TOTO???

lollol

For TOO MANY YEARS to COUNT, the Lovely Linda, (an English major) has always told TOTO to keep it PITHY and SUCCINCT.

Just can't get over that hump, so LONG WINDED and DRAWN OUT seems to be my usual MO. Guess kinda like panning for gold. Takes a lot of time and work, but at least you got one little nugget from the River.

YES, we do send to Canada, and last order went to LUC.

However, and if I had one your way, I'd rather deliver it myself since, it's just so beautiful there.

If I can't, you will be the first one on my list.
lol

 

[HeatherTuckey]

TF: Pay additional $ for not only ABS, but for each zip code in your own town. Any other criteria for increasing incomings?

No way to increase incomings that I am aware of.

I just tried last week to get more for being a twitter follower. That didn't work either.

 

[lori042499]

bloomnet and TF....

The reason 3 years ago was bloomnet to get my name out on arrangements and to get some cash for it...and TF to get my technology....it was all working well until this september, when bloomnet gpt rid of my area salesman and hired and ftd area rep and he signed on like 5 new shops, those 5 new shops took all the order volume and left me thinking why I even bother...

TF has signed on a bunch of new members also and oversaturated the area....I am seriously considering dropping both....

 

[goldfish]

If I was a WS exec reading this thread, I would conclude the following:

The 1st law of WS - There is no strong brand loyalty to any particular WS. They switch all the time.

The 2nd law of WS - The more orders they receive from a particular WS, the more likely they stay with that WS.

The 3rd law of WS - Despite all the anti-WS hate speech, they actually love us.

 

[duanermb]

Heather,

I have been with FSN for a few years and I like them. I'ts priced right for me ( a small flower business) and I actually speak to a live person with any number that I call. FSN does the web site for you, but you can send your own pics and info as well. If your interested in any info on them, let me know and I'll give you my salespersons name and her number.
I did have FTD and Teleflora at one time and it's just not right for me.

Marie

We have been very successful with the FSN website. The price is right and we use their directory to call out orders. (We don't get asked to send flowers to other places very often anyway - Maybe 3 times during MD)

FSN staff are great, and they are continually working on upgrading their platform. Some more upgrades are needed to make the sites more search engine friendly, but they are getting there. Hope there is a day where I don't have to manage 2 sites. (One for eCommerce and one for SEO)

Pictures are wonderful, and the selection fits our store very well. I know they aren't our own images, but our customers are continually saying how great they are. So no changes here any time soon.

I just wish their directory would stay out of the SERPs, really my only beef with them.
(On that search, have them surrounded! Here anyway. I think they are #2 on Google.com)

I think Buff tried Clearroot this year for kicks...

 

[Pandalou]

2005 I joined FTD on the recommendation of the person I bought the shop from. Purchased the POS computers. Still have 1 year to pay off the computers.
Joined Teleflora in 2006. I like Teleflora better than FTD, I like their containers (though I don't buy very many - you have to buy 24 of everything).
I have a website that has FTD and Teleflora arrangements and we sell much more Teleflora arrangements than FTD.
I am working toward getting our own arrangements on my website and getting rid of both wire services. FTD really ticked me off by having all the Merc 10.0 florists shown as preferred.

 

[HeatherTuckey]

Just looked at the tally of votes...

Is anyone else surprised that only 26% of those polled have more than one wire service?

I was under the assumption, that in this economy there are many more florists very WS dependent... dependency of 25% or more which I would assume is hard to do with just one wire service.

I would think many struggling florists would take on another WS as a last resort thinking the added orders might bring in enough added business to get them through the hard times. Perhaps... maybe they just aren't the flsts on FC.

I think that the opposite happens. When wire service declines and local biz declines or stays the same. Florists are getting smarter and realizing that the fees and less orders are making them less profitable... so they are dropping the WS they are not locked into.

Those wanting to drop a WS or two are not, only b/c of their POS, website, CC or reason they feel they are locked in.

 

[lori042499]

Just looked at the tally of votes...

Is anyone else surprised that only 26% of those polled have more than one wire service?

I was under the assumption, that in this economy there are many more florists very WS dependent... dependency of 25% or more which I would assume is hard to do with just one wire service.

I would think many struggling florists would take on another WS as a last resort thinking the added orders might bring in enough added business to get them through the hard times. Perhaps... maybe they just aren't the flsts on FC.

I think that the opposite happens. When wire service declines and local bi declines or stays the same. Florists are getting smarter and realizing that the fees and less orders are making them less profitable... so they are dropping the WS they are not locked into.

Those wanting to drop a WS or two are not, only b/c of their POS, website, CC or reason they feel they are locked in.

Heather,

The lot of florists here on FC are by far smarter than most florists...We are ahead of the curve by a mile because we share our trials and tribulations.....Thanks to many here with varying experiences we look at our WS statements with a different view than we ever have and weigh out the needs and wants differently, therefore we come to different conclusions about how much we need them and how we profit or don't profit from them....

It is true that many feel locked into a ws and many would drop them also if they could find a better way....and so many have made great strides at taking that leap of faith due again to others that have gone that way and succeeded....We are better florists for belonging here and hopefully it is enough of an edge to keep many of us surviving through the hard times and bettering ourselves for the sake of the consumers....

 

[ourfathershou25]

We are getting rid of 1800flowers, there is no way that you can get a profit out of there orders. We are not interested in giving our flowers away. We have tried 1 year ago to get rid of 1800flowers, we are not letting them send flowers arrangements to us anymore.

 

[Mikey the Flower Guy]

YES, we do send to Canada, and last order went to LUC.

However, and if I had one your way, I'd rather deliver it myself since, it's just so beautiful there.

If I can't, you will be the first one on my list.
lol

Toto, to get to Luc's you gotta travel by land, then by boat, then by goat, off the main highway, up a winding moose laden,lake infested, forest locked roadway north, where even a GPS says "eh??"....

 

[Strelitzia]

wire services

I have FTD and Tele. Strongly considering dropping FTD because of their 2 hour conditions, a lot of headaches at the holidays. I have many problems with Just Fowers and FTD.com, never enough money and always sending the same order multiply times. And we get changed for each attempt unless we send an ask to cancel message. Beginning monday I expect to stop taking "order gatherer" orders and only take orders from Full Service Florists. If more people stop taking these orders they wont have anyone too deliver for them.

 

[Strelitzia]

wise choice, they are the worst. let's band together and only take orders from Full Service Florists. FTD.com is also bad