What would you do about this order?

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Flowersbytaffie

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May 21, 2005
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Atlanta
www.flowersbytaffie.com
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Georgia
On Tuesday we were swamped and I received an order from Floral Source about 12:30 pm. My first delivery goes out at 10:00 and the next goes out at about 1:00pm. so I added this order to the second delivery cycle. I get a call from them about 30 minutes later requesting delivery confirmation and I told them that it was on the truck and will be delivered that afternoon before we closed at 6:00 pm. Well we had a ton of deliveries that day(it was actually a record tuesday for my shop!) The driver ended up being stuck in traffic and got the arrangement to the recipient at 5:10 pm. By this time the sender had called and wanted to cancel the order to Flowerpetal.com or whichever order gatherer that processes orders through floral source. When Floral Source called, I told them that the recipient had the flowers and the delivery had been successful. I did however explain that the driver had previously scheduled deliveries and had sat in traffic for over an hour attempting to get to the recipient. I was very apologetic for this.

This morning I come in and Floral Source asks me to pick up the arrangement and they could pay me for the delivery charges. I told them that the order was delivered to the hands of the recipient and that this was not possible. They then asked me if they paid me for the flowers and the delivery could I pick up the arrangment. I told them that means that I would get the whole amount for the order and there would be no reason to pick it up.

I am torn as to whether this fight is worth it and if I should pick up the arrangement. Your opinions are needed!

Sorry for the ramble!!!!
 
I would feel really weird to go and pick up an arrangement that was already delivered. Like you said, why would oyu pick up the arr. if they are going ot pay you anyway. THe question is are they really going ot pay you for the full amount of the arr and delivery? Maybe they are hoping that you will forget about it when the statement arrive.

How would you explain the whole process of the order to the recepient. Will not not make the sender cheap looking?
How can they send a rush order and expect a prompt delivery in atlanta.
I think they are not in touch with realities.
I would tell them that you expect to be paid for the order and delivery and that the recepient will keep the order.
Luc
 
Don't pick up the order, when it comes time to be paid, they will just say the order was picked up by the florist because of problems so they won't pay. Its really just thier word against yours.
 
Flowersbytaffie said:
I am torn as to whether this fight is worth it and if I should pick up the arrangement. Your opinions are needed!

Sorry for the ramble!!!!
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Never be sorry for rambling!

I would let them keep it, credit FSI and CANCEL the MEMBERSHIP...

FSI has hit the bottom...again!
 
Thanks for your input!

I have not gotten a call back from floral source about the adjustment, but I will surely look on my statement for this one. I agree and have learned over this first year of mine that the wire services are clearly not in the florists (who is a customer to them) corner. I know that I am preaching to the choir on this one!

I definitely will NOT pick the order and will expect to be paid completely for the order. I was concerned about the recipient spreading bad info about my biz where she works. She is inside the Veterans Hospital here and that was my first order to that site.

Should I call her and explain what happened? The other day I got an FTD order where they asked that I apologize for the delay in delivery from them. I took this opportunity to let them know that the order arrived to me that morning and they asked that I apologize for the late delivery. I asked them to encourage the sender to utilize a "real florist" in order to ensure prompt service. I am thinking that this might be an opportunity to do the same.
 
mark smith said:
Never be sorry for rambling!

I would let them keep it, credit FSI and CANCEL the MEMBERSHIP...

FSI has hit the bottom...again!
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I agree....this monster is getting completely out of control, and there is NO REASON to pick up the order, which would "verify" to FSI that they are off the hook to "pay you" for all your efforts!!
Folks...it's getting completely ridiculous!!
Adding another insult <emphasis mine>...I don't think that the current wire services have as much life left in them as they seem to think!!
 
Amazing, but NO SURPRISE!

A prime rule we have always had is that, NO ONE gets to keep our FLOWERS for FREE ever, and as long as WEE DID OUR JOBS.

Only helps to create that FRANKENSTEIN MONSTER which will always return to RAPE and PILLAGE your village.

In retrospect and because you are a REALLY NICE PERSON trying to PLEASE EVERYONE, this was one order that you needed to say; SORRY but, WE CAN'T HELP YOU!

My advice to you now and after your Horse is out of the barn would be to call the recipient, explain to them all of those circumstances, and ask for the sender's telephone number. I would also inform the recipient of the facts that, you have been instructed to pick up those flowers, and since you do not like to do that, that's why you wish to discuss those instructions with the sender.

If the recipient refuses to cooperate, I would go and get your flowers as those instructions indicated.

Suffice it to say that, these MIDDLEMAN SKIMMERS lie to their customers while telling them everything they need to hear. Most probably, promises were made BY THEM regardless of the fact that, those promises were totally unrealistic for any REAL FLORIST to keep.

Had a WS Website OG try to play the game with us just this past Mother's Day. THEIR CUSTOMER placed three separate orders at THEIR WEBSITE, all going to the same address.

Only problem wound up to be that, we only got ONE of those orders and the other two went somewhere else.

When the Grand daughter got to her Grandma and Aunt's home, the two that came from SOMEWHERE ELSE were nothing like what she picked from the WS website.

One called for a cube of lavender roses and they sent a cube of lavender daisy poms. The other called for Yellow Lilies and they sent a vase of assorted flowers, but NO LILIES.

The vase which we had sent was made to specs.

However, the Grand daughter was so upset with the other two, she complained to their service department and suggested that, ALL OF THEM were not what she ordered.

By default, we got thrown into the COMPLAINT MIX.

After two messages from the WS (lack of) customer service department, the last one told us to PICK UP our floral arrangement.

I called the recipient, who just happened to be our customer, and explained to her what was going on. She told me that, there was nothing wrong with our floral vase and it was still flourishing seven days later while she had to throw out he other two junk designs that Tuesday, only four days later.

That's when I asked her for her niece's telephone number and spoke to her myself.

In the end, and after having all of the facts, we did get paid for our vase, but the time it wasted plus the grief and aggravation it caused us, just ISN'T WORTH IT.

We had already TERMINATED our membership with that WS with the effective date of May 31, 2007, and so, we will never have those types of problems again.

In fact, we dumped the other WS TOO back in 2001 for the same types of inherent problems their consumer website had created too, not to mention the too numerous dues and fees.

The question we had to ask ourselves over and over again was; Just why do we need these WSs anymore ANYWAY?

They have long since NOT HAD THE ABILITY to make our cash registers ring with 100% sales from consumers in our shop.

Since they no longer DRIVE CUSTOMERS to our shop or our telephones, what was the point?

The only thing they're capable of now is to market and drive customers to THEIR 800 NUMBERS and THEIR WEBSITES, skim off all of the gravy to include the $ERVICE CHARGES, their 27% commission, their 2% FTO fee, and OH BY THE WAY, their customers get FREE DELIVERY TOO!, albeit at the DELIVERING FLORISTS' expense.

NAW, call us stupid, but we made a business decision which requires our profitability over theirs.

As they say; Ya can't EAT YOUR CAKE and HAVE IT TOO!
 
Hello there I am telling you You call the Recipient and tell them you will pick up the Flowers They will not Give it back to you. There was no Time delivery on this Order and How dare them to Push us arround like we need them they don't care. The sit on ther but and Push buttons for 20 % of total amount and the would not even pay for the cost of flowers. Not only that how much did it cost for you to send the driver out in the first place
You allready lost your Product pinking it up would cost more than to Leave it thats what they are counting on. Call the Recipient you will be surprised when you tell her that you will pick up the Flowers they don't count on that .
Anyway thats my thought on this matter.
 
Picking something up, is not only bad marketing, but it'll cost you more in gas and drivers time than it's worth to go get it unless it's $100.00 or more, and if it's been out a day or two, you can't resell it anyway.
 
Ah, but getting to the TRUTH is critical!

mark smith said:
Picking something up, is not only bad marketing, but it'll cost you more in gas and drivers time than it's worth to go get it unless it's $100.00 or more, and if it's been out a day or two, you can't resell it anyway.
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In TOTO's book, it's the principle of the thing which counts.

The critical issue for Flowers By Taffie is to protect and preserve THEIR INTEGRITY. My gut tells me (from experience) is that, this SKIMMER LIED TO THEIR CUSTOMER and tried to place the blame on this florist.

Getting to THE TRUTH of what really happened is the REAL ISSUE and Taffie can only do that by speaking to the customer who sent the gift.

Failing that, leaving the FREE BEE without anyone PAYING THE PIPER serves no useful purpose other than to REINFORCE the SKIMMER MO and myth which (in their book) states that; " IF, FOR ANY REASON WHAT SO EVER, etc., etc.. and regardless of any fault on the part of the POOR FILLING FOOL, all one has to do is COMPLAIN and they get their FLOWERS fore FREE.

Don't really matter to DA SKIMMERS since, that money DOES NOT COME OUT OF THEIR SKIMMER POCKETS, DOO IT?

Besides, the SKIMMER CUSTOMER, and unless they are EDUCATED, will never use the filling florist anyway, nor will that recipient since, they were probably told the SAME BIG LIE about HOW FLOWERS BY TAFFIE ruined their day because THEY DELIVERED SO LATE. In addition, it's a VERY RARE BREED of RECIPIENT'S who have been TURNED INTO SENDERS. (less than .05%)

That LIE TOO has always been a BIG PART of the WS myth in their attempts to justify the losses incurred at the filling florist side of the order spectrum.

Then again, that's JUST MEE and WHAT'S MINE, BEE MINE! "]

Please feel free to list any other retail business or service provider who GIVES THEIR STUFF AWAY FORE FREE under these circumstances.
 
They Never called back

The day ended and I never heard from Floral Source. I have already made efforts to end my FTD membership and will end floral source too since I am at the end of my year with them also.

Thanks everybody for all of the advice. I should know and am learning to follow my gut on these things. I felt like I was being pinned for something that was completely out of my control. We got the order late and was not given a deliver by time and we even gave it to the intended recipient. The arrangement was a beautiful dozen hot pink roses and according to my driver she loved it. I would have felt terrible to pick up but even more terrible to feel like the wire service stole it from me!

I will check my statement and make sure that I am paid for this order. I will count down the days until I dont have anymore wire services!
In my year of business, I have found that most of my headaches have come from wire orders. The fees are too much and there seems to be a new one each month. I fell for the free six month deal (FTD) and was in complete shock after that to see all of the fees that were not explained in the beginning. I guess you live and you learn!

Now it's time for some vino:beer!
 
I agree with Mark, looks really unprofessional and would clearly give the shop a bad name. Goods delivered, contract fufilled. I would not fill another order for them until you get it resolved.
 
You're just TOO NICE then! "]

Flowersbytaffie said:
The day ended and I never heard from Floral Source. I have already made efforts to end my FTD membership and will end floral source too since I am at the end of my year with them also.

Thanks everybody for all of the advice. I should know and am learning to follow my gut on these things. I felt like I was being pinned for something that was completely out of my control. We got the order late and was not given a deliver by time and we even gave it to the intended recipient. The arrangement was a beautiful dozen hot pink roses and according to my driver she loved it. I would have felt terrible to pick up but even more terrible to feel like the wire service stole it from me!

I will check my statement and make sure that I am paid for this order. I will count down the days until I dont have anymore wire services!
In my year of business, I have found that most of my headaches have come from wire orders. The fees are too much and there seems to be a new one each month. I fell for the free six month deal (FTD) and was in complete shock after that to see all of the fees that were not explained in the beginning. I guess you live and you learn!

Now it's time for some vino:beer!
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Well TAFFIE, there ya go being that TOO NICE of a REAL FLORIST, ey?

We really hope that you GET PAID for DOO-ING your job!

I would still be on that QUEST of obtaining the CUSTOMER information from the recipient and following up with them as to DA FACTS. They probably LIED to that customer and it would be my mission to EXPOSE THEM for WHAT THEY BEE!

As to your ending your affiliation with these POCKET PICKERS, good fore you! That is by far, the best result of your recent OG SKIMMER SCAMMING EPISODE.

What NONE OF US NEED on a busy day when servicing our own customers with their 100% sales plus $ervice charges is try and fit in DROP and STOP from a SKIMMER at seventy cents from their dollar plus YOUR FREE DELIVERY TOO!
 
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