given that you've fought the fight, and have reached the age of wisdom, can YOU truly say that YOU TOO were NOT a "supporter" of a/some wire services??
NOT A SUPPORT OF NOR A MEMBER OF FTD, TF, 800F NOW. I BELONGED TO ALL PLUS OTHERS AT ONE TIME
I have "noticed" a "strange" revelation amongst ageless and experience provoked florists, in that, at a certain point, your "catastrophic challenges" have taught you the rules of engagement??
MAYBE SO, BUT I HAVE NEVER BEEN A STRONG DEBATER
ALL FLORISTS...EVERY ONE, either DIE, sell out, or are long lived, and it ONLY SEEMS, that the "older (and wiser)" you get in this business, the MORE demanding YOU are of your peers around you, and LESS PATIENT with those that HAVEN'T seen, or experienced, that which YOU have!!
YOU seem to have reached this point!
YOU ARE RIGHT ON TARGET
BUT THINGS ARE CHANGING NOW AT AN ACCELRATED RATE. I STARTED TO MAKE CHANGES IN THE YEAR 2000 AND SHOULD HAVE STARTED SOONER.
Wire services, are for THOSE that HAVEN'T ( and in many cases WON'T)
WE NEED WIRE SERVICES VERY MUCH, BUT NOT THE WAY THEY ARE RUN NOW. WIRE SERVICES HAVE BEEN THE CORNERSTONE OF OUR INDSUTRY.
TOM, you're a good man, with good intentions, with sometimes bad timing, and in YOUR lifetime, OG's and SFO's will NOT disappear since those florists that WON'T listen to reason (which IS the majority) will ALWAYS provide a same day service module. THEY COULD BE MADE TO DISAPPEAR. ABOUT MY TIMING? SINCE 1953, I HAVE BEEN OUT OF SINC MANY TIMES.
And, for those of us that HAVE gained some of your skills and beliefs. will just be "bypassed" by those same OG's and SFO's.I DON'T BELIEVE THAT FOR ONE MINUTE. I'LL QUIT BEFORE I GIVE UP.
You CAN make a great deal of money filling discounted orders.....are you "jealous" or "concerned"??IF YOU WANT TO MAKE MONEY AT THE EXPENSE OF THIS INDUSTRY. THAT'S THE WAY THE WIRE SERVICES, SFO AND OGS RUN THEIR BUSINESS, NO CONCERN FOR THE CONSUMER FIRST, AND THE BACKBONE OF THIS INDUSTRY [YOUR AND I] AND YES I AM VERY, VERY CONCERNED
Finally, forget about "consensus" in this biz...there is NONE!THERE'S SOME AND THE SIZE OF VARIOUS FACTIONS IS CHANGING.
Forget about morality, or honesty, or just plain common sense...I see and hear less of it day in, and day out!!
