Wire Service Reps change and no one tells us...

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coppercountryflowers

coppercountryflowers

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Mar 13, 2007
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Hancock
www.coppercountryflowers.com
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MI
Since December both our Teleflora and FTD reps were replaced by someone else. Our old TF rep says he forwarded our e-mails we sent him to the new rep and felt that that was his only obligation to us. However, neither the new rep or the old rep ever replied to the e-mails. The day before a conference, we get through to the old rep to find out the new rep's name and am told he'll call. He doesn't. We call customer service and they tell his boss he doesn't return calls, and so he calls us. He is not happy, polite, and it's not "his job" to let us know he is the new rep. He claims he has only recently received one forwarded e-mail from our previous rep that we had sent to him. We were also informed that he is disabled and will be a "virtual" rep who never will visit with us or step foot in our store. And we pay how much money for this???

If that wasn't good enough... our FTD rep was "canned" sometime since December and no one told us that either. Where those e-mails have gone is anyone's guess. We showed up at a Flower Conference to meet another gentleman that said they's been tossing our area from one rep to another since then.... prior to that our rep was with us maybe 6 months, then it was about a year without one, and before that a lady for 3 months, and a man before that that disappeared. Again, what are we paying for???

Is it too much to ask that they at least let us now WHO is our rep so that we can try to reach them if and when we have questions.

I'm beginning to think we're too tough on these people....
 
Not trying to defend anyone here...but I do know several "good" reps very well, it's an often thankless job, with little good news...gone are the days of reps helping florists as their hands are tied by Big Brother and their only real job is to sign up shops...

When reps change, which happens often, imagine trying to contact 2-300 shops in a timely manner...and as to email... I *used* to send 3-4 a day when I was heavily involved with FTD...heck mine alone would bury them for days:bangles:

Best bet is to limit wire service involvement to as little as possible, and outsource everything else...even containers...I have not bought branded products in 2-3 years and have never had a complaint on an order...
 
this is truly the END of an era......
The bittersweet memories, are JUST THAT....bittersweet!!
EVEN WS reps, DON'T want to work for wire services....:wide:
 
i might have to come out of retirement if this stuff continues.
heck, i might even have some old "speed-a-gift" brochures hanging around the basement.
i know that i have and old ford aerospace manual propping open a door...

on a totally serious note...i received an email today informing me that pat humphrey...the old canadian fsr passed away recently.
some "old timers" on the board might remember pat from the "good old days".
r.i.p. pat
 
bill schodowski said:
i might have to come out of retirement if this stuff continues.
heck, i might even have some old "speed-a-gift" brochures hanging around the basement.
i know that i have and old ford aerospace manual propping open a door...

on a totally serious note...i received an email today informing me that pat humphrey...the old canadian fsr passed away recently.
some "old timers" on the board might remember pat from the "good old days".
r.i.p. pat
Click to expand...

BILL...send your evil twin pronto!!
YOU would not likely survive in today's ws environment!!
Pat Humphrey was a class gentleman, when he wasn't on the golf course!!
He "wintered" in Pompano Beach, Florida, for quite a number of years, just off Atlantic BLVD. if I remember correctly!!...those WERE the "good ol' days!!"
 
bill schodowski said:
on a totally serious note...i received an email today informing me that pat humphrey...the old canadian fsr passed away recently.
some "old timers" on the board might remember pat from the "good old days".
r.i.p. pat
Click to expand...

Here's a bit on Pat...

[FONT=verdana,geneva]Pat Humphrey – ‘Mr. FTD’ – Passes Away

Pat Humphrey, known to many in the industry as “Mr. FTD,” died on Dec. 4, 2007, at the Huronia District Hospital in Midland, Ont., in his 83rd year.

Formerly from the London and Toronto areas, Pat spent his younger adult years in the Royal Canadian Navy and later started his life association with Florist Transworld Delivery (FTD). Pat was the first field service representative hired by FTD and was responsible for the entire North American market.

“He literally built the wire service from the ground up,” says Ernie Cowden, a retired florist who spent time travelling with Pat while Ernie was with Flowers Canada. “He certainly was a great ambassador and a great educator for the wire service itself and the floral industry.”

Dick Woods is another retired florist who met Pat while he was a wire service rep. “He was very, very active and helped a great many
florists.”

Pat worked with FTD for 27 years. Prior to his retirement, Pat served his last five years with the company as the manager of the Canadian FTD office. Even after his official retirement at 65, Pat stayed on with FTD for two more years.

He will be missed by all in the industry.[/FONT]
 
bill schodowski said:
i might have to come out of retirement if this stuff continues.
Click to expand...
Yea...and if you do that, I'll go to work for *them* again too, and I'll drag Mikey with me, and I'll bet I could get a few others as well...

Repeat after me... Wire Service Reps are NOT your friend! They may be *friendly* but their goal is to part you from your money...plain and simple.
 
Who is Big Brother?

Chezbloom said:
Who is Big Brother?
Click to expand...

It was a TYPO Kevin. Mark meant to say "BIG MOTHER!"

Note to Bill: Stay in retirement since this NEW BREED of WSs is NOT A BUD FORE YOU, or for that matter, US WEE BEES TOO!

Gone are the GOLDEN OLDIE DAYS when there were colors in our rainbows and we all had a pot of gold at the end of it.

As I call it now: " THE RAINBOW'S BLACK, THE GOLD IS GONE! "

Suffice it to say that: THE FAT LADY HAS LONG SINCE SUNG HER LAST SONG!

Any FSR/FBC or WS rep in today's world, and if they're SMART, aspire to keep their heads under the radar screen for as long as possible. They really hope that, they'll be able to renew their next contract, thus enabling them to continue to pick up a weekly paycheck, and in order to pay their bills and feed their family.

Not really much time anymore for any of them to try and help their FLORISTS since, all they can really do is to, TRY AND HELP THEMSELVES.

I'm sure there must be a some exceptions for the few that haven't been able to figure the game out yet. lol
 
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