Wire Services Are Buying Your Customer
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BOSS
FlowerChat Administrator
Florists with minimums are nothing new. And I'd be willing to bet that EVERY florist, myself included has a different requirement as to the cash a customer has to spend and the cash required for an incoming order from another florist.
I do not call out so called F2F orders and willingly give my customers other shops numbers when they have a requirement below my minimum order amount for out of town. Giving them the number puts them in direct contact with a florist keeps me out of their way, and honestly a small fee for calling another shop is really not worth my time. Every customer I have done this with has been very thankful, they are still my local customers, and the other florists have gotten a better deal than they would have if I sent them the order.
The difference between a florist calling direct and a consumer calling should not be any different, and maybe some florists will tell a customer they have a minimum, but I doubt its $40.00.
I have no problem sending my customer direct and I have sometimes. In fact I just gave a Cincinnati florist number to our local funeral director and he made the call himself but he knew I would do it for him at no charge. It is far easier but I have many from an older generation that resist the change. They like to come in and see me face to face and see that a human being is taking care of their order. For that reason I will make a phone call to another florist. I am rethinking charging a fee though. For no longer than it takes me to make a phone call it could be a big fuzzy feather in my hat to do it for free.
Not worth my time!!!!!??
Come-on, get a life... We hear all the time that customer service is what sets us apart from the WS or grocery store florist. But yet we whine and complain about doing somehting our customer isn't paying us top dollar for. We try to figure ways to compete with these other venues and keep our local $$$ in our shop. An yet when another florist calls and says I need to have some flowers sent in your area for my dear customer, We say, It has to be $50 plus delivery and we don't do a f2f discount. Then that florist is left to tell their customer it can't be done, (or spend too much time calling around) their customer goes home gets on-line and sends something for $30 all inclusive. (next time their local business goes that way too) There's always someone to fill those for the OG's even of they drop ship it.
I'm all for helping out my customer, and I have professional courtesy, Things that are supposed to make a florist different from the competition. The problem is they are so busy trying to be artistic that they can't possibly be bothered with the less than $50 customer. and yet they have a gaggle of arrangements in their cooler under that price point, that they deliver for less for the locals. If you can't be bothered to answer your phone for less than $50 then maybe you should hang up your apron and go to medical school or law school and then you can really stick it to them.
I can always find a shop that's willing to exhibit a little professional courtesy and fill an order for whatever my customer has. I always upsell and tell them that It's usually 30ish +delivery, and most are happy to meet those requirements. Quite often they spend much more. And what gives, can't we band together as a unified group and give each other a professional discount. 20% is great 10% is fine, your happy to give the WS 30+ what about your colleagues around the country, who are working every bit as hard as the rest of you. You scratch my back--I'll scratch yours. And I promise no claw marks either. Best wishes mrflowermarket :balsmile::balsmile::balsmile::wave:
Come-on, get a life... We hear all the time that customer service is what sets us apart from the WS or grocery store florist. But yet we whine and complain about doing somehting our customer isn't paying us top dollar for. We try to figure ways to compete with these other venues and keep our local $$$ in our shop. An yet when another florist calls and says I need to have some flowers sent in your area for my dear customer, We say, It has to be $50 plus delivery and we don't do a f2f discount. Then that florist is left to tell their customer it can't be done, (or spend too much time calling around) their customer goes home gets on-line and sends something for $30 all inclusive. (next time their local business goes that way too) There's always someone to fill those for the OG's even of they drop ship it.
I'm all for helping out my customer, and I have professional courtesy, Things that are supposed to make a florist different from the competition. The problem is they are so busy trying to be artistic that they can't possibly be bothered with the less than $50 customer. and yet they have a gaggle of arrangements in their cooler under that price point, that they deliver for less for the locals. If you can't be bothered to answer your phone for less than $50 then maybe you should hang up your apron and go to medical school or law school and then you can really stick it to them.
I can always find a shop that's willing to exhibit a little professional courtesy and fill an order for whatever my customer has. I always upsell and tell them that It's usually 30ish +delivery, and most are happy to meet those requirements. Quite often they spend much more. And what gives, can't we band together as a unified group and give each other a professional discount. 20% is great 10% is fine, your happy to give the WS 30+ what about your colleagues around the country, who are working every bit as hard as the rest of you. You scratch my back--I'll scratch yours. And I promise no claw marks either. Best wishes mrflowermarket :balsmile::balsmile::balsmile::wave:
Hollywood
Active Member
twiggy
Well-Known Member
Of the few orders that I get, only a couple of them were a little low or involved for me to feel comfortable with being the middle person for them. When the order is small (and I think I may get laughed off the phone by the other florist) I suggest the customer call them directly and I'm happy to give them a couple of phone numbers/recomendations for that area. Honestly, i've found many florists who have no problem saying NO to another flower shop's order, and say yes to the same order from a new customer. so on those orders i need to take myself out of the picture so my customer can get a better value.
I'm happy to be able to send orders for my customers or help them in any way I can- that's what keeps them MY CUSTOMERS.
Sometimes a customer needs to send something smaller because that's what the occasion calls for, not necessairly because they are being cheap.
I'm happy to be able to send orders for my customers or help them in any way I can- that's what keeps them MY CUSTOMERS.
Sometimes a customer needs to send something smaller because that's what the occasion calls for, not necessairly because they are being cheap.
Well, when posed with an offer of $42 or nothing, the Florida florist chose nothing. I don't know what you were requesting for $42, but I will assume it was reasonable if you got it done. I can't think of a good reason to have a $52.00 minimum - other than to weed out certain customers they deem not worthy of their wonderful flowers. Maybe they have a system for making money by turning down small sales?
You did a great job getting your customer taken care of.
The crux is Henry - those of us who send thru a wire service will never get anything going back to a non affiliated florist, and the other consideration is - why discount orders you wouldn't discount to your own customer.
Of course you're "working just as hard" as we are, but we also have to work just that little bit harder to pay ws fees. And - it isn't about being "artistic" it's about business sense.
I could throw some numbers out as rationalizations for higher incoming minumums but the point is above.
I don't discount my customers 10 or 20 % very often and I just can't see why I would extend a discount to another florist that I wouldn't do for my own customers.
Those of you that choose to send direct - your 20% is the savings of the 5 grand a year or so you don't have to pay for ws membership that we do.
Wanting an additional discount is cake and eat it too mentality.
Best wishez to you too.
It's called professional courtesy. Perhaps if you weren't so burdened by the 5grand a year in membership you could afford a little professional courtesy. Nothing personal I hope you understand--We hardly know each other so I could hardly say you don't have any-- Just judging from your post.
even more best wishes mrflowermarket
looks like we'll just have to go with "Opinions Vary" That and a buck will get you a Snickers bar, On a good day. Best Wishes with whip cream and a cherry, on top. mrflowermarket
p.s. The Professional courtesy discount at our shop applies whether your burdened with THEIR fees or not.. I think that was the point of my whole entry You scratch my back and I'll scratch yours. Just because we each work equally hard making the world a better place one flower at a time. Not because you belong to my "CLUB".
p.s. The Professional courtesy discount at our shop applies whether your burdened with THEIR fees or not.. I think that was the point of my whole entry You scratch my back and I'll scratch yours. Just because we each work equally hard making the world a better place one flower at a time. Not because you belong to my "CLUB".
BOSS
FlowerChat Administrator
Don't forget, that if your customer is paying you on a credit card, and you are calling the order out, it's costing you money in the CC discount...no such thing as free...it'll cost someone something, unless the customer calls directly.
BOSS
FlowerChat Administrator
Since this was directed at me, I'll expound on my thought.
I truly believe that in the not too distant future, that florist to florist orders, either through a wire service or F2F will be a thing of the past. This business IS going away! From talks I have had with some small, and some of the biggest florists in the country, the same percentage declines apply no matter the size of the shop, and much of it can all be traced to consumers going direct as most are seeing an equal increase in direct out of zip consumer calls and web site ordering.
When I stated "It's not worth my time"...I was referring to charging a fee to call out an order for a customer, where I would make 5 bucks or something. And yes $5.00 is not worth my time when you consider that the outgoing side of my business is less than 6% of total sales, if it all went away tomorrow it would not bother me one little bit. It's all based on my regular, local volume both in store sales, local customer calls, web orders and consumers calling direct from outside my serviceable zip codes.
Since January 1 of this year, I have added 574 new accounts, and a quick look at my Zip Code Table (yes MAS keeps a list) shows that I have at least 1 customer in about 70% of the zip codes nation wide.
I feel if I am not going to wire the order out and make some money, then I will simply give my customer your number and have them call you directly, saving me the "do you have" questions, the "they were not home" issues, and the "it was too small for the $$" problems, and let my customer deal with you directly. I have enough local and direct consumer business to be happy thank God, and the rest...well.... it really is not worth my time!
My professional courtesy is treating your customer like my customer, whether you wire me the order call, fax, pay direct or send it via carrier pigeon.
It's in making a home delivery for you when your patient has left the hospital, without calling you back and chiseling another $5.00 off you.
It's in being considerate on the phone to other florists, not acting like I'm bothered by the order.
It's filling your order to full value and not taking some off the top to cover fees I signed up for, not your customer.
It's in giving you enough money to work with, so neither of us get a complaint.
And while I give 20% if asked, I never offer it, and never ask either.
It's in making a home delivery for you when your patient has left the hospital, without calling you back and chiseling another $5.00 off you.
It's in being considerate on the phone to other florists, not acting like I'm bothered by the order.
It's filling your order to full value and not taking some off the top to cover fees I signed up for, not your customer.
It's in giving you enough money to work with, so neither of us get a complaint.
And while I give 20% if asked, I never offer it, and never ask either.
steve
Well-Known Member
It's called professional courtesy. Perhaps if you weren't so burdened by the 5grand a year in membership you could afford a little professional courtesy. Nothing personal I hope you understand--We hardly know each other so I could hardly say you don't have any-- Just judging from your post.
even more best wishes mrflowermarket
A big issue with the F to F direct business is the manual cost of labor. When I receive an order via computer from a wire service I merely print the order out and fill it to value. When a florist chooses to call me with an order I have a phone line tied up that could be accepting a full price local order. I have a sales person or a designer having to answer that phone I have to pay for the processing of that credit card. I gladly accept F to F orders at all our shops but we do not extend a discount and when I am forced to call out an order to a town that has no wire service florist I do not expect a discount in return.
even more best wishes mrflowermarket
A big issue with the F to F direct business is the manual cost of labor. When I receive an order via computer from a wire service I merely print the order out and fill it to value. When a florist chooses to call me with an order I have a phone line tied up that could be accepting a full price local order. I have a sales person or a designer having to answer that phone I have to pay for the processing of that credit card. I gladly accept F to F orders at all our shops but we do not extend a discount and when I am forced to call out an order to a town that has no wire service florist I do not expect a discount in return.
The trend seems to be supporting your belief. However, millions of people are still ordering from the "national sites". Every day the internet is getting more clogged with OGs--big and small. That segment doesn't seem to be going away at all.
I guess what I'm saying is that you may be right about F2F orders but it doesn't mean you will automatically get the local orders. You have to fight for them.
It's all a matter of verbage, I guess. I call these things "common" courtesy, Professional courtesy is something you offer someone who shares your "profession" That typically wouldn't be extended to everyone. That' my interpretation. I extend all of the above , with one exeption, as common courtesy. As a Professional Courtesy, I Offer 20% to all florists who call in an order to me. I do not expect it from others, but I will ask. I'm not proud. I expect what I am willing to give in return. In this day and age I am often dissapointed. But it doesn't discourage me. Must be the "rose colored glasses". Best wishes mrflowermarket
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