Wire Services... If you could get them to change

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Sher, I feel we all love your stamina, and your energy.

And here's the BUT, the only way to stop a run away train, is to take the fuel away. This is the only way to get their attention. IMHO.

Sorry not the answers you were looking for.
 
Sher,
1) and 2)I need a wire service to transfer orders for out of town deliveries easily and to be able to guarantee (somehow) the quality of the product on the other end. That's pretty much it for me, for what I need, and services they should offer.
3) They are not meeting my needs because they are doing so much more beyond what the real need is, it gets lost. You can't transfer this order on that system. Quality control has really gone out the window. It's become about so much more for the wire services that the original intent got lost.

I didn't see your answer to these questions? Or maybe I missed it, I'll look again. Good question. Made me think about all that they do, and what the bare bones really need to be for me.

tracy
 
Perhaps...but here's my but...ewiee that does sound weird....
If we on this community cannot even get a consensus and continue to expound on the same thing over and over without providing a solution or a plan..then how in the world are we going to do that with at least another 35,000 florists across the country. For the most part, I do not think the ws are the best thing for the industry....but saying that, I do not think some of the florists that produce an inferior product, or who will take your order , take days to get it out, have a lame excuse as to why, not offer 100% satisfaction ( and some of them are ones I have used my own cc to send the order too) , do little or nothing to promote the industry in a postive light etc etc are any better than the WS in creating industry problems.

What I do see, is that a WS model, done the best way possible would eliminate those that suck for lack of a better word, and provide a means to get orders across the country and offer some consistency ( yes I know they need to have a real quality assurance program) until we can do it ourselves ...I am an OG like many of our FC Community florists, I have an 800, number, I take orders from out of town and I send orders out of town...I need a method to do that. The fax to me is archaic and to call the order out ranks up there also...I love the concept of a "paper trail" so for now, the WS offers that...they come with their own set of warts as well...my plan is to get as many orders away from them as humanly possible....market like a wild woman to every order that comes in until I take my last breath and hopefully make a dent in their business in my own way. They are a Vendor to me...they will provide my need of xyz service with my requirements until something better, more cost effective etc comes along...and I will beatch and moan when they do not do it for the price, the speed, the qualilty and the color that I want it in. They can be fired like any other vendor but before I do that, I want my ducks in order.So far my ducks are all over the pond....
( with a big assed florida alligator just waiting under the surface). I think the biggest mistake we make is that we do not hold them accountable, we have not formed an association....people power.... and we cannot even agree on things here that would be for the betterment of many....thank god the general public cannot read some of the unprofessional comments that have been made to fellow florists or the brow beating some have taken all because they disagree....if we want to represent the florist masses then we need to not be asses...
Ok, I am done...thank you all for listening...I must go feed my alligator...I heard that my staff saved me a nice 800 rep today....a big fat juicy one full of #$%@. Here Allie..... come to mama....
 
Sher said:
If we on this community cannot even get a consensus and continue to expound on the same thing over and over without providing a solution or a plan..then how in the world are we going to do that with at least another 35,000 florists across the country.
Built by a few, with the many in mind and let them all decide if what is offered is worth their allegience?
 
Sher said:
I think the biggest mistake we make is that we do not hold them accountable, we have not formed an association....people power....
RIGHT ON!! So, let's start here ... let's GO!
Sher said:
if we want to represent the florist masses then we need to not be asses...
Um, as the first order of business of our new association, I nominate this as our motto.
I love you Sher! You're the Norma Rae of the florist underworld. Count me in.

tracy
 
No more buts.

Sher, you and I and others have similar passions for this industry. We want to see a win, win, for everyone involved.

You want to do it from the inside out, I can not play their game and win. So I can only fight it from the outside.

Your way is to keep it going and negotiate a better resolve, my only means is to cut the money supply off and protect my arse.

Oh one more but, you know if you keep the heat on from inside, we keep the heat on from the outside. I would think a solution should come sooner than later. So see we are actually working for the same goal.
 
I know this is off topic, but...

Sher said:
.... and we cannot even agree on things here that would be for the betterment of many....thank god the general public cannot read some of the unprofessional comments that have been made to fellow florists or the brow beating some have taken all because they disagree...

Are we really "disagreeing" on anything important? My tenure in FC is short, but I don't recall anyone saying wonderful things about WS. My understanding of "disagreement" here is between radical idealists and moderate realists, in which the former attacks the latter as being too pragmatic. Something like that. It happens all the time. There is an ego factor too.
 
well my viewpoint is different in who attacked whom but I found it distressing at best and repulsive and unprofessional at the worst. The point is that such behavior keeps many from posting and why not...a few can attack and add absolutely nothing except to try and cram their idea down anothers throat so who would want to voice an opinion or be a part of any movement with the chance that they can be attacked .....especially if you are new here or have been a lurker...
And Mark I agree that it only takes a few to start a movement but it certainly takes hundreds to bring it forward...so how one conducts themselves in public behavior plays an important role on how any movement moves forward. So build on my friend build on....and we will lead with you.....but remember the alligator is always hungry!
Sher
 
Sher said:
The point is that such behavior keeps many from posting and why not...a few can attack and add absolutely nothing except to try and cram their idea down anothers throat so who would want to voice an opinion or be a part of any movement with the chance that they can be attacked .....especially if you are new here or have been a lurker...

Good point. I think many frequent posters here, myself included, are guilty of uncalled-for attacks at one point or another.

When I first posted something here a couple of months ago (I don't remember what was about), I still remeber that not just one but several people here replied to it by saying "Welcome to Flower Chat!" I can't tell you how much these "welcome" meant to me.:nod: Warm feeling.

Unfortunately, somewhere along the line of the "debate" about WS, this family spirit of FC has been lost. It has been replaced by ad hominem attacks and sarcastic insults. Not just ad hominen attacks, we also saw many "straw-man" arguments, in which a person first misrepresents/distorts his opponent's position, and then attacks it.

Different people behave differently, which I respect, and I have no intention of taking "holier than thou" attitude here. All I can do is that I can at least change my behavior.

So here's my pledge, sher. I will never engage in ad hominen attacks, straw-man arguments, any of those fallacies that are nothing but unproductive. I cannot make sense all the time, but I will never attack my fellow florists. Also, I will say "Welcome to Flowe Chat!" to any new poster from now on. Reasonable?
 
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What a great pledge and although was not referring to you or really anyone specifically, it was more of an observation of the change in "atmosphere" in the past few months of many posters..it is unnecessary, unprofessional and it will stunt the growth of our FC Community. Thank you for your post...and thank you for having the bravery to take a stand...I for one appreciate it...now let's grow our community! We all have so much to offer.....
Sher
 
Well, I almost agree, but also think that raw passion is often called for and in many cases the greatest of human achievements have come from individual passions and certainly NOT from group consensus and neverending back-patting. Got enough of that in Corporate USA, thank you very much, and its use ally ended up with backstabbing and behind the scenes cliques.

Passion is the fuel to greatness...do you think Michelangelo painted the Sistine chapel with the primary goal of not to offend anyone? Did Darwin wait 20 years to publish his ideas on evolutionary biology in order to get agreement from everyone that his thoughts and theories would not be too extreme? True change *must* come from deep within and be part of a firmly held, passionate belief system, otherwise you are destined to float along with all the other twigs as the mighty oaks grow along the river's edge.

So, IMHO, some passionate debate is an exciting part of FC and can very well create the spark that is needed for true change.
 
Raw passion is wonderful..how any of us talk to others is more what I was addressing. There are civilized ways to share any passion..they are called manners...mutual respect and being able to keep an open mind. There are never any excuses for rudeness, name calling or bullying.
So with that said, I personally feel I have added as much to this thread that is necessary. Let us all put our good manners face on and move forward...
Sher
 
My take on the wire services is similar to Sher's .I need an easy,honest, reliable way to transfer orders.
If they offer other services.. I use a cc clearing house, insurance, health insurance, education, technology, certain forms of advertising and industry facts & figures for comparison.. I can get them from lots of places but if the wire service offers these products at a competitive rate to me that is ok also.. I am going to get these services from someone.. so I am willing to look at options.

Right now the vast majority of real florists are mostly interested in incoming orders.. You don't have to like it, you can easily show it is not smart.. but that is the way it is.. BUT I think it is changing because the wire services are working very hard to sign up grocery stores and fullfillment centers.

Now I know that big grocery stores are smarter than me, and when they see what it takes to play a full role (delivery, special orders, specific weddings, time constraints, picky customers, lack or poor product) I believe they will opt out.. at least opt out of the parts that do not generate money. Grocery stores are used to charging the vendor for shelf space, and making the vendor do the stockwork, aisle advertising, coupon re imbursement, etc. They have perfected their businesses to make a lot of money on small mark-ups.. well if the vendor has to pay to place his product, advertise his product, stock his product than it all makes sense.

So in the future either the big grocery stores will figure out a way to do what we do better or they will stop doing things that don't make money for them.. and then the wire services will have to shift their priorities because they will once again need the real florists as a customer/vendor base.

Also I believe that companies like Walmart that are nation-wide will set up their own distribution network (read wire service) to place their orders to their other locations.. and once again the wire services will be looking for new customers to fill the void..

Now..this may take up to 5 years.. but it will happen.. As someone on the board said last year or before.. hold on to your hats.. it will be a bumpy ride!
 
Don't know what...

...all the other posts say (cuz I ain't got NO time to read 'em all!)

But, my answer to my IDEAL wire service is simple:
A w/s to relay wire orders electronically (via the net pref.) with a minimal fee, with the ability to name what commission I will go with on recieved orders (20/80, 10/90, etc...), offers some kind of selection guide, supports the LOCAL florists on the LOCAL level (districts, etc.), clears c-cards with a GREAT rate, offers a Medical Insurance plan grouped with all other members, NO holiday specials, BUT offers LOTS of holiday advertising on sending products listed in said selection guide, great deals on group auto, life, liability insurance, and...

SUPPORTS ME AS A MEMBER FLORIST without competeing for my business...

Back to our 4 weddings and a funeral (not kidding...really DO have 4 (shotgun) weddin's and one family job!)

- H.
 
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