Wire Services vs My Customer

conchandler said:
We only charge $4 on a wire out, because that's what FSN charges us. Before that we only charged $3.00 and for really good customers, I might not charge anything. Sometimes, I think we're too nice to be in business! Joanne's right, sometimes I feel like it's a rip-off when the transfer goes real easy, but then other times, it might take me 1/2 hour or more to find a florist who can fill what, when, where and how I need it.
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And what happens if, the florist screws up and won't work with you and you have to resend it because you have a 100% guarantee...or you send it and last minute they cal you and say it can't be done, now it is back in your lap last minute and you are calling around looking to get it filled...

Last week I bought tickets from ticket master, it used to be that the price of the ticket was the price of the ticket, ticketmaster got a portion for printing, selling, marketing etc for the bands, now I paid 20.00 for two tickets more that the face value for me to get an email of my ticket and print it myself, some of it was convenience charges, some of it was web charges, some of it was email sending charges...they do half of the work they used to and get more to do it, because they are a business and need to be paid in order to get a paycheck, we are the only industry that charges just what we have to because we feel bad, deliveries we barely get enough, it should be a profit center because it is our golden ticket that sets us aside from the rest, wire out fees we should charge because it is work and there are so many variables, the filling shop needs more money, there are problems getting it out, you need to call it out on your credit card, the service to send it through costs you money, etc...

now a days people expect to pay for things that make their lives easier, when someone thinks my charge is outrageous, I let them know that they can go on the net and find a florist for themselves and pay with their card...man and I meand many, say oh i don't order on the internet or oh that sounds complicated, or how do I know they will do a good job, or I don't know how to tell them what I want, or I want to pay with cash...ok, then these are all really good reasons for me to get paid for taking the chore out of the order for you...if it is tto much for you to do for free, that it is way too much for me to do for free..and I do not pay for that list of florists to give out the names for free...sorry that is how I feel on all of that, in 5 years I may feel very, very different about it...
 
Mikey the Flower Guy said:
Chantelle, I KNOW you mean well........so, can you "guarantee me" that MY customer can get 30 white and 30 red carns, on a saturday morning order, for saturday afternoon, without "calling" you to confirm??....please, it's ambiguous to say " we fill to value" when you MAY NOT have the "leeway" to "sub".....
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For something that specific I would like the think that most of us would call to confirm or take a second choice.
And then the filling florist, if they don't have what is required would call or send a message saying they cannot fill the order and ask for a sub.

My only point was that if you CHOOSE to be a member, just fill the money that the shop sends you w/o taking off the percentage you FEEL you are owed.
It's the recipient and your business who will lose in the end if you don't.
 
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lori042499 said:
And what happens if, the florist screws up and won't work with you and you have to resend it because you have a 100% guarantee...or you send it and last minute they cal you and say it can't be done, now it is back in your lap last minute and you are calling around looking to get it filled...

Last week I bought tickets from ticket master, it used to be that the price of the ticket was the price of the ticket, ticketmaster got a portion for printing, selling, marketing etc for the bands, now I paid 20.00 for two tickets more that the face value for me to get an email of my ticket and print it myself, some of it was convenience charges, some of it was web charges, some of it was email sending charges...they do half of the work they used to and get more to do it, because they are a business and need to be paid in order to get a paycheck, we are the only industry that charges just what we have to because we feel bad, deliveries we barely get enough, it should be a profit center because it is our golden ticket that sets us aside from the rest, wire out fees we should charge because it is work and there are so many variables, the filling shop needs more money, there are problems getting it out, you need to call it out on your credit card, the service to send it through costs you money, etc...

now a days people expect to pay for things that make their lives easier, when someone thinks my charge is outrageous, I let them know that they can go on the net and find a florist for themselves and pay with their card...man and I meand many, say oh i don't order on the internet or oh that sounds complicated, or how do I know they will do a good job, or I don't know how to tell them what I want, or I want to pay with cash...ok, then these are all really good reasons for me to get paid for taking the chore out of the order for you...if it is tto much for you to do for free, that it is way too much for me to do for free..and I do not pay for that list of florists to give out the names for free...sorry that is how I feel on all of that, in 5 years I may feel very, very different about it...
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I hate to say it, but the first thing that popped into my mind while reading your post is that you have just made a good point for the wire services fees, and why people are willing to pay it.
 
duanermb said:
I hate to say it, but the first thing that popped into my mind while reading your post is that you have just made a good point for the wire services fees, and why people are willing to pay it.
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Yup, when I opened almost 5 years ago...I knew that ws had changed, I knew that I wouldn't have enough incoming or outgoing to afford one, but I also knew that I wanted to provide this service to my clients regardless...when I mad ethat decision I also made the decision that it is a service that I provide and get paid for, it costs me money and hey it costs everyone in the world more money to shop at the corner store rather than the huge grocery because people are by nature lazy and want things done for them or as convenient as it can be...

Noone wants to walk into any flowershop to send something and be handed a number to make the call themselves, unless they really can't afford or if you tell them all kinds of ws horror stories and sway their mind to the fact that the only way to get a good arrangement that is full value is to do it themselves...I understand why some are doing this and it is their choice, but it must be sold that way and I just don't want to bother with the whole airing of industry dirty laundry in order for people to be swayed to still like my shop, think I am their savior and do the work themselves, I think it is harder and more work that way...

I am rather frank about the fact that I get paid for the service and when asked if the customer can have a number, I do tell them no..it is one of the only no's that I feel good about in my shop..I pay dearly for the info that I BUY from the ws...and I do my homework before sending out my orders...I do not feel that confident in just picking a florist and giving them a number, then when it goes wrong or badly I am still at fault and never got paid for it...so I charge a good fee for doing all the footwork before sending my customers order...I will give out a number in very few instances, if the consumer wants something so precise that I don't feel confident that I can relay the wants or get anyone to fill it or if they want something so cheap that I don't feel confident that it can be done, in both instances I will have already done some sort of selling and made a connection with the customer and in both situation I do tell them that due to the circumstances I feel they would be best served by calling direct and then I give them 3 numbers and wish them luck with thier search. If someone is bold enough to come in, never having shopped here before and just ask for numbers I let them know that they can call 411 or look up any city and florist and get a list of florists servicing the area, when the kvetch about the work that is when I sell them on my 100% garuantee and that they could place the order through me for their convenience for a fee, it is very hard for them to argue that it isn't worth the money once they start complaining about the work they have to do...
 
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Joanne, I understand your problem! It is the short sighted florist that are only looking to make a quick buck and not the future business to be gained. We fill every order to full value minus the delivery. All incoming wire orders can be a pian but they are also possible future customers. Do a great job on the incoming orders & the recipients possibly will come to my shop for future business, while I am keepning your customer & your shop happy!
 
OB1 said:
Another thing about the wire service pos systems...they work on a rotation, so you may think you are sending an order to ABC Florist, but if for whaqtever reason, their line is busy, the system automatically chooses the next florist listing in line. At least that's how Richard Cooke, my rep told me.
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Thanks for pointing that out to everyone, Joanne. That's a great point that all should be aware of.
 
NicoleAtTF said:
Thanks for pointing that out to everyone, Joanne. That's a great point that all should be aware of.
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Interesting. Certainly makes it difficult to ensure your quality. If I were a part of it, I would lobby against this.

Nicole, this would certainly help you with the problem, and goes to a point I made some time ago about being transparent about the quality of the members, letting the members decide who is the best fillers by ranking and grading systems.
 
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It's done in the interest of timeliness, Duane. If the target florist doesn't receive the order, the system is programmed to move on to another option to make sure the order doesn't 'rot on the vine' so to speak.

I know that member quality is an ongoing project here and something we've been working on a lot this year, actually. Since late 2009, I know they've done more related to managing member quality than had been done in a while prior. Plus, we are highlighting members with the best quality 'scores' with the Petal of Honor program.

Doing 'network quality' is a bigger challenge than most assume, because even as we do 'secret shopper' tests or institute quality management based on complaint rates for the network and things like that, how can we know that we didn't get one bad or one good sample? In order to make the network valuable, it has to have many members, but the challenge of having many members is that the scale then creates a barrier to routine testing and quality assurance. It's a tightrope, and one we're doing our best to walk.
 
NicoleAtTF said:
It's done in the interest of timeliness, Duane. If the target florist doesn't receive the order, the system is programmed to move on to another option to make sure the order doesn't 'rot on the vine' so to speak.

I know that member quality is an ongoing project here and something we've been working on a lot this year, actually. Since late 2009, I know they've done more related to managing member quality than had been done in a while prior. Plus, we are highlighting members with the best quality 'scores' with the Petal of Honor program.


Doing 'network quality' is a bigger challenge than most assume, because even as we do 'secret shopper' tests or institute quality management based on complaint rates for the network and things like that, how can we know that we didn't get one bad or one good sample? In order to make the network valuable, it has to have many members, but the challenge of having many members is that the scale then creates a barrier to routine testing and quality assurance. It's a tightrope, and one we're doing our best to walk.
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This statement is not 100% true..I had a couple of orders last year that never got to me the chosen florist and never got to the florist I sent to and I was told by dove tech that it was because the florist and myself had a letter selected(the default on sending) and that tf deemed it was time to go to another florist not because they were not accepting..I have since changed that letter to be z...now the order must go to who I choose and noone else and it get reject if not available.. so there is a way to combat the round robin...I don't want my orders going to anyone tf selects ever not in this lifetime...
 
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OB1 said:
Another thing about the wire service pos systems...they work on a rotation, so you may think you are sending an order to ABC Florist, but if for whaqtever reason, their line is busy, the system automatically chooses the next florist listing in line. At least that's how Richard Cooke, my rep told me.
JP
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True that is the default setting for both Dove and Mercury, but both can be set to reject the order if the requested florist is off line.......so with the proper setting on your POS it won't be a problem.
 
NicoleAtTF said:
Yes, BBJ & Lori are correct, sorry, I should've said it that way 'the default is...'. There is a way to shut that off, but the system default is to keep the order moving.
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That's good. And Nicole, I didn't say it was easy, just the right way. Of course the sender has to be on the ball too, if the order gets rejected from their preferred filler, which I am sure most don't care that much, and won't put in the effort for their easy money.
 
Nicole, I am curious to know more about the "Petal of Honour" programme.
I harped on about some sort of grading system to Richard so often over the years, that one of the first things he would say to me when he came to visit was, not yet, Joanne, but we'll figure it out one day.
I think it would help both the senders and the recievers of orders if we knew what type of flowers they carry, and what their capabilities are when it comes to design.
And it can't be in the ads...sadly they are full of lies. If I read one more ad that says they "specialize in weddings, funerals, corporate parties, imported flowers, plush toys and balloons" I'll have to take a drink.
What I want, when I am calling a city where I don't personally know a florist, is accurate information about their product, their abilities, and their complaints ratio.
No, its more than what I want, it's what I need, in order to be confident that I am choosing a florist capable of filling an order to my customers satisfaction.
JP
 
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It's exactly because of -re-routing, system queues, forwarding, and the like that makes me WANT to get on the phone.......actually CALL the florist, actually TALK to them, and find out FIRST HAND, what they can and cannot do. And if I get that "Can you send it over Dove request" - I tell them flat out - NO I don't send Dove. Do you want the order or not?
 
I absolutely agree with Ricky on this one.
Nine times out of ten, when I have to use a florist I do not know personally, the first thing they say is, can you send it by Dove. Drives me nuts. Usually, that is the first sign of someone who is not willing, or able to fill an order to my satisfaction, because it shows their lack of interest in MY customer.
If I am willing to take the time to personally call a fellow florist, I think it is only common courtesy for them to take the time to understand my order. If not, then they get a big black mark, and are immediately banned from my book. Is this really how people speak with their clients? Sometimes I wonder why they don't understand it's not me they are insulting, it's my customer.
( And it's their reputation that they are ruining. )
JP
 
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So many real florists call me to actually see how I am going to hadle their order that I will ask if they want to actully give me the order over the phone or send it dove...I always give the option of finishing the order up on the phone first...it is how they contacted me in the first place, but many do want to send it by Dove after they find out what we can and cannot do...
 
lori042499 said:
And what happens if, the florist screws up and won't work with you and you have to resend it because you have a 100% guarantee...or you send it and last minute they cal you and say it can't be done, now it is back in your lap last minute and you are calling around looking to get it filled...
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First of all, we call the filling florist for all of our outgoing orders to make sure they can handle it. But even then, I have had a florist say Yes, we'll take care of it, and then never filled the order. So even though I call first, I try to always send it via the computer so that I have verification that I sent and they received it.
I know you're right, I should always take a relay charge; time is money. Thanks for reminding me, EVEN for my best customers! Because, they, more than others, understand what they're asking me to do for them.
 
OB1 said:
I absolutely agree with Ricky on this one.
Nine times out of ten, when I have to use a florist I do not know personally, the first thing they say is, can you send it by Dove. Drives me nuts. Usually, that is the first sign of someone who is not willing, or able to fill an order to my satisfaction, because it shows their lack of interest in MY customer.
If I am willing to take the time to personally call a fellow florist, I think it is only common courtesy for them to take the time to understand my order. If not, then they get a big black mark, and are immediately banned from my book. Is this really how people speak with their clients? Sometimes I wonder why they don't understand it's not me they are insulting, it's my customer.
( And it's their reputation that they are ruining. )
JP
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Joanne, I have to disagree with you here....if a florist has Dove or Merc we insist that after they have confirmed by phone that we can fill the order to their specifications they send it to us electronically. We want the hard copy so there is no argument (you said - we said) also with so many florists today that have staff of Asian or other ethnic decent it's almost impossible to get them to pronounce the card message let alone spell even common names for the card. Add to that the fact that you and I are located very close to the Quebec border and we receive several orders from there and we don't have any French speaking staff.
Call us if you like and if you don't have Dove or Merc we will accept it over the phone, but HARD COPY RULES.
 
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anyways, to make a long story short, if there is ANY doubt about your order getting filled properly, CALL FIRST...I don't understand this debate...sure, back it up with hard copy, but, why take a "chance" that the egg will flat on your face, for NOT checking??
And also by the way, as a sending florist, you can "choose" NOT to have your order "auto-forwarded", but, I'm noticing more and more florists, that have NO skillset/common sense with HOW the system actually works.
I had ONE particular shop that would CONTINUALLY change the "price" to $.00 when replying to messages...does anyone here "know" what happens in this scenario??
 
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