Wire Services vs My Customer

[Kristine]

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

Hey there.

I am very happy to take your phone call and talk in specifics about the order. However, then dove the thing to me so you are saving ME a step and the order is in the system and we don't have to manually re-enter your order saving us time and $$. Since we fill to value every penny counts.

and everything Mikey says too

thank you!!!

 

[NicoleAtTF]

Joanne-
Right now the Petal of Honor program is not as much a informational tool about what the florist does as it is a reward for meeting the quality requirements set forth by Teleflora. Things like the complaint ratio, the follow-through on things like order confirmations, etc. are the points from which a score is built and then the highly ranked shops are rewarded with the designation. They receive a window sticker that passers-by can see to highlight their special status, they're given a special badge (that really is quite easy to see) on FindAFlorist, as well as a badge for their website and press materials to send out to get some local attention.

I'll mention to the Florist Relations team that you're looking for a better 'accounting' of what shops are known to stock, their training, etc. Truth be told, right now I can't say we even have a firm grasp on that because we don't ask shops to report additional training they've done or if they've changed their specialty by adding a new wedding designer or whatnot. I just want you to know that to know if we manage to do what you're seeking, it will not go quickly (if it's to be reliable) or will not be 100% reliable (if it's to go quickly). We are certainly committed, however, to continuing to build out programs like Petal of Honor so you can know who the shops are with consistently high quality, even if we can't tell you exactly what type of design they tend to.

I hope that helps... You can check on the list of Petal of Honor shops on the MyTeleflora website - we've committed to posting the list of shops there for our members to review. I also posted it to the Florist Blog and sorted it alphabetically by shop name, if that's any help...

 

[lori042499]

Nicole,

to my knowledge I do not have any bad marks against my shop, nor do I not send out my confirms...I did not get petal of honor so I am not sure who did get petal of honor and what they do different than providing 100% satisfaction to all that are provided to...Is it because they also do not reject hdqrters orders or OG orders?? Is it because they buy a huge amount of product with TF? I know that I am but a tiny blip on TF radar, but there is no reason my shop shouldn't have gotten this ranking other than the fact that I blatantly don't accept orders from companies that I don't believe should be part of TF and that my friend is my perogative and should not keep me out of good ratings, that would be what I call a loaded badge of honor and akin to the way bloomnet does their ratings...it is certainly not helping all worthy florists just the worthy florists that help TF a great deal keep their precious OGs and their rebates flowing..

I amy be way off mark here, but I don't think I am...I provide great service and stand behind my product 100% and noone can tell me that my quality isn't god enough for a petal of honor designation unless the deck is stacked in ways it shouldn't be...just saying..

 

[BOSS]

Lori, it's probably based on volume... maybe not...

Nicole, could you please post a link to the list? I looked on the Flower Blog and could not find it. I did find the list of jobs at TF though....might have to apply for that regional manager job in GR....

Thanks...

 

[NicoleAtTF]

Lori-
No, HQ orders or product purchase has nothing to do with it. The unfortunate thing about using an algorithm in these situations is that certain things are given more weight - perhaps a shop had more orders and so technically their ratio of non-complaints was better than yours (even if you had no complaints against you). We are certainly still tweaking the program to make sure great florists like yourself are recognized, but we wanted to get it off the ground because, as we all know, sometimes you just have to start and make corrections along the way. If you wait to start until the program's perfect, it will never happen. I hope that helps!

 

[NicoleAtTF]

It's on the Florist Blog, which is behind the login wall. I'll have to find out if I can share it (it's kind of like posting any other list of members, sometimes I'm not allowed b/c we don't want to encourage poaching of members by other services) outside of the login wall. For those who can get on MyTeleflora, here's the link.

Ooh, you'd be in my hometown if you go for the GR gig. It hasn't been 'home' for a good 9 years, now (except 6 months or so after my undergraduate degree when I lived with my parents... that was rough, lol), but I still love that city. Let me know if you go for it!

 

[BOSS]

Nicole... never mind, I would not expect them to share it with non-members...

As to GR... Wyoming is my hang out... and 28th and Division.. fun times...

Alas I don't think TF could stand or put up with "my reality"....maybe in another life...

 

[Doug Munro]

Unfortunately this industry has no self policing in place and probably never will. I have brought this up a number of times and on virtually every occasion have been shot down in flames.

I even started a thread to list "Problem Fulfillers" the last posting was in December of last year and it now has a total of 27 posts, but not one shop name is listed. Virtually very posting is one of outrage and goes into great detail why such a thread should not even exist.

So good luck sorting out the bad apples.

 

[OB1]

Hey Nicole,
So I went to teleflora.com, but I couldn't access the members to find out how I did in the rankings...I know once before when I went there I wasn't listed at all, even though I've been a member for for almost 25 years. Perhaps it has to do with the fact that I have never purchased the Dove Sysytem? Or never purchased merchandise?
I don't know.
The only thing I am left with is a bad taste.
Sorry, but it just doesn't seem to be very forthcoming...even to those of us that have been honest members for many years.
Joanne Plummer
Mill Street Florist,
TF Code 05-3232

 

[lil_goldie]

www.myteleflora.com

teleflora.com is the consumer site

 

[NicoleAtTF]

Joanne-
We don't post rankings... I'm a bit confused? I did post a link to a list of shops awarded with the Petal of Honor designation, though you'd know if you had received that because you would have also gotten a package with press releases and stuff to use. To find florists on Teleflora.com, you'd have to go through the steps of making a purchase and choose to select your own florist. If you want to review a list of florists, that's done at findaflorist.com. I searched for shops in Manotick, and I certainly found you. I'm attaching the screen shot with your shop circled.

I think most shops use their POS system to search for other shops, or they go to Google Local or Find A Florist like a consumer would do... Does that help any?

 

[David]

2010 Petal of Honor Recipient List

First time I ever heard of this. I was not on the list. Didn't see any of the larger Boston shops on it. 6 Mass shops on it. None that serve Boston.

 

[Rhonda]

Unfortunately this industry has no self policing in place and probably never will. I have brought this up a number of times and on virtually every occasion have been shot down in flames.

I even started a thread to list "Problem Fulfillers" the last posting was in December of last year and it now has a total of 27 posts, but not one shop name is listed. Virtually very posting is one of outrage and goes into great detail why such a thread should not even exist.

So good luck sorting out the bad apples.

You know what Doug, unless people complain or you actually SEE the product delivered how would you know?? I can tell you if someone utilizes the TF shop in my town, good luck. No trained designers, everything from there looks like a tissue box. Their funeral work? laughable (even the FD is confused). Why does TF.com call me and ask if I'll fill an order for them? I tell them there is a TF shop here, their response? "They're not answering the phone"........hello? They're a full greenhouse, gift and craft shop with some quilting material and sewing notions......... they must be there! Oh yeah, they also do commercial landscaping (that's a joke too) on the side........... Yep Police 'em........ that TF shop was given a wire service BEFORE they even opened their "fresh flower department".....and the wholesaler's take? "they buy lots of mini carnations"............
But they buy most all holiday product, have codifications up the whaazoo in their listings, great money for TF - they probably earned a "leaf" oops, "petal".
I'm small town, you probably can figure out what you wish to know......

 

[lori042499]

David,

Idon't think that the petal of honor thing was a full list..I think it was more a pr stunt by TF to make florists feel good, but by leaving out so mnay shops I think it left a bad taste or for many of us, we just offed it as a half assed attempt to do yet another program that might appeal to some to keep them a feel good tactic...just like the flowers in a box commercials and the silly joke marketing awards and the save the florists campaign...they know we are wising up and are trying all these stunts to see what grabs our attention and why...but at least they are doing something, more than most local florists can say...

 

[BOSS]

I think most shops use their POS system to search for other shops, or they go to Google Local or Find A Florist like a consumer would do... Does that help any?

Sure does, and I agree with you 100%. Now, can I recruit you to help battle the continuing printing of "paper" directories?

I mean, in theory, the directory should be free, since without it you can't send orders... Oh...wait... did you say Google Local? Silly me, I forgot, the consumer does not need a directory, why does a florist?

 

[Doug Munro]

All the the wire services are in the same dilemma when it comes to actually ranking member performance.

Membership fees a a big part of revenue, add to that additional services and products purchased by individual members As such membership numbers are critical to a wire services success. If they were not the simple solution would be to limit membership to only the best florists and cap the number in any given city.

On the other side of the coin a large percentage of members belong to a wire service to generate business in the form of incoming orders (please save the debate on the profitability of these orders for another thread). If you don't believe this ask a WS rep, I am sure that any reading this are nodding their heads.

So imagine each wire service publishing a list ranking all members and listing complaints. Chances are that no member is going to send orders to the shops at the bottom of the list, ergo these shops that will eventually leave the wire service due to lack of incoming orders. On the other hand the shops at the top of the list will see an increase in incoming orders, unfortunately this generates no additional income for the wire service to replace that lost from the reduction in membership count.

Now, throw something else into the mix. Wire services will allude to their "Top Members" but never publish their name, that's a closely guarded secret. Easy enough to figure out why. Publishing a ranking would with a little work enable someone to make some educated guesses.

However, don't blame the wire services, after all as a group floral retailers won't publish the names of poor performers either.

 

[BOSS]

Doug... imagine if there were a list (actually there is) that florists could access... utilizing the best shops and not dealing with the inferior ones...

Seems to me, over time the market would dictate survival. As far as the wires are concerned, the more the better, as they derive membership funds from those extra florists to pay the rebates of the high volume shops. The wires need more members for funding the system than they do to send/fill orders...

 

[OB1]

So I'm located in a town that has three florists. One is the oldest, with the town's name in it, and is a traditional style shop. I hear nothing but complaints about their product, service and delivery, but they recieve huge numbers of orders based on the name, and the fact that they have been here for almost 40 years, (although under 3 different owners, which they do not make clear), and knows how to make the traditional roundy moundy arrangements but not much else.
The second is an DOG who has so many strikes against it, that I cannot for all of me understand why they are still in business...but hey, that's me.
The third is me...I have never purchased any merch, or an extra listing, or colour, or...whatever.
I guess I'm not suprised that I didn't recieve the "Petal of Honour" ... there is no question that the others recieve more orders than I do.... but where the city of Ottawa Better Business Beureau has never recieved a complaint about us in 24 years, the same is not to be said about the others. Yet one of them gets the petal.
Something about this smells bad...
JP

 

[BOSS]

Something about this smells bad...
JP

Regarding the wire services... it's not what you do, it's not what you know, it's not how competent you are...it's ALL about WHO you know, and what you know about others...

The Petal Points thing is worthless as far as I understand it. It's only available to other florists...kind of like SAF putting the florist directory behind a fire wall....

The wire services can not put this information out there in public...understandable. They would be bashing the majority of their members for one thing, and secondly they'd be choosing sides...something they refuse to do.

 

[Mikey the Flower Guy]

Regarding the wire services... it's not what you do, it's not what you know, it's not how competent you are...it's ALL about WHO you know, and what you know about others...

The Petal Points thing is worthless as far as I understand it. It's only available to other florists...kind of like SAF putting the florist directory behind a fire wall....

The wire services can not put this information out there in public...understandable. They would be bashing the majority of their members for one thing, and secondly they'd be choosing sides...something they refuse to do.

very similar to Doug's post, however, my message to Joanne, is DO NOT get your daisies in a flap......this meritorious award is like getting gold star rankings from FTD.....it's a GLORIOUS moment, and then it fades, much like the worth of a wire service these days!