Won't accept order from another florist...

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fairfield

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Jan 15, 2006
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eugene
www.fairfieldfloral.com
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oregon
I called Victor's Florist in Pamona, CA today to place a direct order with my shop debit card. I was told that their company policy did not allow them to take this kind of order from another florist. It had to be a wire order (keep in mind, I never asked for a discount - we didn't even get to minimum prices). The reason she told me was they had taken a CC order over $100 from a florist and everything was OK (authorization). In her words, "It turned out to be fraud". She told me that if it had happened to me I wouldn't take this kind of order either.

With all of the posts on the threat of direct-ship, wire service competition, order gatherer's and flower giving apathy in general, I can't believe this. This is the most retarded business thinking I know of and THE MOST DAMAGING ASPECT OF THIS INDUSTRY (STOOPID PEOPLE with NO business sense about them).

There is no excuse this shop can make for their stupidity. If they were burned one time or one hundred times by a florist makes no difference to me. What, if they get burned by a customer once, are they going to call it quits? They need to stop sharing a brain in the shop and learn from THEIR mistakes. Don't make everyone else (including customers) make up for it.

The "wire service safety net" is alive and well in stupid minds.

Stupid, stupid, stupid!!! Too bad they are in ANY business!!! I wish I could convey this to them!!!

Jason

P.S. My customer was a woman from the local retirement home with a 'fixed' income (cash only), a walker and an entourage who just wanted to see the new shop. All she wanted was for something small to be sent to her daughter for MD. Something to show that she was thinking of her.
 
Hope you found those stress meds you were looking for !
Hang in there ... only five more days to go!
tracy
 
'Tis a pity that there are those who still will not see.....
 
STOOPID...I agree Jason,

on the other hand, THEY have made this business decision based on THEIR reasons, and YOU will make the same, based on yours.
We too, have been burned a couple of times by non florist "florists"...makes us just a little wary as well!!
 
No one says you have to be smart to be a florist...

The florist you refer to is more interested in paying for card ads in their TEAM directory, as well as, paying for their listing in red every month. Guess they would rather work for pennies, Well, they should get their chance over the next fes days to do just that.

You will always have to wonder if florists like this hestitate to accept customer direct orders also that found them listed on the internet.
 
it's IRRELEVANT......

just because what a florist does decide to do, that is counter to mainstream thinking, DOES NOT make them incorrect.
We all know that this is highly unusual, and pisses us off, but, if THEY want to blow their brains out on card ads, and the ws "safety net" then so be it!!
IF this does NOT fit YOUR needs/that of YOUR SENDERS..."stroke" this shop OFF your send to list!!
 
Jason,

While I *totally* understand your point of view, I'm going to play 'Devil's Advocate' a tiny bit here...
If they were indeed burned by another florist, then I can see their "policy"...they are gun-shy about F2F orders...one bad apple ruined it for them. However, it is very short-sited to institute such a policy.

We have been burned two times this year on F2F orders.
The first, the florist claimed to give us a total of $40, but failed on THEIR end to account for our special AM (non-funeral) delivery charge of an additional $10, totalling $50.00. An e-mail invoice WAS sent to them. The florist contested the extra $10, so the TOTAL charge was reversed by the c-card company as an "unauthorized charge." The florist would only allow THIER $40 to be charged...we had to settle for that since it was their word against ours (the age-old problem with phone orders!).

The second one was a florist, who gave us THEIR customer's credit card info. After the charge back came, I called the florist - only to then find out what they did. AVS was useless b/c the florist had a PO Box mailing address. I had to call the customer MYSELF and explain all the details to her, then got her cancel the charge back.... Idiot florist...

SO YOU SEE... direct F2F orders are not without fault. We DO accept them - did one today from Carl Alan Creations Flst. in Philly - GREAT shop, does very nice work. He just dropped TEL, and is w/s free. Gave us full value, plus our delivery. I have given up on the tax issue and just lump them all (F2F orders) into the Interstate Commerce tax code.

F2F direct orders will evolve...as more people wake up from the w/s sleeping pill! (heck, I did!!!)

- H.
 
Can't see anyone really being "Burned"

PhillyPhlorist said:
Jason,

While I *totally* understand your point of view, I'm going to play 'Devil's Advocate' a tiny bit here...
If they were indeed burned by another florist, then I can see their "policy"...they are gun-shy about F2F orders...one bad apple ruined it for them. However, it is very short-sited to institute such a policy.

We have been burned two times this year on F2F orders.
The first, the florist claimed to give us a total of $40, but failed on THEIR end to account for our special AM (non-funeral) delivery charge of an additional $10, totalling $50.00. An e-mail invoice WAS sent to them. The florist contested the extra $10, so the TOTAL charge was reversed by the c-card company as an "unauthorized charge." The florist would only allow THIER $40 to be charged...we had to settle for that since it was their word against ours (the age-old problem with phone orders!).

Still can't see where anyone really got "BURNED". Don't know what the problem was with the florist in Calif that was mentioned earlier. but Mr Philly, if the sending florist only had $40 for product and delivery, then that is all they had to give. Playing Devil's Advocate, as you say, if that florist would have sent a $40 order through your WS and you asked for $10 more and they inturn sent you $10 more for the AM delivery on the Merc, you'd probably be happy right? Of course you'd only been paid about $36 at the end of the month. I guess what I'm saying is. you didn't lose anything because I assume you didn't give the sender 20%, right? Being "burned" seems to be an over statement, don't you think?

From time to time we hear of florists that have been "burned" by f2f orders. It seems to be that we have florist that don't know how to SEND orders without a WS <using customers CC> or confusion on RECEIVING orders and the amount they can charge <sales tax, etc>. You're right Mr Philly, eventually this will all work itself out. The f2f group currently has a couple "crazies", but they are learning and hopefully taking orders from us will be easier as time goes on.

SO YOU SEE... direct F2F orders are not without fault.

- H.
Click to expand...

Nothing seems to run smoothly these days, but order for order would you really prefer a WS discounted order these days or a f2f order at full value?
 
We have had a few florist call us with F2F orders but wanted to give us their customers credit card. We would not accept them this way and they could not understand why. "You are not the card holder, she placed the order with you not me, you now need to use your credit card with me, otherwise tell her to call me directly." My staff could not understand why I was saying no. I had no assurance that their customer knew that they were going to give me their cc info. I am not going to fight a charge back because we charged them for the order and they never placed the order with us. All they have to say it that they never authorized us to charge their card.

But, as to the florist who would not take your corporate card, that is just stupidity. A few years ago we had an order going to a remote area no wire service florist there. We used our corporate card to call it out 3 florist out of 5 in the town turned us down. They would only accept an order from a customer, duh! "I'm your customer" That is why We and others here like Boss stay with the wire service for now. I would end up in the grave way to early if I had to deal with florist like this on even a monthy basis, and I fear that it would be daily aggravation and ulcers for me.

Knife's Wife
 
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