WS needs explained...an example

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Joe Mioux

Joe Mioux

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Dec 15, 2004
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I really don't want this to turn into WS argument.

The purpose of this thread is to explain why some flower shops need a WS for outgoing business.

Yesterday afternoon, one of my business customers sent us orders for 38 christmas centerpieces and/or poinsettias going to various remote locations.

They go out to IA, NB, KS, IL, KY, and MO. Some of these locations are really remote which will require a florist to travel 30 or 40 miles one way.

There is no way we could fill these orders, in the time alotted without the help of a WS directory.

For those of you thinking, just go domestic retrans. That won't work. We have to do some sweet talking to get some of these deliveries made.

Dove won't work either on some of these orders, this is just good old florist to florist business. I need the WS directory for the contacts as the internet YP's are of no help. I have tried this before.

I hope this explanation is helpful for those of you who frown on WS affiliation.

Again, this is just an sincere FYI post, that I hope is helpful.

Joe
 
thank you!

I have been in the same situation, and the merc doesn't reply in voice on understanding what you or how you handle your customer as to what they are wanting.
All of my wire outs are done by phone only, some of you (the comp/system savvy) would say... just use the system, that's what it does. But with some of the very remote areas they do not even have a system, let alone a computer. Then you have the problem if the florist does not do Internet to get noticed they are definitely not in the city search or yellow pages, etc.

Along with those problems you have; we all call........ (special customers) I do not have the large multi orders alot but do have customers that spend $200 on a vase arrangements, now try to get that order 20 miles outside of the town that has a population of 150! So with the WS directories I just not only use them for door stops, but actually open them up and look to find larger towns that you have to call and really sweet talk them into delivering!

I am reinforcing this tread is not an argument on WS's , but to help the understanding of why we need the tools in one way that we can not get in another way. It basically is serving your customer and doing what it takes to make them happy.


So I do agree with Joe on this one 100%! It's not that we are pushing WS's just need the available information that the world wide web can not produce.

Merry Christmas everyone!
Cyndi
 
Joe -

There's a little trick with MapQuest to help you find the nearest florist - no WS directory needed (although MapQuest doesn't list codifieds. ;) )

I made up an address in your town - 100 1st St., Carlysle, IL . Here it is on the Map - http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.ad...ress=100+1st+st&city=carlyle&state=il&zipcode=

Just above the map is a little box that says "Find Nearby:_____". Enter 'Florist' (no quotes) and you get this: http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.ad...ongitude=QAo/Y92AYFBOQHLBy++Acg==&cat=florist. Flowers by Tess is closer than your shop by .2 of a mile. After you two, the next closest shop is more than 9 miles away.

The listings are currently free but I'm guessing they'll be offered at an enhanced level in the not-too-distant future.

IMO this map is just as useful as a WS directory. Show me those florist's websites and the combo of the two are way more helpful in choosing a florist.

Your business customers probably won't shop this way but more and more consumers will.
 
we used to have a paper mill here that sent...and we received orders from salesmen to pertinent employees. That no longer is viable..the mill or the orders. The 8 $60 centerpieces the 12 $50 poinsettias are all gone.
I spent time with an elderly lady who wanted to send flowers for Christmas to VA and balked at a $30 minimum (no guarantee what it would be, a designers choice Christmas arrangement + delivery charge of $10 as stated in the FTD book). She said, I can't afford that, when did flowers get to expensive. I offered to give her toll free numbers but she didn't want to spend $30 plus.
I have received so few orders from FTD and after watching daily their home page and the percentages of drop ship non floral gifts, I have plainly decided that I do not need to play their game anymore. I shall email my FBC very soon to explain, shall write up my letter of resignation after 32 years, and continue to say no to the free offers Teleflora keeps calling with....they already have two shops in this town (but they don't know that......the salespeople they hire, that is)
The last half year has shown me that these two have no interest in quality, supporting their members, and that only their personal commissions count.
If I had that amount of orders to send out from one entity, it may be "useful" but as it is now, I have no use for the monthly obligations and those big senders would have to send all year long to make it work.
No, wire service as a "NEED" is no longer a viable argument. BUT, I will say that the "find a florist" link is an obvious help to those searching for a shop to fill a direct order. This shows all their affiliates ..........
although FTD does not show one if they do not subscribe to their floristonline program. Benefit???
 
my biggest fear....

is that florists join, or quit, the wire services, many times, for all the wrong reasons.
A wire service is a tool...some people need a pneumatic nailer, some people need a hammer, and some people need to stay away from hammers.
There is a definite trend towards leaving the wire services, for those that have belonged for a long time, and carry the "burden" of the past into the wishes of the future!!
For those of you leaving...leave for the right reasons, not, emotional!!
You pay heavily for the "tools of the trade" in ANY profession, and keep in mind, there are many times when these "investments" don't pan out in your favour...no different than any investments!!
However, for those that have the need, a wire service is NOT the bad investment that some others have defined as evil, or rudimentary.
Florists themselves, cannot reach a consensus, on anything....PERIOD!!
When a wire service FBC/Rep quizzes most florists on good/bad things.....for years, florists had very little wisdom to add to the equation of wire services, as they eagerly awaited for that order to spit up on the Merc/Duck......so, the wire services just went ahead, and evolved on their own....NOT in our favour, in some cases!!
However, floristland is changing, and there are ONLY TWO OUTCOMES.....use it, or lose it ( the tools of the florist trade)
The ONE THING that is unlikely to change, is florists deep rooted respect for each other, and YES, many times, I TOO, make the phones calls, previous to sending those orders, to get the job done, and I MAKE SURE, that it's worthwhile for the filling florist, when they MUST go out of their way, to complete the transaction successfully!!
 
Mikey the Flower Guy said:
...some people need a pneumatic nailer, some people need a hammer, and some people need to stay away from hammers.
Click to expand...

LOVE this statement!!!

We are WS free and are very happy to be thus. It was not the right thing for us. I'm certainly not ruling out WS forever. A good florist friend does very well with his WS(s?), and, believe me, if he wasn't making money, he'd be out in a flash. To each his own.
 
Joe, being wire free also, one tends to be an independent thinker. With all the talk of florists not wanting to pay for that directory door stop. I have found a use for those door stops. I've got one still in the wraper, and use the other 2 to cross reference an area.

For the 3 major holidays that florists send a larger than normal amount of outgoing, I feel that many florists are seriously looking for alternative ways. If I was in that position of needing help on outgoing orders, I know I would just hire someone for the time needed.

A quick story, last week a florist friend of mine had 100 points that a customer wanted to send. 50 in her area(not a problem), 50 outside her area. She gets 27.95 for her area, 39.95 for out going. She spent all afternoon sending out thru dove the 50 orders. She knows her customer will probably get a 6 to 6.5, single branch point, hopefully dressed up alittle to fill the value, delivered. The next morning when they opened, she noticed 25 of the outgoing were rejected, for insuffient funds. Did she save any time or money? She had one order in my area that got rejected, so she called and put it on her c/c at 100%. She got a very nice, very dressed up point for the money.

My point, I feel the system is broke. Not many florists want to drive 30-40 mile round trip anymore to deliver to Aunt Mable for a discounted order they do not make money on, they are getting picky. Not bashing, just the facts. I do love it when a plan comes together, our town is wire free now. Except for those 30-40 mile round trip ASB florists that want more of money from someones customer now.
 
Cathy:

Thanks for the tip with Mapquest. That has helped staff with some difficult ones.

For one of the deliveries we found a shop with a name of "Chrisman's T.V. & Floral". Unfortunately, they were not answerig their phone today.

We needed both directories, an atlas, and mapquest to find some of these places.

Also, a number of these orders' addresses are "Rural Route 1 Box 64". That makes it even more difficult.

Joe
 
Jerry: we are adding additional delivery fees and we are telephoning most of these orders out in order to get correct pricing.

Joe
 
Mikey the Flower Guy said:
However, for those that have the need, a wire service is NOT the bad investment that some others have defined as evil, or rudimentary.
Click to expand...

TF is evil :fdevil: , 1800 (in 6 months) is so so they make minor (<$100) errors each month, and FTD (in 3 months) has made and error and corrected it within 1 statement - we are still in the $99 phase so its hard for them to look too bad. I have to admit they do help with cash flow on slow days - but you have to watch them like a hawk and they definitely nickel and dime you every month.
 
Jerry said:
A quick story, last week a florist friend of mine had 100 points that a customer wanted to send. 50 in her area(not a problem), 50 outside her area. She gets 27.95 for her area, 39.95 for out going. She spent all afternoon sending out thru dove the 50 orders. She knows her customer will probably get a 6 to 6.5, single branch point, hopefully dressed up alittle to fill the value, delivered. The next morning when they opened, she noticed 25 of the outgoing were rejected, for insuffient funds. Did she save any time or money? She had one order in my area that got rejected, so she called and put it on her c/c at 100%. She got a very nice, very dressed up point for the money.
Click to expand...

Jerry - I had a company I had never heard of before, call me from the East coast last week to send 51 Points for them to 2 states - their local florist either couldn't handle it or didn't want to.

I had no rejections tho I did use domestic retrans for 3 or 4 of them, and they were all at $39.95, plus a service charge, all on a credit card.

I dunno what happened to your friend.
 
Don't know either, but she is ripped. Maybe her's were more outlying areas like Joe was talking about, don't know.

I guess my other point to Joe was that for the 3 major sending months or weeks of the year, the price for that convienence is getting out of line for most of the mom and pops, (Bloomzie excluded). And those door stops are readily available to anyone that wants one, yes, FREE.
 
UPDATE: this is a new one... for us anyway.....

One flower shop we called, was not an WS affiliate and they didn't have CC service.

They told us to send them a check! This is somwhere in NE, with a popluation of 300 and a flower shop.

God love them.

Joe
 
Joe Mioux said:
UPDATE: this is a new one... for us anyway.....

One flower shop we called, was not an WS affiliate and they didn't have CC service.

They told us to send them a check! This is somwhere in NE, with a popluation of 300 and a flower shop.

God love them.

Joe
Click to expand...

Similar thing happened to us a couple of weeks ago, except that the shop was in a very small town in SC.
 
Another thought on this florists problem is that lots of shops can't compete with the boxes on the 6.5-6 points and have just given that segment up. I can tell you I only got 6 of em for just that reason, the rest are in the $50 and up sizes. With delivery fees what they are $39 isn't gonna do it. Running to the box to buy a 9.99 point isn't worth the trouble either.
 
What about near ws

We have been with Floral Source for years now and not only are they far lower than the other ws with their fees, they don't rip off florists with nonsense charges like "quality assurance, sending, reciprocity fees" etc. While they are not automated so it can be labor intensive, they do stand behind their guaranty to delivery/quality and will locate a florist for you in those remote areas. I actually make a decent % on the orders I get from Floral Source unlike FTD which is well below 30% when they finish all the monthly fees they can dream up.

Choosing ws should be by the books - if they make you money keep them, if they cost you money dump them. But remember they are more direct competition to florists than any supermarket.

Dave
 
davenh said:
While they are not automated so it can be labor intensive
Click to expand...
Dave...for future reference... MAS can handle FSI orders... in fact MAS can handle all of the wire's on one system...

(yes, there is still one WS that chooses not to let their member play...but...)
 
BOSS said:
Dave...for future reference... MAS can handle FSI orders... in fact MAS can handle all of the wire's on one system...

(yes, there is still one WS that chooses not to let their member play...but...)
Click to expand...


Visual Ticket handles Dove, Merc, Bloomlink and faxes.
 
Frank, the one that asked for a check, received 100 pct of the order. It wasn't worth haggling over $6.00 or $3.00. I did charge the customer $3.00 for the "wire transfer fee".
 
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