The world is changing, and with it, so is the floral business. Technology and the Internet are re-shaping how business is conducted but with this new ordering ease, come difficulties.
In this day and age, instant gratification is everything. More and more customers are turning online to shop, and the result is a growing expectation of getting something immediately and accurately...with the speed of the internet. However, when it comes to flowers, the internet might not be doing the customer any favors.
Now, the internet is a beautiful thing. It links millions of people and allows ideas and knowledge to be spread faster than wildfire. It assists in making purchasing decisions and is also great for long-distance purchases. But the internet is also vague, and oftentimes buyers make purchases with little knowledge of the "behind the scenes" consequences.
The purpose of this Blog Post is to share a little bit of knowledge, so that customers can make an educated decision when shopping (especially flowers!) online.
1. Online florists may not be florists. There are a LOT of different places that you can buy flowers online with ease and at good prices. The thing is...most of these sites are not actual floral shops. They are an international wire service whose only job is to gather orders, and send them to actual floral shops. These order-gatherers will display themselves as floral shops, show multiple pictures of flowers to choose from and oftentimes tantalize with deep discounts. All you have to do is click on the picture and type in your credit info. Once the order is placed, the order-gather with find a florist local to where you want the flowers delivered and fax the order to them. The problem?
2.It is a waste of money. Most of the money you spent on the flowers ends up in the order-gatherers pocket, not in the flowers. When a florist is faxed an order from an online site, it will often show only a fraction of the money you paid for the florist to work with in designing. The average amount that we see pocketed by order-gatherers is about $15. Some companies though, pocket roughly 50% of what the customer spends. When you call or visit a local florist directly, 100% of your money goes toward the flowers and delivery. It is as frustrating for florists, as it is for you! Oftentimes, the discounts that order-gatherers offer cut into the order so deep that there is not enough money to cover the flowers and delivery.
3. Florists (and the local community) pay the price. When a person orders flowers from an order-gathering site and pockets most of the money and/or offers discounts that cut into the florist's budget, florists must choose to either skimp on flowers, or give flowers/delivery away for free. Of course, florists can always request more money to fill the order, or refuse the order completely, but guess what? Florists get financially penalized for refusing orders. It makes doing business really hard and expensive for us, and so then we have to raise our prices, which benefits no one in the end.
4. The Internet doesn't tell you that the price of flowers is going up. Just like the price of gasoline, milk, and other everyday items, the cost of flowers is rising. The reason for the price increase in flowers is that it is costing more for growers to cultivate these flowers. Many flowers are grown in greenhouses that are powered by electricity. When utility bills are increased, the growers must raise prices. A lot of growers also use special plant food, chemicals, and techniques to make flowers grow hardier and last longer. With new technology being used, flowers are indeed lasting longer, but the price also goes up to cover the cost of using this technology. The price increases are being seen by florists, but are not reflected on the internet. You may see adds such as "$19.99 for a dozen roses"! But in real life, that is what a florist pays wholesale for the roses, not including the vase, greenery, and time it takes to arrange. Or you may see tons of promotions and coupons for a percentage of off already low prices. It creates a frustrating situation where we have to call or e-mail the customer to educate them.
5. The internet limits communication between Customer and Florist. It is so helpful to have a conversation with the customer to find out what favorite colors, types of flowers, or interests the recipient has. Sometimes the customer thinks that they have to settle for a generic bouquet because that is what they see advertised. Part of being a florist is the Customer Service, and when people choose to order online, they receive none of that. There is no relationship developed where we can go the extra mile to make a great shopping experience. We get calls from a lot of people who are a little disappointed to not be able to find a certain item online, that think they have to choose a bouquet pictured. It is always a lot of fun to explain to them that we do custom work, and that we can incorporate unique elements into the bouquets. That kind of communication only happens in actual conversations. We have also faced conundrum where we will be sent a ton of orders, all requesting to be delivered at a certain time. Since we can't be in two places at once and can only create bouquets so fast, sometimes it creates mad rushes and a whole lot of stress for florists to get things made and delivered on time. Once again, being able to communicate with the customer, to let them know that there are 20 orders ahead of them that also need to be made and delivered within the hour, creates understanding instead of inducing frustration for the customer if something doesn't show up on time.
6. The internet Ordering sites rarely educate. It is also nice to inform a customer about what flowers are in season before they order them, or to alert them if a certain type of flower is difficult to get in. There have been years where flower crops fail due to disease or insects and certain flowers become unavailable or pricier. One year, entire crops of purple carnations were destroyed by disease, and we could not get them in for months. We still received online orders for them though, and had to make many personal calls and emails to educate people. We also like to explain to people tips on how to make their flowers last longer or what type of flower is appropriate for certain occasions.
7. You might not get what you see. (Part A.) When a customer looks at a picture online and orders that arrangement, they expect to see the same exact thing delivered. The problem is that all flowers online have been photo-shopped. These perfect blossoms do not actually exist. The roses in the photo might look huge, and full, and open, but in real life, the only time you see roses like that, are when they are really old and about to die. Fresh roses are tight and unopened. Florists like to use them because they know that that is the best value for customers and that they will last for a long time.
8. You might not get what you see. (Part B.) Online, you can see every type of flower in every type of container and vase. But what the internet doesn't tell you, is that some flowers look pathetic when they are out of season, and some, you can not get at all. For example, Ranaculus is a spring flower, and looks gorgeous in March-April. But in September? Prepare yourself for some disappointing dime-sized buds. And during some winter months, Gladiolas can not be found. Prices fluctuate with seasons as well, so buying some flowers online can lead to pricier purchases.
9. You might not get what you see. (Part C.) We can not stress this enough! With the countless choices online, a florist never knows what orders might get sent to them. It is nearly impossible to keep all of the floral choices in stock all the time. So if one orders hot pink roses online, the delivered flowers might be a soft pink, because that is what the florist has on hand. Florists may substitute daisies with mums, or snapdragons with stock. Being in the business of celebrating life's moments, we WANT to give the customer everything they ask for, but sometimes we can only do our best.
10. Scams, Disappointments, and Horrifying Deliveries. Unfortunately, some order sites ship flowers in boxes to people's homes and when the recipient opens the box, he/she finds dead, moldy, or broken flowers. This actually happens quite a bit. At our shop, we have personally seen boxes of flowers lying in snowbanks outside recipient's homes. Others have reported flowers wilting and dying hours after receiving them or messy bouquets. If it seems like too good of a deal to be true...it probably is! For more stories of unfortunate floral ordering experiences, visit a few of the websites and links provided at the bottom of this article.
10. You could have purchased something better. Online sites show pictures of common flowers and styles that are pretty...but not always creative. Floral arranging is an art, and we can do some really cool stuff if given the chance. We also love to make arrangements personal! When customers come in and tell us that their girlfriend loves pink camouflage, or basketball, or Panda bears (these are all real scenarios) then we incorporate these themes into the arrangement to make something extra-fun and meaningful. There are also some really cool arranging techniques, such as manipulating flowers and greenery into shapes that can make a floral arrangement look artistic and luxurious. If you want something truly unique and original, you should visit your local florist and let them create a design that is absolutely one-of-a-kind and special for you and your loved ones.
*images taken from www.flowercomplaint.com and the Crow River Floral facebook page
information taken from www.flowercomplaint.com, www.floristdetective.com, The BBB, and www.angieslist.com Also based on a healthy dose of personal experience. :)
Links:
http://www.angieslist.com/articles/avoid-florist-fiascos-complaints-grow.htm
http://www.flowercomplaint.com/
http://www.floristdetective.com/floristcomplaintsandthebetterbusinessbureau.aspx
Crow River Floral Facebook Page:
https://www.facebook.com/CrowRiverFloralAndGifts
*Please note*: As a local florist in the modern-day market, we at Crow River Floral & Gifts do use online shopping websites that are hosted by FTD and Flower Shop Network (FSN). We do NOT send anything less than quality, and will always do our best to duplicate what the customer sees online or contact them if we can not. We closely monitor our websites to ensure that out-of-season bouquets are not displayed and that prices are accurate. FSN is one of the few services that we are delighted to work with, being that their goal is merely to link florists and customers, and florists get to keep 100% of what you pay...meaning that you get the best bang for your buck. Once again though...for truly unique and personalized arrangements, it is best to simply call the florist direct.
www.crowriverfloral.com
www.crowriverfloral.net
