What's your policy for incoming wire service orders on Valentine's Day?

answered Jan 24

Pat D
51 ● 1 ● 2

We routinely cut off all wire service orders 24-48 hrs before our major push on a holiday. We try to balance the wire service to direct orders 1 to 4 (ie only 20% of sales is wire business). We would take more if the split was better but why waste our product and labor on a low margin order. We don't go the reject path only because it wastes too much time.

answered Jan 24

MariEllyn Dykstra
46 ● 2

We Never turn off our Mercury or Dove machines....NEVER!! We will have all orders done and tagged the evening of the 13th. When we come in on 2/14, we know that any and all orders lying in wait on our printers are "late" orders. We really want to help and give personal service to OUR customers who call on the phone or who walk in, but will definately fill all orders from our fellow florists (who normally give us open orders and/or give us a good amount for the flowers so we can make a profit). For many years, we have actually called FTD and Teleflora headquarters and informed them (around 1pm) that we are ready for more orders and our drivers are ready and willing to deliver them...and the WS people don't care. We never refuse an order....but we will ask for price changes- (around $10 on average from the wire services.... depending on the product) especially on Valentines Day.

answered Jan 24

The Floral Studio
31 ● 1 ● 1 ● 5

We reject everything under $50 that comes in the day before valentine's day. And we shut off computers at 5pm the night before so we don't get slammed with orders we can't fulfill.

answered Jan 29

Lyn Santamary
41 ● 2 ● 5

Last year at Valentine's Day was the first time ever we have suspended our computer a week early, very good results, we did the same for the following Holidays, again very good results, we were able to cater to OUR customers, which we received MANY more phone calls from locals, we will take incoming phone orders from other Florists ONLY, no O.G.'s, on the Holiday itself ONLY if they are very local and our drivers can get back to the store in time to deliver.

answered Jan 31

MariEllyn Dykstra
46 ● 2

We just called 20 or so of our favorite florists in Manhatten, Westchester County, Orange County and Bergan County. We had a nice chat with all and faxed/emailed them with all the cities and towns we deliver to. We know that these flower shops will give us the correct amount of money needed for delivering flowers for Valentines Day. They also gave us their towns/zip codes so we can look them up easily and send them our orders as well. (also will keep their Teleflora and FTD numbers readily available...and note those that are FSN). We will fill all florist to florist orders for monday and tuesday of valentines day. As far as the Order Gatherers and the Headquarters of the "big 2" we will look them over carefully and ask for price changes....or reject- if they are not open orders or have 2nd choices.

answered Jan 31

Kukkakauppa
1

We fill all orders that come in as long as they are correctly prices and we have the flowers requested. If they are "underpriced" we request a price change.

answered Jan 31

danny
1

We reject all orders that do not meet our min. on a major holiday - with a below codified price. We don't waste time asking for more money. We accept all orders from REAL florist and fill them even on the 14th. Last year we suspended our machine due to the crazy orders we were getting from the wire service and order gathers and concentrated on walk in and local people. It worked well.

If the crazy orders start this year I am sure will most likely do the same. As I told FTD and Teleflora last year, "if I can fill the order with what I have made or a nice Valentine arrgt. it will go - if it is a 29.99 cube with specified flowers NO"

answered Jan 31

clinton flower shop
1

I don't shut my Mercury or Dove Systems off at holidays, we try to fill all the orders we can, provided we have the product requested. When it's 800 Flowers, From You Flowers, Just Flowers etc, Wesley Berry, we don't carry their containers or products and if they give us WRITTEN Permission to accept Similar to, then we fill it providing the pricing and delivery fee are within our ranges, otherwise, REJECT. I'm not opposed to rejecting orders from FTD.COM, Teleflora HQ etc if they aren't something I carry, or doesn't meet my prices PLUS the delivery fee for the area. They $7.00 flat delivery charge given by Teleflora for rural areas just don't cut it....