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Wire service rules read in part - members will be held responsible for ethical business practices and all orders shall be sent for full value paid by the consumer including delivery if collected. Incoming orders are to be filled for full value minus a florist delivery charge which should be the same as they would charge a local customer to deliver to the same address.
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Judging by recent postings here and elsewhere on the web, along with comments from florists about the difficulties they have when trying to leave a wire service, one has to ask, "Where are the ethics?"

The wire service's have turned a blind eye to the practices of their "member florists" where curtailment and skimming have been documented and demonstrated to be a continuing problem for both florists and consumers alike.

We know the reasons, it all boils down to greed, and the money readily available. The battle for order volume among the wire services seems to have taken away their ability to do whats right for not only the industry but consumers as well.

On top of that, the various National Floral Publications, and floral organizations like SAF have chosen to walk the fence on this subject, rather than to choose a side (either side) and make a stand. Florists have begun to do just that, make a stand, and as we move forward into the future, those companies, organizations and publications that choose not to do so, will more than likely be left without any florist support.

Florist Complaints make BBB Top Ten List

Real local florists have known it was only a matter of time until the quality problems associated with the cumulative effect of deceptive and misleading florist affiliate advertising hit the radar screens of national consumer /business organizations.

In 2005, florists were ranked as the # 7 source of all complaints made to the Better Business Bureau's Canadian Division. The US BBB lists complaints about florists in the top 4% of all business categories, coming in ahead of even credit and debt counseling, telemarketing services and real estate services.

While the BBB report does not separate the 'online-only' florists from the real brick and mortar shops, one only needs to read the myriad complaints against Vancouver BC operation Urban Florist to surmise the primary source of that #7 ranking. Based on files at RipoffReport.com, the majority of those Canadian complaints were likely made by US consumers since Urban Florist has targeted (and continues to target) American flower buyers via Google AdWords advertising with phrases that lead some consumers to believe they're purchasing direct from local florists. Urban's continued fraudulent claim that local florists deliver their flowers for free has been a major issue with real flower shops.

Recently, Urban Florist was joined by yet another Canadian-based virtual florist operation, Flowers Flowers aka 180066roses.com and flowers444.com, in Buyer's Alerts issued by the Vancouver, BC Better Business Bureau. These alerts are meant to warn consumers about companies that fail to respond to BBB efforts to resolve complaints. (One has to wonder why 180066roses.com recently changed its mailing address to a Blaine, Washington PO Box while still maintaining its Burnaby operation.)

Both Urban Florist and 180066roses.com are partnered with US-based floral wire services that enable the companies to process orders and forward them to local US and Canadian florists for fulfillment.

Seeing florists listed as a top source of complaints in either country is a black eye on the industry. Two solutions could go a long way to help consumers get the flower quality and value they expect and deserve:

Request the BBB classify online-only wire service affiliate transaction complaints separate from real florists. It may be a bit difficult since so many affiliate-brokers build websites and yellow page ads specifically to appear local, but it could be done. The BBB doesn't lump travel agencies in with hotels so separating real florist local services from wire service agents makes sense.

Hold wire services accountable for their 'repeat offender' affiliates. Every business makes mistakes, but patterns of complaints should be monitored closely and affiliates should face swift suspensions if they fail to operate in a professional manner. Without the floral wire services, their commissions, their credit card clearings, and their networks, these companies could not exist.

Isn't it way past time florist trade associations weigh in on this cross-border issue to help restore consumer credibility to buy flowers from florists?

Study: Flowers have impact on emotional state

Feeling sad? Consider making your way to the nearest florist, because a recent study shows that flowers really do have power.

...press release

Celebrate Easter with family and friends, send a floral arrangement from real local florists. If you need help finding a real florist, use our directory of USA florists or our directory of Canadian florists.

Happy Easter this Sunday April 16th from your friends at FlowerChat.com

Contemporary Flower Design Class - June 24th - 26th, 2006
College Station TX

Contemporary Flower Design Class
Texas A&M Benz School of Floral Design
P.O. Box 9099
College Station TX 77842
Phone: 979-845-1699
Texas A&M Benz School of Floral Design
To register email: a-boney@tamu.edu

TSFA Education on the Road - June 4, 2006
Dallas TX

"Is it Permanent or Real?" - Design Program
Designer: j. Scott Hasty
Star Wholesale Florist
8223 N Stemmons Fwy
Dallas TX 75247 - (214) 631-1300
1:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Cost $15/TSFA member - $25/Non-member
Contact TSFA at (512) 834-0361 for more info and to register.

FTD's Research Flawed?

This is mostly commentary on my part, but if you are a member of SAF the Society of American Florists you can read the complete article online or in Floral Management Magazine.

Back in October, Mike Soenen FTD CEO explained FTD-sponsored research, where consumers ranked price first and service last. The second part of the FTD research found that florists rank service first, design second, and price last.

Mr. Soenens comments eluded to the theory that florists should offer more lower-priced boxed flowers (single stems) to consumers in lieu of high end floral designs.

A well respected Columbus Ohio research firm, Prince and Prince, also did their own study. Prince and Prince: "some observations we at Prince and Prince have made over the last decade support different conclusions". The P&P research showed that providing "value" was the top priority, followed closely by quality, and then sales assistance/courtesy. Price was the FOURTH most important.

The P&P research also found that since 1998, florists involvement with single stems has declined more than 25%, with the decline most pronounced among larger florists.

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It seems that FTD's question format may have been somewhat responsible for the outcome of their research, since they appear to have asked the cost question directly, rahter than utalize research methods such as trade-off anaylisis and structural equation modeling, to generate more accurate resullts.

One can not help but wonder, if this was FTD's attempt to convince florists to lower their prices, and be willing to accept the lower price points offered by FTD on their own site. I assume this was part of their battle plan to try and take on Proflowers in a low price war. Again FTD's thinking is somewhat flawed, as I do not see them hurting Proflowers in any way.

All we Real Florists can say, is good luck FTD, you're going to need it.

BOSS

There is much information floating in various places that seems to be "gathering" almost taking on a life of its own. My hope is for this blog to take on that life, that role in the industry. To spread the word, to bring back a connection to the values that took my family thru many great years, and those of every other Real Florist.

Our industry is plagued with Non-Florists, order gatherer's, fakes, and even some companies that protray themselves as "helping" the Real Florist. Today more than ever it is difficult for both florist and consumer alike to tell if the company they are dealing with is a florist or not. Many good, qualified florists do not know about, or understand the pit-falls that are prevelant in today's floral industry, hence, The Real Florist Blog.

Real Florists don't deal in commodities, we deal with Natures Art, and turn it into our own. We run businesses, talk face to face with our customers and help them out to the car and really know what this business is all about. We must take it upon ourselves to work to make the retail florist, Real Florists stronger as a group, healthier as an industry, and remove the barriers raised years ago by FTD, Teleflora and a slew of other wannabe florists to the communication between ourselves and the biases that resulted.

Welcome...

BOSS