Recently in Real Local Florists Category
Across the US and Canada, local florists are setting the stage to create unique designs that touch the hearts of millions of Valentines. Signature arrangements, crafted with local customers in mind, are original to each individual shop and show an innovative, clever and diverse range of styles and colors.
We asked professional designers from FlowerChat to share some of their featured offerings and give our readers a taste of 'beyond the cookie cutter' for the holiday.
Romantic Roses
Monarch Florist of Mission Viejo, CA is featuring a contemporary twist on a classic two dozen rose arrangement, embellished with orchids, curly willow and hanging amaranthus.
Their design was recently featured in Orange Couty Home Magazine.
Smith's Flowers of Midland, MI is offering a signature classic topiary of red roses designed in a ruby cache pot and accented with ribbon and hearts. Trimmed with a ballerina-style lacing, this gift is sure to please.
Tantilizing Tropicals
Everyday Flowers of Tustin, CA will be creating a dazzling assortment of exotics and tropicals that includes ginger, heliconia, orchids, lilies and accents of roses for romance. Perfect for your extraodinary sweetheart.
Chez Bloom of Saint Louis Park-Minneapolis, MN has designed a casual chic metro tropical featuring ginger, birds of paradise and exotic foliages in a sleek ceramic jardiniere - making it a perfect choice for him or her.
Avante Gardens - florals unique of Anaheim, CA will be delivering the Your My Good Fortune Valentine, an Asian-inspired tropical design featuring anthuriums, orchids and roses and including a special Valentine fortune cookie in a heart-covered Chinese take-out box.
Look for Part 2 of this article, which will focus on stunning romantic mixes of your Valentine Day's holiday favorites.
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?
