The FC Review Brigade

[CHR]

Calling all FC Members

Business Reviews on the Social Web are an increasingly important part of exposure for local florists. We should all be asking customers to review our companies and in an effort get us all more engaged in what's going on in the world of reviews, we're starting the

Review Brigade

Goal: Tell consumers about the good things your fellow local florists do. Who better than us to tell consumers about the best shops around?

Create a login at any of the following:
http://www.InsiderPages.com
http://www.Yelp.com
http://www.local.Yahoo.com -
http://www.Google.com - https://www.google.com/accounts/NewAccount
(UK sites ???)

- Write reviews of florists that consistently do a great job filling your orders or with whom you've made direct purchases as a consumer. (You do buy flowers, don't you?)
- Highlight their specific benefits - quality, value, design, service, e-receipts, delivery confirmation, photo of your arrangement, etc... (If they've goofed and then fixed it properly, tell how they professionally handled the issue.)

Identify yourself as a florist if you are writing about a shop that only fills your orders through a WS.

Do Not: Review your own site
Do Not: Review your competitors
Do Not: Request reviews of your own site in this forum. Those posts will be deleted on sight.
Do Not: Quickly lash out in anger at a florist that blew an order. We all make mistakes from time to time so the more important story is how a problem is/was handled. Before you type, ask yourself if a bit of patience would serve you, the other florist and consumers better.

Do: Remember that all your reviews will be displayed under your profile on each site so if you write the same thing over & over, it will appear 'canned'. Your login may also indicate your real identity so be careful about writing negative stuff. You know what they say about paybacks...

Effect: Raised awareness of good local florists. A small inoculation against scummy blackhat reviewers. Good Karma.

Please join the FC review brigade by posting your name below. You do not need to disclose your logins on other sites but it would be nice to have some 'shout outs' about shops that you think do a great job.

If you have any suggestions, I'd love to hear them.

-------------------------------------

BTW - This project was inspired by a post by bloomz when my shop was slammed in a revenge review.

It was and is a great idea. Hope you'll join in and say something nice about the good florists you know. Summer's the perfect time to get started.

 

[12BucksFor2Dozon]

Thanks for bringing up this topic, CHR, as my wife and I have discussed this in the past. She has over 100 hand-written "OMG you/the flowers were so awesome blah blah" letters, and I have wondered about how to get those actual testimonials listed online where the bulk of our customers can see them.

I have debated upon creating new accounts and then posting the actual word for word descriptions, and don't think that would be too over-the-top. I mean, really, whats the point of have fantastic hand-written recommendations if only 5% of your potential customers ever see them (we are doing 95% or so web nowadays)

What are your thoughts on this?

 

[CHR]

We have a summary page, pulling quotes from thank-you notes on our site - http://www.avantegardens.com/What-Our-Customers-Say.html . They're also woven into pages on our wedding site.

Our delivery confirmation email has links to our profiles on a couple sites and invites buyers to rate our services. Unfortunately, most email us 'thanks' without rating us elsewhere. It may be that folks don't have logins...

I definitely wouldn't create profiles to post reviews written by others. Just read that it's now illegal for business owners in the UK to create assumed names to rate their own businesses. You probably also read about the trouble for the CEO from Whole Foods Market.

With Google now allowing direct reviews on local profiles, I expect the pace of reviews to pick up.

 

[David]

With Google now allowing direct reviews on local profiles, I expect the pace of reviews to pick up.

Could be trouble for the business model of yelp and insiderpages.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Just today I had an e-mail that was a reply back to a delivery confirmation.

Julie loved the flowers. You are one of the best florists I have ever dealt with. I would be happy to provide a testimonial to this fact at any time.

Thank you,

Denise
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
I replied back with the sites you mentioned in your post. (Actually The same sites before I read your post.)
I got a reply back from the customer that they would post.

Perhaps instead of asking every person who you send a delivery confirmation too it would be best to ask those that have already indicated there pleasure with your shop. Because of the Automatic delivery confirmations we send. We get many positive comments back.

 

[bloomz]

hmmm, ony may consider putting this request in those delivery confirmations?

 

[CHR]

Hey, JB - Those meds must be working....

Here's a review I added today - maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&q=florist&near=Fort+Lauderdale,+FL&fb=1&view=text&cd=21&ie=UTF8&latlng=26171842,-80256035,9180625755193507577&ei=NRGhRrKkMJ3OjQOR_eTGCA&sig2=5PKLHnDWLEg7RxsDMuU3gQ&dtab=2&reviews=1

(Cut and paste the entire URL string into a new browser window. I don't want a bunch of traffic coming from FC going to reviews.)

 

[Eric S]

Great idea. However I keep sending the customers directly to you guys. How can I review that!!!

I sent a customer down to Carlsbad Florist and I know they will get a kick butt arrangement.

 

[bloomz]

Hey, JB - Those meds must be working....

Here's a review I added today - maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&q=florist&near=Fort+Lauderdale,+FL&fb=1&view=text&cd=21&ie=UTF8&latlng=26171842,-80256035,9180625755193507577&ei=NRGhRrKkMJ3OjQOR_eTGCA&sig2=5PKLHnDWLEg7RxsDMuU3gQ&dtab=2&reviews=1

(Cut and paste the entire URL string into a new browser window. I don't want a bunch of traffic coming from FC going to reviews.)

I'm thinking this to be a very good idea - to put on our decons - "If you were pleased with our service please go to (link) and take a moment to review us and tell others of your good experience with us."

Now if we could figure out a way to monetize it, such as "do this and get $5 off your next order" or something like that?

This is some good brainstorming - to me yahoo and google seem the obvious choices.

 

[Sher]

Hey, JB - Those meds must be working....

Here's a review I added today - maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&q=florist&near=Fort+Lauderdale,+FL&fb=1&view=text&cd=21&ie=UTF8&latlng=26171842,-80256035,9180625755193507577&ei=NRGhRrKkMJ3OjQOR_eTGCA&sig2=5PKLHnDWLEg7RxsDMuU3gQ&dtab=2&reviews=1

(Cut and paste the entire URL string into a new browser window. I don't want a bunch of traffic coming from FC going to reviews.)

Thank you dahling for the great review...I would love to do the same but to be quite honest, half of the info I am reading, yours and 12 bucks has my eyes rolling in my head...I am like totally lost...can we do a 1,2,3,4 step program for the elderly here?? Maybe just tired ..did a afternoon partee for 450 ....draggin...will yak tomorow but just make it really simple for me and I will work on it over the week-end....Thanks a bunch...
Sher...of the Elder Council...Heather's BD really brought it home...25 ...yikes...

 

[Mikey the Flower Guy]

Sher...of the Elder Council...Heather's BD really brought it home...25 ...yikes...

ummm...I still see you blowing out 30 candles on YOUR next BD Sher:iwuvyou:
You've got a ways to go, to be old like BBJ and MEEEE!!!

 

[Tracy D'Amico]

Please join the FC review brigade by posting your name below. You do not need to disclose your logins on other sites but it would be nice to have some 'shout outs' about shops that you think do a great job.

I'm in. Starting my reviews today, with some of my favorite local friends.

I made a folder in my favorites - Review Brigade Sites - and bookmarked the sites you recommended. It might be a good idea for other people who are doing this to post additional sites that could be worthwhile.

thanks for the idea Cathy!

tracy

 

[felicityflowers]

Cathy,

I'm in as well. I currently try to review as much as possible but I have been so busy this summer it's been impossible! Thanks for the swift kick...now if only I could find a few spare minutes laying around!

 

[Eric S]

Just finished my 6 reviews.

I really have to question insider pages. What bunch a crap!!!

I couldn't find the florist on there.

Had no problems on google & yahoo.

Yelp should be more like help!!!

They suck to but I will have to re register later. I even went on google.ca and yahoo.ca for our canda order we sent..

Hope we get more on board!!!!!

 

[Sher]

I have did a email re: the lousy blackhat review on the Pittsburgh florist...got a response and I now see that it ( there were actually 3-4 bad reviews all in Pitts area ) they are all gone. DId a review for CHR, Bloomz, the Jersey kid, and a few others.If you see reviews about wonderful service, etc etc and don;t remember the order...don't strain your brain...it's me and my wonderful imagination at work! Let me know if you want me to write a review. Darn this is easy once you know what to do. Most of mine are thru smoogle-google under the "maps" category but I did an insider last night. Lookslike a lot of rain this week end so I might just get busy! Tried to do some canadian ones and can't seem to accomplish that...why???
Sher

 

[Tracy D'Amico]

Tried to do some canadian ones and can't seem to accomplish that...why???
Sher

I even went on google.ca and yahoo.ca for our canda order we sent..

Sher - I think Eric is referring to this place- google.ca for Canadian searches ...Toronto Florists .

I don't know why we didn't think of this before - I'm also trying to review other wedding vendors we've worked with - terrific photographers, bridal shops I think are just wonderful (and not David's), it could be a real boost to them .... and what boosts them ..... what was that about rising tides?

tracy

 

[Sher]

Calling all FC Members

Business Reviews on the Social Web are an increasingly important part of exposure for local florists. We should all be asking customers to review our companies and in an effort get us all more engaged in what's going on in the world of reviews, we're starting the

Review Brigade

Goal: Tell consumers about the good things your fellow local florists do. Who better than us to tell consumers about the best shops around?

Create a login at any of the following:
http://www.InsiderPages.com
http://www.Yelp.com
http://www.local.Yahoo.com -
http://www.Google.com - https://www.google.com/accounts/NewAccount
(UK sites ???)

- Write reviews of florists that consistently do a great job filling your orders or with whom you've made direct purchases as a consumer. (You do buy flowers, don't you?)
- Highlight their specific benefits - quality, value, design, service, e-receipts, delivery confirmation, photo of your arrangement, etc... (If they've goofed and then fixed it properly, tell how they professionally handled the issue.)

Identify yourself as a florist if you are writing about a shop that only fills your orders through a WS.

Do Not: Review your own site
Do Not: Review your competitors
Do Not: Request reviews of your own site in this forum. Those posts will be deleted on sight.
Do Not: Quickly lash out in anger at a florist that blew an order. We all make mistakes from time to time so the more important story is how a problem is/was handled. Before you type, ask yourself if a bit of patience would serve you, the other florist and consumers better.

Do: Remember that all your reviews will be displayed under your profile on each site so if you write the same thing over & over, it will appear 'canned'. Your login may also indicate your real identity so be careful about writing negative stuff. You know what they say about paybacks...

Effect: Raised awareness of good local florists. A small inoculation against scummy blackhat reviewers. Good Karma.

Please join the FC review brigade by posting your name below. You do not need to disclose your logins on other sites but it would be nice to have some 'shout outs' about shops that you think do a great job.

If you have any suggestions, I'd love to hear them.

-------------------------------------

BTW - This project was inspired by a post by bloomz when my shop was slammed in a revenge review.

It was and is a great idea. Hope you'll join in and say something nice about the good florists you know. Summer's the perfect time to get started.

Ryan, can this post or a slimmed down version be placed in a permanent location so all members are made aware of what they can do...CHR ( and thanks to JB as well for the idea) I think this is one of our best posts on how to help each other...
Sher

 

[Sher]

This is what I am doing...

Before I go crazy, does anyone have any ideas, suggestions or input as to what they think of this ...these are the ones I did on google-smoogle map area

Rating Review Date
Jeremiah's Gardens & Floral 12560 IL Route 72, Genoa, IL 60135 A Real Professional Florist
As an out of town Real Flowers Shop, we are always in search of quality flower shop to send our out of town orders to. . Recently we needed a special gift basket created for a large corporate account and called Jeremiah's Garden and Floral. It was an unusual request and the staff at Jeremiah's did such a wonderfrul job that we will never use anyone else again in Genoa. Our client was thrilled and so were we! Thank you Jeremiah's for the excellant service. Calling a Real Local Florist is the way to go! Sunshine Flowers From The Rainflorist Fort Lauderdale, F 14 hours ago
Avante Gardens-Florals Unique 843 S State College Blvd, Anaheim, CA 92806 They deliver wow!
Was in town with my family for a celebration of sorts and needed 10 centerpieces at the last minute for our gathering...I mean last minute. These folks came through with phenom service, fabulous designs and were so patient and kind to us about being "last minute" customers. They are "standouts" in customer service! I gave their name to our local florist in Sunrise to use in the future for orders going to that town! Thanks guys for making our party memorable! 20 Jun 2007

 

[Bigted]

I'm thinking this to be a very good idea - to put on our decons - "If you were pleased with our service please go to (link) and take a moment to review us and tell others of your good experience with us."

Now if we could figure out a way to monetize it, such as "do this and get $5 off your next order" or something like that?

This is some good brainstorming - to me yahoo and google seem the obvious choices.

I don't like the idea of soliciting reviews via online ratings. You will get five good ones and one bad one. Frankly, people with gripes are more motivated to respond than happy customers. Unfortunately, the one bad one will turn off a lot of potential customers. Think about when you are traveling, and you look at hotel ratings. At least for me, I tend to give more weight to the negative reviews.

 

[goldfish]

I don't like the idea of soliciting reviews via online ratings. You will get five good ones and one bad one. Frankly, people with gripes are more motivated to respond than happy customers. Unfortunately, the one bad one will turn off a lot of potential customers. Think about when you are traveling, and you look at hotel ratings. At least for me, I tend to give more weight to the negative reviews.

I concur. In fact I never liked online anonymous reviews in the first place. I never found them useful either. Most of these reviews seem to be either (I suspect) self-congratulations or defamations.

In fact we once got a defamatory review in Yahoo local - the "reviewer" said s/he had ordered some funeral flowers from us and they were "ugly" and "tiny" for the money. S/he went on to say that "everyone" attending on the funeral had told him/her that our shop was well-known to be the "worst" in town.

But the thing is that we didn't do any funeral work for the time period this reviewer was referring to. That was a bogus review. We asked Yahoo to remove it and they did. I'm always worried. I wish all the review sites disappear.

 

[bloomz]

I don't like the idea of soliciting reviews via online ratings. You will get five good ones and one bad one. Frankly, people with gripes are more motivated to respond than happy customers. Unfortunately, the one bad one will turn off a lot of potential customers. Think about when you are traveling, and you look at hotel ratings. At least for me, I tend to give more weight to the negative reviews.

I concur. In fact I never liked online anonymous reviews in the first place. I never found them useful either. Most of these reviews seem to be either (I suspect) self-congratulations or defamations.

In fact we once got a defamatory review in Yahoo local - the "reviewer" said s/he had ordered some funeral flowers from us and they were "ugly" and "tiny" for the money. S/he went on to say that "everyone" attending on the funeral had told him/her that our shop was well-known to be the "worst" in town.

But the thing is that we didn't do any funeral work for the time period this reviewer was referring to. That was a bogus review. We asked Yahoo to remove it and they did. I'm always worried. I wish all the review sites disappear.

I think I agree with both of you, and after rethinking will not be implementing it.

And that bolded line in Ted's post has some deep thoughts to it - why should we be praised for doing a good job? We should do a great job with every order!

I'm in for reciprocal reviews however and will be on it this next week of boredom laying around the house.

I see those insider pages ones stick - even tho that one about Cathy's was removed from Insider Pages it still shows in the google listing.

And a good stack of positive reviews will be good defense from drivebys that black hats may pull on us.

I see one of my competitors has earned one (negative) all on his own.