How To Turn Down A Bride Without Hurting Her Feelings.

Floristgp

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May 22, 2014
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I have a bride requesting blue dyed roses and blue feathers. This goes completely against our shops design esthetic. But I'm not sure how to tell her we won't do it, some how saying "that is disgusting and I would never put my name on that" just doesn't seem appropriate. I've already tried to steer her towards natural blue flowers without success. Any advice would be appreciated!
 
I would have her sign a waver that keeps you free of liability if the dye gets on her dress. That should make her think twice. ;)Then if all else fails I would do it, but deliver in an unmarked vehicle and not use any branded packaging. As long as you do a good job with the design what does it really matter if it's not your taste? The customer pays you to get what they want, not what you want IMO. I don't carry dyed flowers either and I detest them, but if someone really wants them I will special order them because that's what I feel makes good customer service. When I am on the fence about something like this, I try to look at it from a different perspective. What if you wanted a blue dress but the dress shop said no, blue is ugly we won't carry it. You know it's available, but the shop refuses to order the dress in blue. Would you change to pink or would you go to a different dress shop? That said, maybe you really don't care if she goes to another florist to get blue dyed roses and in that case, just tell her you've built your reputation on a natural style and you can't use dyed flowers. You might even refer her to a florist who will help her which makes you the helpful florist instead of the snooty florist. Good luck with whatever you decide and keep us posted. One thing I do know is we all work too hard to do something that we don't feel right about, but we all have different opinions about how to run our shops and I don't think there's a right or wrong as long as you are profitable.
 
If that's what the customer wants, we do it. Some of our customers want flowers that are painted unnatural colors (particularly for funerals, and especially within a particular ethnic group) We often gently suggest that natural flowers look better, but if that's what they want, that's what they get.
 
other than the blue bleed you may get with the stems. I'd do it. Money is green and customers can have any color flowers they want. Luckily the dyed flowers available today look 1000 times better than the old paint job product we had to use in the way back days.
 
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  • We turn down weddings all the time. Just let one go that would have probably been 5k, but on a Sunday, holiday weekend, hour from store. Called "after reviewing, our resources just won't reach the limits we need to give you the level of service for your wedding".......some can read between the lines. Usually never about money, after initial sit down you get feel for a PITA and then have to deal with it.
 
I also think we need to do what they want, whether it's our taste or not. However, if you are dead set against it, just tell her you do not deal in dyed flowers as they are a liability. If you ask her to sign a waiver and she agrees, then you're still stuck.
 
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It is hard. One one hand you want to take that money - one the other hand it is against your shop ethics. This is something that you as the shop have to decide on the top level: Are we here to serve ALL customer's needs or are we here to serve customers withing our ethics guidelines. I have refused to sell arrangement because it was old - but wedding is another pair of shoes. It comes down to the relationship between you and the bride. If the bride does not trust your professional opinion, and your experience, than perhaps this is not the bride you want to work with.
Have you clearly communicated as to why you, as the shop, don't do this type of flowers? I believe key here is communication - otherwise something along Bootcamp's line: "I do not believe we can provide you the service and attention...."
 
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  • We turn down weddings all the time. Just let one go that would have probably been 5k, but on a Sunday, holiday weekend, hour from store. Called "after reviewing, our resources just won't reach the limits we need to give you the level of service for your wedding".......some can read between the lines. Usually never about money, after initial sit down you get feel for a PITA and then have to deal with it.
I took your wedding Rick, Worked 11 hours today and will be back at 7:00 am tomorrow to load and drive the hour for a several hour set-up. It stinks for the holiday but I promised we would close for the 4th of July weekend. The thing is I still love it....there must be a cure to this sickness.
 
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At the end of the day, you need happy customers so that you get good referrals, and you need to weigh your options accordingly. When you own a business you need to be sure you're making as many customers as happy as possible, even if it goes against your aesthetic. user concord made an excellent point in asking the customer to sign a waiver that you will not be held responsible for a stained dress.

If you want to convince the bride not to use them, tell her a story about how a shop you worked at before went out of business because the bride wanted purple tainted flowers, and while she was walking down the aisle the paint started dripping down her dress and made a huge mess, and the colors separated and there was a large red splotch really close to her groin, surrounded by a blue-black stain making it look like she was going through some really painful moments, and the wedding was cancelled halfway through and the groom's family sued the florist because all the money he put into the event was wasted because his former bride was now in a mental institution... or something like that. Make it lively and detailed, and make her laugh and she'll get your point. If she really wants it, I think you should do it and make her happy. She'll only have good things to say about you to all her friends, family and coworkers.
 
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[QUOTE=" .If you want to convince the bride not to use them, tell her a story about how a shop you worked at before went out of business because the bride wanted purple tainted flowers, and while she was walking down the aisle the paint started dripping down her dress and made a huge mess, and the colors separated and there was a large red splotch really close to her groin, surrounded by a blue-black stain making it look like she was going through some really painful moments, and the wedding was cancelled halfway through and the groom's family sued the florist because all the money he put into the event was wasted because his former bride was now in a mental institution... or something like that. Make it lively and detailed, and make her laugh and she'll get your point. If she really wants it, I think you should do it and make her happy. She'll only have good things to say about you to all her friends, family and coworkers.[/QUOTE]
Funny stuff Rose Garden...made me laugh out loud!
 
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Thanks all for your input! I ended up tell the bride we don't deal with artificially coloured flowers. And showed her examples of what natural blue flowers can look like all done up. I also told her it is better to have flowers that compliment the bridesmaids dressed (a very specific blue/teal), rather than being matchy, matchy. I just received an email back from her and she loved the examples I sent her and is excited to see what we do for her.
I decided it is more important to stay true to my design esthetic, as that is what I've built my brand on. Even if I hadn't put my logo on the dyed flowers, brides talk- (that is how I get most of my wedding business) and people would have known I did it, they may have tagged the shop in their pictures and that's just not the image I want for the shop. I understand there are times when you need to take every wedding that comes along, but I also think it is fine to politely decline if at the end of the day it could potentially do more harm to your brand than good!
 
or... you could do what you did and give the customer real options with pictures included, providing her with your professionally informed opinion, and understanding that she's willing to pay you for that opinion.

Thanks for sharing your insight.