Merc Network.....

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Good question -

1) Consumers who deserve to know that all those non-delivery complaints weren't from real florists screwing up!

2) Investors who may have their life's savings in FTD stock and shouldn't be spun and snowed by corporate BS

3) Future buyers who need all the facts to make informed choices. Remember - this is not the first major holiday where FTD's network has failed and caused non-deliveries.

If anyone truly thinks the article is a bad idea - really - let me know.
 
CHR said:
Good question -

1) Consumers who deserve to know that all those non-delivery complaints weren't from real florists screwing up!

2) Investors who may have their life's savings in FTD stock and shouldn't be spun and snowed by corporate BS

3) Future buyers who need all the facts to make informed choices. Remember - this is not the first major holiday where FTD's network has failed and caused non-deliveries.

If anyone truly thinks the article is a bad idea - really - let me know.
Click to expand...

1) most if not all consumers cannot tell the difference between a shop "being" FTD and them being owned by it. In today's age of Starbucks and Subway, national brands dominate customers perception and I would venture to say that very few would separate FTD from the local florist who "partner" (again, I can't help but chuckle) with them.

2) FTD investors and/or future owners are savvy and don't care about IT issues, they just want to see bottom line numbers. They are looking at how the top line (sales) is growing and know tech issues can be solved by outsourcign to India.

3) yes...so I ask again are we trashing consumer perception of FTD and doesn't that really really hurt those FC members who still proudly promote The Mercury Man(tm)?

Put it this way...probably most flower consumers thing FTD "owns" the local florist who delivers for them, and think that most if not all local mom n pops are just FTD chains.

I just think this sort of article may have the effect of making people think twice about using mom n pops, and select DS and/or grocers instead. Without a real directed effort to seperate B&M WS florists from B&M non-WS florists, the public is just going to avoid ALL B&M florists.
 
Again - good points but I come down on the side of our declining market share as partially attributed to florists Failing To Defend ourselves:

- PF says our flowers are old and we still don't have a loud voice to refute them
- OGs tell buyers they're "in" our towns
- FTD is telling customers they didn't get flowers because their florists dropped the ball

Let's just keep staying quiet. It's been real successful so far. :cool:
 
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Good morning Boss,

Another thing that needs to be clearly looked at are the number of orders that did mirculously make it to FTD's other venues such as chain stores etc.
We have just learned, but have not validated a claim from a very reliable source, that many non florist FTD sources posted record numbers.
There is much talk !
Much of the talk is also very convincing !

Several of our tri-state member florists are pushing the envelope very hard to gain support nationwide as they are in dire straights due to the Bloody Valentine's Day 2007 fiasco. Two converstaions with florists this morning indicated their strong desire to do anything to save their shops, and the list that we are aware of is growing rapidly.
It appears that this time there is a certain degree of unity out there.
The underlying question however is how can the chipmunk successfully take on the bear ?
There must be a way, and it's been a long time coming !

One owner made what we thought was an interesting suggestion to reverse the impact on the florists overall.
Her suggestion was to have shop owners in the hardest hit areas, or with the most substantial losses, to call Press Conferences, to clarify to the general public what caused the devastation during the Valentine's Holiday period.
Although we were apprehensive at first she presented a very strong arguement in favor of her idea which after careful consideration we feel is a tremendous opportunity for everyone.

If such a planned series of events could be organized, major media would have no choice but to respond with more coverage, which essentially could be the best thing to publicize the difference between a Real Florist,
the WS and the Order Gatherers.
We have a call into our attorneys for legal guidance.

What would your thoughts be ?
 
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Cathy

Nothing more to be said than we stand behind you 100%.

There will be no benefit at all from doing nothing, so the answers are right before us. No action leaves every one of us vulnerable whether we are member florists or not. It is time to take back the florist industry and although this concept sounds impossible and bizzare, it has it's possibilities.
We will never defeat the corporate giants, but we may be able to educate the consumer. If that is a success then we all win as Real Florists, and unless we're mistaken, that is ultimately what this is all about.

Kevin and Bennetta
Manorville Florist
 
Cathy,
I back you 100%! I think you doing something rather then nothing is very good.
I do agree with Mark on the consumers not separating FTD from a florist. I even know of several that are not FTD but TELE and they still think they are FTD, it's just hiding in the background somewhere! Then they get sent to me because of a specialty container wants.
Kevin also brought up a good point on publicizing national on networks which would help.
Since I can't do the Blog thing yet, because it's confusing to me; is there a way that your Blog can be nationally published in newspaper articles? Just a question of how to get the info out there quickly.
Cyndi
 
Not being a member of FTD or any other WS (unless you count IFA), I've kept quiet throughout this discussion, but now I simply want to say:

Cathy, you go, Girl!
 
jsenne said:
They still have the microwave tower (not connected) sitting there from when the telephone switch burned on Mother days way back when.. :)
Click to expand...

He-he-he, I remember that... While I was just a youngster back then, my father refers back to that story every time something like this happens with FTD.

Also, I got every one of my FOL web order via the Merc. Agian, on a dial-up but it worked!

To me, I could care less how FAST the Merc order goes out, dial up works for me. I just care about CC auth....dial ups are DEAD slow. That's the only thing I wish I had with Advantage...

- H.
 
Is this the beginning of a grass roots movement !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I hope so !

Fighting with FTD as we speak.
This is not going away !

Thanks for the mention Cyndi. I honestly believe that we can do something great here if everyone bands together.

P.S. It appears that the major WS's are taking notes here.
Just got that confirmed as well !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Kevin
 
Here are some questions.

Does everyone still think that FTD's master plan still includes the florist or is it really equipment failure?

Does it have anything to do with the attacks going on with the internet right now? This includes .org .net and .gov.

I don't know if anyone is aware but there is somethings happening to take down the internet.

Just curious.
 
Eric,
I honestly think it is the equipment failure, not a master plan to attack real florist, because everyone got hurt not just the florist.
I'm not defending FTD, just experiencing on aftermath that a lot of FTD.com orders did not go thru either.
If it were planned FTD.com would not of been effected like past holiday experiences where they had shined. They are not shinning right now, by having to reimburse like everyone is as well.
On the Internet takeover I am not familiar with that but if it were the case I would think BLOOMNET and TELEFLORA along with florist on dailup modems would of been effected as well; from what I understand and experienced they were not.
Cyndi
 
I got rid of FTD about a year ago so I am not affected but the recent system failure. However; in reponse to BlueBonnet I do have Tele and I would think if it were the case as stated Tele would have been affected.
 
I have been reading about the dns server attacks on the 7th of feburary. I guess it was coming from korea. The reason why I have been looking into this is we had some problems with our computers going into valentines week. It started on saturday and by wedensday we where notified by our Internet provider that something was going on and we needed shut down our computers. I also had to changes some settings on our firewall and started noticing all the activity coming from korea.

Anyways here is a graph looking at our traffic. I am not sure if it had to do with our livewebcam but the provider told me that its almost imposiable to max out a T1. Just seems to be a little weired that all of things started happening around the same time.

http://www.everydayflowers.net/images/T1_Trafrfic.JPG
 
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