I guess I am not as nice as the others , or maybe just too tired. I will most likely get a few of my own red dots for this. Kiss my a@@. I don't want to hear anymore about how you can help us by adding even more cost and ripping off floral customers even more. You even expect us to supply the photos. I don't think so.
S.Malik Intro
- Thread starter S.Malik
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I'll be the usual contrarian here and say "we can't learn from someone else???" we've got plenty of other competitors of all kinds on this board, but someone openly admits they gather orders and the torches and pitchforks come out.
I'd say this is possibly a brain ripe for picking for ideas.
opinions vary
I'd say this is possibly a brain ripe for picking for ideas.
opinions vary
I've been thinking about this all day since I saw the way the thread was panning out and I am with you Bloomz. I can't abide order gatherers/skimmers et al in principle but I'm not sure I would want to veto Mr Malik out of sight without asking him a load more questions to see what I could learn from him and if his heart is really in the right place. After all I employ an SEO person and he's not a real florist. That may sound offensive to some but if Mr Malik is genuine he won't mind answering, if he isn't then we are sure. I've even toyed with the idea of asking him to do some pro bono work on my master florist directory to check him out on the basis I can track any traffic/hit rises in depth and have them validated by external bodies. The only beneficiary would be the florists on the directory as there is no cart or commission system to take advantage of. Need to think more but my pitchfork is in the stand just at the moment.
While I respect all opinions (for the most part) on this board, I'm pretty secure in mine regarding this applicant. We have harranged over and over and over again about what he and others in the same line of work (again not personal) do to this industry.
I am not ambivilent... I say no.
V
I am not ambivilent... I say no.
V
No red dots from this sector... you are speaking your mind, clearing and succinctly. Did you cast your vote in the applicant's rep area?
V
I'm sure he meant CHR who was mentioned in the SEL article that prompted him to come here.Interesting that the "cathy" that referred you (according to the FlowerChat referred list) has zero posts.
Ryan
LJVF
Well-Known Member
I figured so. I couldn't remember if you're prompted to reveal who you were referred by or if it was automatic via link when you sign up for FlowerChat. It's listed on your site that "Cathy" has one referral and that one referral is S. Malik. I guess he didn't know the screen name (CHR).
S.Malik
I think that you have been very open and calm in the face of some not-so-open minded folks. You have been very polite and I appreciate that you are trying to share what you have to offer. Perhaps there are some people/shops that can use the services that you have to offer. Good luck to you.
I think that you have been very open and calm in the face of some not-so-open minded folks. You have been very polite and I appreciate that you are trying to share what you have to offer. Perhaps there are some people/shops that can use the services that you have to offer. Good luck to you.
@Keeversmom: I honor your decision but would like to explain the “ripping off floral customers” bit.
I did some research myself on the Order Gatherers Problem that is being addressed very aggressively by the Real Florists and found that this was due to the following main reasons:
1. the use of misleading ad titles and text that confuse consumers by featuring specific city names - when the order gatherers do not operate local flower shops that directly service the locations and where their sites or print ads fail to clearly inform consumers as to how these orders are 'serviced.'
2. the use of city-specific website pages with text crafted to confuse consumers by targeting city names - when the order gatherers do not operate local flower shops in the vicinity and fail to clearly explain how they 'service' these areas.
3. the use of the phrase 'we delivery to' when the brokers only 'relay to' or 'forward to' local florists for fulfillment, implying a service which they do not provide.
4. the failure to itemize and explain all fees to consumers, making price comparisons difficult.
5. the fraudulent claiming of 'free delivery.'
6. the failure to inform consumers that delivery charges will be deducted from the value of dollars sent to local florists.
My way of operations would comply to all your issues:
a. The above mentioned #1 & #2 are almost same. I don’t intend to mislead the customers. I shall clearly mention on my website, my way of delivery which shall be taking orders and passing on to local real florists for fulfillment. As far as ads are concerned, they have a limited space for a text and all of try to make our ads more attractive. So while the ads may be a bit clever, my website shall clearly mention the mode of operations.
b. #3 : I intend to use correct phrases with SEO in consideration.
c. #4, 5 & 6: I even intend to clearly explain the pricing to the customers, even if that means to clearly mention my service charges to them.
While being so clear, I don’t think even then if someone buys from me, I am ripping him off.
@Victoria: What I am intending to do to this industry is not ‘what is being done’. Your suggestions on ‘what could be done’ for mutual benefits is something that will make a difference.
Please try and understand a fact (and I am being very straight in this I am afraid) – no matter what you would do, you would never be able to completely delete the Online Sellers from the Internet Space. We can only think of ways for mutual survival. Even if I leave this forum because many of you don’t agree to me, I would not shut my website down. And there are many like me who are getting such websites live even as I write and many of these many, have no idea what is it that local real florists don’t like because they just don’t have enough time to learn about such problems. Such websites would keep coming unless we find out a way where we can mutually address to this problem.
If you want to change the way this industry is being operated, you will have to ‘suggest’ and not ‘boycott’.
Thanks.
I did some research myself on the Order Gatherers Problem that is being addressed very aggressively by the Real Florists and found that this was due to the following main reasons:
1. the use of misleading ad titles and text that confuse consumers by featuring specific city names - when the order gatherers do not operate local flower shops that directly service the locations and where their sites or print ads fail to clearly inform consumers as to how these orders are 'serviced.'
2. the use of city-specific website pages with text crafted to confuse consumers by targeting city names - when the order gatherers do not operate local flower shops in the vicinity and fail to clearly explain how they 'service' these areas.
3. the use of the phrase 'we delivery to' when the brokers only 'relay to' or 'forward to' local florists for fulfillment, implying a service which they do not provide.
4. the failure to itemize and explain all fees to consumers, making price comparisons difficult.
5. the fraudulent claiming of 'free delivery.'
6. the failure to inform consumers that delivery charges will be deducted from the value of dollars sent to local florists.
My way of operations would comply to all your issues:
a. The above mentioned #1 & #2 are almost same. I don’t intend to mislead the customers. I shall clearly mention on my website, my way of delivery which shall be taking orders and passing on to local real florists for fulfillment. As far as ads are concerned, they have a limited space for a text and all of try to make our ads more attractive. So while the ads may be a bit clever, my website shall clearly mention the mode of operations.
b. #3 : I intend to use correct phrases with SEO in consideration.
c. #4, 5 & 6: I even intend to clearly explain the pricing to the customers, even if that means to clearly mention my service charges to them.
While being so clear, I don’t think even then if someone buys from me, I am ripping him off.
@Victoria: What I am intending to do to this industry is not ‘what is being done’. Your suggestions on ‘what could be done’ for mutual benefits is something that will make a difference.
Please try and understand a fact (and I am being very straight in this I am afraid) – no matter what you would do, you would never be able to completely delete the Online Sellers from the Internet Space. We can only think of ways for mutual survival. Even if I leave this forum because many of you don’t agree to me, I would not shut my website down. And there are many like me who are getting such websites live even as I write and many of these many, have no idea what is it that local real florists don’t like because they just don’t have enough time to learn about such problems. Such websites would keep coming unless we find out a way where we can mutually address to this problem.
If you want to change the way this industry is being operated, you will have to ‘suggest’ and not ‘boycott’.
Thanks.
@Carrington: Thanks for putting the pitchfork back to stand. Your questions are most welcome. I could not understand the pro bono work that you hinted here. Do you want me to do some work on it? Well if you talk about Natural SEO, that shall take somewhere around 6 months unless I analyse your website for the work already done on it.
Thank you for your straight concise explanation and I concur.
Please do not leave this forum - we need intelligent discourse like you have shown yourself fully capable of. Also please do not be belittlled into not sharing information because of a few vocal posters with rude comments. We need contributors here - we have plenty of "lurkers". Lurkers IMO take and don't give back.
Also thanks for taking the time to research the problems we face.
By the way - I've been to New Delhi many many times - over 20, and got my Glider Pilot's license at Safdarjang Airport.
As far as I am concerned you are welcome here.
Is this a joke or a test? I had no intention to even reply; however, for you I will make the exception. First to insinuate that anyone on this forum is incapable of internet marketing is completely wrong especially when you don't even know them. For a fact it was "Real Florists" that were marketing around the globe in a cooperative effort for how long now? It is that marketing effort that that you want to tap into and reduce the profitability only because you have a computer and a web site? I'm sorry I didn't understand, what exactly is it that you were going to do for this community? I think I should stop at that, I think you have done an excellent job of explaining your position, but; I think you are in the wrong forum, you need to be in a community of likeminded "Web Marketeers".
opinions vary...
I happen to think that most on this forum have a lot to learn about internet marketing, including myself. How many astute internet marketers are there here? I bet you can count them on one hand, and even they can always learn more.
blessings
You are absolutely right. I dont even know how good people here are at Marketing themselves online but i can very well understand that being a Real Florist, how difficult would it be for people here to actually develop another division in their office for Online Marketing when they already have so much to do offline. Expedia.com who is USA's largest Online Travel Company does not mind getting small time affiliates, not because it needs HELP from other agents in promoting themselves online, but because it knows that its always INCREMENTAL business that they would get from such agents.
I joined this forum to understand what you guys thought about selling online and I think I learnt a lot more than any other Web Marketer forum would have told me especially when I am trying to sell flowers.
Thats really nice. You are invited at my place on your next visit for Lunch/Dinner/Both (as time permits you) :beer
Yes I agree there is something new to learn every day and opinions do vary, especially in a community like this, just read about any thread on here is proof of that. I am sure that most are not versed in e-commerce enough to do what Mr. Malik is doing, but I'm just not sure if what he is doing is that beneficial to Real Florists or reaching a hand into florists pockets. I'm sure of one thing though and that is we won't solve all of our industries woes tonight. With that I will need to think about this some more, I am willing to listen and learn. Good night!
So does FTD and Teleflora and Proflowers and JustFlowers and From You Flowers and virtually every one of the big boyz people are so up in arms about here.
So I guess we should run this guy off in our frustration at those big boyz?
I think not.
Remember the saying Minds are Like Parachutes - only function when open?
Mine's wide open.
okeball:walking:I hope the rude comments don't keep Mr Malik from sharing helpful information.
I mean this not as an insult but please notice that floralpro has 14 posts here. He's likely not been thru countless times of the frustration of the problems we've been beating to death ad nauseum for years up in here. I do appreciate the tenor of his last post, duly noted.
I'll say good night now too and good morning to New Delhi.
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