By Joe Guggia
Truth be told, I think we all wish we could just be artists, working with our beautiful flowers and ignoring all the other “stuff” associated with our jobs. Don’t’ you wish you could just whisk your bod to that work table and create to your heart’s content? After all, we are floral designers, dahling!
But it’s time for a little reality dose, kids. Being a florist is a biz—a huge SERVICE biz. So, while we can design the most incredible creations, we can’t then just step back and admire them, patting ourselves on the back for such fabulous arrangements. Because, wait! Did that customer’s order say deliver before 11 a.m., and it’s just now leaving? At noon?!
Agh!
Now, despite your best creative efforts, all the customer is going to remember is that the arrangement didn’t arrive on time—not that it was a gorgeous effort designed exclusively for the recipient.
Today, folks, it’s time for a “Hit ya’ on the head” article that’s packed with info without the artsy, nicey-nicey talk. We are in survival mode. (Truthfully, we always have been.) Every retail venue is biting us in the rear trying to get every piece of our dwindling pie. That’s your reality, isn’t it? Or are you so enamored with being an artist that the rest just goes by the wayside?!
Get and know this: The only thing we have on our competitors is offering the most incredible service. Yeah, quality, too. But, for the general public, if their flowers don’t die in a couple days, they’re fine with them. Sad, but true. So it’s our job to go above and beyond, becoming a client’s friend and part of their lives. Don’t even question this! And, if you do, pack up that darn shop and get a real job ‘cause someone else will do so and take that customer’s money from you.
Our goal is to make sure a customer’s florist experience is one of incredible satisfaction from beginning to end. We need to answer that phone with a friendly voice, not “FLOWER SHOP!” (How many times have I heard that one when calling an order to another shop?! Nothing irks me more than a lack of phone etiquette.) Ninety-nine percent of the time, when a call comes in, it’s a for-sure sale. Yet, what do many florists and their staffers do? Try to get the call over with as soon as possible so they can finish the design they’re working on. No, no, no! Give that “new friend” the time he or she deserves. Answer her questions, give him ideas. That extra minute you spend could net you 10 bucks or more with your expert advice. Not a bad wage for a minute! (And that works out to $600/hour!)
Similarly, when customers enter your shop, greet them right away. Don’t scare the heck out of them by accosting them when they walk in the door! Just politely say, “Hello, may I help you?” Then, let them alone and check on them in a bit. If one looks confused, make him or her feel comfortable and at home. This is especially true of men. Flower shops can be very foreign to them, and their macho attitude can come into play. So gently guide them, get the orders taken and make some money.
If you’re alone for some reason, let the customer know that. If she’s in a hurry, ignore the phone and take care of her—the person in front of you. She should have your undivided attention. It’s so disrespectful to be in a retail venue and be ignored when the sales person takes a call in the middle of your conversation.
Also, if you promise something, do it! If circumstances change, let the customer know. For that reason, always get all the phone numbers needed to reach the individual—e-mail, as well. Most clients are okay with giving you this information as long as you let them know why. Delivery-time promises are especially important. After all, how do you feel when a flower shipment arrives three hours later than the scheduled time?
On the flip side, though, don’t let yourself off the hook when problems arise that impact your customers. Never tell the customer, “Oh, my delivery guy was late…” or “The flowers didn’t come in on time.” You don’t want to hear excuses, and neither do your customers.
On a related note, make sure you fulfill client’s expectations. If you’ve gathered a good client base, they know your work and reputation. No need for them to question your design skills; they should trust your judgment on substituting (if they’ve selected an image) knowing that the value will be there. If they’re the type of client who wants what they want, you better be prepared to give it to them—or don’t take the order at all. The grief and waste of time will far outweigh the profit margin. We just have to look at it that way, sometimes, and not give it another thought.
Many florists tend to be “woe-is-me”-ers, crying about how the order-gatherers have taken their business away. If you think that’s the case, then do something about it! Get off your butt and be realistic! After 32 years, I closed my shop in August 2011. I did not blame the economy. It was my own short-sightedness that caused that situation. Now, I’m regrouping to be smarter than ever. I’ve learned so much, and I now embrace every customer who calls me.
Case in point: Last week, I replaced an arrangement that was ordered by a new customer. She had given me the wrong address, and someone ended up enjoying a “complimentary” arrangement. Nevertheless, I redesigned and delivered a new arrangement to the correct address the next day at no charge. It was a lower-priced design, but I just felt that providing a replacement for free was the right thing to do as the customer was a nonprofit. The return? Because of a positive Yelp! review from the original customer, another new customer called me yesterday.
Karma, baby!
What are some of the service tactics you’ve employed to benefit your shop? Let us know in the comments!
About the author
In a floral world that can sometimes be scary and tiresome, Joe Guggia, AIFD, works to reinvent himself and keep his floral passion alive. With beginnings as a delivery boy at Sandyland Nursery (Carpinteria, Calif.), he progressed to assistant grower and helped launch the first nursery contract with a supermarket chain. Later, Joe moved on to take ownership of Camfeldt’s Flowers and Gifts (Santa Maria, Calif.).
Today, Joe continues to gather knowledge in all phases of the floral industry. He admits that putting himself “out there” to keep the dollars flowing has been a challenge and isn’t always easy. But sticking to it and realizing that “We’re only as good as our last design” has brought him to a place of industry sharing, both of his experiences and those of others.
Joe’s expertise includes staging, indoor/outdoor decor consulting, custom permanent designs, plant installations, landscaping, custom sympathy and everyday shop designs. He is a mentor to the student chapter of AIFD Cal Poly and promotes the motto of “Educate, motivate and create.”
One More Thing!
Now that you're visiting FlowerChat, take our quick, 3-minute intro video tour here to find out about all the great resources we offer.
Next, delve into more great articles like the one above in our "Blooming Banter" section. "Blooming Banter" is filled with content exclusively written for florists.
If you like what you see, sign up for membership! You can join for FREE! You'll automatically get a 30-day trial to our Pro-level membership. No credit card required.
Pro-level membership gives you access to all areas of the site, including all the forums, the photo gallery, blogs, videos, webinars and downloadable resources.
At the end of 30 days, your membership will automatically convert to our Basic level unless you choose to remain a Pro member. Heck, for the price of about two of those fancy coffee drinks each month, you can continue as a Pro member with all the benefits!
We look forward to seeing you in the forums!
Truth be told, I think we all wish we could just be artists, working with our beautiful flowers and ignoring all the other “stuff” associated with our jobs. Don’t’ you wish you could just whisk your bod to that work table and create to your heart’s content? After all, we are floral designers, dahling!
But it’s time for a little reality dose, kids. Being a florist is a biz—a huge SERVICE biz. So, while we can design the most incredible creations, we can’t then just step back and admire them, patting ourselves on the back for such fabulous arrangements. Because, wait! Did that customer’s order say deliver before 11 a.m., and it’s just now leaving? At noon?!
Agh!
Now, despite your best creative efforts, all the customer is going to remember is that the arrangement didn’t arrive on time—not that it was a gorgeous effort designed exclusively for the recipient.
Today, folks, it’s time for a “Hit ya’ on the head” article that’s packed with info without the artsy, nicey-nicey talk. We are in survival mode. (Truthfully, we always have been.) Every retail venue is biting us in the rear trying to get every piece of our dwindling pie. That’s your reality, isn’t it? Or are you so enamored with being an artist that the rest just goes by the wayside?!
Get and know this: The only thing we have on our competitors is offering the most incredible service. Yeah, quality, too. But, for the general public, if their flowers don’t die in a couple days, they’re fine with them. Sad, but true. So it’s our job to go above and beyond, becoming a client’s friend and part of their lives. Don’t even question this! And, if you do, pack up that darn shop and get a real job ‘cause someone else will do so and take that customer’s money from you.
Our goal is to make sure a customer’s florist experience is one of incredible satisfaction from beginning to end. We need to answer that phone with a friendly voice, not “FLOWER SHOP!” (How many times have I heard that one when calling an order to another shop?! Nothing irks me more than a lack of phone etiquette.) Ninety-nine percent of the time, when a call comes in, it’s a for-sure sale. Yet, what do many florists and their staffers do? Try to get the call over with as soon as possible so they can finish the design they’re working on. No, no, no! Give that “new friend” the time he or she deserves. Answer her questions, give him ideas. That extra minute you spend could net you 10 bucks or more with your expert advice. Not a bad wage for a minute! (And that works out to $600/hour!)
Similarly, when customers enter your shop, greet them right away. Don’t scare the heck out of them by accosting them when they walk in the door! Just politely say, “Hello, may I help you?” Then, let them alone and check on them in a bit. If one looks confused, make him or her feel comfortable and at home. This is especially true of men. Flower shops can be very foreign to them, and their macho attitude can come into play. So gently guide them, get the orders taken and make some money.
If you’re alone for some reason, let the customer know that. If she’s in a hurry, ignore the phone and take care of her—the person in front of you. She should have your undivided attention. It’s so disrespectful to be in a retail venue and be ignored when the sales person takes a call in the middle of your conversation.
Also, if you promise something, do it! If circumstances change, let the customer know. For that reason, always get all the phone numbers needed to reach the individual—e-mail, as well. Most clients are okay with giving you this information as long as you let them know why. Delivery-time promises are especially important. After all, how do you feel when a flower shipment arrives three hours later than the scheduled time?
On the flip side, though, don’t let yourself off the hook when problems arise that impact your customers. Never tell the customer, “Oh, my delivery guy was late…” or “The flowers didn’t come in on time.” You don’t want to hear excuses, and neither do your customers.
On a related note, make sure you fulfill client’s expectations. If you’ve gathered a good client base, they know your work and reputation. No need for them to question your design skills; they should trust your judgment on substituting (if they’ve selected an image) knowing that the value will be there. If they’re the type of client who wants what they want, you better be prepared to give it to them—or don’t take the order at all. The grief and waste of time will far outweigh the profit margin. We just have to look at it that way, sometimes, and not give it another thought.
Many florists tend to be “woe-is-me”-ers, crying about how the order-gatherers have taken their business away. If you think that’s the case, then do something about it! Get off your butt and be realistic! After 32 years, I closed my shop in August 2011. I did not blame the economy. It was my own short-sightedness that caused that situation. Now, I’m regrouping to be smarter than ever. I’ve learned so much, and I now embrace every customer who calls me.
Case in point: Last week, I replaced an arrangement that was ordered by a new customer. She had given me the wrong address, and someone ended up enjoying a “complimentary” arrangement. Nevertheless, I redesigned and delivered a new arrangement to the correct address the next day at no charge. It was a lower-priced design, but I just felt that providing a replacement for free was the right thing to do as the customer was a nonprofit. The return? Because of a positive Yelp! review from the original customer, another new customer called me yesterday.
Karma, baby!
What are some of the service tactics you’ve employed to benefit your shop? Let us know in the comments!
About the author
In a floral world that can sometimes be scary and tiresome, Joe Guggia, AIFD, works to reinvent himself and keep his floral passion alive. With beginnings as a delivery boy at Sandyland Nursery (Carpinteria, Calif.), he progressed to assistant grower and helped launch the first nursery contract with a supermarket chain. Later, Joe moved on to take ownership of Camfeldt’s Flowers and Gifts (Santa Maria, Calif.).
Today, Joe continues to gather knowledge in all phases of the floral industry. He admits that putting himself “out there” to keep the dollars flowing has been a challenge and isn’t always easy. But sticking to it and realizing that “We’re only as good as our last design” has brought him to a place of industry sharing, both of his experiences and those of others.
Joe’s expertise includes staging, indoor/outdoor decor consulting, custom permanent designs, plant installations, landscaping, custom sympathy and everyday shop designs. He is a mentor to the student chapter of AIFD Cal Poly and promotes the motto of “Educate, motivate and create.”
One More Thing!
Now that you're visiting FlowerChat, take our quick, 3-minute intro video tour here to find out about all the great resources we offer.
Next, delve into more great articles like the one above in our "Blooming Banter" section. "Blooming Banter" is filled with content exclusively written for florists.
If you like what you see, sign up for membership! You can join for FREE! You'll automatically get a 30-day trial to our Pro-level membership. No credit card required.
Pro-level membership gives you access to all areas of the site, including all the forums, the photo gallery, blogs, videos, webinars and downloadable resources.
At the end of 30 days, your membership will automatically convert to our Basic level unless you choose to remain a Pro member. Heck, for the price of about two of those fancy coffee drinks each month, you can continue as a Pro member with all the benefits!
We look forward to seeing you in the forums!
