I belong to a WS for only one reason...to make it convenient to service mt customers outgoing wire orders. Used to be FTD but dropped them because they were dropping so many members that they could not service enough places. Switched to TEL because they had better coverage. We do have a lot of outgoingt so we get a decent rebate. If we did not have a good volume I would not belong to any WS because the overhead (fees) could not justify it. WE DO NOT BELONG TO A WS TO ATTRACT INCOMING ORDERS. In fact we had to take measures to decrease incoming orders. Too many of them come in during floral holidays. I don't think any of us need discounted orders when we are already busy. I would prefer not to be a member os any WS.
What wire service do you belong too and why?
- Thread starter HeatherTuckey
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I am TEL only right now, and it works for me. They do credit card processing and my website. We fill 30 or more orders a month for them and send about 15. They also have our website and 24 hours answering service. We are about to drop the 24 hr service as we won't need it when we have a technology switch with hi speed internet that comes with voice mail. I have cut absolutely every additional cost out of the service, like additional zip codes, etc. It works for us, and we seem to have no problems getting price increases when we don't feel an order is profitable for us.
We had both FTD and TEL for a while. Dropped FTD as it caused us nothing but problems. Got very little incoming and it was hard to find shops willing to fill outgoing, and frankly our sending volume was too low and we got dinged on fees because of it.
We are happy where we are, and it seems to make sense financially for us. We don't lose money, but we don't get rich on a wire service either. We view it as a way to do good work that we see as being our best form of advertising possibly generating repeat business by the recipient. Our website generated a ridiculous amount of orders for mother's day this year. We were very happy with those.
Could we make more without the service? I don't know. BUT, it is a heck of a lot more convenient for the florists that send it to us, and for us as the order is laid out in front of us. The order amounts are also higher on incomings than what we typically get locally. We are really the only shop in town that has the Dove and the local HyVee grocery store has TEL, but you have to call them, whcih is why I think we get the majority of the orders coming to our community. The other shops will do direct orders.
We had both FTD and TEL for a while. Dropped FTD as it caused us nothing but problems. Got very little incoming and it was hard to find shops willing to fill outgoing, and frankly our sending volume was too low and we got dinged on fees because of it.
We are happy where we are, and it seems to make sense financially for us. We don't lose money, but we don't get rich on a wire service either. We view it as a way to do good work that we see as being our best form of advertising possibly generating repeat business by the recipient. Our website generated a ridiculous amount of orders for mother's day this year. We were very happy with those.
Could we make more without the service? I don't know. BUT, it is a heck of a lot more convenient for the florists that send it to us, and for us as the order is laid out in front of us. The order amounts are also higher on incomings than what we typically get locally. We are really the only shop in town that has the Dove and the local HyVee grocery store has TEL, but you have to call them, whcih is why I think we get the majority of the orders coming to our community. The other shops will do direct orders.
Well, I may start a new thread - but I am going to ask - For those of you who are members of BBrooks. What do you like and dislike about it........Going by what I read, they seem to be the least of all the evils of wire services.
How does it work for you? Is it a money-maker? Is it worth it?
How does it work for you? Is it a money-maker? Is it worth it?
BOSS
FlowerChat Administrator
We belong to bbrooks and it is by far the best we have had. We have belonged to ftd, tf, floralsource and fsn. We have decided to keep only fsn and bbrooks. Our average order from bbrooks is $100, plus delivery, and the volume is not that much less than tf and ftd have been lately. (However, we do not accept "codified" orders from tf or ftd and have a high minimum). The cost is low, and can actually be free if you use them to send orders. The only thing I do not like about them is their coverage. If there is not a member in the area you are looking to send your order, they will cross-fill your order through tf, which defeats the whole concept IMHO. Please feel free send a pm if you have any questions.
Sher
New Member
Interestingly enough, I have used some Bloomnet images on my website since we joined with their permission..recently when during MD we asked for more money on 29.99 orders, they suspended us...then we got a call on Sunday from a VP wanting to know if we wanted to be unsuspened...no thank you..all I want to do at that point is avoid the apology deliveries on Mon...when I mentioned that I used the images, I got the third degree and then a three page form to sign overnighted...first thing I noticed was a statement that " you agree to place Bloomnet images on your site at the recomemned SRP'S"...we will be out asap...what a crock...they have flipped out I think.
Sher
Bloomnet is the worst and you are right about the holidays. All they do is harrass retail shops to get their orders filled at minimal pricing. FTD.com is just about as bad.. How about the multiply attempts they both make. You can refuse it verbally, then sometiimes several atempts are made even tho you reject them the same orders keep coming. Pain in the butt.
.... I do not know the procedure for Bloomnet/Bloomlink - but for FTD.......regarding rejecting and cancellation.
You can negotiate the fees btw if you push hard enough, but my experience is that you get far less repeated tries if you send an ASK-PRICE CHANGE message and then let them cancel.
You can negotiate the fees btw if you push hard enough, but my experience is that you get far less repeated tries if you send an ASK-PRICE CHANGE message and then let them cancel.
BOSS
FlowerChat Administrator
Not exactly....
I mean, more like through June-July-August, we're simply giving out your (local delivering florist) phone numbers.
I'm thinking on collecting the local customers info (if they are a new customer) and mailing them a letter explaining the "Ordering Direct Principal" for their long distance deliveries, and a coupon for use in my store on local deliveries...
SAF has a pretty good explanation of the why to order direct in their latest Newsletter. We used to include it on all wire-in orders that we delivered. We are alsoo going to add a section to our new website.
JERRYEIZ
New Member
Someone should add Flower Shop Network to the list. I get more orders from my site there which I have not had time to personalize than my FTD site. It's only a matter of time before I drop both it and 1800Flowers. Teleflora went bye-bye in January.
The deciding factors for us are cost of ws network, ease of interfacing with our shop system and web site design.
The deciding factors for us are cost of ws network, ease of interfacing with our shop system and web site design.
Connie
Is Bloomnet part of TF? When I worked for other shops, before having my own I remember Carik and Red Book. Are they still in existance?
I check my FSN sales at the end of my yearly contract (including the web site sales that come in directly, since FSN does my one site) and decide if I'm going to sign up with them for another year. It's working for me, but nothing earth shattering. I recently started up another web site, but it's not completed.
The volume of wire orders is higher on Mother's Day, Valentine's Day & Christmas, but I focus more on the everyday incoming wire orders to determine signing up for another year. I have had FSN for about 5 years.
I have noticed over the past 5 years that shops have dropped either FTD or TF. They use to have Both!
The best to you in your newly owned building, it will get better.
Marie
Is Bloomnet part of TF? When I worked for other shops, before having my own I remember Carik and Red Book. Are they still in existance?
I check my FSN sales at the end of my yearly contract (including the web site sales that come in directly, since FSN does my one site) and decide if I'm going to sign up with them for another year. It's working for me, but nothing earth shattering. I recently started up another web site, but it's not completed.
The volume of wire orders is higher on Mother's Day, Valentine's Day & Christmas, but I focus more on the everyday incoming wire orders to determine signing up for another year. I have had FSN for about 5 years.
I have noticed over the past 5 years that shops have dropped either FTD or TF. They use to have Both!
The best to you in your newly owned building, it will get better.
Marie
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