Would you fix a competitors design?

[BOSS]

We delivered 12 or so pieces to a funeral home, and before the driver got back the phone rang and I happened to answer...

Caller: "I'm coming over to have you redo 3 designs, I'll be there in 2 minutes"... Me: "Um...ah..." click....

I'm thinking WTF???

As it turned out, they were 3 pieces done by a competitor and they were horrendous. The two ladies were in tears, one crying uncontrollably. The pieces were labeled Husband, Dad and Grandpa on the ribbons and were nothing like the pieces I did for the same funeral. They came to me because they had already seen my stuff at the FH and needed theirs re-done (fixed)... One in a CS-1 1/2" deep tray had 5 large Hydrangia, 10 Roses, 10 Iris and greens/filler... no water source... Another, was in a top to a McDonalds salad, the clear part... and the other a 18 Lomey tray.... no water sources on any of them. This from a shop I "thought" had something on the ball...

The family said they had ordered "masculine" designs in Blue and Gold (high school colors). The florist on their own included a Mallard Duck, both male and female, and in another a 14" tall Cherub statue that the family did not want and wanted removed... there's more but you get the gist...

We quickly tore them down, redid them and delivered them back to the Fh within 35 minutes....made sure a rep from the family met us in the Flower Room to approve the designs and they were delighted. The came in between visitations to pay for the stock I used. I did not charge them labor, nor would I have complained had they not come back to pay... I did not know them, their names or phone numbers...

Question is... would you do the fix?

 

[anytimeflowers]

Mark,

Good for you. Of course I would do the fix. The only time I would hesitate is when it is Pro-Flor, and even that I would fix if the family showed up on my door-step, tears or not.

I would do it out of compassion, but the word of mouth advertising you will get from this debacle is priceless. Your competitor? Well, their word of mouth advertising will be priceless too, I would imagine.

 

[bootcampguy]

I'm thinking WTF???
As it turned out, they were 3 pieces done by a competitor and they were horrendous. The two ladies were in tears, one crying uncontrollably.

Without a DOUBT.................................it will be goodwill and new group of customers.

 

[daisy mae]

I definitely would and have. Happens at prom time a lot. And yes, the tongues will wag at the funeral home. Good karma coming your way. Good job!

 

[Kristine]

you bet, you did GOOD.

scary tho, you thought that shop had it on the ball and they sent that??? the mechanics you described would lead me to think do it yourselfer....

 

[anytimeflowers]

you bet, you did GOOD.

scary tho, you thought that shop had it on the ball and they sent that??? the mechanics you described would lead me to think do it yourselfer....

That was exactly what I was thinking, still unsure, I mean really? A MCDONALDS lid? But, even if I had my doubts, I would have done what you did. You showed that you are a professional.

 

[Snapdragon Studio]

You bet I would... cheapest marketing you've done this year!

 

[OB1]

Yes, I have done it, and I would do it again, if asked.
Bravo, Mark, for going beyond to help the grieving family.
My grandparents always told me that what ever kindness you give away will come back 7 fold.
Reading your post I was thinking..."and sh'll tell 7 people, and then she'll tell 7 people and then he'll tell seven people........etc.
JP

 

[BOSS]

A little more no that the day is done....

I did a little checking, apparently the "owner" was on vacation and left her parents (former owners) with the shop, they're about my age... these pieces were done at the shop.

When the customer came in to pay, I had the mallards, trays, and some assorted other stuff boxed up for her, she did not want to take them. I did chat with her, and suggested she **should** take them and go back and demand a full refund. (The flowers I used out of my stock came to $168.00) I think they deserve one.

They're going to talk it over, and "may" come back and pick them up, I told her I'd hold them for a week...

Side Bar:.... Prayers to the right coast.... blessings on those who choose to ride it out, and safe travels to those on the run.... be blessed.

 

[emilymoonflower]

Mark - you are a class act!
This is one of the nicest threads that I've read in a long time; what you did for that family will always stay with them. I hope they tell a thousand people about you!
Emily

 

[Rhonda]

nothing but to say Of Course........ you did good darlin'

 

[hollyflr]

I would have done this. A story about what comes around, goes around. About seven years ago, a women called and asked if I would wrap a couple of gift baskets for her. I said yes and while I was wrapping the baskets she told me it was for a fund raiser for a high school student who was critically injured on a class trip to Mexico. She was airlifted to Texas and died there. The girl was from my highschool, and I refused to allow the woman to pay for the wrapping.

About six months later I got a ticket in a neighboring community, I decided to pay it early and went to the court clerk. The court clerk looked at my registration, and said "are you from that flowershop on Lackland" and when I said "yes", she said "you don't have to pay for this ticket." "What" I said. "You wrapped those baskets for the fund raisier for me and the ticket is taken care of." I stared at her for awhile and then said "thank you" and left.

So some good deeds do go unpunished!

 

[OB1]

Yep, just what my granny and grampa said.....
I think that's a bit unusual, don't you?
JP

 

[lori042499]

How in the world could anyone refuse a crying grieving family member...shame on the florist who did them originally and good on you for being gracious enough to recognize a human in need of some compassion..The family obviously made a mistake in who they ordered with and were willing to admit that they just didn't want who they paid to do any of the fixing, this is the part of our business that is intangible, you cannot put a price on what you have done in good will, it may be a 3000.00 a year account down the road, it could be a handful of people for funeral work a couple of times a year, it may just be this family a one funeral piece a year or every two years, but what matters is the service you provided in a time of need, people remember that kind of stuff and if they are involved in a converstaion with anyone about sending flowers, i am sure your shop will be brought up with good graces and the other will be talked very badly about...

 

[steve]

Yes we would have done exactly the same thing we have not had that issue come up but we have had to save a couple of weddings were the couple bought there flowers on line

 

[douginmood]

It really makes me wish more customers would do that. Every time I go to one of our local funeral homes I cringe at what some of the other shops(I refuse to call them competition) send out. No wonder flowers sales for funerals continue to dwindle. It's only when you get a family that truly values what flowers add to a funeral or any occasion that such an opportunity arrives. You can rest assured, you have a customer for life, or until you start stocking up on McDonalds salad lids.

 

[Johan]

A truely great job.
I have had the funeral director from over the road bring things into my shop to have fixed by rubbish florists that send dead flowers to funerals. I have replaced flowers out of my 'dead bucket' that have been more alive than the flowers in the tributes. I do this for free becauce I hate to see tributes that are ment to be a mark of love and respect and the celebration of someones life sat on the coffin as dead as the person inside. The funeral director always informs the family if this has happen. I frequently get wedding bookings from the quality of my funeral work so it definately pays to do a wonderful job at times like these. At funerals more people focus on the flowers than the coffin because they find it too upsetting, and they do notice.

 

[theRKF]

Funny - just had to do this for our competitor today. A client switched to a competitor who didn't know the most basic elements of web hosting, and the client's email was borked for 3 days. Finally had to give the competitor a step by step tutorial.

But what else can you do? You can't leave the client - any client - swinging in the wind like that.

 

[mumsandmore]

Mark,

Job well done!

 

[802pianoluver]

Our shop would have done the same thing . Sympathy work is something that we just don't throw together. Every piece that leaves our shop has to be quality work. After all , our name is on the arrangements, for all the communtiy to see. When family members are in mourning we want to do our best to meet thier expectations. I have been in the floral business over 40 years, I cannot tell you the amount of times when I have delivered to the funeral home and have been appalled at the floral arrangements I have seen. If A family member asked me to redo them I would definitely do it for them.

Last year we did a sympathy arrangement from a cousin of the deceased, A few days later I got a call from the florist that did the family pieces, she wondered what I had put in the cousins arrangement and how it was done. The florist had gotten a call from the family, they were very upset with the flowers they recieved, and started to tell the florist about the arrangement I had done, saying it surpassed all the other family pieces. I explained to the florist that it was our normal style that we did for our summer garden syyle wicker basket arrangements. She questioned me for quite a while about it , and proceeded to tell me that the family member brought one of the pieces back to her and slapped it on the counter, and said she was never purchasing flowers from her again. The other florist argued with her and wouldn't even try to make it right. I just could not believ she called me with this story, I would have been embarassed If I was her telling me this story. Has this ever happened to any of you? She told me the customer was only buying at our shop from now on