Perhaps one of the problems in the floral industry is that there is no agreement as to what constitutes proper or improper behavior. So, here is my "stab" at a Floral Code Of Ethics.
Comments ARE WELCOME!
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FLORAL CODE OF ETHICS
Companies engaged in the sale of Floral Products to consumers assume certain responsibilities toward customers. These responsibilities arise out of the diverse methods of distribution of their products and services, the perishable nature of the products, and the time-sensitivity of their availability. We hereby set forth the basic fair and ethical principles and practices to which member companies will adhere in the conduct of their business.
1. Deceptive or Unlawful Advertising Practices
No member company shall engage in any deceptive, unlawful or unethical consumer practice. Member company companies shall ensure that no statements, promises or testimonials are made which are likely to mislead consumers.
The following are examples of Deceptive Advertising:
·Advertising in a telephone directory, or other similar print media, that services an area different from that of the company’s actual physical location, without disclosing that the company is not physically located in the local area.
·Advertising online using keywords associated with a specific city or location that is different from the company’s physical location, without disclosing that the company is not physically located in that city or location.
·Including the name of a city or location in the business name when the company is not physically located in that city or location.
·If floral products are shipped in a box, utilizing photos or drawings of floral arrangements without advising the customer that the floral products are shipped in a box, are NOT supplied fully arranged, and may be left at the addressee’s location if the recipient is not home.
·Advertising that leads the customer to believe that the products will be shipped from the grower to the customer, when the products will be shipped through an intermediate location.
2. Products or Services
The offer of products or services for sale by member company companies shall be accurate and truthful as to price, grade, quality, value, quantity, and availability.
·A consumer's order for products and services shall be fulfilled in a timely manner. Notwithstanding, the member company should not accept orders with unrealistic delivery dates and times, such as delivery after 4PM, delivery before 9AM and Sunday or National Holiday delivery without first verifying that such a delivery is in fact practical.
·If the price includes delivery, this fact must be prominently displayed along with the dollar value of the delivery.
·The member company shall screen all orders for appropriateness of language. Examples would include obscene or indecent remarks in the card message, inappropriate sentiments in a funeral message, etc.
·The member company shall screen all orders for appropriateness of product content or type. Examples include pink flowers in a baby boy arrangement or funeral piece for a man, a cross going to a Buddhist funeral, gourmet basket with pork products addressed to someone with a traditionally Muslim name, etc.
3. Terms of Sale
Prior to completion of the order, the member company shall communicate to the customer, in language that is clear and free of ambiguity:
·The name and physical address of the member company;
·All the terms and conditions of sale, with specification of the total amount the customer will be required to pay, including itemized service charges and fees, and other costs and expenses;
·If the member company will be using any third party to supply the product, this fact must be communicated in language that is clear and free of ambiguity.
4. Warranties and Guarantees
The terms of any warranty or guarantee offered by the member company shall be furnished to the buyer in language that is clear and free of ambiguity. The member company shall fully and promptly perform in accordance with the terms of all warranties and guarantees offered to consumers.
5. Identification and Privacy
Member companies shall truthfully identify their company and their products in all of their solicitations to prospective customers.
The member company shall take appropriate steps to ensure that customer’s proprietary information, including but not limited to Name, Address, Telephone Number, Email Address, and Payment Information will remain proprietary. This information will not be given, sold or bartered to any third party.
No member company shall in any way attempt to persuade, induce or coerce another party to breach this Code, and the member companies agree that the inducing of the breach of this Code is considered a violation of the Code.
6. Required Publication
All member companies are required to publicize this Code of Ethics to its consumers. The publicity plan shall contain, at a minimum, the following:
·An inclusion on the company’s web site of the Code of Ethics with a step-by-step explanation as to how to file a complaint; and
·A copy of the Code of Ethics prominently displayed within their shop
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All the best!
Bill
Our Shop
Friday, April 10, 2009
Monday, March 23, 2009
Flowers Are Useless
You can’t live in a flower. You cannot hop into a flower and take the kids to school. You can’t – with certain exceptions – EAT a flower. And, unless you happen to be Polynesian, you cannot WEAR a flower.
But for as long as we human beings have been what we laughingly call “civilized,” flowers have been a part of our lives.
Consider the paintings on the walls of an Egyptian tomb. They often depict both Pharoahs and Common Folk smelling lotus blossoms. Look at the inventory of grave goods from an archaeological dig and, chances are, you’ll find “Remnants Of Flowers” listed along with the necklaces, and axe heads and sandals. The little Inca Children that were brutally sacrificed on a mountaintop in the Andes a thousand years ago had flowers tucked into their woolen clothing.
And flowers maintain their place in today’s diverse “modern” society.
Can anyone ever forget the throngs of mourners lining the streets of London, tossing flower bouquets as Diana’s hearse carried her to her last resting place?
Consider the joyous look on the face of a beauty pageant winner, as she receives the celebratory bouquet of roses? Would it be the same with a necklace of iPods?
What about the guy on his first date that shyly hands his friend an inexpensive pink carnation? Would anyone suggest that he should have given her a One Dollar Bill instead?
What, then, is so remarkable about flowers? Why were they an integral part of all ancient societies? And why do they remain a part of the high-tech, fast-paced lives of today?
Simply put, flowers help us deal with situations that we do not understand, and all-too-often cannot control. And they do it in a way that no other item, whether made by God or by man, ever could… or ever will.
And maybe that’s not so useless, after all!
But for as long as we human beings have been what we laughingly call “civilized,” flowers have been a part of our lives.
Consider the paintings on the walls of an Egyptian tomb. They often depict both Pharoahs and Common Folk smelling lotus blossoms. Look at the inventory of grave goods from an archaeological dig and, chances are, you’ll find “Remnants Of Flowers” listed along with the necklaces, and axe heads and sandals. The little Inca Children that were brutally sacrificed on a mountaintop in the Andes a thousand years ago had flowers tucked into their woolen clothing.
And flowers maintain their place in today’s diverse “modern” society.
Can anyone ever forget the throngs of mourners lining the streets of London, tossing flower bouquets as Diana’s hearse carried her to her last resting place?
Consider the joyous look on the face of a beauty pageant winner, as she receives the celebratory bouquet of roses? Would it be the same with a necklace of iPods?
What about the guy on his first date that shyly hands his friend an inexpensive pink carnation? Would anyone suggest that he should have given her a One Dollar Bill instead?
What, then, is so remarkable about flowers? Why were they an integral part of all ancient societies? And why do they remain a part of the high-tech, fast-paced lives of today?
Simply put, flowers help us deal with situations that we do not understand, and all-too-often cannot control. And they do it in a way that no other item, whether made by God or by man, ever could… or ever will.
And maybe that’s not so useless, after all!
Monday, March 9, 2009
ProFlowers: Bargain or Rip Off?
Here is a link to Florist Detective regarding ProFlowers.
It kinda says it all!
http://www.floristdetective.com/wst_page15.aspx
It kinda says it all!
http://www.floristdetective.com/wst_page15.aspx
Sunday, March 8, 2009
How We Do Valentine's Day
Sometimes I chat with executives in other industries. When I do, I often pose the following challenge: "You know, 12 months in advance, that in a three day period, your sales will increase by over 100 times. You have no limitations other than profitability in planning for this sales increase. You can hire anybody you wish. Because your products are perishable, you cannot build any products ahead of time, and put them in inventory. At least 50% of the products that you offer for sale have no sales history. You must supply all your customers during this three day period with products and services that meet or exceed your company's normal quality standards. Could you do it?"
Most executives think about this for a bit and slowly shake their heads, "NO."
But that's what we do at The Flower Hut EVERY VALENTINE'S WEEK!
So I thought it might be interesting to tell you a bit about how this all happens.
First, after every Valentine's Day, we do a "post mortem" analysis. We document everything that we did, haw we did it, and how it worked. We pay particular attention to things that we did RIGHT (so we can do those again) as well as what we did WRONG (so we can figure out what we did wrong and decide how to fix it.)
Starting just after Christmas, we do a forecast of expected sales volume. We rely on data from previous years (we have a 20 year data base to draw from.) Usually, Wednesday and Thursday Valentines are the most active. Friday, surprisingly is not all that active. (Why? Friday is also "date night" and many frugal guys opt for a fancy dinner(only) rather than dinner AND flowers.
Based on this sales forecast -- fine tuned by our sense of how the economy is going -- in early January we enter our orders with our grower-direct suppliers. We schedule the orders for air freight delivery starting about six days before Valentine's Day. Fragile flowers (like roses and lilies) get delivered later. Robust flowers like carnations and mums arrive earlier.
We reserve a 45 foot refrigerated trailer to be delivered about a week before Valentine's Day. Also, we start recruiting contract drivers to help us handle the delivery overload. Usually, about 30% to 50% of our contract drivers are returnees from previous years. The rest are "rookies." As each new driver is recruited, he/she is assigned a start time for the 13th and the 14th. We also recruit a dispatcher whose function is to make sure that every driver has an optimum quantity of products, that every order is complete, that all products are in perfect condition, and that each driver has flower carriers, a map, delivery instructions and other delivery aids.
We also recruit additional staff. We seldom bring in temporary designers (it is VERY difficult to find designers that meet our standards.) However, we usually have openings for computer order entry personnel, telephone personnel, and general shop work.
In mid-January, our Valentine's website goes "up." Soon, we start to see Valentine's orders appearing. We track these very carefully as they help us "fine tune" our sales (and raw materials) ordering projections.
We categorize our products as being for either "standard" or "custom." A standard product is one that we make on a "production line." Examples would include a DZ RED roses in a vase (ALWAYS a best seller) and featured FTD and Teleflora Valentine's designs. Custom products are anything other than standard. Examples might include a vase of stargazer lilies, 11 red and 1 white roses, etc.
As orders come in, we check them for completeness and accuracy. We do not accept orders with time limits during Feb 13 or 14. We also do not accept orders containing multiple balloons -- this is a potential safety hazard!
Meanwhile, the refrigerated trailer is filled with tables to hold our products. We set aside specific areas for "standard" products. We also set aside areas for the 13th and 14th where "custom" products are placed alphabetically.
Starting a day or two before the delivery date, we start grouping orders geographically. We do this so that a driver will not have to go from one side of the city to the other in order to complete a delivery load. Instead, we try to group orders together so that -- as much as is possible -- all the orders on a load will be in the same general geographic area.
Starting in the afternoon before the 13th, the dispatcher and assistant(s) begin staging orders. They do this by taking a geographic group, putting cards on all the products, and putting them in the same area of the trailer. This often continues until late in the PM.
The next morning, the dispatcher and assistants arrive at about 7 AM. We load the Flower Hut driver's vehicles first so that when the drivers arrive at 8 AM, they are ready to go. At that time, we print a delivery log from our computer.
Contract drivers arrive at 9AM and continue to arrive at 15 minute intervals. Each driver receives flower carriers and his load of flowers, and a printed log.
The above is complicated by last-minute orders and last minute changes.
As each driver completes his run, he turns in the log, reports on any delivery issues, and is issued another load of flowers.
A comprehensive set of instructions guides the drivers and dispatcher in the event of a mis-delivery. The most common causes for a mis-delivery are: incorrect address and nobody home (and no practical place to leave the flowers.)
Starting late afternoon on the 13th, and continuing until fairly late that evening, we repeat the staging process. The next morning, the process repeats.
How well does it work?
This year, we had just ONE mis-delivery, and that was dealt with by the close of day.
OK just 11 months until NEXT Valentine's Day!
Most executives think about this for a bit and slowly shake their heads, "NO."
But that's what we do at The Flower Hut EVERY VALENTINE'S WEEK!
So I thought it might be interesting to tell you a bit about how this all happens.
First, after every Valentine's Day, we do a "post mortem" analysis. We document everything that we did, haw we did it, and how it worked. We pay particular attention to things that we did RIGHT (so we can do those again) as well as what we did WRONG (so we can figure out what we did wrong and decide how to fix it.)
Starting just after Christmas, we do a forecast of expected sales volume. We rely on data from previous years (we have a 20 year data base to draw from.) Usually, Wednesday and Thursday Valentines are the most active. Friday, surprisingly is not all that active. (Why? Friday is also "date night" and many frugal guys opt for a fancy dinner(only) rather than dinner AND flowers.
Based on this sales forecast -- fine tuned by our sense of how the economy is going -- in early January we enter our orders with our grower-direct suppliers. We schedule the orders for air freight delivery starting about six days before Valentine's Day. Fragile flowers (like roses and lilies) get delivered later. Robust flowers like carnations and mums arrive earlier.
We reserve a 45 foot refrigerated trailer to be delivered about a week before Valentine's Day. Also, we start recruiting contract drivers to help us handle the delivery overload. Usually, about 30% to 50% of our contract drivers are returnees from previous years. The rest are "rookies." As each new driver is recruited, he/she is assigned a start time for the 13th and the 14th. We also recruit a dispatcher whose function is to make sure that every driver has an optimum quantity of products, that every order is complete, that all products are in perfect condition, and that each driver has flower carriers, a map, delivery instructions and other delivery aids.
We also recruit additional staff. We seldom bring in temporary designers (it is VERY difficult to find designers that meet our standards.) However, we usually have openings for computer order entry personnel, telephone personnel, and general shop work.
In mid-January, our Valentine's website goes "up." Soon, we start to see Valentine's orders appearing. We track these very carefully as they help us "fine tune" our sales (and raw materials) ordering projections.
We categorize our products as being for either "standard" or "custom." A standard product is one that we make on a "production line." Examples would include a DZ RED roses in a vase (ALWAYS a best seller) and featured FTD and Teleflora Valentine's designs. Custom products are anything other than standard. Examples might include a vase of stargazer lilies, 11 red and 1 white roses, etc.
As orders come in, we check them for completeness and accuracy. We do not accept orders with time limits during Feb 13 or 14. We also do not accept orders containing multiple balloons -- this is a potential safety hazard!
Meanwhile, the refrigerated trailer is filled with tables to hold our products. We set aside specific areas for "standard" products. We also set aside areas for the 13th and 14th where "custom" products are placed alphabetically.
Starting a day or two before the delivery date, we start grouping orders geographically. We do this so that a driver will not have to go from one side of the city to the other in order to complete a delivery load. Instead, we try to group orders together so that -- as much as is possible -- all the orders on a load will be in the same general geographic area.
Starting in the afternoon before the 13th, the dispatcher and assistant(s) begin staging orders. They do this by taking a geographic group, putting cards on all the products, and putting them in the same area of the trailer. This often continues until late in the PM.
The next morning, the dispatcher and assistants arrive at about 7 AM. We load the Flower Hut driver's vehicles first so that when the drivers arrive at 8 AM, they are ready to go. At that time, we print a delivery log from our computer.
Contract drivers arrive at 9AM and continue to arrive at 15 minute intervals. Each driver receives flower carriers and his load of flowers, and a printed log.
The above is complicated by last-minute orders and last minute changes.
As each driver completes his run, he turns in the log, reports on any delivery issues, and is issued another load of flowers.
A comprehensive set of instructions guides the drivers and dispatcher in the event of a mis-delivery. The most common causes for a mis-delivery are: incorrect address and nobody home (and no practical place to leave the flowers.)
Starting late afternoon on the 13th, and continuing until fairly late that evening, we repeat the staging process. The next morning, the process repeats.
How well does it work?
This year, we had just ONE mis-delivery, and that was dealt with by the close of day.
OK just 11 months until NEXT Valentine's Day!
Monday, October 27, 2008
Phony Florists
A "Phony Florist" is one that advertises that it is a REAL FLORIST when it is, in fact, a Floral Marketer. Floral Marketers include delivery charges in their prices (without saying so.) Then they add hefty "Handling/Service/Delivery" charges that the consumer THINKS are legitimate delivery fees. Those fees -- averaging between $10 and $15 -- are KEPT by the Phony Florist. The Phony Florist ALSO keeps at least 20% and as much as 30% of the consumer's purchase. Then they pass the now-heavily-discounted order to a REAL florist in the local community for fulfillment.
BUT, most Phony Florists do not charge sales tax, so the consumer thinks he's getting a bargain!
Both of the above practices are ILLEGAL under North Carolina law. Many other states have similar rules.
Don't be fooled. ASK the "florist" where their physical location is BEFORE YOU BUY.
BUT, most Phony Florists do not charge sales tax, so the consumer thinks he's getting a bargain!
Both of the above practices are ILLEGAL under North Carolina law. Many other states have similar rules.
Don't be fooled. ASK the "florist" where their physical location is BEFORE YOU BUY.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Caveat AT&T Advertiser
Those that have been reading this BLOG are aware that North Carolina law (Session Law 2007-545) now PROHIBITS "Phony Florists" from using "Yellow" pages directory advertising IF their physical location is not within the geographical area served by the directory AND if they do not disclose their actual physical location in the ad.
In March of this year I advised ATT that I would NOT renew my Yellow Pages ad unless they agreed that the next book would be published in accordance with NC Law. After a great deal of discussion, on July 15, the local rep called on us. He stated that he was authorized by his Vice President to commit that ATT's next local book will be in compliance with NC State Law.
On that basis, I committed to almost $15,000 worth of advertising.
On August 29, I received the local Yellow Pages book. Under florists there were THREE Phony Florists: FTD, bloomstoday and Traditions. FTD's ad shows their physical location: Downers Grove, IL. The other two DO NOT SHOW THEIR PHYSICAL LOCATION.
I spoke with the ATT rep who re-iterated that he was acting on the instructions of his VP. The VP -- as of this date -- has not returned my phone calls.
It appears that ATT values new business more than it values either ethical behavior or compliance with the law!
In March of this year I advised ATT that I would NOT renew my Yellow Pages ad unless they agreed that the next book would be published in accordance with NC Law. After a great deal of discussion, on July 15, the local rep called on us. He stated that he was authorized by his Vice President to commit that ATT's next local book will be in compliance with NC State Law.
On that basis, I committed to almost $15,000 worth of advertising.
On August 29, I received the local Yellow Pages book. Under florists there were THREE Phony Florists: FTD, bloomstoday and Traditions. FTD's ad shows their physical location: Downers Grove, IL. The other two DO NOT SHOW THEIR PHYSICAL LOCATION.
I spoke with the ATT rep who re-iterated that he was acting on the instructions of his VP. The VP -- as of this date -- has not returned my phone calls.
It appears that ATT values new business more than it values either ethical behavior or compliance with the law!
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
20th Anniversary!
Well!
Time DOES fly when you're having fun.
May 28th was Flower Hut's 20th Anniversary. And what a great 20 years it has been!
When we started our business in 1988, we took over an existing Greenhouse that sold House Plants -- and a few fresh flowers. After a year, we noticed that although 80% of the square footage was devoted to green plants, they accounted for just 20% of our revenue. And most of the remaining 20% was FLOWERS!
So, we searched for a location that would be easy for our customers to find, would be much more energy efficient (did you ever try to cool a greenhouse?) and would be more "flower friendly." We selected a location on Independence Boulevard, the most heavily traveled street in Charlotte. Over the years, the property had been used as a hardware store, a carpet store and even a "honky-tonk" bar.
We dismantled several walls so our customers would be able to move freely from area to area. Next, we constructed a walk-in cooler larger than most folk's kitchens. Finally, out came a chainsaw to enlarge one of the entry doors so our three-door reach-in cooler would fit!
The rest, as they say, is history. Since those early years, the Flower Hut has grown to become one of the largest florists in the Charlotte Area. We have received numerous awards over the years, but the one we are most proud of comes from you, our customers. According to Yahoo!, we are one of the highest ranked florists IN THE NATION for customer satisfaction, and are Charlott'e only 4+ star florist!
Thanks to all our customers for their loyalty and patronage. And thanks also to our suppliers for providing the high-quality raw materials. And a special thanks to our employees for their loyalty, expertise and hard work!
We couldn't have done it without you!
Time DOES fly when you're having fun.
May 28th was Flower Hut's 20th Anniversary. And what a great 20 years it has been!
When we started our business in 1988, we took over an existing Greenhouse that sold House Plants -- and a few fresh flowers. After a year, we noticed that although 80% of the square footage was devoted to green plants, they accounted for just 20% of our revenue. And most of the remaining 20% was FLOWERS!
So, we searched for a location that would be easy for our customers to find, would be much more energy efficient (did you ever try to cool a greenhouse?) and would be more "flower friendly." We selected a location on Independence Boulevard, the most heavily traveled street in Charlotte. Over the years, the property had been used as a hardware store, a carpet store and even a "honky-tonk" bar.
We dismantled several walls so our customers would be able to move freely from area to area. Next, we constructed a walk-in cooler larger than most folk's kitchens. Finally, out came a chainsaw to enlarge one of the entry doors so our three-door reach-in cooler would fit!
The rest, as they say, is history. Since those early years, the Flower Hut has grown to become one of the largest florists in the Charlotte Area. We have received numerous awards over the years, but the one we are most proud of comes from you, our customers. According to Yahoo!, we are one of the highest ranked florists IN THE NATION for customer satisfaction, and are Charlott'e only 4+ star florist!
Thanks to all our customers for their loyalty and patronage. And thanks also to our suppliers for providing the high-quality raw materials. And a special thanks to our employees for their loyalty, expertise and hard work!
We couldn't have done it without you!
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