Hey Flower Guy
Wil Gonzalez AIFD
Finding a Florist
Well, it happened again. The clerk on the other side of the counter sheepishly asked "Aren't you that flower guy?" This has happened a lot, especially since the journal (UDJ) printed some of my accomplishments. As I smiled and glanced up, she quickly stated that she had used the Internet to have some flowers delivered to a funeral of family member on the coast. When she arrived at the services, she looked for the flowers she had ordered. Finally she located an undersized arrangement that didn't look anything at all like the little thumbnail photo on some website. She thought she was saving money. Hey, they offered local delivery. She thought they were local. Everywhere on the page they had written in the banners the name of the town where she wanted to have flowers delivered.
Yes, she was the victim of geographical misrepresentation. She was under the impression that this website was the same little shop that was delivering her heartfelt expression of sympathy. Oh the roses were pretty but she wanted more garden type flowers. The website said the arrangement would be 40 inches tall and this again fell short of her expectations. As she poured out her tale, I could only think how these dishonest websites, these unscrupulous "order takers" had ruined her retail floral experience. Would the floral industry lose a customer for life?
Folks want to express themselves in flowers for a variety of reasons and in today's world we can't always be there to personally pick out and/or deliver a beautiful bouquet of flowers. So of course the Internet seems like a reasonable option. But as I travel, I hear more and more of this type of story. I am reminded that the Internet is like any society. There are good and bad websites. There is clear information and murky information. There are honest people that want to help you and there are those that just want you to fork over your account information and will tell you anything to get it.
This begs the question 'How do I find a reputable florist on-line?'
It's actually two questions. How do I find a florist? And how do I do that on-line?
Like finding any service, word of mouth is best. In the above situation I would have asked a family member, "Which florist is handling the families flowers for the service"? This works particularly well when you are not able to attend a service. This also increases your chances of having flowers delivered at or close to the time that the family flowers are delivered. They are going to pay more attention to your order. This florist will have all pertinent information regarding the service. A local shop owner suggested calling the hospital in the city you want flowers delivered. He says hospital staff see lots of flowers being delivered. They will likely point you in the right direction.
My next choice would be going to my local florist. They are equipped to find a florist through their flower by wire service. These services provide your local florist with information about that florist across the country. Information such as how long have they been in business. How close they are to hospitals and funeral homes? What's their participation in professional organizations such as Society of American Florist (SAF) or American Institute of Floral Designers (AIFD). These organizations strive to inform their members of the latest trends in design and improved floral care. Your local florist would be happy to then handle that order for you butthere is usually fee for that service. Now you have a real person helping you make choices that fit the situation and your price point. If you do this face to face you also have the option of payment by cash, check or credit card.
Going on-line I would check with a professional organization such as SAF or AIFD. Many florist are listed with SAF but not all. You can enter your zip code and locate the name of a florist that area. That is all that's will be said about them. Name, address, phone and maybe website. AIFD has very stringent requirements to become a member. These designers are tested and expected to maintain their education and exposure to trends and technologies extending the life and quality of floral products. AIFD members are the cream of the crop with a very high skill level and a commitment to both education and the floral industry as a whole. That being said not every city has a florist with that designation. They may have or work in a flower shop. Some are freelance designers with a design studio. These designers might be able to help but not all studio designers are waiting by the phone to take your order. Maybe they only do weddings and big events.
Reviews from user driven on line services such as Yelp.com or Citysearch can be helpful. Reviews are usually available for larger metro areas. Not all cities can found. Not all flower shops will be listed. That's because no one has written a review in that area. Reviewers tend to be younger, computer saave and were motivated enough to take the time to write about their experience. Other than that you don't know who who wrote the review.
My last choice would be just check on the Internet. Enter the city name, type florist, press send. Be prepared to do some work. The information that comes may be dated, inaccurate, inappropriate or just plain wrong. When I typed in 'Ukiah CA' and typed 'florist' then pressed send, ten selections came up. Two of those florist don't exist any longer. One choice was a rock quarry in Los Alamos CA and four were "order takers" with names and addresses that look like they are your neighbors but aren't. They aren't even florists. This is geographical misrepresentation. If you are a victim of this practice the only way to stop this is through your State Representative and the governor. Currently the governor has refused to sign a recent bill stopping this deceitful practice, stating "it is unreasonable to limit out of area businesses from using local name and numbers." Today 23 states have laws preventing this practice. If you do this type of search with any other city who knows what may come up? So be prepared to actually call. Ask if you can come into that shop to pay cash. This question will always shake out those companies that simply want your credit card information. Information that can be sold. Information that opens you to future unwanted solicitation.
In any case there might be additional expenses such as delivery and taxes. Ask what they are in order that you not be surprised when your credit card bill arrives a month later. Considering the cost of fuel, insurance and parking tickets, delivery charges can range from $7 to $20.
When you talk a real florist, you're talking to someone who is creative and interested in you being happy with your retail floral experience. By the way my friend behind the counter is still buying flowers. In person.
(This article was first published in the Ukiah Daily Journal in 2011)
