When you receive a flower arrangement, first make sure there is enough water in the container, especially if the flowers are arranged in Oasis (green foam). Take a photo of the flowers, a close-up, if possible. Place them in an area where they will not be subject to cold or hot drafts and direct sunlight. Add water as needed (usually once per day). Some flowers drink up water more quickly than others, so check the arrangement several times.
If, on the next day, the flowers look wilted or have "bent-neck", call the florist as soon as possible, to lodge a complaint. But first, take another photo of the arrangement, showing the problem. That way, you will have a basis for comparison, and can offer to email both photos to the shop.
The shop should give you an immediate replacement, or a credit. If the flowers were a gift, you have to decide if you want to let the sender know that they were not good quality. Most people won't want to tell the sender, but I think you should, so they can complain and receive a credit. They might be embarrassed or mad about it, but they are certainly not to blame - especially if the flowers were sent from a distance and the sender had no way to judge the quality of the florist shop. Otherwise, they will think you were pleased, and will call that same shop for future deliveries.
Over the course of my career, I have worked for 7-8 different shops; most of which had a liberal credit policy, especially in the face of poor quality. Florists cannot always tell when flowers they receive from the wholesaler/shipper are not good quality. They expect to be called out for delivering poor quality flowers and in many cases, they can receive a credit for their purchase (or may already have).
The few florists I know who send out poor quality flowers and/or refuse to repair a problem like this are allowed to remain in business because people do not complain promptly or tell others about their experiences. You are doing everyone a favor when you don't let them get away with it!!
10 comments:
Good advice--I don't often receive flowers from far away, but have sent my share of them and have often wondered what I was really purchasing.
This is wonderful advice, Judy. Some years ago my brother sent flowers from a kind of lousy Florist---and they were just nothing! A friend was here when they arrived and he laughed when he saw them and said, "Who sent you THAT?"....I did call my brother to tell him because he was 3000 miles away--and he actually got angry with me, thinking I was criticizing him! Even though I said I wanted him to know because I was sure he paid good money for them....I think he finally realized I wasn't being critical of him---BUT, it caused quite a problem till he understood. And this was the second time he had used that same place and BOTH times the Flowers were just nothing....Skimpy and old, etc.
So, I agree with you 100%. Florists like that need to be "called" on thier arrangements...And by the way, the Floris denied there was anything wrong with the Flowers....OY!
I'm happy to say that all the flowers I have sent have been received with honest admiration! And the ones I have got have mostly been very good - its just that sometimes a particular flower seems to wilt before the others! I just carefully pull it out and shuffle the other blooms around!
Great advice Judy, especially the before and after photos. I think I would tell the sender if the florist did not make good. That would keep them from using that shop again.
Like O-lady of the Hills said, I would be hesitant because I did not want to sound like I was criticizing the person who sent them to me.
I received flowers last week and they are still so darn nice, I took many pictures of them last night. 7 days later! Yes, they drink up a LOT of water.
This is excellent advice and you are a good friend to take the time to give such a complete and interesting answer to the problem. I shall print this to keep in a file for future reference:)
The last flowers I received ended up all over the floor in four days, just in time for the housekeeper to vacuum it all up:(
Excellent tip!
Good advice Judy. Thanks! I received flowers for Mothers day and,as usual, I arranged them in a pretty vase and took a picture of them.
I always send a picture of flowers received with my thank you note because I feel the person who is sending them to you deserves to know what the arrangement they paid for looked like.
If I take real good care of them and change the water,etc. I take another picture and let the person who gave them to me see how nice and long they lasted and how much I appreciated them.
Nancy, you're doing it right!!
I don't think I've ever sent flowers but this is interesting information.
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