Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Top 5 Sure Fire Tips - How to Choose a Florist

#5 – Use Local Florists
When searching the internet for a florist, include the name of the city or delivery zip code with the word “flowers” or “florist”. This will help narrow your results down to florists in the area the flowers will be going. Find a florist that will actually take your order, make the flower arrangement and deliver them.

#4 – Avoid Call Centers

There are many call center operations out there that act as a middle man or broker to handle your flower order. Some are good and some are bad, but you can avoid extra service charges if you deal directly with a local florist. Prior to placing an order, confirm that the florist’s address is actually in the area the flowers are to be delivered. For example, if you are ordering flowers to be delivered in San Diego, CA, but the florist’s address is in New York, NY, then it’s pretty safe to say it’s not a local florist. If there is no address listed on the website, then you’ve probably reached a call center.

#3 – Delivery Proximity

Many times you can save on the delivery charge if you search for a florist that is located in the same zip code as the delivery address. There is also a better chance that your flowers will be delivered more promptly, especially for same day deliveries, if the florist is located close to the delivery address. There are some exceptions to the rule. Some florists with multiple delivery vehicles may actually be able to deliver more promptly than one that is located close to the delivery address, but only has one driver. For example, if a delivery driver is out on a far destination delivery run, it may take the driver a long time before she returns for the next delivery run. Whereas a florist with multiple drivers may have more flexibility to alter routes and may be able to better accommodate your delivery requests. Whenever you have a time delivery request, it’s always best to call the florist and mention this at the beginning.

#2 – Online Reputation

Check what others are saying about the florist(s) you are interested in using. There are many directories out there like Yelp, Google, Yahoo, etc… where you can read what people are saying about their experiences with them. This can be extremely helpful in making your decision. Search for the name of the florist along with the word “reviews” and many results will show up.

#1 – Unique Images

The number one complaint by consumers of florists is that the arrangement they ordered looked nothing like the image of the product represented on the website. If you can find a florist that uses unique images, this will help you better gauge what the flowers will actually look like. It will also give you a better feel for the florist’s style and quality of work. Many of the stock images seen on many florist websites are very difficult to replicate in “real life”. The arrangements in these photos are usually staged to look perfect. Also, many of the flowers used in stock images are not always available. The more substitutions made by the florist, the less chance the arrangement will look like the picture. It is fairly easy to tell when a florist is using their own photos for their products, be on the look out for this. If you’re uncertain, then call the florist and ask if the flowers are available in the picture of the product you are interested in. If not, find out what flowers they actually have available, this way you know exactly what you are paying for.

-Darrel
La Jolla Village Florist

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