Don't Leave Voice Mail...I Don't Return Calls

This is a tough one to deal with.

"Don't leave a message...I won't return your call".

As florists, we want to call first to arrange for delivery every time possible.

Sure we can leave flowers at the door, but we all know about Canadian floral arrangements and weather..Don't forget the animals as well!

Snow, wind, hail, monsoon rains...not to mention deer eating the flowers, and yes...even a dog peeing on them!

It turns out our recipient was hard of hearing, and her message on voice mail clearly stated that she was not going to return our call.

Sooooo...we told the delivery service to send the order anyway. He tried knocking, but she couldn't hear him, so he left it tucked next to her door. Sometimes you just have to take chances. He HAD to leave it at the door, as we didn't want to miss her birthday and the gift was from her son overseas.

Then...we emailed the sender notifying him that delivery had been made to her door.

He thanked us for our efforts, and then emailed his Mom telling her that her gift was waiting for her once she opened her door.

Voila!

Another "different" delivery, completed without a hitch and "Mom" got her birthday flowers on time.

WHEW!

Why Next Day Delivery on Gourmet Food & Fruit Baskets?

It's (relatively) easy when you want to deliver flowers, as the "raw materials" are sitting in a flower cooler, waiting for the designer to work his/his magic and construct an arrangement.

But gourmet & fruit basket delivery in Canada by Simon Says Roses is a whole different ball game.

We need time, and some things take more time than others.

The last thing we want to send is rotting fruit or stale chips, and we can't store the raw materials in our floral coolers.

Fruit (& especially apples) generate ethylene gas as they ripen.

Ethylene kills flowers.

So when we get an order for fruit or gourmet, we have to go shopping to ensure the freshest product possible. That takes time

We drive to the grocer or specialty market, and hand-pick each item that goes into the basket. That takes time.

We have to return to shop, wash & dry the fruit, and then arrange the items in the wicker basket, including cellophane wrapping and tying off with a bow. Again...more time.

Then the order is finally ready for delivery...but the driver has already gone with the last orders of the day.

Give us that one day lead time and we'll get it right, because it's our job to make YOU look good!

Seriously...Free Flower Delivery?

Free delivery is just a marketing ploy.

Because it seems like a great deal...but it's not.

WOW! No delivery charge when sending out flowers, gourmet food baskets, balloons or fruit baskets anywhere in Canada...nice try...

But is "free" really "free"?

Think about it.

What does it take to make a flower delivery in Canada?

• a driver's wages & benefits
• gas & oil for the vehicle
• vehicle repairs & maintenance
• insurance
• a GPS system so they know where the heck they're going

...and the last time I checked, these costs are going up all the time. With gas, sometimes 2 or 3 times in the same day.

So how can it be free?

Some of our deliveries are out in the "boonies". There's no chance that there are 3 or 4 deliveries to the same area. It might be a half an hour to the destination, and another half hour back to the delivery centre.

An hour round trip, for free?

At Simon Says Roses, we've tried to average our costs by charging a flat $9.99 delivery fee...which we haven't changed in the last 5 years. One some orders we make money, and some we don't.

But free?

NOT GOING TO HAPPEN!

So if you see a competitor offering free delivery...know that their delivery costs are being paid for in other areas...and it might be in the value of the flowers in the arrangement, or the price was inflated to begin with!

Florists in Canada do Baby Baskets?

Of course florists do flowers...but baby baskets for delivery in Canada?

Here is an email from the baby's father, forwarded to me by the sender (copied here with the sender's permission).


Subject: Prince Henry says Thanks for the basket of goodies...

Weighing in at 52.4 lbs, the gift basket is approximately 7.90 times Prince Henry's weight, rounded to one decimal place.

Due to his lack of teeth, the prince has decided to allow his subjects to partake in its deliciousness.  In particular, one subject who indirectly provides him food is supposed to be given preference ;=).

The prince has informed us he would love to come to Toronto someday in person to thank you properly.  He is still learning how to travel via car seat and stroller, but looks forward to using an airplane.

Thanks again for such a lovely gift. 

I attached a couple of photos for scale (ha ha).

The plush rabbit is larger than the baby...

 

...and the basket itself weighed over 52 lbs.!