Would you Screw Your Neighbour?

Our customers aren't numbers. They're real people. They're neighbours, friends, people that like us...and we like them. It's called a relationship!

A relationship that is built by being part of our customers' lives from birth, celebration, sickness, and in passing.

So why would you screw your neighbour, when your business depends on trust, honesty, & integrity?

Why would you deliver less than your best? Why would you promise something, and then it doesn't happen? Why would you do this time after time after time....to hundreds & thousands of customers?

Would you be happy if these sympathy flowers were sent to a funeral service?

This product was NOT delivered by a florist, but by a huge company that ships overnight in a box...to the funeral home.

But unfortunately, the flower industry is dominated by huge public companies, that have millions of customers.

Every year, late orders are accepted by these companies at the very end of major flower holidays like Christmas, Valentine's Day, and Mother's Day.

These huge companies know that florists are operating at their maximum. Towards the end of a flower holiday, there simply aren't the designers, the drivers, or even the flowers available.

Yet flower orders are still accepted, knowing there isn't a snowball's chance in hell of delivery happening.

So what if these orders are delivered a day or two, or three days late.

For some reason, these big companies find it acceptable. I call it screwing your neighbour.

But I don't think screwing your neighbour is a good business model in the long-term.

A good friend of mine named Fred Sarkari posted this quote on linkedin earlier today. I've received Fred's permission to re-print the quote, because it is SO true.

"Be kind to everyone you meet, it will strengthen bonds between friends and family and it will also drive your enemies crazy."

Given the above statement, hopefully Simon Says Roses is driving our enemies/competitors crazy (in a kind way)!

Christmas Shopping Nightmares!

I just received the following email from a customer, and it was like a lightbulb went off!

Now here was a way to avoid Christmas shopping nightmares (thanks Maria).

First though, here's the email:

"Frank, as per our conversation and according with the list that I am attaching, please quote for us the gourmet- Christmas baskets for our customers in South America. Thank you once again this year!!!

Maria J."

Attached was a list of corporations, the names of the individuals, addresses, phone numbers, greeting card messages, and the Product Order Codes for the gift baskets that Maria wanted to send.

What was neat was the destinations:

• Chile
• Argentina (2)
• Ecuador (2)
• Peru
• Uruguay
• Venezuela
• Costa Rica, and
• Mexico

Ten different recipients, in 8 different countries.

What was really efficient was in one simple email with an attached spreadsheet, Maria's Christmas shopping nightmares were avoided.

No long phone calls.

No cumbersome online order forms.

No searching for a florist in each and every city, hoping that they do quality work.

Just a simple email to simonsaysroses at shaw.ca

And once the prices are confirmed, all we have to do is phone Maria for her credit card details.

Sweet, simple, and very, very efficient.

And now her shopping was out of the way.

This is something that many of our customers might consider, for multiple destinations around town, Christmas flowers across Canada, or even in Maria's case...around the world!

 Now I just need to promote the service! ;)

Did We Forget to Ask?

Please, I really do want your business.

There, I said it!

Did I offend anyone?

We go to mixers, meetups, and network like crazy. We volunteer with the local Chamber of Commerce and with Rotary.

We share information with anyone that's interested in the flower business through Social Media.

But it seems with all the niceties in Social Media with "liking", "linking", and "following" we've forgotten the most important thing about being in business.

We've forgotten to simply ask "please, can we do business together"?

It's not that tough, but it's something we so often forget in trying not to offend.

So please, check out my Social Media platforms and website:

• Facebook:   https://www.facebook.com/SimonSaysRoses
• Twitter:   https://twitter.com/SimonSaysRoses
• Blog:   http://www.flower-delivery-in-canada.blogspot.ca/
• LinkedIn:   http://www.linkedin.com/in/simonsaysrosesflorists
• Google+:   https://plus.google.com/104638910184933637960/posts
• YouTube:  http://www.youtube.com/user/SimonSaysRoses/videos 
• And of course our website:   http://www.simonsaysroses.com/ 

"Ask, and Thou shalt receive". Conversely if we don't ask, we won't get any business.

So thanks in advance for doing business with Simon Says Roses Florists.

We sure do appreciate it!

Just Leave it at the Door!

We've heard it so many times.

Just leave the flowers at the door, somebody will be home.

Sure...O.K.

But I vividly remember the elderly gentleman calling from Whitehorse wanting something sent to Grand Forks.

We were told to simply leave it at the door. Don't call first. Somebody will surely be home.

Leaving something at the door is not something a florist wants to do. After all, we're dealing with flowers which are perishable. Out of water, they die.

It's not like Canada Post or UPS that simply drop off a package.

We like making arrangements with the recipient to find out when THEY want the flowers delivered.

It's the personal touch that florists are known for.

But sometimes the sender doesn't want to ruin the surprise, so we follow instructions.

In the case of the flowers in Grand Forks?

The recipient went on a holiday for two weeks, and came home to...

The sender had no idea that she was out of the country, and neither did we.

This was not good...not good at all.

And regardless of what the sender wanted, it's a really poor reflection on the florist, don't you think?

Even though in this case, it was no fault of our own...*sigh*...

Why Floral Holidays Suck!

So here's my rant.

Thanksgiving, Christmas, Mother's Day, Valentine's Day.

All major holidays.

Sure it's these special times when we florists make the most money.

But after 20 years of selling flowers in Canada, it's taking its toll.

These so-called "floral holidays" are a time when most people are surrounded by friends, family, & loved ones.

Not florists, and especially not me.

Outside of immediate family, most of my family lives either one or even two provinces away.

I never see them at Christmas or Thanksgiving, unless they come and see me. And that's rare.

Because these floral holidays are when we work the hardest.

Our customers want to celebrate, and we have to be there for them.

When everyone else is relaxing, having a great meal, and taking it easy, florists are running off their feet making flower arrangements, constructing fruit baskets, and getting delivery drivers organized.

No time off for us.

And when we're finished, we're so exhausted that we can't enjoy the holiday.

Yes, it's my choice to be a florist, but I still think floral holidays suck.

Now I can get off my soap box and get back to work...

And the Winner of the Business Integrity Award is...

in·teg·ri·ty/inˈtegritē/

Noun:

The quality of being honest and having strong moral principles; moral uprightness.

Simon Says Roses was recently nominated for a WestShore Chamber of Commerce Community Award for Business Integrity. 

We didn't have high expectations.

Our fellow nominees were excellent candidates, operating very reputable businesses.

To be blunt, we didn't think we had a "snow balls chance in hell"!

But the award ceremonies were held last Friday night, and...

We won!

Shocked, humbled, thrilled, amazed...Dale & I felt all of these emotions & more.

To think that our flower & gift customers felt motivated to nominate us. For the Selection Committee to pick our business. To receive the award in front of over 220 fellow business people.

Wow.

It certainly feels good.

It lets us know that after 20 years of business that we're still on the right path.

And for that we only have one word.

Thanks.

Google search for Toronto florists is useless!

Looking for Toronto florists on Google? How about Vancouver florists? Montreal florists?

You end up with very similar results. Hundreds of possibilities and too much information!

When you are far away, how do you know the best flower shop in Canada? Would you know the best place for flower delivery in Toronto? Do you know the brand name of a Montreal florist? Do you limit your search to the closest Vancouver florist to the recipient's address? That's no guarantee of quality!

That's the problem when do don't have a relationship with florists in Canada.

Chances are you really don't know the best florist for your order. It's a crap shoot.

But at Simon Says Roses, we know the best...and we're not bragging.

From our shop, we send thousands of orders for flowers in Canada every year.

Some shops in major cities get hundreds of orders from us.

We've developed a relationship with florists. It's not just a one shot order. It's a series of orders over many years.

And they're not going to screw it up, because they may lose these orders if problems persist.

That's not to say that problems don't occur, because they do. It's what the shop is willing to do when problems happen that separates good flower shops from bad ones. Shops that phone every day when a customer is not home, to ensure hand delivery. Shops that simply won't leave something at the door with talking to the recipient. Shops that may send out the wrong product, but immediately send the correct product...at no charge.

That's the quality florists in Canada that we deal with every day.

It's what are customers have come to expect...and they should!