Poorly peddled petals
Thursday, June 17, 2010 at 01:44AM 
Only send the real thing. Photo Jennifer Weber 2010So you already know it was my anniversary on Wednesday.
What you didn't know is, for the first June 16th since 1978 -- before we began dating -- TG and I did not see one another.
He's been working out of town and won't be home until Friday.
I've got expedited transcripts so it was a working day for me too.
Early in the afternoon I was in my office in the downstairs rear of the house, wearing headphones, transcribing South Carolina Bubbatalk, when the call came in on my cell.
It was a florist, and he had a delivery for me. TG had told them they needed to call first; I'd never hear the doorbell through the headphones and Bubbaspeak.
The deliveryman said he'd be on my front porch in thirty minutes. I thanked him and ran to make myself presentable for viewing -- however briefly -- by a human being.
(Javier doesn't count because, as long as there's kibble in his dish and someplace to flop down and sleep, he could care less if I wear my nightgown all day.)
Happy Half-Hours Waiting For Flowers
I did a few things in the kitchen and had progressed to sweeping the front walk when the perky white-and-green floral delivery van arrived.
Since I was already in the yard, I met the deliveryman at the car, still holding onto my broom.
Which, no matter what you hear, I do not ride.
I hopped from foot to foot in an ecstasy of anticipation while he opened the doors and walked around the van, checking all the cards.
He came back around to the side where I was standing. He was empty-handed.
"I must've forgotten your flowers," he said.
I stared. Forgotten? My flowers? He called a half hour ago to say he was bringing them right over!
"Will you be home all day?" he asked.
I said I would. (What if I'd said I wouldn't?)
He said he'd be back later. (What else could he say?)
Bloom And Doom
I got back inside before I started crying.
I know! I know it was foolish! Such a small, insignificant thing!
But my TG wasn't here and then there were going to be flowers and my girlish heart was all aflutter and then there were no flowers, and everybody else's had to get delivered before I could have mine.
By the way … the florist's shop is a scant mile from my house. It would have taken the deliveryman in his perky green-and-white PT Cruiser under ten minutes to retrieve my flowers.
But that wasn't important. Not to him. My flowers could wait. I could wait. It would be my thirty-first wedding anniversary all day and he had to consider the whims of other stems.
I sent the florist an email. I said I wasn't exactly complaining but just wanted to point out that flowers are both highly symbolic and very expensive, and every flower order should be handled with the utmost sensitivity and discretion.
The florist did not favor me with a response.
Blossoms Playing Possum
I love you bunches. Photo Jennifer Weber 2010The flowers arrived just after four o'clock. It was a truly beautiful arrangement but you won't believe … there were three fake gardenias amongst the white hydrangeas, red roses, and eucalyptus.
TG requested gardenias be added to my bouquet but there weren't any, so the florist offered to substitute pretend ones, which in my opinion he should never have done because they looked ridiculous.
I took them out.
Gardenias are like love. Faux? No. Give me the real thing or nothing.
The roses were a little worse for wear too, since they'd spent all day in the cooler, pining for me. A shrivel here, a split petal there.
Do you know what it costs to send flowers these days?
That time when I contacted the florist, I used the phone. And I did complain.
All I got was excuses. They were busy. The roses were fine. The phony gardenias weren't their fault. I was being unreasonable.
People who push petals for a living should be more than order-takers. They should understand that to a flower -- or a lady waiting for flowers -- three hours is a long time.
And fake flowers don't belong in a bouquet of fresh ones.
Flowers are emotionally charged markers of uber-sentimental occasions.
Treat them like ticking time bombs.
Reader Comments (16)
My daughter worked for a florist for several years and I have heard her talk enough about it to know that this is not the way it should be done, and you were not being unreasonable. Also - even if the flowers were in the cooler all day, they should be looking fresh - not shriveled. Poor Customer service, I would say.
First of all, Happy Anniversary!
I gave one floral shop two chances on what, at the time, seemed like important moments and occasions. They muffed both. When I spoke with them -- first by phone, then in person -- I got the same response both times: "we're busy here, mistakes happen, get over it. Shall we reschedule?".
Their last muff was in '03. I never given them another chance. Others must have had a similar experience: where they were, is now a karate school ;-)
@ Mari ... I agree. TG said the same thing as you .... the wait should not have aged the flowers. They were poor quality to begin with. There are so many florists out there who treat each order with the utmost care ... it's a shame not all of them do.
@ SF ... a karate school ... LOLOLOLOL! Sounds like the flowers caught a break. Isn't it amazing how nonchalant merchants can be when it's YOUR time, money, and feelings that have been trampled?
First off, once again, a very happy anniversary to both you and Mr. Greg! Even though it was yesterday, since you two aren't celebrating together until tomorrow, I think you should be serenaded with "happy anniversary" by everyone you know for three consecutive days. :)
Secondly, I might be a guy (hopefully this was obvious to everyone), but I once dated a girl who was a florist for two years. She would talk about flower arrangements and, yes, drag me inside every florist shop we happened upon. So, even though I'm a guy, EVEN I KNOW the way this florist operated was a no-no. Forgetting flowers? Fake gardenias? Shriveled roses? EXCUSES rather than "we're sorry(s)"? Tsk, tsk, tsk. Bad form, Something Special Florists.
"Something Special" my hiney.
@ kev ... your parting shot made me laugh out loud. Thanks for that, friend. I sometimes don't know if I'm being unreasonable because when you get all emotional about romance, it beclouds your vision. Or at least that's what happens to me. The very fact that he "forgot" to bring my flowers on the first run is, to me, all but unforgivable. The only way to pull it out at that point was to IMMEDIATELY go back and get my order, and maybe even add something to it by way of sincere apology. Instead, everyone I dealt with at that establishment let me know in no uncertain terms that they accepted not a scintilla of responsibility for the flower fiasco.
p.s. thanks for your continued congratulations! LOLOL ... we plan to have a marvelous time on our date tomorrow night! I like the idea of extended celebrations.
Girl...Sorry to hear this! I don't really care to get flowers most days. They are so beautiful but die so quickly. BUT, when I get them I think i've just won the lottery or something! So exciting and they smell so good!
@ Crystal ... I'm like you; flowers once a year is plenty for me. They're so expensive and they do die so soon ... but so much fun to receive, and glorious to look at while they're fresh, and the smell is divine. In this arrangement, what makes it incredible is the eucalyptus. I love the way that smells!
@Jenny: Glad I could make you laugh. :)
I don't think you were overly emotional at all. You gave them TWO chances to do right by you. You didn't demand free stuff or give the delivery guy a (too) hard of a time for FORGETTING YOUR FLOWERS (!). It was only later, after the flowers were delivered and you saw they were...well, lacking did you call and give them the what's what! I think you were very reasonable and restrained.
The motto "The customer is always right" is one this particular florist needs to learn and recite daily. Explanations are okay; excuses are not okay. And when you give the customer an explanation, there needs to be a "we're sorry" and a "what can we do to make it up to you" attached along with it!
This is why, frugal guy that I am, I plan on growing my own flowers in my backyard once I'm married. I'll eliminate the incompetent florists from the equation!
"Are these the roses from our backyard," my wife will ask.
"Yep," I will respond.
"Happy birthday, sweetie."
(Yes, I'm joking!)
@ kev ... actually I guffawed at your funny! It was spontaneous and heartfelt! I love it when that happens! Furthermore, I fully agree with that "customer is always right" thing. As I pointed out to the guy on the other end of the line at Something Not So Special, I am a court reporter whose product and services are purchased by attorneys. Imagine if, being told by an attorney that he needed such-and-such with regard to a transcript, and step on it because he needed it pronto, I told him that it just wasn't possible and he'd have to live with whatever I delivered within my specified time frame.
It wouldn't be long before I'd be out of work.
Imagine if you made excuses to those who contract for the services of your agency. Told them they'd have to get in line because although you dropped the ball with respect to their needs, you had no intention of picking it up and running with it until customer x, y, z were cared for. My guess is, you'd get a memo from a higher-up telling you to straighten up and fly right, or else clean out your desk.
But in some professions, treating the customer like someone who is beholden to you as the service or goods provider, instead of the other way around, is deemed acceptable by those in that industry. Or at least some of them. My impression of this florist is that they really didn't need my business; it was just another order among dozens of orders, and they could "afford" to leave me unhappy.
But they're wrong. That kind of thing catches up with you when you least expect it.
Now, as to growing flowers for your wife, when you have one? Not a bad idea at all. It's a charming idea. I predict she'll love it and love you for it!
Oh!!! I'm Sorry he made you cry!! (((HUG))) I've got a flatbed pick up and know several burly men.....No?Hahaaaa
TACKY FAKE FLOWERS! GirlChild, I would have been pi**ed too!!
Friday is Almost here... ;o)
hughugs
@ Donna ... girl he had me sobbing! It was so silly! Yeah, send the men and the flatbed down ... I think we need to teach somebody a lesson they won't soon forget! LOLOL you know I'm just kiddin' ... yes, Friday ... ahhh, I'm counting the hours.
Happy anniversary despite the hitches, from someone who's in year 41.
Thanks for stopping by, Happy Anniversary to you as well. You did the right thing about the flowers. Isn't it funny, I had roses and gardenias in my bouquet as well. Real ones.
@ Anvilcloud ... thank you! I've enjoyed your stories and pictures about and of the precocious Nikki Dee! Being a grandparent myself, I know how you feel. =:~D
@ Irene ... no ... thank YOU for stopping by! I love your blog, and not just because we share a wedding anniversary! BTW we know another couple who got married just a few hours after us. Truly love was in the air. You carried gardenias? REAL ONES? How very inspired! LOLOLOL =:~D
Happy Anniversary. Here is my gift to you: http://www.proflowers.com
This is not a paid endorsement, but once you use these people you will never use anyone else again. Not only are the flowers fresh, they last longer than anyone else, AND the biggest surprise of all is that they are cheaper than everyone else, even ROSES!
I assume they are cheaper because they cut out the middleman (which is also why they are fresher). The only thing is, you don't get the flowers all arranged for you (which might also be why they are cheaper). They come in a FedEx box and they do come with a vase, but you have to put them in the vase yourself, so as long as you don't have a problem with that, you will be SO happy with these flowers. I swear they should pay me for the amount I recommend them.
@ Margaret ... LOL you won't believe this but two Valentine's Days ago TG used ProFlowers to send me one dozen roses. They arrived just as you said: on my doorstep in a FedEx box and the vase and everything was in there, including a snack envelope formulated especially for roses. (This experience was not without precedent because my daughter had received roses from ProFlowers .... uh, three ... no, TWO boyfriends ago! LOL! They all run together.) Anyway, incredibly, these roses were very much NOT in the shape they should have been. At least half of them were withered. Well, you know me ... I got on the horn and called ProFlowers and would you believe, they sent me not one but TWO DOZEN perfect roses to replace the few bad roses ... and they did it pronto, and with a smile I could hear over the phone. I was most impressed.
I do not know why TG didn't use them this time. Perhaps a lecture is in order. LOLOL I think ProFlowers should use you and the goats in a commercial! The goats could be tasting the roses. Just a thought. =:~D