My husband hearts Reader's Digest (aka RD). When I woke up this morning there was an article on the kitchen counter he'd ripped out of the magazine titled "13 Things Your Florist Won't Tell You". As I read the article I was perplexed because literally all 13 things I tell my customers on an almost daily basis. So, I thought I'd put it out there for all to see - "13 Things April Flowers WILL Tell You".....
1. Please don't order flowers from ANYONE online. When you place an order online that company sends us the order and keeps $15-50 worth of your money as a convenience fee. Always call someone local. Actually just call me @ 805-541-8787.
2. Fridays and Saturdays ARE good days to ask for specials. We do want to turn over product to start fresh on Monday morning. P.S. At our shop we receive local and imported flowers 5 days a week.
3. RD said your florist won't tell you to "cut the stems at an angle and change the water at least ever other day. And use the floral preservative we give you". Every time someone leaves the shop they hear almost those exact words. A customer who follows those instructions has their flowers longer. This = happy customer. Happy customer = repeat customer.
4. Of course you need to wash out your vases with soap and water. Eeewww if you didn't.
5. I am always happy to tell you that just a couple drops of bleach added into the vase of water helps keep the bacteria down in your water which, in turn, keeps your flowers fresher longer. Those little preservative packets aren't cheap so I'd prefer if you'd use your own bleach anyway!
6. This one is a good one. RD says your florist won't tell you "To look closely at the bottom of the blossom on your rose. See how many petals have been removed. The more ripped petals you see, the older the rose is." Just don't sell old roses to begin with and you don't have to worry about someone checking to see how many petals have been pulled off.
7. Why on earth would I NOT tell you to bring back your old basic clear glass vases and I will recycle them. Bring them, I will recycle them and I will thank you for saving me some money!
8. Why wouldn't your florist tell you that fruit is the enemy - it really is. The ethylene gas is no good for flowers and turns them brown. I just told a customer that today about the rose petals he purchased.
9. Direct and hot sun will kill flowers - you don't need someone to tell you that but I will if you were to ask.
10. RD says your florist won't tell you to ask for a discount. Ask me...I dare you!
11. Okay, this is a good one for the upcoming Valentine's day (already? yes.). RD says your florist won't tell you "you can buy cheaper V-day roses at the gas station but they will die the next day because they've been cut for weeks." What business owner in their right mind would not share this information. It's all about education and quality. Educate your customers and offer a quality product it's a winning combo.
12. RD claims your florist won't tell you "Many flowers don't have scent since they are grown for long stems and lengthy vase life instead." I have nothing cleaver to say on this one except my customer are constantly commenting on how great the shop smells!
13. I will definitely tell my customers that I think Valentine's day is a "hallmark holiday" you should express your love year round. But hey it's the #1 profiting holiday so I don't mind if you only profess your love once a year. Go ahead - profess and profess big!
