October 18, 2007
1-800 Flowers Be Damned
I have dealt with incompetence in my life, but never to the degree that I have encountered with 1-800 Flowers. I would sooner bury my own mother with daisies from the back yard than have to deal with this company again.
My eight year old granddaughter was in an accident and air evacuated to a Portland Hospital. She suffered a depressed head fracture, went through emergency surgery, and spent a day and a half in ICU before being stable enough for a regular hospital room. Distraught about being hundreds of miles away in California, I did what any grandmother would do, I sent flowers. 1-800 Flowers is always talking about the ease with which one can go on line, find the right bouquet, and happily after giving all the right information, deliver flowers to the address provided in a timely manner.
The flowers were to be delivered on Oct. 16th. They were not. I tried the tracking number routine and it simply looped me back to the same page with no answer. I found a message on the copy of the bill that I had printed out. It said “To ensure you receive all your 1-800 Flowers.Com. emails regarding orders placed with us, including order and delivery confirmations please ad susserv@reply.1800flowers.com to your address book now. I immediately followed the direction. No emails except ones wanting to sell me Sweetie Day flowers came through.
Early in the evening, I found the number to call for customer service. Now you all know the routine, “Press One if you want……..press two for etc. I pressed the correct button and got another sutomated voice. I was to give my confirmation number ALL 14 OR 15 DIGITS. I did and the automated voice said sweetly, ” I do not understand”. I calmly and distinctly repeated the numbers. The second time the automated voice repeated them back and then said, “I do not understand”. By the third or fourth repeat of this ridiculous conversation with a machine, I was given a real person named Lynn.
Lynn sweetly told me the flowers hadn’t been delivered. No explanation why. It was too late to call the florist or I got the impression it was too late. Anyway, it would be delivered the next day. We ended with my saying that my granddaughter was no longer in ICU but in Room 47. Lynn assured me she would get that message to the florist. I talked with my daughter and affirmed to her that the flowers would arrive the next day.
After a sleepless night of worry about my granddaughter, the sun rose on the new day. When I called at noon to check on her condition, no flowers had been delivered. A second call was made between 2 and 3 PM. I tried to get Lynn again, but someone named Charles attested that he could help. He called the florist while I hung on and listened to the gawd-awful slaughter of a good classical piece of music. Charles came back and assured me the flowers were on the truck to be delivered. He said that they couldn’t be delivered the day before because there is no delivery to ICU.
Questions I asked him included; Why I wasn’t told that the night before by Lynn when I said the child was being moved out of ICU into room 47 that flowers could not be delivered to ICU.? ICU was clearly a part of the address. Didn’t they all play by the same rules? He didn’t know. I asked where on the 1-800 Flowers Site was there a cautionary statement about flowers not being accepted in ICU’s.? He put me on hold with the gawd-awful music and came back a few minutes later, and said there wasn’t anything on the website about not delivering to ICU. So next I asked, “When the people at 1-800 Flowers saw an address that clearly stated ICU why didn’t they email me? When the flowers were not delivered why was I not notified? He suggested I try the Track your Order System. I assured him this was a great idea however, Track Your Order was not functioning. Not once, not twice, but everytime I tried. For some reason I felt a need to assure him I was computer literate. The problem was at 1-800 Flowers not on my end of the line.
By this time, we have the flowers supposedly on a truck ready to be delivered at any time. Hours go by and I make more phone calls to my daughter. No flowers have arrived. I pick up the phone and make another call to Customer Service. Once again the automated voice and I go through the whole routine and of course she never does totally understand the confirmation number. Talk about technology at its worst. Finally with some kind of robot mentality she redirects me to a real person.
This time it is Jillian. I don’t even try to get Lynn or Charles who already know my story. I just bravely go through the whole thing again and you can tell by my voice that I am not a happy camper. Jillian listens, put me on hold (Same gawd-awful music) and called the Florist. Guess what, the flowers are on the truck. I ask if the truck is pulled by a 29 mule team. Jillian either doesn’t understand or lacks a sense of humor.
I am no longer and probably haven’t been for quite awhile, an expemplatory customer. I ask to speak to a Manager or a Department Head. I honestly am not certain what Jillian said, but she put me on hold to suffer through close to ten minutes of the gawd-awful music and then tells me there was only one Department Head and she was not available at that time. She suggested I call corporate offices, but not now because it is after business hours. I should call tomorrow. She said I would get a receptionist who would direct me to the right person. In my mind I thought, “Here goes the old run around. No way, am I going to spend time trying to find someone over in corporate who will talk to me.” I told Jillian that I want someone to call me She assured me that a Department Head would call tomorrow. Since it was after 6PM and I had not heard of a flower delivery yet, I didn’t have faith that I would receive a call the next day.
Sending flowers is supposed to be a fun thing, a way to show concern and love, not a triathlon of phone calls resulting in broken promises and inept competence. The last thing my daughter, my granddaughter, or myself needed during this crisis was the agitation caused by 1-800 Flowers. Jillian ended our conversation with “You have a wonderful evening.” I do hope she hung up before my use of the swear word, “s___!”
From now on I am following my daughter-in-laws competent way of sending flowers. She simply goes on the internets yellow pages, finds a florist near where she wants to send the flowers and call and orders them. Oh if I only been so wise! To add insult to injury, this same daughter-in-law sent me flowers on Tuesday. When I called to thank her, she said, “Mom, I am so surprised. I only ordered them two hours ago.”
Update: My beautiful granddaughter Jade is doing well. The flowers arrived, albeit nearly two days late, and my daughter said they were quite nice. Would you believe that on the backside of the lovely note that I had written was an ad for 15% off when you join the Fresh Rewards Club. Since when is it a good practice to advertise on the back of a gift card? I don’t know why I would expect more after all it is 1-800 Flowers - a number I soon hope to forget.
(Visited 3963 times)
First let me say I’m glad Jade is doing better. Next I understand your frustration at the I don’t understand routine. The helplessness you feel is quite understandable. I for one won’t be using 1-800-flowers ever after your session with them.
October 18, 2007 @ 9:05 amMary,
Thank you. Jade is on her way home and thank goodness, she should recover without serious problems.
As to 1-800 Flowers, I am so fed up. . . of course there has been no call this morning from a manager or department head as promised.
They have my money and that is the end of their concern.
What if this had been, God forbid, a funeral. Would the flowers have arrived at 6PM and a day late for the funeral?
Unfortunately, we have lost those special customer relations that made shopping a personal experience.
October 18, 2007 @ 11:22 amMaria -
Your post came across my Google Reader so I thought I’d try and enlighten you about what happened to your order from a local florist’s perspective.
First, let me say I too am glad that Jade is doing better and I’m sure your flowers brightened her day.
The vast majority of hospitals do not permit flowers in ICU. It’s done for the patients’ safety since the staff wants nothing in the way should they need to make quick responses. Once a patient is moved to a regular room, the flowers are scheduled for delivery.
Had you called a local florist direct, you would have been advised of this since it’s part of our routine to inform customers about deliveries to ICU. Many local florists also explain this on their websites.
By dealing with a call center instead of direct with the florist that will deliver your flowers, you’ll sacrifice “those special customer relations that made shopping a personal experience”. There is no personal relationship since as you point out, you can’t even speak with the same rep twice.
About the 15% off coupon printed on the back of your sweet greeting - it’s a perfect example of how the desire to market overrides customer respect.
October 18, 2007 @ 1:36 pmCathy,
I certainly have learned my lesson. I am not through with 1-800 Flowers. I have a complaint filed with Consumer Affairs and will do another with Better Business Bureau. I have written to both the CEO and the Pres. of the company and will send the letters registered mail.
I have never been more frustrated than by the lack of customer concern shown by this business.
At least one bright spot this afternoon is having you drop by my blog. Please come and visit again.
October 18, 2007 @ 1:51 pmFirst of all - I am glad your granddaughter is feeling better. Secondly, I am a local retail florist. The service you would have gotten be dealing with and working with a local florist would have saved you tons of grief and worry.
October 18, 2007 @ 4:15 pmThere is a website that highlights and explains in full the tactics of 1-800-Flowers and their kind.
If you ever have the need to send flowers again….please speak with a local florist. We are uniquely qualified with the skills, artistry, and knowledge to make your flower shopping everything it should be and more.
If you need to contact a local florist - one great source is http://www.aifd.org
You will find floral designers all over the nation and the woorld aboe to help you in any way you need.
I neglected to mention the website in my previous post. It is http://www.floristdetective.com
October 18, 2007 @ 4:16 pmRick,
Thanks for sending me the florist detective website. It is a wealth of consumer information about flower fraud. I also book marked the aifd site for contacting a local florist.
I probably won’t send flowers for awhile, but both you and Cathy whose comment is above yours, strengthen my belief in business people who care about their customers.
Again thank you and come back and visit my blog anytime.
October 18, 2007 @ 4:39 pmSo happy that your sweet Jade is better. It is hard enough for you to be far away and then have to try and deal with the flower deliver incompetence. I hope you have written to your credit card company and requested a credit for the unsatisfactory and incomplete service from 1-800-Flowers. Go direct to the credit card company and forget dealing with that shoddy bunch.
October 18, 2007 @ 7:40 pmMaria, thanks for alerting me to your post. I am so glad to hear that Jade is out of ICU.
Services (and I use the term loosely) like the one you used are simply order takers, not florists, nor are they really afiliated with florists. They take orders, pass them on to a florist (who will give them a discount) and take a HEFTY cut off the top, leaving you with a much lesser value arrangement than if you had ordered them directly from a nearby florist.
Our local florist association is trying hard to get them outlawed in our state. They don’t provide good service (as you found out) and by dealing directly with a florist in the area of the delivery, you cut out the middleman.
If you want to send flowers to a distant place, and you are unfamiliar with a good florist there, call a local florist with whom you are familiar, and let them arrange for a delivery with a florist in that area, through their wire services. That is not foolproof, but it is much better than using the one you called. Otherwise, you can use the computer to find a reputable florist in that area, and order directly.
I am so sorry that you had this happen, but it can be a learning experience for everyone who reads your blog.
I do hope you will follow through with your letters to the BBB and the president of that company. If it were me, I would also send those letters to the newspaper in your area. Everyone needs to know about that company.
October 18, 2007 @ 8:02 pmAnnie,
October 18, 2007 @ 8:13 pmThanks for the credit card advice. I will talk with my bank tomorrow. The only problem is that the flowers finally were delivered and accepted.
Judy,
This afternoon, I sent registered letters to James McCann the CEO of 1-800 Flowers and to their president Chris McCann. I will file with BBB in the morning, and I have already sent my complaint to the Consumer Affairs Group.
I will have to shorten my letter if I send it to our local paper. I agree that everyone needs to know about the rip-off from companies like this one.
Thanks for your insight.
October 18, 2007 @ 8:19 pmi hope you a better experience in sending flowers next time. And glad to hear that your grand daughter has recovered.
October 18, 2007 @ 8:22 pmMay,
Thank you for commenting. Jade is far from recovery. It takes a long time to recover from a head fracture and surgery to remove a small bone piece from the brain. She is however, out of the hospital and resting at home.
I looked at your site and it looks too much like 1-800 Flowers for me to be comfortable using it. Sorry, but from now on I will avoid using websites such as yours and 1-800 Flowers and rely on independent florists.
October 18, 2007 @ 8:40 pmHi Maria, thats an awful tale of incompetence but at least it stopped you dwelling on Jades condition for a while.
October 19, 2007 @ 7:00 amPeter,
You are very insightful and I realize that I have diffused my worries about Jade by taking on this company.
I told the second or third person at talked to at 1-800 Flowers that I was retired and had all the time in the world to write letters of complaint if the need arose.
I am not a horse person, but have always encouraged my children and granddaughter in whatever sport or activity they want to pursue. Jade loves to ride and if that love continues then I feel I must cheer her on. It was very much a freak accident.
However, there is a place in my heart that says I hope she takes up something else. Does this make me a bad grandmother?
Life sure feels complicated sometimes.
October 19, 2007 @ 7:17 amHi Maria
Since you had such a hard time with 1-800-flowers I thought you would get a kick out of Ronni’s special post today about the “hammer lady.”
Enjoy
October 19, 2007 @ 9:42 amThanks Millie,
October 19, 2007 @ 11:58 amI went to Roni’s blog http://www.timegoesby.net/ and to the link for the story. Oh if only I had a hammer and Carle Place, NY where 1-800 Flowers has its offices was not so far awy, I think I would follow her great example. This lack of customer relations and total absurdity to customer needs, that music they play while you are on hold, not to mention the automation etc. is enough to make the non-violent among us flip out and grab the hammer. To make all of this really funnier my maiden name is the same as their name.
~~~Doesn’t it just drive you up a wall when someone very dear to you is not well and you have to add such a horrific experience (the flowers) to your worry???
I’ll bet you will receive a soapy, not-quite-believable letter from a corporate suit ‘tsk-tsking’ about how sorry he/she is about your experience…..let us all know how it turns out. But first, I have a hunch we will all be back to find out when Jade will be home and recuperating well.
October 19, 2007 @ 12:49 pmI forgot to tell you about an experience I had not long after I met my birth mother. I got a phone call that she was in the hospital with a broken bone. I called a flower shop here in town and asked them to contact one in my home town, and send flowers to my birth mom, with a card saying get well soon. The next day, she got a birthday arrangement with balloons saying happy birthday (and it was not near her birthday). After I found out about it, I called that flower shop and told them about the mix-up and they could not have cared any less. I made sure that everyone in that town heard what happened.
Take comfort in the fact that now, whenever someone g*ogle’s 1-800-flowers, they will get your post along with the other stuff!!
October 19, 2007 @ 6:40 pmadvertising on the back of the card??? that’s just the last nail in their coffin as far as i’m concerned.
i am so glad to hear your grandduaghter is okay. that is the most important thing in all of this.
October 20, 2007 @ 1:21 pmI tried to leave a long comment but had a problem…(LOL) Frustration all over the place…)
Basically what I said was this:
This is a horrendous story….! What Judy advised is actually what I do. My regular florist here is who I call….at least there is some kind of recourse if something goes wrong….or barring that, I try to find a florist myself in the local area where the flowers are going. Again, there is recourse.
October 20, 2007 @ 6:26 pmEverything is like this now. Everything. Frustration and stress when yiu don’t need it, especially in this case….!
I hope yiur dear grandaughter is feeling a bit better today.
I’m just now getting to this post Maria….it’s been one of those weeks.
Good God….you hit one of ‘those’ technical nightmare loops that we all pray never to encounter. I’m so sorry that it had to be at an already stressful time for you. I think you were more than a patient customer….you deserve a huge pat on the back sweetie.
I’m very glad to hear that Jade is doing well. That’s the most important thing; and no amount of incompetence should undermind that.
October 21, 2007 @ 8:38 amFirst of all, let me say I’m so glad your granddaughter is doing well.
What a scary experience!!
I have never used 1800 Flowers and now I never will!!
October 21, 2007 @ 12:43 pmWhat AWFUL customer service AND they play butchered classical music to torture those on hold???!!!!!
Unacceptable!!!!!!!!
Maria…You are a real trooper in the way you handled the horrible 1-800 Flowers nightmare. Keep after them.
I hope your grand daughter continues to improve.
October 21, 2007 @ 5:18 pmHi Maria. I’m so sorry to hear about your granddaughter, yet so glad that she’s recovering. You are such a good soul for taking the time to send flowers, and I am spitting mad that you went through what you went through.
I hope the boobs who work for this supposedly customer-focused company (yeah, right!) read this entry. I hope they realize just how terrible their business model is, and how terribly they treat people - customers…who pay their salary! - when they really need the exact opposite.
Shame on them. And good for you for not dropping this. I can’t wait to see where it ends up.
October 21, 2007 @ 7:32 pmDear Maria, I’m so sorry to hear about Jade’s accident, but it sounds like all is going well now, in spite of your bad experience with 1-800-flowers. It’s life grand when customer service is automated, can’t understand English or any other language and makes sure you do not get connected to any competent human capable of being of assistance. My prayers go out to Jade and her mom and to you!
October 21, 2007 @ 8:37 pmSo sorry to hear about Jade being in hospital! But good to know she is feeling better. Just reading the account of your dealings with this 1-800 flowers made my blood boil.
October 22, 2007 @ 12:49 pmThey are just awful! As if you needed something more to worry about when someone in your family is in hospital!
Shame on them.
I’m relieved that your granddaugher Jade is doing better. What a horrible thing to have happen then be plagued with this garbage of service.
October 22, 2007 @ 1:06 pmI do as your own daughter..find a florist that is local to where I want to send something. I also add a small note…saying that I have a friend or family member that will take a photo of the said gift or flowers delivered so I can see the finished product.
Why?
Because many yrs ago..my mother who lives across the country from me…sent me what she thought was an adorable big flower arrangment in a teddybear vase when I gave birth to my daughter. She paid alot of money for it…I recieved a nice flower arrangment yes, but was a simple cheap vase…I had no idea what she actually ordered untill I showed her the photos of all the flowers I had recieved at the hospital. She asked where the teddybear vase was…..so hense we figured out ..I didn’t get what she payed for.
Since…I have always mentioned that I will be getting a photo of my gift…and always get what I pay for because of it.
I hope that small tip can help future orders. I came by here today, from Kenju’s mention of your blog..glad I did..will be back. Have a great day Maria.
My sympathies for your horrific 1-800 Flowers experience. Unfortunately, I suffered one craptastic interaction with 1-800 Flowers, myself. I now use FTD or the exact same method as your daughter-in-law. Both have given me very satisfying results every time.
I am extremely relieved (and happy for you) to read that your granddaughter is doing well.
October 22, 2007 @ 5:09 pmSo sorry about this issue… Unfortunately we encounter incompetence in all fields nowadays!
Wishing your little granddaughter a speedy recovery. And a stress-free day to you!
October 23, 2007 @ 6:49 amGlad your granddaughter is in recovery mode. Hope the Rehab stage goes well. Sorry you had to be subjected to such a nightmarish flower experience.
October 24, 2007 @ 11:48 pmSo glad that your granddaughter is doing OK, and so sorry you had such a horrible experience with the flowers. Unfortunately, good service is quite a relic of the past, much as I am…
October 25, 2007 @ 4:31 amWhatever happened to personal resonsibility. Did it ever occur to YOU to check with the hospital to make sure flowers could be delivered to I.C.U. I am a nurse and although each hospital is different, rules are clearly posted as it must be a sterile area. It appears in this case that the florist attempted to deliver (which happens all the time) and was refused by the hospital. The florist was nice enought to wait until she was transferred & delivered a beautiful arrangement. GEEZ, what more do you want. Sounds like you are just a complainer. Give it a rest & next time if you care so much, do a little more than just whipping out your credit card.
November 8, 2007 @ 12:37 am“The last thing my daughter, my granddaughter, or myself needed during this crisis was the agitation caused by 1-800 Flowers. Jillian ended our conversation with “You have a wonderful evening.” I do hope she hung up before my use of the swear word, “s___!”
***One last thing, maybe this quote should show what really matters in life, my families health would have been the only priority during this time. We see so much trauma and heartache in this life….the small things really shouldn’t matter that much
Perhaps your retirment years shouldn’t be spent waiting for the mail, and perhaps helping others in a positive way!!***
November 8, 2007 @ 12:46 amLucy, your comment is inappropriate given the fact that Maria isn’t complaining about the hospital’s flower delivery policy to their ICU rooms.
Why would Maria or anyone else even consider asking the hospital when she had no personal knowledge that flower delivery to an ICU room wasn’t possible?
Perhaps you should reread what Maria actually wrote about 1-800-flowers, then you should apologize to Maria, especially for your last comment, “Perhaps your retirment years shouldn’t be spent waiting for the mail, and perhaps helping others in a positive way!!” Why are YOU so fired up about Maria’s post that you felt a need to write such a nasty, judgmental comment like that? Anyone who knows Maria personally, would never make such a comment. She is the most caring and giving person I know.
November 8, 2007 @ 8:34 amLucy, I have tried to locate your blog and contact you directly. You were obviously moved by Maria’s protest from the stand point of a health care worker and did not gain a full prospective on her complaint. I was moved from the stand point of a consumer and a grandmother and the hassle we all face in this automated age of inconvenience. Regardless you looked and commented from your own prospective which is certainly your prerogative but you were harsh — almost appearing to be a hit man for 1800flowers. When we cannot embrace our loved ones, we attempt to reach out however we can and when that attempt fails, it leaves us sad and frustrated. We are a generation who trusts what people say they will do and it continues to amaze us when we are let down by false advertising. You certainly gave my blog-world an interesting shake today.
November 8, 2007 @ 8:52 amI do apologize if my above posts offended anyone. I am a healthcare worker who happened to stumble across this blog while researching AARP. I couldn’t believe how much of an effort this person had put into creating a blog like this over something that seemed to be resolved. I guess I was caught up in the long saga on this board over something that seems so minor, especially in the world that we live in today. “A hitman for 1800 flowers”, where in the world did that come from? I am just an individual who had a different opinion. If those are not welcome, don’t make your “blog” public. Once again I apologize if I offended anyone, and will remove this site from ever coming up.
November 8, 2007 @ 4:30 pmLucy,
You are welcomed to come visit my blog whenever you please. I write about many things other than the post with complaints about poor service.
I have been out of town for the past 8 days so I was not able to answer your comment myself until now and I thank both Gloria and Granny Annie for helping to clarify for you.
Understand that I have the most respect for nurses and especially nurses in ICU and I appreciate all that your profession does for those who are in need.
Since I live in a state nowhere near the hospital, I was not in a position to know their rules. I clearly gave the information that my granddaughter was in ICU to 1-800-FLOWERS. I believe they should have at that point told me the flowers could not be delivered to ICU. I have been told this information is known to the average florist.
Yes, there are many terrible things in this world and a need for all us to do what we can to make it a better place. I could not agree with you more. So let’s start with making peace between the two of us and come back and really get to know me. I think you may well like “the real Maria” and I hope someday you have a blog of your own that I can visit.
November 8, 2007 @ 7:31 pmI am so sorry to read about your experience with 1800flowers.com. A friend of mine recently quit working there as a customer service agent precisely because of problems like yours. It is just horrible the stories she told me about the poor training she got as a customer representative. And yet, the head of training, Faith Legendre, was recently given an award for the company being number one in training in customer service! My friend also told me that they have a terrible computer system that drops orders and they make the customer service representatives communicate through a chat room to get answers to their problems rather than speak with someone on the phone! It is unreal. She was put to work after only a short training period and had to handle calls for customer service complaints the very first day before she ever got take an order! It was like being thrown to the wolves. So please know that the representatives are doing the best that they can but they get horrible training and the real problems at that company have to do with the computer systems, the training, and the higher ups. My friend is a very thoughtful person and felt so horrible about the whole experience there that she couldn’t continue to work for them. It is amazing that a company like this can continue to stay in business. I hope you get somewhere with your complaints because clearly they need to change the way they do business. Good Luck to you and your granddaughter.
November 16, 2007 @ 12:20 amHi,
I wanted to thank you for your comment on my blog and the post about 1-800 FLOWERS. It must be terrible to attempt a position as customer representative without extensive training.
The man that called me and listened was very skilled at customer relations, but I could hear the shock in his voice when I told him I had written and sent certified letters to the President and the CEO of 1-800 FLOWERS. I was assuming that he was calling in response to those letters, but he assured me he had not seen them and intimated that they should have come across his desk. Actually, he read my blog and was responding to it. For the record I have never received a word from either the President or CEO and since I received back a signed notice, I know they received my letters.
Again thank you for your insight. It doesn’t excuse big business, but it certainly helped me understand the poor person answering the phones with little or no training.
You mentioned Faith Legendre’s award for being number one in training. Isn’t that scary!!! I hesitate to think of who came in second.
November 18, 2007 @ 3:11 pmGreetings,
First I would like to say that I am deeply sorry to hear about your daughter. I am even more upset to hear about your experience with the agents. I would like to contact you and listen to your experience, suggestions and feedback. Every day we work towards improving our training, providing scenarios to practice with so the agents feel more prepared, adding help desk associates to assist our agents questions verbally, and many other aspects that employees and customers like you bring to our attention. I care about your feedback and want to listen to you.
November 30, 2007 @ 5:28 pmAgain, I can’t express how truly sorry I am. This was important to you and to your daughter.
I am so very, very sorry.
Kind Regards,
Faith
Faith,
I would be most happy to speak with you and will send you a telephone number where I can be reached. However, before you call, I would appreciate if you read all three posts about 1-800-Flowers and the comments. You can find them in the Archives filed under general and the titles all have 1-800-FLOWERS in them.
I will take the time to do this, not because I plan to use 1-800-Flowers ever again, but because you were considerate enough to inquire which is more than the CEO or President of your company has yet bothered to do. They were both sent certified letters of complaint which have been received and ignored.
December 3, 2007 @ 12:00 pm