Want to instantly improve customer satisfaction and your sales numbers? One word: emote.
That’s the message sales Tim Huckabee wants all florists to share with their staffs this month.
In his column, “Tim’s Calling,” in the March issue of Floral Management, the founder of FloralStrategies details the embarrassingly flat reaction he got when he called a New England shop, pretending to be a father sending his daughter congratulatory flowers for her engagement.
His card message? “We are THRILLED for you and Kenny. All our love, Mom and Dad.” The sales woman’s response? “Uh, ok,” followed by — wait for it — “what do you want to spend?”
“Her total disregard for my excitement casted a shadow over the call,” Huckabee explained.
“Customers often share little, intimate slices of their lives with us when ordering flowers, and we should acknowledge those moments.” (Simply saying, “What wonderful news!” would have gone a long way, he added.)
In addition to raining on Huckabee’s parade, the sales woman also squandered the opportunity to effortlessly pitch a high-end arrangement to commemorate an epic occasion. Instead, she steered the call with the very unambitious line, “our arrangements start at $40.” When Huckabee pressed for advice on an appropriate price point, she quickly responded “$50.”
“I essentially begged her to give me her professional guidance,” Huckabee said
For more of Huckabee’s analysis and tips, read “Deflated Congratulations.” To listen to the full recording of the call, visit safnow.org/timscalling.
Katie Hendrick Vincent is the senior contributing editor of the Society of American Florists.
