In the April 2014 issue of Floral Management, florists with lots of experience shared their best tips on holiday planning and execution.
By now you’ve probably got your temporary Valentine’s Day help lined up, but don’t forget to take the time to train them properly and evaluate them internally.
Those are two tips from experienced florists who have used decades of experience to put together their own holiday planning playbooks.
Among their tips for stress-fee seasonal onboarding:
Train ‘Em Right. Even if they will only be in your shop for a few days (or on the holiday itself), every new holiday hire should receive a rundown of what the job entails. By providing an orientation or a ride-along with an experienced driver, you can help new hires see that delivering flowers requires more delicacy than delivering newspapers or pizzas — something you know from years of experience but “might not be intuitive for people who don’t usually work in the industry,” said Lori Wheat, AAF, of Lafayette Florist, Gift Shop & Garden Center in Lafayette, Colorado. Wheat’s drivers also receive a sheet outlining every step of the process, from what to wear (layers, to handle temperature changes moving from a heated vehicle to outside air) to what to do if a recipient isn’t home.
Take Notes. Nic Faitos of Starbright Floral in New York City keeps an Excel spreadsheet with every person who has ever worked a holiday for the shop. Next to every name is a number, between one and five, indicative of that person’s performance. Immediately after the holiday, all full-time employees are encouraged to leave feedback on part-timers’ demeanor, work ethic and skills. When planning for the next holiday, Faitos sorts the sheet and reaches out to any 4s and 5s first.
Get additional tips on how to run a smooth holiday in Floral Management. And if you happen to be running behind on finding those temporary workers, never fear. The story has tips on how to find seasonal help, too.
