I recently had the great fortune to be the recipient of not one, but two, arrangements of flowers, within 12 hours of each other.
Let me explain.
The first was ordered via one of those online conglomerate outfits that appear to have great deals. The delivery didn't happen the day it was supposed to. Nor the second day. When contacted about this egregious error, the company couldn't say for sure what had happened, other than that the arrangement was in the truck.
So not a good experience.
Relationship damaged.
No attempt to repair.
Order canceled.
Business taken elsewhere, permanently.
Word-of-mouth currency as negative as it could be.
Enter second vendor, a local concern who, from the moment the conversation began, was 1000% more helpful, dedicated and able to create a magical experience for the person ordering and the person receiving.
First vendor delivery materializes anyway, in spite of previous inability to make it happen and the order being canceled.
Set side by side, the contrast between the two arrangements is stark. The first had tacky plastic tubing on the flower stems to keep them upright, too much foliage that detracted from the flowers, the water was stale from sitting in the truck for two days, in one of those standard, nondescript curved vases.
The second had inobtrusive florist wire implemented to keep the flowers upright, just enough foliage to augment the beauty of the flowers, an elegantly simple cylindrical vase, and it arrived exactly on time, when they said they would.
Now, of course, I will sing their praises and recommend them to everyone who asks.
Since we're dealing with humans here, experiences like these will continue to happen on the planet, just as they have for thousands of years.
A timeless story of business, services, follow-through, personal investment in outcome.
And that's just fine.
It helps preferences to be born, relationships to shift, ideas to blossom, work to change, procedures to improve (or not), appropriate employees to be found, clients to be garnered, talents to be discovered and expressed.
All because something got left in the truck.
Isn't it though? :-)
Posted by: blissmonger | Tuesday, March 09, 2010 at 06:54 PM
these are truly amazing photos!
and how lovely that someone sent you flowers ... :)
Posted by: karen | Tuesday, March 09, 2010 at 04:22 PM
Very pretty shots of flowers, it makes me long for them to bloom here
Posted by: flowers | Saturday, March 06, 2010 at 04:58 AM
Oops!! It's Clarkston Flower Shoppe, 7150 Main St., Clarkston, MI 48346 248-625-9711
Posted by: blissmonger | Friday, March 05, 2010 at 01:05 PM
Are you publishing the two business names? Or at least the praiseworthy one?
Lovely photo by the way.
Posted by: Carla Sanders | Friday, March 05, 2010 at 12:53 PM