Choose Words Wisely, Clarify Your Message for Top Customer Service

Episode 162: The single busiest day of year for a flower shop is Valentine's Day and with the increased number of customers served those few days, it's important to get it right! Clear communication is essential in customer satisfaction in any sale, but flower sales can be even more challenging. Simple words or phrases that are used and understood daily in a flower shop might have a total different meaning to a flower buyer.  Vonda and Lori shared these tips on how to clarify your message last year, in Episode 111, however, they bear repeating. 😉

Sponsored by:
Flower Clique
Flower Clique Prep School
Real Life Retail Florist

Transcript

Speaker 1 0:06

When somebody asks me about how many stems, and if it's not on the website, I say <laugh> it . This is like asking a caterer how many slices of cucumber will be on a veggie tray. The answer is enough to make it look good. <laugh> ,

Speaker 2 0:23

Welcome

Speaker 3 0:24

To the business and Pleasure of Flowers. We're your host, Fonda La Fever

Speaker 1 0:28

And Lori Wilson . And we believe that business and fem are a perfect combination, kind of like us. Wanda <laugh> .

Speaker 3 0:41

Okay, Lori . So it's been a heck of a day. Let me tell you

Speaker 4 0:44

Guys are knee deep at a photo shoot right now. Right?

Speaker 3 0:48

Well, we just finished it up because the camera had to be back at five o'clock. So you know how we are just like last minute . So we have 30 minutes to spare <laugh>.

Speaker 4 0:58

Oh my gosh. Did , did Ellie, you weren't in our meeting earlier with Ellie and Cammy and I, but we were talking about, cuz she was saying how you have so many flowers and you wanna just take as many design pictures as you can and make good use of your time. And we were like, you need to create a ginormous arrangement. And it's just called Go big or Go Home.

Speaker 3 1:24

We did that. That's what I just finished . And it was , it wasn't too bad to shoot. I was actually very surprised. But of course then we had to do one for mix one and mix two because you couldn't just do one.

Speaker 4 1:35

Right, right. Well, and I mean, especially going into Valentines Day, everyone needs one of those on your website.

Speaker 3 1:45

Yes. You need one on your website. We have something else on the website for Valentine's Day, because this one's not gonna quite cut it before Valentine's Day . Right . Mother's

Speaker 4 1:54

Day . More for Mother's

Speaker 3 1:55

Day and the next Yeah , it's big. Beautiful. A mixture of Frank Flowers . Yeah . You'll be happy. Because as I was putting it together, I'm like, okay, remember this is for Lori . It's gotta be colorful. It's gotta have a little bit of pink .

Speaker 4 2:09

Go home.

Speaker 3 2:10

Don't even , there you

Speaker 4 2:11

Go. <laugh> . There

Speaker 3 2:12

You go.

Speaker 4 2:13

Good. Well, speaking of Valentine's Day, we are gonna do a replay today.

Speaker 3 2:17

Right? Exactly. There was so much good information from last year's and I was listening, I'm like, Lori , we can't do any better than this. Yeah ,

Speaker 4 2:27

Yeah, yeah. And it's about words because we really don't think about that when you're on the phone with a customer. It's really important, the language you're using when you're describing something makes sense to them. It

Speaker 3 2:40

Does. It has to. Because it might make sense to me or to you as people will see, but oh gosh, others might just be left behind and not have a clue what you're talking about.

Speaker 4 2:53

Right.

Speaker 3 2:54

So let's just take a listen .

Speaker 4 2:57

Okay . So

Speaker 1 2:58

What are we gonna be talking about though today?

Speaker 3 3:00

Well, what we thought would be really important is to talk about words that could confuse a customer and set you up for maybe a bad review or unhappy customer.

Speaker 1 3:11

Yeah. And so when you, again, I don't know what day it was, but when you asked told me about this topic mm-hmm. <affirmative>, I , yeah, that's a great idea. And then within a few days, one of our clickers posted in our members' Facebook page a question that really falls right under this category. Yeah . What do you do? You know? So anyway, we thought, well, we'll just wing it. Right.

Speaker 3 3:38

Well it is an important subject. I mean, even the basic things like I wanna send a dozen long stem red roses, well long stem red roses now could be, you know, we say 60 or 70 centimeter, A customer doesn't know what that is. Mm-hmm . <affirmative> . And in their mind is a long stem rose, you know, 18 inches tall. Is it 12 inches tall? What is long to them?

Speaker 1 4:02

I have no idea what is

Speaker 3 4:04

Long to you, the designer. Right . So, and you're gonna say it's in a big vase. Well, big vase to me is probably different than it is to you, and especially different than our customer. So we have to be careful of the words we select mm-hmm . <affirmative> and pass on to a customer to make sure that we have clarity and set ourselves up for success in those discussions.

Speaker 1 4:26

So I think we should do something here just because I am more customer based . I'm the buyer of the flowers and you are the designer of the flowers, right? Mm-hmm. <affirmative>, you have some words that you're gonna wanna talk about, maybe use one in a sentence if you can. And then I'm going to interpret to you what I'm visualizing and we'll just see if this happens.

Speaker 3 4:49

So I'm gonna do one. Uh , okay. I'm not gonna tell

Speaker 1 4:52

You. Okay. Don't tell me. Don't tell me. Okay. Ready?

Speaker 3 4:55

Go . So as a designer, I like to describe things a little bit more in depth. Yes. You ,

Speaker 1 4:59

Which

Speaker 3 4:59

You do. Honestly, I know it's not the right thing to do Miss Lori , but

Speaker 1 5:04

Well , but it's your here . Okay . Listen, here's the thing, here's why it is. Right? You are the designer. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>, it's kind of expected. Mm-hmm . <affirmative> of you. If, if I'm the customer and I'm talking to the designer in the store mm-hmm. <affirmative>, it's, it's expected.

Speaker 3 5:25

Except for a lot of shops have somebody who's the designer and the salesperson. So most designers on the phone. But if I were to answer the phone, I would say to you, this design is in a cube vase and it has roses, alster area , hybrid Lilly's, wax, flower , Veronica, some assorted foliage.

Speaker 1 5:44

Okay. In my mind, a cube. Okay. I know that's a box, right? Like a little square. Which is fine, but you listed so many things in my mind I'm like, that's too much in a little cube because I can't visualize what you're saying. So mm-hmm. <affirmative> , I would prefer you share with me like the couple of stars of the show. Mm-hmm . <affirmative> the roses and something.

Speaker 3 6:12

I know that because I figured you heard roses, I heard roses, blah blah blah ,

Speaker 1 6:17

Blah . Right . I know you said Aria , but I heard roses and I heard Aria , so I didn't , I didn't hear

Speaker 3 6:23

Anything else. Yeah. And that's what your customer's hearing. Yeah . So that's why I know I have to dumb it down, so to speak. Right,

Speaker 1 6:30

Right . And so I

Speaker 3 6:31

Can do a beautiful variety of flowers including roses. Mm-hmm. <affirmative> in a short glass, square vase .

Speaker 1 6:39

Yes.

Speaker 3 6:39

That would be beautiful on a end table for

Speaker 1 6:44

Right.

Speaker 3 6:44

The bedside table. Because that, as we've talked about, you have to give them what size is that vase? You know, what size is the cube? Is it a big cube? It's a little cube.

Speaker 1 6:53

Right. Right. And even, you know, if you're ordering flowers, if it's customers ordering flowers for Valentine's Day that they're having sent to someone that works in a cubicle, right? Yes . Which is a big deal. Like to me, doing that visual presentation in their mind is incredibly helpful for them to go, yeah, that would look good . Or then they could go, now you know what? I kind of want something as tall as their computer. Like what could we do there? Mm-hmm. <affirmative>. And so we're gonna have to start speaking that language, right? Mm-hmm . <affirmative> . Mm-hmm <affirmative> as far as comparisons.

Speaker 3 7:29

Right. Right. So what is it that one of our members posted on our Okay . Facebook group, because that was so telling the

Speaker 1 7:39

Timing was perfect. Yes . It was absolutely perfect. So she says, how do y'all, she's from Texas, so she says,

Speaker 3 7:47

Y'all

Speaker 1 7:48

<laugh>. So how do y'all handle the question of how tall and wide will that be? How many inches, how many stems does that include? And so on and so forth and so forth. And she put some laughing emojis. So I thought about that and I was thinking of our personalities that we talk about the choo's calling, you

Speaker 3 8:10

Know, the sales prep school that you go through , that

Speaker 1 8:13

We've done podcasts on it , people can go back and find it. Um, and I thought of those director styles like, you know, that are asking every single thing. To me, what was so interesting is all of the comments from our other clickers saying how they handle that, the majority of them are like, I would never answer those.

Speaker 3 8:34

Oh ,

Speaker 1 8:34

I try to be as vague as possible cuz you're setting yourself up to fail. Mm-hmm.

Speaker 3 8:39

<affirmative> mm-hmm. <affirmative>. Right. But you could still, as the owner and manager and designer can have an idea, you know, when you're doing tall bases of flowers, get out a measuring stick and say, yeah , I mean not an average. They're, you know, know 18 to 24 inches. Okay. So at least you know, and maybe you post that on the wall during Valentine's Day when you have these customers that frustrate the heck out of you cuz they're slowing you down when they ask all the questions. So maybe you say, you know what, our tall bases of flowers are 18 to 24 inches and they're really, I can't tell you how many stems, they're just too value of the arrangement. You decide. Right. And it's beautiful . It's a beautiful selection.

Speaker 1 9:20

Right. And, and you know, many of 'em are saying, well, if it's something on my website that's fairly easy because I have a flower click recipe, right? Mm-hmm . Of a recipe. Mm-hmm . And you also have the dimensions for the majority of those. But I think it's important, so you don't set yourself up is to say, on average, like you said, yes . Right. It should be 18 to 20 inches tall depending on the flowers . You know, every flower's unique. So we wanna keep it in its uniqueness, you know, and and more natural. So,

Speaker 3 9:51

And if they are looking at your website, then it's a no-brainer. You can say, let's look at that. That one says on the description, it's approximately this width by this height.

Speaker 1 10:03

Yeah. Yeah. I agree. Um, somebody else posted, of course, you know how all of these questions they take on a life of their own and they start going down different rabbit holes. But again, they're all really good because every shop owner deals with this because the bottom line for those people that are asking, well, how many stems are

Speaker 3 10:23

They're

Speaker 1 10:24

Wanting to know, what am I getting for my money? Right . You know, I want the best for my money. Mm-hmm . <affirmative> , these are also the people, again, reading through these comments that are open to complaining, well, your prices are high. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>, you know , and so somebody shared a story about that. The responses are, you are welcome to call another flower shop. I'm sorry, we're doing the best we can mm-hmm . <affirmative> and be nice. You don't attack them or anything, but just say, you know, costs are going up everywhere. And, and then they have the choice, but one of 'em says sometimes they just wanna verbalize it. Yeah . And just let it go. <laugh> mm-hmm.

Speaker 3 11:01

<affirmative>. Well, and I think coming back saying, you know, gosh, prices are up everywhere. I was at the grocery store and you , you know Yeah . You've been to the grocery store lately and you understand everything is up. Yeah . But sometimes the guys, if they're ordering, they maybe haven't been to the grocery store.

Speaker 1 11:17

Right. <laugh> , they haven't been Well , yeah, that exactly. You're exactly true . So , and one of our clickers commented on this . She said , I just played dumb and asked them , have you read the description that we spent time putting on our website, <laugh> ?

Speaker 3 11:38

That's the book that all floral designers or shop owners wanna write, is what I wish I could say.

Speaker 1 11:45

Yes. Yes. That needs to go into our say this, not that mm-hmm. <affirmative> program in our, in our prep school. Maybe we have have a whole new section of things that you wish you could say. Yeah . But you know, don't say them . Somebody else commented, said, I give a rough description. That's the consensus. Um , we have recipes. If someone's ordering bright and colorful, I can say it's gonna be about 18 inches tall. It'll be a clear glass face . Just the, you know.

Speaker 3 12:14

Exactly. Yeah.

Speaker 1 12:15

Right. And she said, if, if it's a recipe, I can just go down the recipe saying there's three daisies , four incarnations, two Gerber greenery. You know, it's what it is. But she said she hardly ever does that . She rarely gets asked how many stems.

Speaker 3 12:31

Yeah. I, I would agree. I think most of the time, and what's interesting on the flip side of that, Lori , I find is as a shop owner or the manager at the shop, customers are calling you and saying, Hey vda , just fix something really nice for my wife. Your usual, they don't ask size, they don't ask color. Right. They don't ask price because that trust has been established. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>. And you know, you're taking these at Valentine's Day, just like as a manager owner. And one thing that I'm gonna suggest that as a person in that seat of responsibility, you say, oh, thank you Laurie . I will pass this order over to Susie mm-hmm . <affirmative> and Susie's gonna create this for you because she's done it before and she does a really great job. Yeah. Because now then that person who's trusting you will hear the name Susie repeatedly and go, this girl must be good

Speaker 1 13:35

Because

Speaker 3 13:35

NDA trusts her to do what she's doing. So it sets you up for succession for somebody else to be able to do

Speaker 1 13:42

Right. What

Speaker 3 13:43

You normally do for them.

Speaker 1 13:44

Yeah, that's true. One last comment on this one, then we'll move on to your words. <laugh> . So said when somebody asks me about how many stems, and if it's not on the website, I say <laugh> it . This is like asking a caterer how many slices of cucumber will be on a veggie tray. The answer is enough to make it look good. <laugh>. <laugh> .

Speaker 3 14:07

That is super cute. I like that.

Speaker 1 14:10

I do too. I think, but again, they have to trust you. If you're doing a designer's choice, if you're purchasing, if I'm purchasing a designer's choice, I'm gonna have to trust the designer.

Speaker 3 14:21

Right. And a lot of shops are putting almost exclusively designer's choice on their websites for Valentine's Day week.

Speaker 1 14:30

I'm talking as a customer. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>. So don't shoot the messenger. Mm-hmm. <affirmative> , I completely understand shops that have to do designer's choice only because I know the whole shipping and whole, I just know all of the behind the scenes .

Speaker 3 14:48

Right.

Speaker 1 14:49

However, as a customer, when I get on your website and I just see those cute little banners, I need some visuals, I need a little more information. I need to know, I can either have A , B, or C something like I want a, but you can have it in pink, white, yellow, or purple. You know what I mean? Mm-hmm.

Speaker 3 15:14

<affirmative>. So No, totally. I totally understand that. If I'm going to look and only see designer's choice, I think I'm gonna pick up the phone and call the shop and say, what is a designer's choice? Yeah. What is in that? I mean,

Speaker 1 15:26

Yeah. Yeah. You gotta , if you're only gonna do designer's choice for, especially for holidays, you gotta give them a little more information.

Speaker 3 15:36

Yeah, I agree.

Speaker 1 15:37

That would be my thing. It , because you said you would pick up the phone a call, you have a whole lot more knowledge than I do about what you really want in a designer's choice. Mm-hmm. <affirmative> , I'm still like, I don't even know what to ask for besides roses. So I would probably get off that website and go, Hmm , I'm gonna Google, are there any other shops around that area?

Speaker 3 15:59

Yeah. And I think that's what happens. And I understand, especially on Valentine's Day, you know, might need to take everything down and go designer's choice only because at that point, honestly, you probably don't care if you don't get that order.

Speaker 1 16:14

Yeah, that's true. That's true. Mm-hmm . <affirmative> , you're at the day , you right? Mm-hmm. <affirmative> day of . Yeah. That would make sense. But I still, even if you do designer's choice to the day of and say, you know, designer's choice, it can be in pink, red, or white, you choose, but that's all you get to choose. Mm-hmm .

Speaker 3 16:33

<affirmative> . Nope . Agree . I think that's great.

Speaker 1 16:35

Anyway,

Speaker 3 16:37

Lori , I think we should just go back to big vase. They talked about that at the very beginning. Yeah. When I talk about a big vase, I would think they would want a big vase that would be like on an entry table or you know, something grand. When I think of big vase now when some people think of a big vase, maybe just think of an eight or 10 inch vase instead of a 14 inch vase. Well,

Speaker 1 17:02

I, again, when I think of a vase,

Speaker 3 17:05

I've got this big

Speaker 1 17:06

Tall thing by my fireplace vase that has like, I don't know what's in it ,

Speaker 3 17:12

Like a Pam grass or Yes . Something

Speaker 1 17:14

Like that . I mean, that's a big face . Right. See, big , big means different to a lot of people. Again, why, when you're saying that we can do it in a tall, even a tall glass face. Well, what's a tall glass? How tall? Mm-hmm . <affirmative>

Speaker 3 17:31

It

Speaker 1 17:31

Again, visualizing where it's gonna be. Mm-hmm . <affirmative> I think is just so important. Mm-hmm. <affirmative> , like on the buffet table or a tall one , I don't know, a couple, a foot and a half tall, I don't know. Whatever it is, you've gotta give them a little more information.

Speaker 3 17:47

And I think you could start with, if you're looking for something to impress her, we have a tall glass vase . The vase is 12 inches tall and is lush and overflowing with a beautiful selection of flowers, including roses, and it really will impress her, and it's gonna be around $249. How about that to start there ?

Speaker 1 18:09

Um, that sparked a question in my head. I'm thinking the Valentine's Day, the day of,

Speaker 3 18:15

Okay. Do

Speaker 1 18:16

Most shops, are those people calling into order? Are these men or women running by trying to grab something? Both. I

Speaker 3 18:28

Mean , I don't think there's a lot of people who do call last minute Monday morning, the phone will be ringing

Speaker 1 18:33

Off really ? And want it to be delivered that day. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>. So I think if I was answering those phones, and I mean, again, working for my manager who believed the same thing I did, if those were those days, I would let them know, Hey, you know what the , the good news is, we can, we can do something for you today. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>, I don't , I wouldn't say bad news, but here's what we can do. Would your person like something, you know, that's gonna be taught ? I would, I would give 'em three choices basically. I would look over

Speaker 3 19:08

And all of those things should already be done in your cooler. Right. Everything should , we

Speaker 1 19:12

Don't need to know that.

Speaker 3 19:13

Right. Right, right, right. But the , you're right. The , your person on the phone should say, good news is, I've got three things.

Speaker 1 19:20

The good news is you called, got you in by the skin of your teeth. Here's what I can do. <laugh> , we've got three beautiful choices. I, I wouldn't even ask them, what do you , what would you like? Because at this point mm-hmm. <affirmative>, they're gonna need to like one of these things. And

Speaker 3 19:35

Would you suggest as our sales training specialist Yes . Yeah. To say, we have something that would be more compact that would go on her cubicle at, on her desk .

Speaker 1 19:45

Yeah. Yeah. I would ,

Speaker 3 19:46

Do you want something that's taller more the size , the height of her computer? Or do you want something that's gonna take over her whole desk?

Speaker 1 19:52

Absolutely. I would even have a little script with these three choices to use Saturday, Sunday, Monday of Valentine's Day. I honestly would, I would keep it that simple. So your designers, and unless if someone's calling Friday or Oh , before and , and they want a $400 , well heck yeah . We can do that too. <laugh> .

Speaker 3 20:19

Oh heck yeah .

Speaker 1 20:21

Yeah . Heck yeah . But it's like they're either gonna get this, right? Mm-hmm. <affirmative> , think of it as I can remember when we were shopping for minivans way back in the day mm-hmm. <affirmative> and like we looked at , uh, the Toyota Sienna. So it was like you have choice A, B, C package. Yeah . There was no customization. The Odyssey, you could sort of customize a little more. So think of this as Toyota days, <laugh>, I'm not giving a shout out to, to , but it's true. Like during these kind of holidays, you can have A, B, or C if you wanna customize it mm-hmm. <affirmative> , then you're gonna have to spend enough money to make it worth my designer's time . Mm-hmm .

Speaker 3 21:03

<affirmative> . But they don't know that you're not customizing it. They don't know that because description is general enough that they understand.

Speaker 1 21:10

They don't have to know you're cranking these things out. Right. You know? So anyway, that's my little 2 cents from the customer.

Speaker 3 21:18

And I think that's what it's all about, is we've gotta think of things from the customer's perspective and how when they're calling in, what they're hearing, not what we are saying, but how it's perceived.

Speaker 1 21:29

Yep . You know, I'm gonna say something and it, it does have to do with Valentine's Day, but it also has to do with after Valentine's Day, I get amused when I hear , um, some of our, our members, because we do their websites and some of them say, Ugh , remove that from our, I am so tired of making that. I hate that one. You know, and this is few and far between, but the other day I had someone commenting something similar to this, and I remember thinking, this is the story that popped up in my head. So I love salt and vinegar chips, you know? Yes.

Speaker 3 22:09

I

Speaker 1 22:09

Love , love them, love them. So my whole family does. But one rainy day, I had a bag of them in here in my office working, and all of a sudden the entire bag was gone. Full, full bag, not like a snack , full fullback . And the roof of my mouth was so raw, I could not get enough water in my system. I felt nauseous sick. Like I never wanna see one again for a very long time. But here's the deal, the rest of my family still loves them because they didn't abuse them the way I did , so I have to continue to buy them. It's kind of the same thing.

Speaker 3 22:51

Oh yeah. Interesting. Like mm-hmm . <affirmative> . Yeah .

Speaker 1 22:53

Is it weird that I connected

Speaker 3 22:55

Those back ? That was a little weird. I'll have

Speaker 1 22:57

To say <laugh>

Speaker 3 22:58

Potato chips and flowers. But you know, it's

Speaker 1 23:01

The same concept . Like my first thought is, I am not buying those again. Well , I hate 'em . I don't even see 'em . The

Speaker 3 23:07

One that the florist do over and over again, and I'm gonna just do a shout out , is beautiful and blue andora . It's a love hate relationship. Yes. But most of the designers I talk to say, give it to me. I can crank that out in my sleep. Mm-hmm . You know, as long as you price it correctly that , and you have that perceived value because of the beautiful and blue, but it has the right price point and you're making money on it. Heck, why not do it every day ? You know?

Speaker 1 23:35

No . Hey, I will tell you from a customer standpoint, I have sent beautiful and blue.

Speaker 3 23:40

Yeah .

Speaker 1 23:40

I have probably sent it half a dozen times, not to a funeral home , but to the home of somebody. Mm-hmm . <affirmative> that lost , um, a loved one. I like it, but I don't have to make it 20 times a

Speaker 3 23:52

Day. It's an easy one to make. And I know all of our clickers out here are probably going

Speaker 1 23:57

Yep . <laugh> <laugh> . That's true. It's very, but you're right. You, you gotta look at the customer's perspective, and I understand getting sick of it, getting sick of the chips, right? Yep . Yep . But you still have to buy 'em, because I have to think of the others.

Speaker 3 24:16

<laugh> , think of the others that, and you always do, Lori , you're the , you're the , yeah , I try ,

Speaker 1 24:20

I try . Well,

Speaker 3 24:21

We're gonna keep this short since everybody needs to get focused on Valentine's Day, but I really do think these tips will really help refocus you and really choose your words wisely.

Speaker 1 24:33

Yes .

Speaker 3 24:34

For Valentine's.

Speaker 1 24:35

You guys , you guys got this. You've got it. Thank you so much for listening to our podcast. We hope you enjoyed spending time with us because we enjoy spending time with you. If you did, make sure you hit that subscribe button or add the business and pleasure of flowers to your Google Morning routine or your flash briefing on Alexa. We look forward to seeing you next week,

Speaker 3 24:58

So please come back and join us and discover how a bit of knowledge and one small change in your mindset can take you to new levels in your life and business.