ORDERING FLOWERS ONLINE?

Start with An Online Search

Look at several florists’ websites in the results. Just remember that Google will serve up ads, business listings (with a map) and then other results. These will be a combination of

1. Retail flower stores that will prepare the flower arrangements and do deliveries.
2. On-line stores without a retail outlet that prepare arrangements and deliveries.
3. Worldwide (online) delivery companies such as FTD and Teleflora. These companies will take your online order and pass it to a local florist in your city of choice. That florist prepares the order and delivers it.

Choosing Your Florist

1. Browse a few websites to get a sense of what their design aesthetic is, preview their pricing, and take a moment to read their customer reviews.
2. Try to determine how easy it will be to contact the florist if something goes wrong or if you want to change or cancel the order
3. If you see a floral company that you like, but don’t see exactly what you would like to purchase, reach out to that florist to discuss alternative options. That’s what they are there for. In addition, they may have flowers or plants available that are not shown on their website.

Tips for Successfully Placing Your Flower Order Online

When you are ready to place your order, be sure to have all pertinent information ready beforehand so that you complete the process quickly.

• Your credit card information and your “billing” address. You may find that your order is rejected if you do not get the billing address correct.
• Recipient’s full name: (you may know her as Dear Aunt Babs but if her legal name is Gertrude Smith the florist will need that information ).
• Recipient’s address: this should include the recipient’s street, their apartment, condo or townhouse number, along with any access codes needed for entry. Also do not forget to include their city or town with its postal code.
• Recipient’s contact phone number: we can’t tell you the number of times people have put their own phone number as the point of contact in the hopes that their order will be a surprise, only to have to play middle man between the delivery person and the recipient or even worse to have missed a call from the delivery person seeking assistance with the delivery.
• Your message to go on the delivery card – happy birthday, condolences etc.
• Any special delivery instructions (such as what to do if the delivery cannot be made). But be careful about asking for a specific delivery time, especially early in the morning. If you need a very specific time, you might be better to phone the store to see if it is possible rather than order on-line.

Know Your Delivery Options and Limits

Order Ahead of Time

Whenever possible order ahead of time. This helps alleviate the stress and additional costs of trying to rush an order out for delivery. You want to ensure that the florist has plenty of time to put together your order and give you their best work. It truly does pay to plan ahead!

Call the Florist if You Just Missed the Delivery Deadline

If the florist has a cut-off time for same day delivery of orders, and you have just missed it, give them a phone call to see if they can still sneak it out for you. If they are not too busy and the delivery person has not left for the day, you may be in luck. Or, for a delivery near the store, they may be a be to use a taxi, although it will cost a bit more.

Remember – Flower Delivery is Not Always Included

Keep in mind that delivery is not free. Every florist needs to make a profit. If delivery is advertised as being free, then likely the value of the flowers is not the same as if delivery is charged. You can see what King West Flowers does regarding delivery charges and the delivery areas we serve by clicking here.

If You Choose a Worldwide Delivery Company

• You will get fewer flowers for the same price. These services take a piece of the action – you pay the same price but your arrangement has fewer flowers in it.
• You can save some research time. They will have a list of potential florists for your order, in or near the city where your recipient resides.