Florist Opinion.....Need Advice!

LDamiani · January 2012

Hi All,

So I saw this florist at a bridal expo and I loved her work. Fast forward to today and I decided to see her. I met with her and loved everything. She stayed exactly within my budget and I was really happy with all her ideas. I came home today to read some reviews (I looked months ago, but wanted to remind myself), and now I'm a little disappointed.

Some of her reviews RAVE about her work and how amazing she is. Then there are a handful of reviews that say STAY AWAY. So now I'm a little torn, would you book her or keep looking for someone else? I liked all her ideas, but now I'm a little hesistant, who wants to deal with issues? Know what I mean?

jessa1228 · January 2012

Did the bad reviews specify why to stay away? If the bad reviews are very vague, I'd be less likely to pay attention to them then if they mentioned specific things, particularly if they all mentioned the SAME thing/things.

lbarr088 · January 2012

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-club-boards_september-2012-weddings_florist-opinionneed-advice?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20Club%20BoardsForum:a464c18c-2e4d-469b-8eae-3865079cb9cfDiscussion:1b0497e0-f572-4dd1-a8f2-36c74e51eb0dPost:1e953eda-a570-44bc-8a32-40c9b769e700">Re: Florist Opinion.....Need Advice!</a>:
[QUOTE]Did the bad reviews specify why to stay away? If the bad reviews are very vague, I'd be less likely to pay attention to them then if they mentioned specific things, particularly if they all mentioned the SAME thing/things.
Posted by jessa1228[/QUOTE]

<div>This.</div><div>
</div><div>Also, have you looked at any other florists? I shopped around quite a bit for making a decisions. </div>

BMcLeodTeam · January 2012

I agree with PPs, if the reviews are vague, those are often people who personally made errors and blamed the florist. They can't acknowledge they did something wrong, however because the florist didn't actually screw up, they can't pinpoint anything specific.

mamameech · January 2012

Look for specifics and trust your instincts. Some vendors don't mesh with certain people and that's ok, but look at what exactly was "bad". If you see things that are important to you, I'd investigate.

I met with one florist who came highly recommended and from what I saw of her work, I was impressed. She showed up late to the appt, her place was a complete mess (and not work related mess) and then despite telling me she'd get me a quote by that evening, I never EVER heard back from her. I did like her and was interested in hiring her, but I needed someone I could trust and who would respect me as a client. Is she talented? You bet. Is she a good business women? Nope. So you can see how reviews can vary...

LDamiani · January 2012

I'm going to check out another 2-3 florists to be sure before I make any decisions or deposits. Like 2-3 reviews complained that she didn't return phone calls in a timely manner, one person complained she ordered something and it wasn't there for her wedding. I'm not ordering any additional items, so I kind of disregarded that one. I mean anyone who did have work done by her gave nothing by rave reviews. I just really liked her style, but I figure I should shop around before I make any decisions.

It's tough because someone writes a review like STAY AWAY but gives no reasons...That doesn't really help anyone.

I'm going to definitely keep researching, thanks for the input!

morenachica110 · January 2012

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-club-boards_september-2012-weddings_florist-opinionneed-advice?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20Club%20BoardsForum:a464c18c-2e4d-469b-8eae-3865079cb9cfDiscussion:1b0497e0-f572-4dd1-a8f2-36c74e51eb0dPost:e9187233-38b2-4e87-bf48-da8a1b8f1f3e">Re: Florist Opinion.....Need Advice!</a>:
[QUOTE]I'm going to check out another 2-3 florists to be sure before I make any decisions or deposits. Like 2-3 reviews complained that she didn't return phone calls in a timely manner, one person complained she ordered something and it wasn't there for her wedding. I'm not ordering any additional items, so I kind of disregarded that one. I mean anyone who did have work done by her gave nothing by rave reviews. I just really liked her style, but I figure I should shop around before I make any decisions. It's tough because someone writes a review like STAY AWAY but gives no reasons...That doesn't really help anyone. I'm going to definitely keep researching, thanks for the input!
Posted by LDamiani[/QUOTE]

<div>Personally, if it was really vague and there were only a couple so-so bad ones, I (personally) probably wouldn't pay much mind. Sometimes people get flustered or are perfectionists or did something wrong themselves. There are even competitors that sit around and make phony accounts to write bad reviews (not saying that's what happened, but it's possible). If you really love her and love what's she done for you, then I say go for it. In the end, go with your gut. =)</div>

npott044 · January 2012

I had the same situation happen with my photographer. There were mixed reviews about her online but I liked her work and her personality. My thought is more people go online to complain then rave about someone. As other people have mentioned not everyone will work well together and that creates issues. Shop around and if you still love her work go with your gut!

adktd2boots · January 2012

I worked for a florist in college. There were people who changed their minds all the time, didn't know what they wanted, wanted something EXACT, etc. We would remind them all the time that many of the online photos and things in magazines are silk flowers and their real flowers would not look the same. We had probably 95-98% happy clients, but it was always those demanding ones who aren't happy with anything anywhere in their life that are always looking to blame someone else for their unhappiness.

I agree you should shop around, because you should always check out 3 or so places before spending money somewhere. But like PPs said, there could be companies who want to make a bad name for their competitors, people who like to fuss, and genuine bad business. You should be able to get a feel when you check around.

Best of luck to you!

Oh, and some people don't realize businesses are busy. Especially floral shops and people in the wedding industry. A lot of times these are not their full time jobs, and a lot of times they are the only ones working there. I own my own business and only dedicate 2 nights a week to my job. If I was readily available all the time, I wouldn't have any time to myself or family. If you call and leave me a message on Friday, it's likely you wont get a return call until Tuesday. Some people don't like that, but it's the way I run my business.

LDamiani · January 2012

In Response to Re: Florist Opinion.....Need Advice!:
[QUOTE Oh, and some people don't realize businesses are busy. Especially floral shops and people in the wedding industry. A lot of times these are not their full time jobs, and a lot of times they are the only ones working there. I own my own business and only dedicate 2 nights a week to my job. If I was readily available all the time, I wouldn't have any time to myself or family. If you call and leave me a message on Friday, it's likely you wont get a return call until Tuesday. Some people don't like that, but it's the way I run my business.
Posted by adktd2boots[/QUOTE]

I agree..One of my family members own their own business and I know he can sometimes not please everyone and he does amazing work. People just want you to be available 24/7 and that doesn't happen. Most of the reviews were like it was difficult to schedule appointments with her, I had no issue scheduling my first one and I don't think you need to make 5 more before your wedding lol...I say out of 25 reviews online, she got 3 negative the rest were all 5's and maybe two 4's. Another bad review said they ordered something and it didn't come and they had an issue with it. I'm not ordering separate items, so I'm not really that worried lol..The flowers are just so amazing and my mom loved her too. Hopefully once I shop around a little bit I can make a final decision!!

volleygurl0306 · January 2012

I agree with shopping around. If people aren't specific enough I'd take two things into account with negative reviews...1. Think about how anal we all are about our weddings and then think about the bridezillas out there who are far worse and are impossible to please and can't wait to write a bad review (they exist and we know it). These are the women who think their wedding is the only one on a vendors plate even if it is months away. 2.one mistake I see over and over again with flowers is people say they want a specific color and let's face it, unless you want white (and maybe even then) there is no control over mother nature and how the crop grows. A bride's hot pink may end up baby pink and blues are often purple. People who don't understand that it is very difficult to get a specific flower color are of course going to give bad reviews that any florist could control.

I also think you should ask the florist for references. These people typically had a good experience but ask about specific things mentioned in the reviews as well as other important questions like what was the average turn around time for a returned call, did they show up on time, did you get everything you want, did your flowers look fresh etc.

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