No one ever said being a consumer in this current age is easy.  Here’s a warning from your friendly Mom and Pop florist lest you fall into an awful floral trap:


BEWARE OF ORDER GATHERERS, THE SCOURGE OF THE FLOWER WORLD!

 
Sending flowers can be one of life’s pleasures, and it should not be limited to those who live in the New Orleans area. Nor should it end in unhappiness. The staff here at harkins, the florist, prides itself on its ability to send flowers almost  anywhere in the world with great success.  We know how to locate a florist who is “on the same page” with us who does just as good (or almost as good!) a job as we do.


In every major city across the country we have our favorite shops, and, in smaller places, we know how to read between the lines in the directory to find a great shop and to avoid the “MawMaws.”


The trap, into which some of our nearest and dearest have fallen, is the dreaded ORDER GATHERER (O.G.s)


O.G.s masquerade as florists, but, in fact, they don’t have flowers anywhere around (unless they picked up a bunch at the grocery on the way to work).  They work out of office spaces with many operators handling incoming phone calls, or, in some cases are just computer links programmed to send and receive orders. The majority now seem to be operating from outside the U.S.


Unsuspecting consumers are duped in a number of ways.  If one goes to the Yellow Pages, at least half of the ads are not for local florists, but O.G.s passing themselves off as such.


 Similarly, after one goes on the Internet, these charlatans have many tricks to bait in the consumer.  It takes somw computer savvy to avoid the O.G.s and reach a real florist. 

 
 Because it’s such a competitive market on the Internet, the prices are really cheap.  They make  $29.99 offers, but what the consumer gets is not their concern.  And who fills these orders?  The most desperate shops, whose quality is so lacking that local consumers don’t dare use them.


For the best of quality and service, SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL MOM AND POP!  If it’s after hours and you need service, go on-line on our website and place your order.  The O.G.s can’t get you service any faster than we can, and we’re so much more conscientious and reliable!

consumers beware!