A pink bouquet that arrived mostly white
A customer orders the 'Blush' bouquet from your website: soft pink roses, pink lisianthus, eucalyptus. On Thursday, the wholesaler is out of pink lisianthus and the roses are a paler shade than usual. Your florist makes a beautiful bouquet with white lisianthus, cream roses and a touch of pink wax flower.
The recipient loves it. The sender sees the photo her friend posted and emails: that is not what I ordered. She wanted pink. She feels the shop sent something cheaper.
It was not cheaper, and it was arguably nicer. But she was not told, and the photo she chose from did not look like what arrived.
Why substitutions turn into complaints
Florists substitute every day, because flowers are seasonal and supply changes. Most customers accept it when they understand it. The complaint comes from surprise, not from the substitution itself.
The website photo is a promise. The small print about substitutions is usually at the bottom of a terms page, which nobody reads before ordering.
The shop also rarely knows in advance which products will be affected. The shortage is found on the morning of making, when there is no time to contact anyone.
What surprise substitutions cost
| Problem | Effect |
|---|---|
| Substitution not explained | Customers feel short-changed |
| Website photos not matching stock | Expectations the workroom cannot meet |
| No record of the finished bouquet | Hard to answer 'what did you send?' |
| Shortages found on the day | No chance to warn the sender |
| Refunds and resends | Cost for a bouquet that was well made |
Online reviews about substitutions are among the most common complaints florists receive, and they often come from customers who would have been happy if told.
Seasonality makes it worse at certain times of year. A website photo taken in June with peonies and sweet peas can still be on sale in November, when neither is available at a sensible quality. The product page has not changed, so every order for it becomes a substitution, and the workroom quietly absorbs a problem that is really a website problem.
Relay orders add another complication. A customer who ordered through a national network chose from a photo you did not take, of a product you may not normally make, with stems your wholesaler may not carry. Substitution is often unavoidable, and the network has its own rules on it, so a clear record of what you made and why matters even more.
How we make substitutions part of the order
- Each website product is linked to its key stems, using simple recipes set up with your florists.
- When you mark a stem as short, whether from the wholesaler's confirmation or a morning check, the products that depend on it are flagged in the workroom list and, if you choose, on the website.
- Checkout shows a short, plain substitution note next to the product, in your own words, rather than hiding it in the terms.
- Customers can choose, where you offer it: 'substitute in similar colours', 'contact me first', or 'florist's choice'.
- The workroom records any substitution on the order and takes a photo of the finished bouquet before it leaves.
- Senders who chose to be told receive the photo and a short note explaining the change, before or at delivery.
The photo record also helps with the 'what did you send?' question later, whether or not a substitution was made.
Fewer surprised customers
When the pink lisianthus runs short, the 'Blush' bouquet is flagged. The florist makes it with the closest colours available, photographs it and the sender gets a note: 'Our pink lisianthus was not up to standard today, so we have used soft pink wax flower instead. Here is your bouquet.' The sender hears it from you first, not from a friend's photo.
- Products affected by shortages flagged in advance
- Substitution policy visible at checkout
- Finished bouquets photographed and recorded
- Senders told about changes before they hear it elsewhere
Do substitution complaints sound familiar?
- Customers complain the bouquet did not match the photo.
- Your substitution policy is only in your terms.
- Shortages are found on the morning of making.
- You do not photograph finished bouquets.
- Refunds have been given for well-made bouquets.