I love being a local florist! Everyday I come into work, I never know what to expect! Yesterday I got to enjoy the unusually warm weather and go out on delivery. Today I was designing sample bouquets for a Super Bowl party. Tomorrow, who knows? But everyday I get to help customers.
Gillespie Florists’ slogan is “Flowers for Life” and I take that to heart. Everyday I am helping customers with the highlights of their lives. I have laughed until I cried helping a wife with an over the hill party for her husband! I have handed tissues to a wife who just lost her husband then, grabbed one for myself. I’ve helped brides plan the most perfect and important day of her life, getting married and I’ve helped brides make a justice of the peace wedding just a little more special!
One of my most favorite customers is the young teenager coming in to buy flowers for a first date! This demonstrates that chivalry is indeed alive and thriving. It is encouraging to witness this in young adults. The customer will come in and just ask for a red rose. Usually he seems nervous, avoids eye contact and doesn’t sound too sure about his request. This is when I ask him if he would rather do a different color and he will say he doesn’t know and I will ask him if he wants to check out all the roses in our walk in cooler. Reluctantly he agrees to come back and have a look.
When we get to the cooler, I make sure to point out other flowers to him such as Star Gazer lilies, Gerbera daisies, alstroemeria lilies and other flowers. Many times the customer will recognize a flower she likes and get one of those instead but if not then I show him the roses and all the colors we have in stock. I’ll go over different meanings of roses if he wants to know or help him pick a color by asking questions like “What is her favorite color?” or “What color does she mostly wear?”
After getting him his flowers, I introduce him to the Sunshine Club to insure he’ll be back to get flowers on his next date! (If you are unfamiliar with the Sunshine Club, CLICK HERE.) I will see this customer come back, even if his date didn’t go well. There is always the next girl or Prom!
I have customers who tell me weekly that they got their Prom flowers here or they came here every Mother’s Day with their Dad and they will always remember to come back to their local florist!
Now I just wonder what I will be up to tomorrow? Taking pictures of Valentine’s Day Specials, designing a last minute wedding, making a wrist corsage with silk roses to ship to California?
Always making Flowers for Life.
