Summerhill Florist first opened their doors in 1984 and has, for nearly 40 years, been the leading florist in Airdrie and the surrounding towns. Colette Provencher who is the current owner of Summerhill Florist worked for the previous owners before acquiring the busy shop in 2010.
Summerhill Florist also part of the Telefora network, enables Colette to wire flowers worldwide.
“One of the biggest reasons behind our decades of success is our customer service and standing behind our products,” says Colette. “Customer service and the best products are important because our buyers are more than customers. They are men and women imparting an emotional impact be that love, sympathy, ‘just because,’ or congratulations. Because of that impact it is important for me to build up those customer relationships. From placing the order to delivery, each step plays a part in the emotions of the journey.”
The depth of customer service can be seen in a simple action Colette and her team have done for years. They carry dog treats on deliveries.
“Most people have dogs and they are part of the family, therefore, part of the experience,” smiles Colette.
She’s kept the business thriving by moving with the times, offering gourmet baskets in the past and now fresh baked, homemade cookies for holidays and occasions. “I like to keep things a little different,” Colette explains.
Yet there is a real threat to not just her floral studio, but all the independent flower shops in the province. You, as a consumer, are an unwitting part of the issue, and don’t even know it.
Do you know what an online floral gather is? These are sites that “catch” orders meant to go directly to the florist. Gatherers tote verbiage such as “you place the order and we provide it to the floral shop of your choice for less because we save you their fees and markups. If you accept, we fulfill and place the order!” Sounds good right? It’s a scam.
Those orders are not put over to the floral shop intended. They go to fulfillment centers instead. The florist doesn’t hear about order at all until the customer calls to complain about substandard flowers and lousy delivery. At that point, when the customer knows the truth, it’s too late.
These order gatherers have been sued time and time again for false advertising and false information, but when its easy to copycat legitimate web addresses and pay to have search engines like Google push ads, the gatherers can – and do – run amok.
Colette explains, “Order gathers look local, but they are not. They are also not florists. They are virtual companies. All they do is take the orders by taking them away from real florists. When someone types Summerhill Florist in the search bar, these order gathers exploit AdWords and have local florists’ names in their ads. People get diverted and they don’t realize it. It’s not until they get their statement or a disappointing order that they realize they didn’t order flowers from me. Nobody can go against Google, so educating and empowering my customers is how I go about it fighting this.”
To not get duped, Colette encourages you to do this every time you buy online from Summerhill Florist or any local store:
- Make sure the URL matches the company name – exactly
- Check to see if the match is tagged as “Ad” or “Sponsored” and if so, see who bought the ad space
- Call in orders instead of placing orders online
- When in doubt, check it out
With nearly 40 years of hard work and customer service, Colette and her team have carved out a niche and provided outstanding memories for every occasion. With a little vigilance in the wake of the ongoing order gatherer issue, you can help keep that momentum going. Visit Summerhill’s website, and Instagram to learn more.
